Google needs a Nexus iPod Touch competitor

**Jezz_X** · 01-25-2013, 07:28 PM

This is kind of a rant so bare with me..

I can't help but think that Google would only benefit from making a iPod competitor for the nexus line. Its all about getting people into the android eco system and keeping them there. Why do I think that you may ask? Well having a couple of young kids I find it very frustrating that the only real option for them is an iPod. Sure they are a great device but with the latest version of the iPod touch they got pretty damn expensive to go out and get one for each kid these days (mine currently have the older generation).
And that's not the only issue, being a person who lives outside of the USA (Australia) I can't even get those nice new Google play "gift cards" anywhere but the iTunes gift cards are everywhere in every shop at every register you go near and they make it super easy to for children to be able to purchace apps in iOS store without the kids having to have a credit card attached to the account.

As I mentioned my kids have already had iPod touches for a couple of years now and with birthdays and Christmas have invested around a $100 worth of apps each from those iTunes gift cards and its going to be difficult for them to move over onto android when they get phones because basically they will be throwing out everything they have purchased in the iOS store. So there is more incentive for them to get an iPhone instead.

Sure all the play store content is not available in every country yet (like no music here in .au) but I don't know about you guys but my kids use their iPod touch as a game/app machine more than they use it for music playback and since its android getting music onto it is as simple as drag and drop your music from your pc (stupid itunes)

Why not just get them a cheap phone you say? Well I'm not getting my under 12 your old kids a phone that's also going to incur extra charges from carriers for data/ call and texts and who would a 8 year old need to be ringing and texting anyway

Conclusion
* We need a small 4 inch or under media playback device for younger children (and some adult) basically a small nexus 7 would be great and probably way cheaper than an iPod touch
* Google needs to get those play store cards over the whole world (needing a credit card to buy stuff is a huge barrier)
* I need a way to get my kids in the android eco system early.

P.S. I know there are android media players from Samsung and Sony and others but with out those play store cards its just not worth the effort (outside the USA)

Ry · 01-25-2013, 07:47 PM

Originally Posted by Jezz_X

This is kind of a rant so bare with me..

I can't help but think that Google would only benefit from making a iPod competitor for the nexus line. Its all about getting people into the android eco system and keeping them there. Why do I think that you may ask? Well having a couple of young kids I find it very frustrating that the only real option for them is an iPod. Sure they are a great device but with the latest version of the iPod touch they got pretty damn expensive to go out and get one for each kid these days (mine currently have the older generation).
And that's not the only issue, being a person who lives outside of the USA (Australia) I can't even get those nice new Google play "gift cards" anywhere but the iTunes gift cards are everywhere in every shop at every register you go near and they make it super easy to for children to be able to purchace apps in iOS store without the kids having to have a credit card attached to the account.

As I mentioned my kids have already had iPod touches for a couple of years now and with birthdays and Christmas have invested around a $100 worth of apps each from those iTunes gift cards and its going to be difficult for them to move over onto android when they get phones because basically they will be throwing out everything they have purchased in the iOS store. So there is more incentive for them to get an iPhone instead.

Sure all the play store content is not available in every country yet (like no music here in .au) but I don't know about you guys but my kids use their iPod touch as a game/app machine more than they use it for music playback and since its android getting music onto it is as simple as drag and drop your music from your pc (stupid itunes)

Why not just get them a cheap phone you say? Well I'm not getting my under 12 your old kids a phone that's also going to incur extra charges from carriers for data/ call and texts and who would a 8 year old need to be ringing and texting anyway

Conclusion
* We need a small 4 inch or under media playback device for younger children (and some adult) basically a small nexus 7 would be great and probably way cheaper than an iPod touch
* Google needs to get those play store cards over the whole world (needing a credit card to buy stuff is a huge barrier)
* I need a way to get my kids in the android eco system early.

P.S. I know there are android media players from Samsung and Sony and others but with out those play store cards its just not worth the effort (outside the USA)

What I got from this rant is that if Google Play gift cards aren't available, it doesn't matter if Google makes a Wi-Fi only, non-tablet sized Nexus device.

**Jezz_X** · 01-25-2013, 08:05 PM

Yeah but problem with those Samsung ones again "not available" in my country unless I pay a huge premium on ebay but again yeah Play store cards are a main factor

**SubjectSigma** · 01-25-2013, 09:02 PM

I kind of agree with you and I kind of don't, on one hand it would be nice to have such a device on the other hand. Google makes more then enough money on their tablets and they don't need to step down to Apple's level of blatantly copying something because there competition makes a lot of money off of it *ahem*iPad mini

**Shadowriver** · 01-26-2013, 07:41 AM

You can buy them unlocked phones without SIM too

it will work like iPod touch

**djw39** · 01-26-2013, 08:48 AM

Sounds like you want a Nexus 4 but even cheaper? And with less connectivity? I want it to be more expensive and have more storage and LTE.

**Che Dean** · 04-24-2013, 12:45 PM

I agree, I used to have the Samsung Galaxy Player 4.0 and I loved it. If Google came out with with a similar device but with say the hardware of the Galaxy Nexus from two years back with a slightly better camera and battery life, I would buy it in a heart beat. A 4 inch screen is a good size, under 4 inches is a bit small. The issues I had with the Samsung Galaxy Player were the cost, battery was terrible, it lacked memory (should of had 1 GB) and the camera should have been 5 megapxl instead of 3 megapxl. I've been saying this for over a year and still hold out hope that one will be released. The cards are not a big deal for me but I can fully understand why you and other parants would need them.

**return_0** · 04-24-2013, 07:30 PM

Just buy an unlocked Nexus 4 or Galaxy Nexus and don't activate it. It'll be at a good price (especially if you buy the latter), and it'll function just like an iPod touch (as far as connectivity and form factor, of course).

Ry · 04-27-2013, 10:22 PM

IMO, buying a smartphone with the intent to use it like a Wi-Fi only iPod-touch like media device is silly.

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**return_0** · 04-28-2013, 11:32 AM

Originally Posted by Ry

IMO, buying a smartphone with the intent to use it like a Wi-Fi only iPod-touch like media device is silly.

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Why? The only other options are the iPod Touch and the single-core Gingerbread Galaxy Player.

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**blakew595** · 04-28-2013, 11:39 AM

Or you could go on ebay and buy like an old nexus that had a bad esl (cheaper)
Or a s2 after the s4 comes out on ebay
Has jb and a bettet galaxy player thats cheaper

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Ry · 04-28-2013, 04:04 PM

Originally Posted by return_0

Why? The only other options are the iPod Touch and the single-core Gingerbread Galaxy Player.

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Scroll up. Those aren't the only options.

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**gone down south** · 04-28-2013, 04:07 PM

I would just get a nexus 7 in your case.

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**return_0** · 04-28-2013, 04:22 PM

Originally Posted by Ry

Scroll up. Those aren't the only options.

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That's all that's been mentioned in this thread.

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Ry · 04-28-2013, 04:56 PM

Originally Posted by return_0

That's all that's been mentioned in this thread.

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lol.

There's a similar recent thread.

Is there an android mp3 player

Archos, Cowon, Phillips, & Sony all have recently put out Android-based iPod-touch-like media players.

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