[BookReader2]

Let's assume that Google and LG will team up once again and the Nexus 5 will be based on the LG Optimus G Pro.





The handset is LG’s answer to the Samsung Galaxy Note 2, only with more pixels, a slightly beefier processor and no stylus. It’s out in South Korea this week, and elsewhere – including the U.S. – later.



-----------------------

Nexus 4: $299/$349 (8GB and 16GB)
Nexus 5: $399/$449 with LTE (16GB and 32GB)

Specs:

5.5" screen
1080x1920 Full HD IPS-LCD
1.7 Ghz qua-core Snapdragon
LTE
2GB RAM
13MP rear, 2PM front camera
3,140 mAh battery

[TheLibertarian]

Let's assume that Google and LG will team up once again and the Nexus 5 will be based on the LG Optimus G Pro.

Um, why would we assume this?

I can nearly assure you the next generation Nexus won't be based off a device announced in February.

[BookReader2]

Um, why would we assume this?

I can nearly assure you the next generation Nexus won't be based off a device announced in February.

#1:

Fisher claimed, "Through our collaboration with Google, we launched the LG Nexus 4 smartphone. This is the first of many devices to come from our growing partnership with this very selective company."

#2. Who will Google team up with for a 5.3" or 5.5" phablet?

Samsung?
HTC?
Sony?
Motorola?

Last I check, Motorola and HTC don't have a phablet. I don't think Samsung will want its Note III to be the Nexus 5.

And what's wrong with a device announced in February? It will start selling in the USA/Europe sometimes in May/June. I don't see why a Nexus 5 can't come out at around that time frame too.


p.s. LG is selling more Nexus 4 than its flagship LG Optimus G. (LG Optimus G sold over 1 million back in mid-January....Nexus 4 is now approaching 1,300,000 devices sold). Which mean LG has a big incentive to partner with Google again.

[swebb]

1) Google is not going to compete against itself by having two phones, different sizes. Or by introducing a new model 6 months later. They finally got their product offering right. Unlocked, high end phone world phone that comes out in Q4 of the year. I don't see them changing this. The N4 is their first unqualified success. Why would they change this business model?
3) Don't see a phablet. Google has the N4, Nexus 7, and Nexus 10. No hybrids. Nexus 7 and N4 are unqualified successes. Again, a phablet would be competing against themselves.
3) Of course LG wants to partner with Google but it's not their call. Since Google now owns Motorola Mobility I would look there first.

[minnemike]

Not a phablet phan at all.

[BookReader2]

1) Google is not going to compete against itself by having two phones, different sizes. Or by introducing a new model 6 months later. They finally got their product offering right. Unlocked, high end phone world phone that comes out in Q4 of the year. I don't see them changing this. The N4 is their first unqualified success. Why would they change this business model model?
3) Don't see a phablet. Google has the N4, Nexus 7, and Nexus 10. No hybrids. Nexus 7 and N4 are unqualified successes. Again, a phablet would be competing against themselves.
3) Of course LG wants to partner with Google but it's not their call. Since Google now owns Motorola Mobility I would look there first.

a phablet Nexus device is a certainty. That's the way the market is going right now. It's just a matter of when and with who.

Nexus 4
Nexus 5
Nexus 7
Nexus 10

As for competing against themselves, that's how a successful company is suppose to work. Disrupt your own "success" before others disrupt it for you. Look at Apple and the 10" Ipad. According to you, the Ipad Mini is a bad idea since it would be "competing against themselves." Look at Kodak. In order to protect its 35mm film business, it doesn't want digital to "disrupt" its core business. Well, too bad, other companies disrupt it for them and now Kodak is a thing of the past.

Likewise, if Google stay away from phablet because it will compete against Nexus 4 and Nexus 7......it will provide another company an opportunity to do so. Samsung? Apple? Amazon?

[Garrett92C]

If there is only one new Nexus phone and it's a 5.5" monster, I'll be going with a different OEM. Not everyone want a small tablet as their phone.

[Citizen Coyote]

All the LG guy said was "first of many devices." That's it. He didn't define what a device is, or even put any kind of a time frame on it. Samsung had the Nexus crown for two years, maybe LG has it as well. Maybe the next Nexus tablet will be LG, although given the success of the 7 I don't think Google would be so quick to ditch ASUS (so maybe the next 10). Also, LG makes more than phones. They make TVs, for example. Ever heard of Google TV? It hasn't done so well, but as far as I know Google hasn't abandoned it.

This thread reminds me of one that popped up last month that was all gaga over the same LG statements, and how it must be proof that a new LG Nexus would be revealed at MWC, etc. etc. I'll believe in a new Nexus device when Google announces one.

[yfan]

a phablet Nexus device is a certainty. That's the way the market is going right now. It's just a matter of when and with who.

Nexus 4
Nexus 5
Nexus 7
Nexus 10

As for competing against themselves, that's how a successful company is suppose to work.

There is no evidence that "that's the way the market is going right now." The best that can be said from available data is that there is a market for phablets, not that the entire market is all going that way. There is a difference.

Second, you forget that Google is not primarily a hardware maker. Google's biggest business is in search, social media, web services and advertising. Google makes Nexus devices as a benchmark for the Android platform, not because they want to provide a phone from Google for every possible market. In fact, Google's Nexus devices have pulled away from certain dominant market themes when it comes to smartphones: Since the unlocked Galaxy Nexus, Google has cared neither for LTE connectivity nor removable storage, despite both being dominant market themes. With the Nexus 4 Google's offering went with an option for smaller on board storage, while the market trend would seem to be against that.

Google's goal with Nexus devices is not necessarily to dominate the market (that's its goal with Android). It is instead to provide a software benchmark and a pure android experience to a segment of the market.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Android Central Forums

[swebb]

As for competing against themselves, that's how a successful company is suppose to work. Disrupt your own "success" before others disrupt it for you. Look at Apple and the 10" Ipad. According to you, the Ipad Mini is a bad idea since it would be "competing against themselves." Look at Kodak. In order to protect its 35mm film business, it doesn't want digital to "disrupt" its core business.

There is a difference. You introduce improved products when the technology has advanced enough where your existing line is dated and needs refreshed. You never want to cannibalize your products. The just announced state of the art HTC One is only marginally better spec wise (1080p display possibly excepted) than the N4. The N4 will remain competetive for many months. Also, don't forget the ridiculously low price. The N4 will be a strong seller for a while.

Also, as others mentioned, hardware is not Googles core business. Their Nexus line is meant to bring more android devices to the market and create a buzz about android. The N4 will continue to fill that role until the N5 comes at the end of the year. Also, the phablet market is pretty well wrapped up by the Note. There comes a point when it is not feasible to compete if the market is saturated. Google will stay with its (now) successful model. A vanilla android phone with high end specs sold (mainly) through their Play Store.

And Apple came up with the iPad mini in response to the Kindle Fire and Nexus 7. They showed there was demand for a mid-size tablet. I just don't believe that there remains that big a market for 5.5"-6" phone.

[ConTejas]

Where's the option for "I think the OP is on crack and/or misguided for multiple reasons?"

[6tr6tr]

Why would you price it where other phones are? The Nexus 4 is amazing because it's a high-end phone at low-end prices. $300-350 unlocked is amazing. A $450 phone is the same cost as an unlocked Samsung Galaxy S3 at a lot of places.

[xlDeMoNiClx]

a phablet Nexus device is a certainty. That's the way the market is going right now. It's just a matter of when and with who.

I'd very much like to know why you say it's a certainty.

[swebb]

Where's the option for "I think the OP is on crack and/or misguided for multiple reasons?"

I would like to see an option for "No way, 5 inch is my limit" or something to that effect. I want my phone to be pocketable. 4.7" phones are very close to the limit. A 5" phone with a 16:9 aspect might still work but no larger.

[ConTejas]

Why would you price it where other phones are? The Nexus 4 is amazing because it's a high-end phone at low-end prices. $300-350 unlocked is amazing. A $450 phone is the same cost as an unlocked Samsung Galaxy S3 at a lot of places.

You could get the 16gb N4 on launch day for $350 (cough...technically). I have a VZW GS3 and a LTE gnex , both are very capable but are certainly older at this point. From what I remember, I'd consider an unlocked 16gb GS3 near launch for under $550 a SLICK deal. Even now the few sites I looked at quickly are in that range. Care to provide a link for one for $450. I'd consider flipping it...

For the record in my opinion LTE gnex > VZW GS3 and is a closer match in terms of hardware. N4 is going to compete with GS4 (if you will...not by sales lol).

[comshock25]

The 5.5 inch screen is a bit too big for a phone. Looks like a phablet now.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

[6tr6tr]

You could get the 16gb N4 on launch day for $350 (cough...technically). I have a VZW GS3 and a LTE gnex , both are very capable but are certainly older at this point. From what I remember, I'd consider an unlocked 16gb GS3 near launch for under $550 a SLICK deal. Even now the few sites I looked at quickly are in that range. Care to provide a link for one for $450. I'd consider flipping it...

For the record in my opinion LTE gnex > VZW GS3 and is a closer match in terms of hardware. N4 is going to compete with GS4 (if you will...not by sales lol).

Was on EBay, bu now the listing's gone:

But probably others there too.

[TheLibertarian]

#1:



#2. Who will Google team up with for a 5.3" or 5.5" phablet?

Samsung?
HTC?
Sony?
Motorola?

Last I check, Motorola and HTC don't have a phablet. I don't think Samsung will want its Note III to be the Nexus 5.

And what's wrong with a device announced in February? It will start selling in the USA/Europe sometimes in May/June. I don't see why a Nexus 5 can't come out at around that time frame too.


p.s. LG is selling more Nexus 4 than its flagship LG Optimus G. (LG Optimus G sold over 1 million back in mid-January....Nexus 4 is now approaching 1,300,000 devices sold). Which mean LG has a big incentive to partner with Google again.

#1) Point me to where, exactly, it says a new Nexus could arrive next month. Suggestion: read your own articles before using them to support your assumptions.

#2) Who says Google is making a "phablet?" There's your second assumption, and we all know what happens when one assumes...

What's wrong with February, you ask? Well, past history tells us there is a fairly well defined schedule for Nexus phone releases, and assuming Google follows that timeline is the most logical assumption we can make.

P.S. I'm well aware the production of the Nexus 4 is greater than that of the Optimus G, but, again, LG has a larger profit margin off the Optimus G. So while the publicity of nice of partnering with Google, don't kid yourself that there's some massive financial incentive to produce the Nexus devices. 1-2 million devices is NOTHING, especially compared to the heavy hitters of the sales world (iPhone 5, GS3).

[neanderth4l]

I think that the phablets will remain a viable, but niche part of the gadget market. Most people want a phone they can put in their pocket, and something a little bit bigger for reading magazines, books etc.

I have a phone, a tablet and a laptop and I use and take all three when travelling. They each have their strengths and weaknesses and I use them for their strengths more often than their weaknesses. More often than not, the phone is used as a wifi hotspot and I use either my laptop or tablet to browse the internet. As a gadget, the phone is definitely useful as it's carried just about everywhere. But for browsing the internet or reading, the tablet and laptop beat it hands down.

[BookReader2]

I'd very much like to know why you say it's a certainty.

I don't see why Google can't sell 2 smartphones at the same time. One at 4.7" and one at 5.5".

Nexus device line-up:

4.7" smartphone
5.5" smartphone
7" tablet
10" tablet

The more choices the better. Both for the consumers and for Google.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------
As for prices, the Note II is selling unlocked at around $600 for 16GB. $399 for the 5.5" Nexux 5 16GB is about $200 less and still a great deal by any imagination.

Maybe this price will be the standard for Nexus devices

4.7" smartphone (16GB for $299 and 32GB for $349)
5.5" smartphone (16GB for $349 and 32GB for $399)
7" tablet (16GB for $199 and 32GB for $249)
10" tablet (16GB for $399 and 32GB for $499)

[saad87]

5.5" is tooooo damn much for a phone screen

[yfan]

I don't see why Google can't sell 2 smartphones at the same time. One at 4.7" and one at 5.5".

No one said that Google can't. We're merely questioning you making it a foregone conclusion. Also, that it probably won't.

[kalocin]

Google being the developer of Android is already on the hook to support that operating system and I doubt they care about selling Nexus phones really, they just want to be in the handset.

Nexus is a marketing tool which happens to be a cool phone but it doesn't mean that there can't be many Nexus devices.

If LG wanted they could make an Android phone with a vanilla Android OS and sell it without Nexus branding.

If the smart phone market is getting mature enough, it might have to give the market what it demands and a 5.5" ~Nexus phone probably has a market so it's pretty silly to say it will never happen since Google couldn't really stop it if LG wanted to make one badly.

I think 5.5" is quite large for a phone but I don't want to stop someone from getting what they want out of spite over the Nexus 4's ~lack of LTE.

[chubb]

The 5.5 inch screen is a bit too big for a phone. Looks like a phablet now.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

I played around with the note 2 at at&t and it is way too big. No way I would enjoy using it. For me the galaxy nexus and nexus 4 size is about the limit.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

[Citizen Coyote]

If the smart phone market is getting mature enough, it might have to give the market what it demands and a 5.5" ~Nexus phone probably has a market so it's pretty silly to say it will never happen since Google couldn't really stop it if LG wanted to make one badly.

Actually, Google could easily stop LG from selling a 5.5" Nexus, since the Nexus brand belongs to Google. LG could make a stock Android 5.5" phablet if they wanted to, but it wouldn't be called a Nexus.

I really question the idea of a Nexus phablet. The phablet market is doing just fine without a Nexus version, and Google tends to use the Nexus brand to push the other OEMs to improve their own offerings while providing a clean device for developers and enthusiasts. The 7" Android tablet market was devoid of a decent device until the Nexus 7 (outside of e-readers), and the Nexus 10 is Google's way of prodding manufacturers to step up their game. Phablets were Samsung's baby, and there is no want of fans (or good hardware) in that market. It wouldn't do Google much good to pursue it.