Behind the Pixel: Google’s First Real Threat to Apple’s iPhone • Hacker News Board

Re: Behind the Pixel: Google’s First Real Threat to Apple’s iPhone

#231

Post by Unklejoe » Tue, Oct 04, 2016, 6:10 PM UTC

redwards510 wrote: post #148

Unklejoe wrote: post #114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

iPhones receive OS updates for like 4 years after release where as most Android phones seem to be forgotten as soon as the next model comes out. As an Android user, this is one thing that I have to admit Apple wins at. Not to mention the fact that Google seems to have a habit of deprecating their own apps for seemingly no apparent reason.

I've owned iDevices, and they have this curious ability to 'age' themselves into the dumpster after two years of iOS updates. The latest iOS versions run incredibly slow (or not at all) on older devices and you are left with something you can't even flash a custom ROM on.

True. I often wonder if it is intentional or if it is just a result of running software which was designed for faster hardware.

Either way, non removable lithium batteries usually take care of the obsolescence issue anyway. After two years, devices seem to barely hold enough charge for an hour.

This is the most frustrating thing for me. I have a three year old HTC M7 which works beautifully (running a stripped down ROM and I avoid all app updates). However, the battery is starting to get weak, and I’m afraid to take it apart.

I wish the LG G5 was more competitive. The removable battery is a huge deal to me, especially now that everything supports rapid charging, which I’m sure wreaks havoc on batteries.

Re: Behind the Pixel: Google’s First Real Threat to Apple’s iPhone

#232

Post by glenndebacker » Tue, Oct 04, 2016, 6:10 PM UTC

So does this come without tracking and more privacy because for that price you can't play the "they need to recoup the costs through user data" card.

Apple it seems can do it for devices in those price range.

Re: Behind the Pixel: Google’s First Real Threat to Apple’s iPhone

#233

Post by gr3yh47 » Tue, Oct 04, 2016, 6:10 PM UTC

mikestew wrote: post #13

And yet not a single hard detail in the article as to why the headline might be true. For going on ten years we've seen the "iPhone killers" come and go, and this article does nothing to tell me why this time it will be different. Perhaps because it won't be. Of what very few details the article outlines, they just go on about nifty hardware. Have we not learned by now that cool hardware still sucks when hamstrung by…

iPhones arent the one to beat though. Android has had a much larger market share since 2011 [0]

0: https://infographic.statista.com/normal/chartoftheday_4431_s...

Re: Behind the Pixel: Google’s First Real Threat to Apple’s iPhone

#234

Post by mathrawka » Tue, Oct 04, 2016, 6:10 PM UTC

mrspeaker wrote: post #161

geodel wrote: post #86

I think it is just me but I find this 'book me a concert and fancy dinner' schtick rather boring. May be well off people are so busy and book these things so often that these virtual assistant really save time if price is of no concern to them.

Does anybody actually use these virtual assistants? They seem like the bluetooth dongle of the mid-2000s - friends wouldn't let friends use them. Is it just for people who drive? Or will there be a tipping point when it won't seem so arrogant barking commands on the subway or in a quiet office?

I like it when driving.

"Text my wife ", "Call my wife", "Play on Spotify", "Open Waze" (after playing music on Spotify, Waze is no longer on the screen so I can switch back to it).

The reservations stuff? No way, I want to choose my seats and price point.

Re: Behind the Pixel: Google’s First Real Threat to Apple’s iPhone

#235

Post by bmuon » Tue, Oct 04, 2016, 6:11 PM UTC

ljf wrote: post #7

Why is Google still insisting (with 7.1) that the 3 navigation keys (menu, home and back) need to be on screen - either wasting real-estate or annoyingly hidden - requiring a swipe to expose them? Old Android phones used to have hardware or software keys that were off the bottom of the screen - and in fact my Xiaomi Mi Note Pro still does - it frees the entire screen for content. If the '3 keys' regularly changed mea…

Hardware manufacturers have in fact regularly changed the meaning of the keys.

Re: Behind the Pixel: Google’s First Real Threat to Apple’s iPhone

#236

Post by mattbessey » Tue, Oct 04, 2016, 6:11 PM UTC

djhworld wrote: post #210

The price makes me a bit sad tbh One of the best things about the Nexus range was they offered the Google vision of android at a reasonable price. The Nexus 4, 5 and 6 were affordable. I purchased my Nexus 5 for a shade below £300 when it came out, which I thought was excellent value for money in comparison to how much I had paid for a Samsung previously. This Pixel line seems to have abandoned that ideal to compete…

To be fair, a good portion of that (£100?) is likely to be from the £ losing value against the $

Re: Behind the Pixel: Google’s First Real Threat to Apple’s iPhone

#237

Post by geodel » Tue, Oct 04, 2016, 6:12 PM UTC

djhworld wrote: post #210

The price makes me a bit sad tbh One of the best things about the Nexus range was they offered the Google vision of android at a reasonable price. The Nexus 4, 5 and 6 were affordable. I purchased my Nexus 5 for a shade below £300 when it came out, which I thought was excellent value for money in comparison to how much I had paid for a Samsung previously. This Pixel line seems to have abandoned that ideal to compete…

I think at this point one should give up any hope on 2 things in Google Hardware program:

First, hardware so great that it remain excellent for more 2 years of usage for most use cases and/or price remain attractive so one does not mind upgrading after 2 years.

Re: Behind the Pixel: Google’s First Real Threat to Apple’s iPhone

#238

Post by Animats » Tue, Oct 04, 2016, 6:14 PM UTC

It's a real threat to handset makers who use Android. Their OS supplier is now competing with them.

Look for a third ecosystem to come out of China.

Re: Behind the Pixel: Google’s First Real Threat to Apple’s iPhone

#239

Post by acchow » Tue, Oct 04, 2016, 6:15 PM UTC

NetStrikeForce wrote: post #99

From: https://blog.google/products/pixel/introducing-pixel-our-new... > Pixel comes in two sizes, 5” or 5.5”, and three colors: Very Silver, Quite Black and our limited edition for the U.S. only, Really Blue. What's your problem Google? You keep being the only big company still pulling this "U.S. only" stuff.

Is this a US politics thing? Blue = Democrats?

Re: Behind the Pixel: Google’s First Real Threat to Apple’s iPhone

#240

Post by alexbaker » Tue, Oct 04, 2016, 6:15 PM UTC

joezydeco wrote: post #126

“Google is now the seller of record of this phone,” And who is the servicer of broken phones? Is there a warranty? Can I get a customer service agent on a real voice line? Given Google's track record of hardware they could have answers for all of this and I still wouldn't own one.

I've bought a Nexus phone every year since the Nexus One (and a few tablets as well) and throughout those years have received a few warranty replacements. One was even a free replacement of a replacement more than a year after the initial purchase. I always get a human in a chat or phone call without any effort, and I always get free next day shipping. I bought Nexus protect on my current phone, and although it is through a third party, when I damaged my phone the replacement process was basically the same (except I had to pay $79). I personally think their hardware support is awesome.