What is Nexus? (and the AC editor roundup on the 2015 Nexus phones)

[Ry]

The 2015 Nexus phone launch: Android Central editor roundtable | Android Central

Phil Nickinson: Google's phone. OK, that's a little bit of a cop-out. Because that means Nexus really is whatever Google wants it to mean. Back in the day maybe it was really "developer device." But while that's definitely not the case now, I'm still not sure it's truly a consumer device.

I agree with Phil.

It's whatever Google wants it to be.

But what is Nexus to you?

 

[Ed Briggs]

But what is Nexus to you?

A Nexus is the best phone to me. Uncluttered Android, speed, and simplicity.

 

[Ry]

A Nexus is the best phone to me. Uncluttered Android, speed, and simplicity.

I find it funny when people call Nexus uncluttered when Google adds their own bloat.

 

[Ed Briggs]

I find it funny when people call Nexus uncluttered when Google adds their own bloat.

I find their 'bloat' very useful. What would the phone do if they didn't add anything? So it shouldn't come with anything except a dialer?

 

[Ry]

I find their 'bloat' very useful. What would the phone do if they didn't add anything? So it shouldn't come with anything except a dialer?

Google Play Games, Movies & TV, Music, Books/Magazines or whatever it's called now. Etc. Etc.

There are some that think that only Google, People, Dialer, Gmail, Maps, and the Play Store should be on the phone at the start. I wouldn't go that extreme but I'm not a fan of most of the media-related items being there - even though I use Google Music.

 

[Crashdamage]

Google Play Games, Movies & TV, Music, Books/Magazines or whatever it's called now. Etc. Etc.

There are some that think that only Google, People, Dialer, Gmail, Maps, and the Play Store should be on the phone at the start. I wouldn't go that extreme but I'm not a fan of most of the media-related items being there - even though I use Google Music.

Awww...c'mon...ya can't blame Google for tryin' to make a buck with some revenue-generating apps. They're not a tax-free non-profit charity. Besides, it's their devices running their software and OS. And has been pointed out so many times before (but I'll still do it again) we get a LOT of free software and services plus some sweet deals on Nexus devices in trade for some ads and a fairly minimal bloatware load.

Anyway, back on subject, I kinda like Ed Briggs' answer:

A Nexus is the best phone to me. Uncluttered Android, speed, and simplicity.

 

[Ry]

Awww...c'mon...ya can't blame Google for tryin' to make a buck with some revenue-generating apps. They're not a tax-free non-profit charity. Besides, it's their devices running their software and OS. And has been pointed out so many times before (but I'll still do it again) we get a LOT of free software and services plus some sweet deals on Nexus devices in trade for some ads and a fairly minimal bloatware load.

But if Samsung or any other OEM adds there stuff to their phones, they get dinged.

 

[Crashdamage]

But if Samsung or any other OEM adds there stuff to their phones, they get dinged.

And deservedly so, because they go way overboard with the bloatware and a lot of it is pure crapware. Stuff like Samsung loading Cleaner Master on the S6 - are you kidding me? Such behavior should get bashed!

 

[Alex Wetzel]

And deservedly so, because they go way overboard with the bloatware and a lot of it is pure crapware. Stuff like Samsung loading Cleaner Master on the S6 - are you kidding me? Such behavior should get bashed!

Samsung and Google aren't the only ones. Apple does it too.

Posted from the one and only Note 4

 

[LeoRex]

I find it funny when people call Nexus uncluttered when Google adds their own bloat.

Well... one man's bloat... etc.. Yes, to some, all those extra Google apps might seem like bloat. But to me, bloat is something like Verizon Backup... The driving force behind me wanting to root the VZW SIII I had back in the day was that the VZBackup service was causing periodic wakelocks that would destroy my battery in a matter of an hour or two. I woke up several times to a phone that had a completely drained battery cause by that.

Google's apps? Not so much. But to many, any unused app is considered bloat. But on a Nexus, I don't really feel it that way.

The Nexus is is, like Phil said, anything Google wants it to be. It's their 'vision'. A way to show of their stuff and where they think the platform is going. It's how they would like phones to look, feel, function. They often use them to introduce a new feature or function. It's a technology highlight.

Though, picking Huawei for the 6P seems to be taking that to a slightly different level as they are also, in a sense, introducing Huawei to an audience that the Chinese OEM covets; the United States. Here in the States, a lot of people may not recognize the name and automatically assume its some noname brand when the truth is that they are the world's 3rd largest smartphone OEM (behind Samsung and Apple).... all without a footprint in the US. Judging by the early returns, the 6P may very well be a winner.... So to Huawei, Nexus might just mean a hell of a lot.

 

[Ry]

Well... one man's bloat... etc.. Yes, to some, all those extra Google apps might seem like bloat. But to me, bloat is something like Verizon Backup... The driving force behind me wanting to root the VZW SIII I had back in the day was that the VZBackup service was causing periodic wakelocks that would destroy my battery in a matter of an hour or two. I woke up several times to a phone that had a completely drained battery cause by that.

Google's apps? Not so much. But to many, any unused app is considered bloat. But on a Nexus, I don't really feel it that way.

The Nexus is is, like Phil said, anything Google wants it to be. It's their 'vision'. A way to show of their stuff and where they think the platform is going. It's how they would like phones to look, feel, function. They often use them to introduce a new feature or function. It's a technology highlight.

Though, picking Huawei for the 6P seems to be taking that to a slightly different level as they are also, in a sense, introducing Huawei to an audience that the Chinese OEM covets; the United States. Here in the States, a lot of people may not recognize the name and automatically assume its some noname brand when the truth is that they are the world's 3rd largest smartphone OEM (behind Samsung and Apple).... all without a footprint in the US. Judging by the early returns, the 6P may very well be a winner.... So to Huawei, Nexus might just mean a hell of a lot.

But a Samsung is Samsung's vision. And Samsung with Verizon is Samsung and Verizon's vision.

If you don't want carrier bloat, then there are options.

 

[Almeuit]

I can see the "Nexus no bloat" argument but -- Even Google being pre-installed can still be counted as bloat. I am trying to remember when I got my Moto X Pure Edition but I think I remember selecting the Google apps and it had to go download them (they weren't installed by default) BUT I did have a few Moto things. Even those are useful to me -- They could still easily be counted as "Moto Bloat". I get Nexus is Google's but .. Samsung phones are theirs so their stuff (bloat) being installed would be normal if you count the Google stuff being on a Nexus device. Just have to treat it fairly .

Now that said do I personally care? Not really. Even with Samsung's stuff -- I didn't care really. I just didn't use what I didn't use. I only was upset when they were 16 GB and taking up a lot with the bloat -- since they have made storage bigger and have dialed it back some it ain't so bad. I am enjoying my MXPE -- Even with the Motorola bloat .

 

[LeoRex]

The whole "Nexus are bloat free" seems to be more a statement to the OS, not the preloaded applications. After all, due to license agreements, the Google apps you get on a Nexus are the ones you pretty much get on a Samsung or HTC anyhow.

A Nexus comes with a version of Android that hasn't had the UI and framework worked over like dude who got caught walking down the wrong alley. No additonal prompts to register another user with Samsung or LG... No laughably redundant Verizon Backup service, no Touchwiz or Optimus UI or Sense. Yes, Google preloaded some apps that you may not use, but they didn't preload any abominations like VZ Navigator.

App bloat was much more of an issue when we were all dealing with phones with tini little partitions for user storage. Now? if you have 50GB of space free, what is a 6MB app going to matter? (yes, not everyone has that much free, I know) Now, its more everything underneath those apps.

 

[Ry]

I can see the "Nexus no bloat" argument but -- Even Google being pre-installed can still be counted as bloat. I am trying to remember when I got my Moto X Pure Edition but I think I remember selecting the Google apps and it had to go download them (they weren't installed by default) BUT I did have a few Moto things. Even those are useful to me -- They could still easily be counted as "Moto Bloat". I get Nexus is Google's but .. Samsung phones are theirs so their stuff (bloat) being installed would be normal if you count the Google stuff being on a Nexus device. Just have to treat it fairly .

Now that said do I personally care? Not really. Even with Samsung's stuff -- I didn't care really. I just didn't use what I didn't use. I only was upset when they were 16 GB and taking up a lot with the bloat -- since they have made storage bigger and have dialed it back some it ain't so bad. I am enjoying my MXPE -- Even with the Motorola bloat .

I never cared anyway. I just hit Disable and moved on with my life. It was never a big deal to me.

But a little background: I worked for a mobile games company, pre-smartphone days (BREW, J2ME). Those pre-load deals for third-party games and apps were pretty good.