Was The Release of the Nexus 4 a Power Play by Google?

[NeXuS4]

Hello, my name is Josh and obviously I'm kind of new. Anyway I started this thread because I have been wandering if Google has an ulterior motive to releasing this phone. Namely, leverage against carriers.

It seems as though carriers have long taken android for granted, grabbing Google's OS for next to nothing and using it to make mediocre device after mediocre device. All the while damaging Google's reputation and making it's prized operating system into something of a joke among users of another OS (you know the one).

Meanwhile carriers bend over backwards to get Apple's latest on their network (Sprint) and you seem much less attempts from even the likes of Verizon to control their products to the extent of Android.

Finally it seems with the release of this phone Google has one clear message to these companies; " if you continue to abuse our platform we will bypass you and sell our product direct to consumers."

What do you guys think? I guess I could be way off but this is what I've been thinking ever since this phone was revealed.

 

[strausd]

Welcome to the forums Josh. Really, we don't know exactly what Google's sole "intention" was. Anything is really just going to be speculation and we can't say for sure one way or another. But I wouldn't be surprised if Google was trying to "stick it to the man" in relation to the carriers considering how much carriers screw up their OS.

 

[spriteboost]

it'll all be speculation and google probably won't tell you anyways seeing as they hardly hand out any information at all lolz. Though reading through probably all the threads on nexus 4 in wait for mine i think it looks like google has done this on purpose mostly against verizon because they make there phones shitty with bloatware and late os updates. now they want you to have the full android experience with no big network in the way and paving the way for prepaid service to be a bigger thing considering there's no reason a network provider should charge you $100+ for there service i know there's a lot of cost to what they do but not worth how much the networks charge you and throttle internet thats silly should be unlimited and tethering really but whatever ill stop ranting lol sorry

 

[NeXuS4]

Anyway when writing the original post I was especially mindful of the way Verizon treated the Galaxy Nexus, which of course, was probably something Google didn't appreciate.

 

[yfan]

It certainly is a shot across the bow of carriers. But it's more than that. It's a nod to open standards, and to ending the rein of overpriced plans (contract ones, for example). This is a great phone, and you can take it wherever you want (as long as it's GSM). You can get a cheaper prepaid plan, or a contract plan that shaves off a good $20 off the top because you bring your own device. Either way, it's an attempt to liberate the phone from the contract and the carrier.

I wish Google great success in this.

 

[El Presidente]

Hi Josh, welcome to AF.

Finally it seems with the release of this phone Google has one clear message to these companies; " if you continue to abuse our platform we will bypass you and sell our product direct to consumers."

I've never actually looked at it that way before, having the attitude, "this is our OS, let us do it our way". I always thought of the Nexus line as a way for them to make a little extra (which is also part of the reason I'm sure), but that makes sense.

BTW, I've removed and edited some posts, if you or anyone see a response which is "way off" (see what I did there), please don't respond, hit report and we'll take care of it.

 

[NeXuS4]

Thank you for that mod. Anyway I also see danger in what seems to be a general trend by some these carriers to restrict internet use, this is yet something else which can be detrimental to Google's growth going forward.

After all if everyone is being suckered in to paying $70-80 for just ONE GIG of mobile Internet (which everyone knows is the future of the internet) then it can only mean bad news for the internet search monolith (less internet use = less revenue)

I also feel like this may be why I get the impression that Google has been really kind to T-Mobile in particular (they are the only carrier who get to offer a subsidized Nexus4)since they offer customers the most in terms of data usage.

 

[Banished Angel]

After all if everyone is being suckered in to paying $70-80 for just ONE GIG of mobile Internet (which everyone knows is the future of the internet) then it can only mean bad news for the internet search monolith (less internet use = less revenue)

I also feel like this may be why I get the feeling that Google has been really kind to T-Mobile in particular since they offer customers the most in terms of data usage.

Sprint still offers unlimited data as well, but they use CDMA rather than GSM like T-Mobile and much of the world. AT&T and Verizon are the guilty parties for charging ridiculous amounts for data. They post billions in profits and for the $100 a month you pay them, which is set in a 2 year contract, you get enough data to watch a few movies over netflix tops in a months time.

I refuse to sign a contact for a phone. T-Mobile prepaid all the way and before that I was on Virgin Mobile, which is a pre-paid branch of Sprint.

 

[aurora40]

I also feel like this may be why I get the impression that Google has been really kind to T-Mobile in particular (they are the only carrier who get to offer a subsidized Nexus4)since they offer customers the most in terms of data usage.

T-Mobile is the only carrier (not counting MVNO's) in the US that encourages people to bring their own device. AT&T technically allows it, but you pay the same as someone getting a subsidized device, and their monthly plans are a joke. With a smartphone, you are looking at a minimum of $65/month on AT&T.

It would be interesting to see if someone like Sprint starting allowing people to bring their own CDMA phones. There is no way Verizon ever will.

I do think the OP is right in that Google would prefer to see an open wireless system here. I don't know how much the Nexus 4 will do to bring that about, though. Because it is open source, carriers like Verizon can simply have phones built by someone else who doesn't care about carrier control. Android can never flex the same muscle as Apple because of that. Though while Apple may push the carriers around, you have Apple controlling your phone instead of Verizon or Sprint or whomever. So it's not really that different...

 

[MaddawgTL]

Here is something else to think about, Google released the Nexus line as a "pure" android experience. No bloat ware, no sense or touchwiz just a pure android in a top of the line phone/tablet. This in one ways shows that it can be done but may also be paving the way for Google to get into the cellular provider business.

Google and Dish Network have been in talks about LTE, Dish Network also has made moves towards procuring part of the LTE spectrum. What if Google is going to do something like Google Fiber but in the cellular spectrum and partner with Dish? What if they are going to try and go for a voip on LTE? Interesting idea, if it is true tho.

 

[NeXuS4]

Here is something else to think about, Google released the Nexus line as a "pure" android experience. No bloat ware, no sense or touchwiz just a pure android in a top of the line phone/tablet. This in one ways shows that it can be done but may also be paving the way for Google to get into the cellular provider business.

Google and Dish Network have been in talks about LTE, Dish Network also has made moves towards procuring part of the LTE spectrum. What if Google is going to do something like Google Fiber but in the cellular spectrum and partner with Dish? What if they are going to try and go for a voip on LTE? Interesting idea, if it is true tho.

This would make sense for Dish because the internet will inevitabley kill their current model (internet killed the video star lol) so it makes sense for them to be scrambling to find a niche in this post television world.

 

[JunBringer]

I have Google's back in this case. Carriers ruin everything, especially in the US, so sticking it to them gives me jollies.

 

[Rcarnes91]

Here is something else to think about, Google released the Nexus line as a "pure" android experience. No bloat ware, no sense or touchwiz just a pure android in a top of the line phone/tablet. This in one ways shows that it can be done but may also be paving the way for Google to get into the cellular provider business.

Google and Dish Network have been in talks about LTE, Dish Network also has made moves towards procuring part of the LTE spectrum. What if Google is going to do something like Google Fiber but in the cellular spectrum and partner with Dish? What if they are going to try and go for a voip on LTE? Interesting idea, if it is true tho.

If they did something like that i think they would do much better if they purchased t-mobile, then they could offer fiber for home and mobile data all for one price. Think how awesome it would be $100ish a month for unlimited home and mobile data on all my devices!!

 

[androidpod]

Here's my take on it.

I don't think that Google has some hidden agenda. Oh sure, I'm certain that there's lots going on 'behind the scenes" when it comes to their future plans and such. But at the end of the day it seems that the "Nexus Program" is about Google improving the Nexus Brand, the devices in said brand, and the overall sales and marketing of these three devices.

Going forward who knows?

The good news is they now have three very worthy competitors in the smartphone and tablet space that are nicely designed, have very good performance, give Google a "range" of devices to offer, and raise the public awareness of both Google and Nexus. A very nice accomplishment at this juncture.

 

[mttfrog13]

I agree with the OP. I think the Nexus 4 was a direct attack on the major carriers, especially Verizon. The Nexus 4's problem is still availability though. Google made a fool out of themselves with the launch and Verizon is probably laughing.

I don't think google has a problem with people being "in contract", just a problem with the carriers taking too much control of phones they didn't help to create and delaying OS updates. I stand behind the idea of what google is doing. What if comcast, verizon fios, or cox cable could regulate what TVs you could use to watch television, or what computers you could use to access the internet.

 

[NeXuS4]

I agree that they probably messed up the launch but I honestly doubt they anticipated this absurd demand. To think there has been virtually NO ADVERTISING ON THE PHONE ITSELF. Who would have thought this was possible? The messed up launch thing in the tech world though it's always overplayed and always forgotten a few months down the road when the phone is in regular supply.

 

[mttfrog13]

The messed up launch thing in the tech world though it's always overplayed and always forgotten a few months down the road when the phone is in regular supply.

You would think so but I have a feeling that with the bad launch, the lack of LTE (not that I think that's as big of a deal as it's being made out to be), the bad talk around the glass back breaking, and just the fact that this phone isn't on Verizon and Sprint (although I wish this weren't as big of a deal as it actually is), will have a long lasting negative impact on this phone's sales and in some cases the nexus brand itself. The few mainstream consumers who knew about it will forget about it and the diehard android fans will move on to the next wave of android superphones that usually come in late winter/early spring.

My money is on a motorola nexus phone next year. Google will control production and manufacturing from the ground up and will not have to deal with the struggle of teaming up with a new manufacturer every year to develop a new phone. Hopefully it has the nexus minimalistic look, and the amazing build quality that has been in the RAZR phones lately, which I think are not that good looking.

Oh and I don't think that we can assume there was absurd demand unless we had sales figures to look at. Two weeks later and they aren't even allowing new orders for the phone. I have a feeling that they had an absurdly low amount of devices manufactured and were thinking "what the hell, we might as well sell them while we have them, we can always make more and just sell those later", not realize how frustrating it would be for the people who couldn't get a phone.

 

[viper689]

For what it's worth, has anyone else heard the rumors of Google and Dish teaming up to bring the US their own cell carrier service to compete with Verizon, AT&T, etc...? If it begins to take shape like the way Google Fibre is beginning to, then count me in!

 

[NeXuS4]

If you break down a phone's (or any product for that matter's) perceived flaws point-by-point you can pretty much make anything look like crap.

Also I can't stress how over blown the launch fiasco is and how completely irrelevant it will be in the long run (remember the PlayStation 3 launch?).

Google unleashed a superior device at a price point that this industry has never seen before and never could have predicted.

 

[MaddawgTL]

More I think about this the more I like it, Nexus line is showing that if you put a high quality product out there people will buy it. But I also think tat Google is getting ready to make a run at all the cellular carriers out there, with Google and Dish Network talks, Google owning Motorola and Google Fiber; Google has the making for becoming a cellular provider. Plus Google has said in the past they are going after mobile market in a big way.

Most likely the Nexus line will still be produced under partnerships with other companies to show the possibilities of android, but all this is just pure speculation on my part. Maybe all this is just one big proof of concept like Google Fiber is or as this link shows Google has way bigger plans.

Google Wireless Could Be Google Fiber in Your Pocket | Pocketnow

If this all true then Motorola will be making new handsets or a new network

 

[NeXuS4]

More I think about this the more I like it, Nexus line is showing that if you put a high quality product out there people will buy it. But I also think tat Google is getting ready to make a run at all the cellular carriers out there, with Google and Dish Network talks, Google owning Motorola and Google Fiber; Google has the making for becoming a cellular provider. Plus Google has said in the past they are going after mobile market in a big way.

Most likely the Nexus line will still be produced under partnerships with other companies to show the possibilities of android, but all this is just pure speculation on my part. Maybe all this is just one big proof of concept like Google Fiber is or as this link shows Google has way bigger plans.

Google Wireless Could Be Google Fiber in Your Pocket | Pocketnow

If this all true then Motorola will be making new handsets or a new network

If this is true ALL of the carriers should be s****ing their pants because to be honest Google is pretty much unstoppable.

In hindsight I probably should have named the thread "Has Google F$%@ed the Game Up?"

 

[alfick3]

More I think about this the more I like it, Nexus line is showing that if you put a high quality product out there people will buy it. But I also think tat Google is getting ready to make a run at all the cellular carriers out there, with Google and Dish Network talks, Google owning Motorola and Google Fiber; Google has the making for becoming a cellular provider. Plus Google has said in the past they are going after mobile market in a big way.

Most likely the Nexus line will still be produced under partnerships with other companies to show the possibilities of android, but all this is just pure speculation on my part. Maybe all this is just one big proof of concept like Google Fiber is or as this link shows Google has way bigger plans.

Google Wireless Could Be Google Fiber in Your Pocket | Pocketnow

If this all true then Motorola will be making new handsets or a new network

Thanks for that link. Great reading. IF this happens, I'd probably sign on with them.

 

[Rcarnes91]

Thanks for that link. Great reading. IF this happens, I'd probably sign on with them.

I doubt there would be any contracts google seems against the whole contract notion for cellular

 

[MaddawgTL]

Just google "Google Dish Network", "Google Cellular" or something along those line for more reading. Hope this helps.

 

[alfick3]

I doubt there would be any contracts google seems against the whole contract notion for cellular

Sorry for the misunderstanding. When I said sign on with them, I wasn't meaning sign a contract. I was metaphorically saying that I'd probably go to then for my cellular service. I'm with MetroPCS and have no desire to go ball to a contract cell service.