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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

#781

Post by rimantas »

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.

  > The latest iOS versions run incredibly slow (or not at all)
Come one. Not at all? And that statement was more or less true for iOS7 only.

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

#782

Post by rimantas »

Nursie wrote: post #583

Why, in 2016, is anyone still talking about "iPhone killers" or threats to the iPhone? Outside the US it is not the dominant platform. Sure, it has a good share of the market, but it's not like Apple even outsell Samsung's Galaxy range.

Except in many places it is.

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

#783

Post by skc »

Aren't they playing right into Apple's hands by pricing it like an Apple product?

Google will never, and I mean NEVER, be able to compete with Apple on fit and finish as well as the all round user experience with which Apple are able to justify their seemingly outlandish pricing.

If anything, people will now scrutinize fit and finish even more closely at this price range and that's the last thing they need.

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

#784

Post by theinternetman »

Surprised they went with a form factor so similar to Samsung and the iPhone 6, just looks pretty dated really.

Think now would have been a good opportunity to go for something less rounded. An iPhone 4 style sharp design would probably end up looking futuristic next to all the faceless rounded blobs the market is full of.

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

#786

Post by theinternetman »

czhiddy wrote: post #8

“The difference with this device is that we started from the beginning,” says Dave Burke, who runs Android engineering. Started from scratch, yet the end result looks like a iPhone knockoff from a random Chinese shanzhai company? http://i.imgur.com/LlqaAPO.png

Hardware design on this feels entirely uninspired, Chinese knockoff of last years iPhone and Samsung devices.

If they truly started from scratch and ended up here then this hardware initiative is going to fall flat. But I'm gonna guess they didn't start from scratch and this is just a rebadged device as people suspect.

Why on earth would you launch such a cheap plasticky looking device in such a similar form than your competitors device last year when their update was moving that device into more premium materials (iPhone 6 looks positively cheapo next to the 7) and making it seamless.

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

#787

Post by theinternetman »

saddestcatever wrote: post #212
hocuspocus wrote: post #202

The pricing has been copied 1:1 from that of the iPhone 7. Whether in USD, CAD, GBP or EUR: exact same figures.

Good note. Funny how many users are mentioning price as their main reason for dismissing the Pixel

To be fair the iPhone build quality and hardware design look like a premium product. This looks like a chinese knockoff

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

#788

Post by rullopat »

Before owning an iPhone, I was very happy with an (at the time) expensive Samsung Galaxy Nexus.

But then... Google dropped updates for this phone after just 18 months and the microUSB crappy plastic connector started to fall apart and don't charge. It seems that now Google is selling premium hardware (finally), but what about software updates? I get about 4 years of updates on an iPhone now, who knows what are the plans for this Pixel.

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

#789

Post by theinternetman »

pcurve wrote: post #667
dingaling wrote: post #468

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Funny how many users are mentioning price as their main reason for dismissing the Pixel It's easy to make an excellent phone to retail for $700. It's much less easy to make a good phone to retail for $300. This means that a lot of people, probably the majority, have to make-do with sub-par, or second-previous-generation from eBay, or order something from the Chinese market. Hence the cynicism when Google unveiled y…

I think Google is forced to charge $649 because of their relative experience in hardware, which exacerbates their already high labor cost. Perhaps they could've charged $499, but it would've resulted in an accounting loss. Perhaps the next iteration of Pixel will be cheaper as they ramp up on hardware expertise and reign in on cost.

> relative experience in hardware, which exacerbates their already high labor cost

But everyone in the thread is saying Google didn't really manufacture it and it's just a rebranded HTC device

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

#790

Post by bergie »

falloutx wrote: post #436
mmanfrin wrote: post #294

"Their debut signals Google’s push into the $400 billion smartphone hardware business and shows that the company is willing to risk alienating partners like Samsung Electronics Co. and LG Electronics Inc. that sell Android-based phones." You mean not including the time they bought Motorola?

Google is a like an ADHD kid, one minute they want to conquer Android hardware market with Motorola, and other days they are so annoyed by hardware that they sell Motorola to Lenevo.

They bought Motorola for the patents, and sold off the rest.
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