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

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

#381

Post by gotthemwmds »

jitl wrote: post #345
gotthemwmds wrote: post #249

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can you please go with me to the Seattle or Bellevue Apple Store and help me make this transaction? I went to both over the weekend and things did not go well. They didn't seem to understand the basic process you outlined above.

All phones sold at Apple stores are unlocked, but they come with an unactivated carrier SIM. I purchased an iPhone 7 (t-mobile), then popped out the SIM and put in my old AT&T sim. No problem. I suggest just buying the t-mobile device and doing the same, if you're looking for a GSM device.

I just want a phone that works. All of those words are confusing.

Seriously though I showed up at Apple with a credit card and a SIM card 48 hours ago and they were not able to sell me a phone. To make it even weirder, I had the (unopened) phone I wanted in a bag, but it is a "locked" one from TMobile. I thought that was ancient history.

One day Apple will want my money!

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

#382

Post by WallWextra »

pcwalton wrote: post #374
WallWextra wrote: post #363

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You need a faster processor to hide the emulation overhead. Good luck beating Intel by a big enough margin.

I'm only claiming that they could survive a transition to native ARM apps, not that emulation would be a long term solution.

I guess Apple could 'survive' releasing a new generation of laptops which run slower than the previous ones to facilitate a user-invisible component sourcing decision, but it seems like a bad move.

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

#383

Post by _cbsz »

maxsilver wrote: post #307
dman wrote: post #178

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wish apple was as enthusiastic about processor specs for the mac lineup as they are for the iphone lineup.

Especially since there's not much effort from Apple needed to keep the Mac lineup modernized. Intel does much of the work for them. Apple could just drop new Intel chips into their existing MacBooks as they get released, and easily be getting improved speed + efficiency each year. The new Kaby Lake chips even do hardware 4K video and VP9. http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2016/08/intel-unveils-kaby-la... sigh

Really? do they all use the same CPU socket? no updates required to motherboard? EFI? Apple's custom SMC firmware? power management? kernel work? etc.

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

#384

Post by fizzbatter »

bluehawk wrote: post #51
kentosi wrote: post #46

With the trend of bigger smartphones I'm really surprised by the sizes of 5" and 5.5".

I'm not. My nexus 6 was fun when it was new, but I've kinda grown tired of how enormous it is. I feel like 5.5 would be perfect for me.

I love my N6, and if anything i'm afraid the PixelXL will be too small for me. I take comfort in knowing that the N6 can be a bit cumbersome at times.. despite me loving it, so maybe the XL will be perfect.

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

#385

Post by pcwalton »

WallWextra wrote: post #382
pcwalton wrote: post #374

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm only claiming that they could survive a transition to native ARM apps, not that emulation would be a long term solution.

I guess Apple could 'survive' releasing a new generation of laptops which run slower than the previous ones to facilitate a user-invisible component sourcing decision, but it seems like a bad move.

It'd be temporary and only for third-party apps, not Apple-supplied ones. But yes, I do agree that it's not worth it for them--this is part of what I mean by high fixed costs of switching.

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

#386

Post by snowwrestler »

ocdtrekkie wrote: post #284
snowwrestler wrote: post #179

The corporate structure of Alphabet does not make sense to me. Nest was broken out as a peer to Google, but now apparently hardware is using Nest staff and expertise, but hardware is part of Google. And apparently this new hardware team is going whole-hog after the smartphone market, which is WAY larger than thermostats and web cams. But Nest is an Alphabet sub, and hardware is under Google. And Android needs a "fire…

I recall news that many of the developers at Nest were basically moving to Google Hardware. There's a valid question on whether or not Nest will even produce anything going forward, or if they're legacy support for products that eventually will be replaced by Google Home equivalents.

Good thing Nest got broken out from under Google! Just in time for all its resources to get sucked back into Google.

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

#387

Post by tdkl »

CaptSpify wrote: post #267
neals wrote: post #208

I don't like Google because they're gonna use my data against me. I don't like Apple because it's a walled garden and millions other reasons. I don't like Samsung because they bloat Android. I don't like Huawei because I don't trust the Chinese government to not do stuff to it. I don't like LG and HTC because the smartphone market is slipping away from them. Am I just getting old?

I'd kill for an actual linux phone. I hear good things about Ubuntu's phone, but I've yet to try it.

You would actually kill someone after using it in current edition - yourself.

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

#388

Post by Theodores »

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 don't think that the aim is to compete with the iphone directly. I am already a Pixel owner - the laptop variant - and I see 'Pixel DNA' in this phone product.

The Google Pixel laptop was there to further Google's own thing, not compete with the MacBook. The laptop has better hardware than the Apple or PC offerings - a 3:2 touchscreen in super-hi-res, amazing speakers under the keyboard, the nicest feeling keyboard ever, the finest of trackpads and a gorgeous aluminium case that just feels nice to touch. For what it does - surf the internet - nothing connects to wifi so easily and scrolling big pages is a very speedy thing. Yet you cannot run Word or Photoshop so it is generally reviewed as a crazy, expensive machine.

So I see some of this design philosophy in this phone. The AMOLED screen and the exceptional camera are features I would expect from a Pixel gadget, not a Nexus gadget.

Is the Pixel phone really just an over-priced Nexus phone? Not at all, it is about raising the bar as to what is possible. The VR hardware needs this phone.

Despite today's hype this will not sell in iPhone quantities, even with Verizon as a carrier. It is too expensive for that.

When you look at how much you do get for GBP 300 from Motorola and whomever else I would say that the Nexus idea has worked, there are plenty of phones out there that are excellent value for money even if not with all the latest flagship features.

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

#389

Post by Grazester »

bobajeff wrote: post #137
davidw wrote: post #122

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My Nexus 4 from several years back keeps getting timely updates. And still works pretty well.

My Nexus 6 from only a couple of years back however doesn't have Nougat and doesn't look like it's going to. It still work great though.

Got is yesterday!

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

#390

Post by tluyben2 »

cableshaft wrote: post #266
hitr wrote: post #145

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was a windows phone user for a long time currently switched to android.I checked quite few android devices and I think Windows phone has better feel and usability for apps like messages, dialer,recent call list,app list etc.I have never used a nexus device though.how is stock Android's basic apps like messages, dialer etc? Do we need to install apps to get basic features like nice threaded views, message search,rec…

No message search in hangouts makes me angry to no end. I had message search on my old Windows Phone and got so used to it I don't ever want to go without it again, especially when my girlfriend and I talk about something and then want to refresh my memory later (We discuss ideas we have, preferences, etc. and I used to be able to search for them again, now I can't).

I find the search capabilities in most messenger apps appalling. I have to remember to copy/paste important things to somewhere else because a week later I cannot find them anymore. Whatsapp seems a good exception.
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