2nd Launch

[NeXuS4]

For all intent and purpose the Nexus 4 should have a second launch around mid February that will actually meet customer demand.

What do you guys think the implications are for the Android ecosystem? In my opinion they need to start out with regular production as soon as possible because there's a catalog of phones emerging that are just as powerful and stylish as the Nexus 4. If LG waits too long they will miss their opportunity and this work of art will be pushed aside before it has the chance to change the mobile landscape as many on this board have predicted.

 

[amk2795]

Mid-Feb works for me. My birthday is at the end of Feb so that means there'll be something I can treat myself to that I've been waiting for.

 

[JunBringer]

Yeah they definitely need to do something other than just randomly having more in the Play Store.

 

[SiempreTuna]

You're making the rash assumption that LG are going to be able to radically increase production by Feb

 

[charliecc]

You're making the rash assumption that LG are going to be able to radically increase production by Feb

I don't think it's a rash assumption when someone from LG has stated that's the case, saying that production is ramping up and "market strain" should be gone by Feb.

 

[GalaxyNexus]

I'm just glad I have a Nexus 4.

 

[hstroph]

For all intent and purpose the Nexus 4 should have a second launch around mid February that will actually meet customer demand. ...

May I ask your source for that information, please?

 

[NeXuS4]

May I ask your source for that information, please?

French LG exec claims supply will be able to meet demand by mid February according to an interview with a magazine (don't remember which one Business Insider?)

 

[jova33]

They still need a 32 GB Nexus 4...... I'm still waiting for that.

 

[SiempreTuna]

Could be a long wait - there's a school of thought that Google are deliberately minimising the amount of on-phone storage (e.g. no SD cards) on their phones to 'encourage' people to use their $5/month 'cloud' service ..

 

[andrews317]

Could be a long wait - there's a school of thought that Google are deliberately minimising the amount of on-phone storage (e.g. no SD cards) on their phones to 'encourage' people to use their $5/month 'cloud' service ..

I'm one of those $5/month cloud users. I subscribed before the N4, and it's been really helful now.

But I do believe Google will someday release the 32gb version and even the LTE version.

 

[NeXuS4]

Could be a long wait - there's a school of thought that Google are deliberately minimising the amount of on-phone storage (e.g. no SD cards) on their phones to 'encourage' people to use their $5/month 'cloud' service ..

Ridiculous. Google is a multi billion dollar empire and they would never endanger their credibility over $5. After all if they were trying to squeeze us for everything we had I'm pretty sure they would charge more than $300 for this phone to begin with.

Also even at face value that conspiracy doesn't hold water because there are other cloud storage options out there.

 

[hstroph]

They still need a 32 GB Nexus 4...... I'm still waiting for that.

Ha! That's a good one ... you'd still be waiting if you only wanted the 8GB!

 

[jova33]

Google doesn't make money off of android. They probably didn't make billions off of the nexus 4. They're not making money off Google maps.
It's not unreasonable to believe they'd want to make money off of users by forcing them to use the cloud.
They're still a business, and their priority is making money.
Google's main source of income is advertisements.

 

[NeXuS4]

Google doesn't make money off of android. They probably didn't make billions off of the nexus 4. They're not making money off Google maps.
It's not unreasonable to believe they'd want to make money off of users by forcing them to use the cloud.
They're still a business, and their priority is making money.
Google's main source of income is advertisements.

By " main source" you mean at least 70% right? For Google the more people that use their products the more money that make.

My apologies if I came across as dismissive but the fact is that at the end of the day the cloud is just another pet project of theirs and NOT a main revenue stream.

 

[SiempreTuna]

It's true that the cloud is not that important to Google .. yet. Thing is, they already own the on-line advertising business so the big question for them is where will they find growth in the future? Just like pretty much every other internet company, they see the cloud as the next big thing. It does, after all, play to their technical strengths.

I imagine cloud services for business are probably more of a focus than the $5 a month stuff, but you sell a few million $5/month packages, it soon mounts up ..

As for the idea that Google don't make billions from Android .. err .. yes they do. In 2011 (back before Android overtook iOS), Larry Page said Google were making around $2.5 billion a year from mobile, though around $1 billion of that came from the fee Apple were paying for maps.

 

[jova33]

Android is open source and free I thought? That's how they got it out there so quickly, and got it to dominate the market. Google's Admob Ads are integrated into the OS.

Making money from mobile would be from advertisements on their free to the user products, right?

I mean it's a brilliant strategy. Even though the only time I ever click an ad on an app or Google product, it's completely by accident, and I shop around online for what I'm looking for. But maybe all those banner ads, even if they don't get clicked, plant the seed in your mind, and those companies that advertise with Google see increased revenue.

 

[dralways]

Google doesn't make money off of android. They probably didn't make billions off of the nexus 4. They're not making money off Google maps.
It's not unreasonable to believe they'd want to make money off of users by forcing them to use the cloud.
They're still a business, and their priority is making money.
Google's main source of income is advertisements.

With a company Google's size I'm sure that their marketing strategies and business structure are extremely complex. I would venture to say that there is no way to even begin to understand the way that they do/want to make money for the little people like us.

 

[hstroph]

With a company Google's size I'm sure that their marketing strategies and business structure are extremely complex. I would venture to say that there is no way to even begin to understand the way that they do/want to make money for the little people like us.

Roger that, and given the badly-broken Play Store during the N4 launch one questions whether Google even understands it.

 

[amk2795]

Riddle me this, if I use Google Play Music to, well, play music, and don't store it on-device, would I do alright with an 8GB? I mean...I have more than 16GB of music anyway and the downside to the Nexus for me is no expandable memory. But music on my phone is my main source of entertainment....if I use the cloud more than on-board memory, I should be A-OK with an 8GB yeah?

 

[hstroph]

It's not a riddle, it's the way the device was designed.

 

[NeXuS4]

Riddle me this, if I use Google Play Music to, well, play music, and don't store it on-device, would I do alright with an 8GB? I mean...I have more than 16GB of music anyway and the downside to the Nexus for me is no expandable memory. But music on my phone is my main source of entertainment....if I use the cloud more than on-board memory, I should be A-OK with an 8GB yeah?

I'm unlimited data so I just stream that $&@# anyway...

 

[SiempreTuna]

If you're OK streaming things, then I guess 8GB is fine .. so long as you have a reasonable data connection everywhere you want to listen.

Don't forget that the OS takes a little over 3GB plus it seems you need to leave a GB or two free to avoid slowing down the phone so the useable space on an 8GB phone is realistically somewhere between 3 and 4 GB.

 

[desarenezitic]

The OS takes less than 2.5GB; usable storage is 5.67GB

 

[SiempreTuna]

Really?!

Coz I have the 16GB model and only 12.92GB available for use .. Guess the rest must come from formatting.

I assume that the 5.67GB doesn't exclude the space you apparently need to keep empty to stop the phone slowing down (according to reports)?