Why Missing Out On The Nexus 4 May Have Been A Good Thing

by Rudy Rivapalacio on Nov 20th 2012, 9:26am
tagged nexus, Nexus 4

The Nexus 4 packs pure unadulterated Android into a quad-core powered black slab of sexy. It’s a great device at an unbelievable price. Problem? It’s gone mainstream. Not in the way hipsters refer to any semi-successful musician either. Google’s deliberate attempts to make the Nexus brand much more grandma-friendly has, in some respects, been a message to its most ardent “root first and ask questions later” fans. I can almost hear Andy Rubin say, we’re going mainstream now, you tech-heads can come along for the ride if you want but you’re not riding shotgun anymore. The “pure Android experience” is no longer being designed or marketed for the power user.

I really wanted the Nexus 4 but after much deliberation I’ve had to conclude that I am not entirely drunk on Nexus Kool-Aid. The lure of a $299 (8GB version) price for a top tier unlocked phone was certainly tempting. So too was the appeal of receiving timely and undiluted updates. For many, the updates alone may be reason enough to buy this phone. When I examined the compromises Google made to court the mainstream customer I realized the Nexus 4 can not fulfill my needs. I suspect this may be the case for other tech-savvy Android users.

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Congratulations Google: you’ve botched the Nexus 4 launch and should feel embarassed

by Alexon Enfiedjian on Nov 14th 2012, 2:29pm
tagged fail, launch, nexus

There are many things in life for which to be embarrassed. Like Steve Ballmer’s first Windows OS commercial. Or Christina Aguilera forgetting the words to the National Anthem. Or Apple’s latest Maps release. Embarrassment comes to those who deserve it, and after yesterday’s debacle, I think Google deserves to feel awfully embarrassed. In my eyes, yesterday’s product launch of the company’s new Nexus line-up was a complete and utter failure, if not for the company itself, then at least for its reputation in the eyes of loyal customers. Would-be buyers were plagued with non-stop server errors, buggy shopping carts, flawed payment methods, and jammed phone support lines. What should have been an exciting and fulfilling moment ultimately left thousands of would-be buyers frustrated, angry and worst of all, empty handed.

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Should the Nexus 4 be considered a flagship phone with the lack of LTE?

by William Metzger on Nov 6th 2012, 8:45am
tagged Google, lacking, LG, LTE, Nexus 4, Rant

The Nexus is a name we have come to know and love amongst the Android community. It’s the one place where we can count on the latest hardware and software meeting in a completely open environment. Powered by a completely open Android playground of the latest software, Android geeks and aficionados would often choose devices from the Nexus brand purely for development purposes because of the openness.

Every Nexus has had its flaws: the Nexus One had pretty subpar battery life, the Nexus S was just plain boring, the Galaxy Nexus had a meh camera, and now the Nexus 4 has arguably the biggest flaw yet…

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Android updates continue to worsen not improve [sigh]

by Robert Nazarian on Oct 2nd 2012, 2:38pm
tagged Gingerbread, Google, ice cream sandwich, Jelly Bean

When it comes to Android, one of the hottest topics has always been how fast updates are. It has been a problem for a while now and there’s no question that Google recognizes that. At last year’s I/O, they announced a new agreement with OEMs that would make them commit to updates over an 18-month period. That didn’t seem to do much, so at this past June’s I/O, they announced the PDK. which is the hardware equivalent of the SDK. It gives manufacturers of hardware and chipsets early access to Android builds so they can get a jump start on current and upcoming devices. It’s still too soon to judge if this will help or not, but I really have to point out that things are going in the wrong direction in a major way.

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Quick Rant: Android Portable Media Players Are Not Just A Waste Of Consumers’ Time And Money, But A Waste Of Time And Money From Android Manufacturers As Well

by Roy Alugbue on Sep 17th 2012, 10:40am
tagged Android, Apple iPod Touch, apps, gaming, portable media player, Unique

As Android continues to grow as the preferred ecosystem among people worldwide, we are seeing an explosion of innovative and impressive devices. I’m not talking about an explosion of just smartphones either. We are seeing an explosion of devices designed to improve your TV, full-fledged gaming systems, innovative tablets and even a nifty camera or two. Now while those type of Android devices are impressive and all, there’s a type of Android device that I failed to mention and for good reason— Android portable media players or PMPs for short. Android PMPs are neither innovative nor impressive– compared to other Android counterparts. Generally speaking, Android manufacturers generate buzz and excitement for various products, yet consumers never hear anything about PMPs and see any real excitement or reason to talk about them. Knowing there’s no real push or excitement for PMPs, is it really important for Android fanatics or even the average consumer to go out and buy a PMP? More importantly, is it important for manufacturing giants like Samsung to continue churning out PMPs, despite there being no major push or excitement these devices? I will respectfully say no to both questions.

In the interest of full disclosure— even though I am an editor of this great Android website and have a great deal of passion for the Android ecosystem, I’m by no means an Android fanboy. I own numerous Apple products including an iPod Touch for my commutes on the New York City Subway or for use when working out. I love technology as a whole— but when it comes to having my personal media player on the go— music, video, pictures and gaming for example— I would rather use an Apple iPod Touch before using an Android PMP, without hesitation. The Apple iPod Touch has set the standard when it comes to managing a consumer’s personal media, while giving the same consumers items like an impressive display, abundant number of applications and plenty of accessories for starters. Android PMPs on the other hand often feature uninspired designs, horrendous features (i.e. lackluster displays or Gingerbread) and few, if any accessories available. Simply put, Android PMPs are a waste of money and resources for consumers and manufacturers and that’s why the average consumer should not even bother with Android PMPs. I’m sure many of you are interested in seeing my reasoning for my strong claim, so go ahead and jump past the break to see my thoughts in greater detail.

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Foxconn CEO Claims iPhone 5 “Will Put Samsung Galaxy S III to Shame”

by Macky Evangelista on Jun 21st 2012, 2:44pm
tagged Foxconn, galaxy s iii, IPhone 5, Samsung

Saying one product is better than the other is one thing, it’s a completely different issue when you’re just being plain out unprofessional and even borderline racial. Foxconn’s CEO Terry Gou just couldn’t help himself to stir up some controversy by highly urging customers to hold off on purchasing the Samsung Galaxy S III and wait for the eventual arrival of the iPhone 5 later this Fall. He even went as far as saying that the “iPhone 5 would put the Samsung Galaxy S III to shame.” If you think that’s bad, Gou gets even more personal by also reportedly called Samsung “a company with a track record of snitching on its competitors” this was a reference to a European price-fixing investigation of the flat panel industry in 2010. He also went on to praise the Japanese: “I respect the Japanese and especially like their execution and communication styles. Unlike the Koreans, they will not hit you from behind.” This isn’t much of a surprise as Foxconn reportedly does have an alliance with Japan’s Sharp Electronics Co. What really hit hard and probably made people lose respect for Gou, is that he also reportedly called Korean’s “gaoli bangzi” which can be translated to “Korean country hicks” or “Korean sticks.”

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U.S. Marketing Campaign for the Galaxy S III launches

by Macky Evangelista on Jun 20th 2012, 10:17pm
tagged galaxy siii, marketing, pop up video, Samsung

The Galaxy S III, Samsung’s flagship phone for the year, is ready as ever for its American debut. For the first time ever, Samsung’s Galaxy S line has uniformity within all of US carriers. This means every Galaxy S III in America will look the same and will actually have the same name. This means no more of that added Epic 4G Touch and Skyrocket discrepancies within the names. So you can bet that Samsung is ready to market this phone out like it has never before. This video from Samsung kicks off the start of this marketing campaign with Samsung proudly touting the multi-tasking king that is the “pop-up video” feature where the actor is texting and watching a video at the same time. Checkout the video and see for yourselves! Does this make you even more excited for its pending US release?

The One X and Galaxy S III are top dogs for now but will become goats when Jelly Bean arrives

by Robert Nazarian on May 21st 2012, 3:55pm
tagged galaxy s iii, HTC, ice cream sandwich, motorola, One X, Samsung

There’s no question that right now the top two phones to buy are the HTC One X and the Samsung Galaxy S III, but they won’t be so popular 6 months from now. It won’t be because better handsets will be released, it’s more about Android version updates or lack thereof. Both phones come with Ice Cream Sandwich onboard, and for now seem like the latest and greatest. A little later in the year, Android 5.0 Jelly Bean will be announced and the SDK will be released. This will probably take place in October, and unfortunately neither of these phones will see Jelly Bean until at least March/April 2013. If you’re in the U.S. the prospects are even more dismal. So for now everyone is enjoying their new greatness, but come November, the crying and complaining will begin about why their phone isn’t getting updated.

In case you’re thinking that things will be different, unfortunately we go through this every year, and to be honest, things aren’t getting better, they’re getting worse.

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Quick Rant: Mobile Carriers Are Doing A Disservice To Its Customers And Customers Should Begin Looking At Prepaid Options Instead

by Roy Alugbue on May 21st 2012, 9:48am
tagged AT&T, boost mobile, metropcs, rants, Sprint, T-Mobile, Ting, Verizon, virgin mobile

The great thing about today’s technology is the ability to choose from a variety of mobile carriers to best suit our needs. That means some of you can choose Verizon Wireless for example because of great nationwide coverage and the solid 4G LTE speeds. Others choose AT&T because of the ever-improving 4G LTE network or great selection of mobile devices. The rest choose networks like Sprint and T-Mobile because of their great all-everything value which is price-conscious for consumers. Keep in mind I didn’t mention regional carriers like U.S. Cellular or Cincinnati Bell, which also give great value for customers (albeit at the cost for great coverage in one region of a country, but lackluster coverage elsewhere).

While there’s a great abundance of mobile providers to suit our needs, there’s a growing sense of frustration and anger at the mobile carriers because of the idea that they are not focusing on great customer service, but rather focused on consolidating features— while increasing the overall costs for the consumers. Unfortunately, consumers in this day and age feel as if they are at the mercy of these providers, so they lock themselves into 2-year contracts and can potentially pay thousands of dollars for cellphone service. The effect you see from this is two fold: 1) By locking themselves into a commitment, customers are stuck with devices that often lose support from not only the cellphone carrier, but the manufacturer as well. 2) The average customer doesn’t come even close to using their max totals allowed in their cell plans (an example is using just 40 minutes out of 400 anytime minutes or 1GB of data out of 2GB in a billing month), so they waste precious dollars. It certainly isn’t far-fetched to believe consumers are being taken advantage of by the big companies, especially in these trying times of economic recession and recovery worldwide. Naturally, there are plenty of individuals who have had enough of contracts completely and not have not only gone the prepaid route, but are completely satisfied by the decision. For this reason, I believe it’s necessary for not just Android users— but any smartphone user to at least understand why prepaid mobile service may not be such a bad thing. » Read the rest

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