Let's not forget why Google makes the Nexus 5

[Shilohcane]

Google isn't the evil fruit company that over charges for similar technology by selling with a bling-bling marketing attitude for a devices targeted for the technology ignorant social status consumers with money to burn. There is no better cell phone device on the market for $350 than the Nexus 5 and it isn't even close for another $150 to compare any cell phone to the Nexus 5.

Google makes Android as we all know. Most of us got the Nexus 5 to be on the leading edge of Android OS versions released and with a device that developers were using to develop Apps. Maybe Goggle made a mistake letting non-developers buy the Nexus 5 since everyone wants the Nexus 5 to be the best of breed at everything at 40% less than other Android or Apple devices. That was never Google's idea when they sold the Nexus 5.

You want to know about the biggest issue with Apple is they make a one size fits all phone that is very proprietary and won't open up their device for the secondary manufacture's devices. Apple doesn't want iOS competition to Apple's devices since it is all to make more profit by keeping their devices prices up. There is nothing wrong with that but that isn't Google's mission with the Nexus 5. What makes Android better than iOS is the open market development of different manufactures making Android devices in a multiple number of device designs and sizes. Apple's bling-bling marketing can't compete in Android's market place since profit is Apple's only objective. Apple targets the rich people for their devices and Android targets the world's devices that puts high technology devices into the hands of the average person in most developed countries plus a more affordable device in the hands of much poorer people of the world.

Google is selling a Nexus 5 that isn't the best at everything since it would kill off the open Android competition if Google sold the cheapest device with all the best features. The Nexus 5 was made for developers not for consumers. Google can lose money making a Nexus 5 that is really a development device to provide the next Android version to developers so they can get their Apps ready for other Android devices. Google did the non-developers a favor by letting us buy a flagship quality phone for 40% or more cheaper than the competition. I am sure that Samsung, Sony, HTC, Alcatel, Cherry, Huawei, Kyocera/Sanyo, Pantech, ZTE, Google/Motorola and LG would be happy if Google would not let non-developers buy the Nexus 5.

Samsung, Sony, HTC and LG can't lose money like Google can on selling Android devices because Google makes their money on other non-hardware markets. What makes Android better is it's a open market with devices and prices that are very competitive. The Nexus 5 is 40% cheaper than any other flagship quality phone and yes it has some flaws. Google needs to make a device for developers to make their Apps as they release new OS versions of Android plus leave room for other Android cell phone manufactures to keep making a profit by selling phones for higher $$$ that must have higher quality features to be profitable.

 

[UJ95x]

Didn't read all of it. Only read up to the part pertaining to your title. Who this phone was made for. Gotta agree with Ry...

 

[Ry]

Google isn't the evil fruit company that over charges for similar technology by selling with a bling-bling marketing attitude for a devices targeted for the technology ignorant social status consumers with money to burn. There is no better cell phone device on the market for $350 than the Nexus 5 and it isn't even close for another $150 to compare any cell phone to the Nexus 5.

Google makes Android as we all know. Most of us got the Nexus 5 to be on the leading edge of Android OS versions released and with a device that developers were using to develop Apps. Maybe Goggle made a mistake letting non-developers buy the Nexus 5 since everyone wants them to be the best if breed at everything at 40% less than other Android or Apple devices. You want to know about the biggest issue with Apple is they make a one size fits all phone that is very proprietary and won't open up their produce for the secondary devices that can compet with Apple devices. What makes Android better than iOS is the open market development and there are a lots of different manufactures making Android devices in a multiple number of device designs and sizes that Apple can't compete with since profit is Apple's only objective. Apple targets the rich people for their devices and Android targets the world's devices that puts high technology devices into the hands of the average person in most developed countries plus the much poorer people of the world.

I don't see what this has to do with Apple especially since everyone else prices their phones similarly to the iPhone. Are Samsung, LG, and HTC as evil as Apple?

Status symbol? Samsung has turned their Galaxy S and Note series into status symbols with their marketing.

And Nokia (with Asha and lower-end Lumia phones) is doing a much better job bringing connected technologies to the much "poorer" parts of the world.

The Nexus line of phones wasn't always the cheapest either.

(As an aside: it doesn't matter who is getting these "poorer" countries online if they're not living and surviving which is why I admire what Bill Gates is doing with his foundation.)

Google is selling a Nexus 5 that isn't the best at everything since it would kill off the open Android competition if Google sold the cheapest device with all the best features. The Nexus 5 was made for developers not for consumers. Google can lose money making a Nexus 5 that is really a development device to provide the next Android version to developers so they can get their Apps ready for other Android devices. Google did the non-developers a favor by letting us buy a flagship quality phone for 40% or more cheaper than the competition. I am sure that Samsung, Sony, HTC, Alcatel, Cherry, Huawei, Kyocera/Sanyo, Pantech, ZTE, Google/Motorola and LG would be happy if Google would not let non-developers buy the Nexus 5.

Samsung, Sony, HTC and LG can't lose money like Google can on selling Android devices because Google makes their money on other non-hardware markets. What makes Android better is it is a open market with devices and price of those devices are very competitive that Apples closed market focus on profit and hates open markets.

With the deals that Google cut with regards to the distribution of the Nexus 5, one could argue that no, the Nexus 5 isn't a phone for just developers. And with Google adding their own UI customizations on top of or replacing features of AOSP, one could argue that the Nexus 5 is a Google phone - not simply a "stock" Android phone.

Samsung, LG, and maybe even Sony could probably afford to subsidize their handset business with the rest of their portfolios. And Google owns Motorola. Why doesn't the Moto X have a sub-$400 price?

In the end, it comes down to Google's services. Android (and ChromeOS) are just gateways into Google Search (and Gmail and Google+).

Posted via Android Central App

 

[Scott7217]

The Nexus 5 was made for developers not for consumers.

"Originally expensive, exclusive and developer-centric, Nexus is now solidly a consumer-focused brand."
- Alex Dobie, Nexus 5 review, Android Central (link)

 

[guitarizt]

OP, so you're saying google made the nex5 for developers and consumers should be thankful that google was nice enough to allow us to purchase a nex5 at $350-400? I don't think many people here are going to agree with that, and you're going to need a lot of evidence to backup big claims like that. For instance, why wouldn't developers just buy other phones? They would be fine if the nexus 5 never came out.

 

[Robbie317]

I think the Nexus 1 was the one and only true "Developers" Nexus... Google has developed "Nexus" into a brand.....It's a much smaller community than some of the other branded phones from HTC, Samsung or Apple... If it was a developer only phone it would still be either ultra expensive like Glass or they'd just give them away to developers only. The reason the phone is so cheap is they want you to use their services.. Samsung and HTC are using Android as the base operating system but then try and suck you into Samsung or HTC services.... It's why if you own either of those phones they want you to sign up for a Samsung or HTC account (The Amazon, Kindle line takes you directly to the Amazon store) The Nexus is made and sold cheap to keep at least a good sized community still in their services line up... The Play store and using their search and services so they can continue to make money... Samsung is playing around with Tizen and may eventually dump Android all together.. Tizen phones will start hitting the market in 2014 as Samsung tries to get away from Android and do what Google has done.. create an open platform that they can bring in "Partners" to build hardware and direct a lot of that money their direction..

Plain and simple.. Google is an information company.... They hoard information so they can use it to make money on their search and services.....

 

[TheDroidKid]

I will never understand why people start these threads. Are you a developer? If not maybe you should go and buy a Samsung or an HTC. People buy the nexus for the affordability and having stock android. I'm not a developer I own a Nexus 5 and Nexus 7, why should I have to buy a Samsung or HTC and have to put up with there bloat ware. Oh yes but I could root it and remove it all, see but I don't want to do that so I buy a Nexus

 

[Robbie317]

I will never understand why people start these threads. Are you a developer? If not maybe you should go and buy a Samsung or an HTC. People buy the nexus for the affordability and having stock android. I'm not a developer I own a Nexus 5 and Nexus 7, why should I have to buy a Samsung or HTC and have to put up with there bloat ware. Oh yes but I could root it and remove it all, see but I don't want to do that so I buy a Nexus

Exactly.. I loved my Nexus 1 and my next 3 Android phones were all rooted to remove the bloat and go back to the way I wanted it.... Only reason I went outside the Nexus was the carriers and deals Google made with the second & third Nexus and then the fourth didn't have LTE.....

 

[swebb]

The developer focus went out the window after the first Nexus. Succeeding Nexus phones were all targeted to consumers. Not saying they succeeded with them all but that was the strategy.

Edit - Just noticed Robbie said the same a couple posts earlier.

 

[dmcincubus]

i've bought nexus phones and tablets these last 2 years, not just because they're great devices and are supported very well by the developer/modding community and google themselves, but because i am a believer in google. at the end of the day, all they want is my money, but they make me believe that they want to make a high-end and affordable product for everyone, and they do. and they do it quite well. since i've had nexus devices, i look back on the phones (never had a tablet before N7 2012) i've ever had and i feel like they were never mine. i never owned them. nexus is totally different. it's my ******* phone. i own this *****. want to root and unlock? takes 2 minutes and it doesn't feel like you're violating anything. try that with a Samsung Galaxy S4 on Verizon.

the nexus 5 may not be the best phone on the market, but it's damn close. and for the price and the freedom that i have with this phone, google can take my money anytime they release a new device.

 

[scorpiodsu]

The OP really needs to calm down their hatred towards Apple. As mentioned, other manufacturers price their flagship products similar to iPhones. Also, those companies depends more on hardware sales than Google does. So it's not the same. Just stop it with the "evil fruit" stuff because at the end of the day each and every one of these companies care about the same thing....... money. They don't care about us unless it has to do with them making money off of us. So whether Apple is "overcharging" people for products or Google us using your data and selling it they all just want to make money. We all have different preferences and needs but you can really tell when someone has never used certain products of another company and say a bunch of negative things about those companies and the users. Just ignorance.

I mean they act as if Samsung doesn't have any $1,500 laptops out there but because Apple ONLY makes high end products then it's a problem. That's their niche and because someone else decides to sell cheap stuff along with expensive stuff doesn't make them better. Just means they have a different product strategy to make more money. In my book, none of these companies should be held to any higher moral standard than the next. The methods may be different but the intention is the same. And no need to even comment on the "reason why we have the Nexus 5". Just pure silliness. This Google praise is just over the top but if someone else does it for another company, I bet it’s frowned upon.

 

[Shilohcane]

OP, so you're saying google made the nex5 for developers and consumers should be thankful that google was nice enough to allow us to purchase a nex5 at $350-400? I don't think many people here are going to agree with that, and you're going to need a lot of evidence to backup big claims like that. For instance, why wouldn't developers just buy other phones? They would be fine if the nexus 5 never came out.

Most other non-Google Android manufactures don't ever upgrade their version of Android OS on their customers devices like Google does for about two years. HTC has been the best non-Google owned device to try to update the OS as new versions of Android come out. HTC is putting pressure on other competitors to keep up with their customers Android OS versions. LG that has a bad rap for almost never updating their phones OS now has to upgrade the LG G2 to Kit Kat. Both Apple and Google do a good job of upgrading OS versions but most Android secondary manufactures don't.

My point was not so much about updates. If Google sold the Nexus 5 that was the best of breed of every feature 40% cheaper than the other manufactures they would kill off their partners like Sony, HTC, Sansung ... etc and turn into a one size fits all phone like Apple does that is expensive. Google can't do what Apple is doing making the best of breed iOS device as the sole source manufactures. Android wants partnerships which means those other Android manufactures have to make a profit selling Android devices to push the technology edge on devices.

 

[Vaas]

I am really not sure what the OP is trying accomplish with this thread. I do agree that for $350 the Nexus 5 is the best phone out there. If it was not for a last minute deal with AT&T for a Moto X, I would have bought the Nexus 5. I purchased my first Android device a couple of months ago. The N7, I wanted a pure android device and the cost was great.

If we are all so privileged that Google allows us to buy anything from them, then you have basic economics wrong.

 

[TheDroidKid]

Most other non-Google Android manufactures don't ever upgrade their version of Android OS on their customers devices like Google does for about two years. HTC has been the best non-Google owned device to try to update the OS as new versions of Android come out. HTC is putting pressure on other competitors to keep up with their customers Android OS versions. LG that has a bad rap for almost never updating their phones OS now has to upgrade the LG G2 to Kit Kat. Both Apple and Google do a good job of upgrading OS versions but most Android secondary manufactures don't.

My point was not so much about updates. If Google sold the Nexus 5 that was the best of breed of every feature 40% cheaper than the other manufactures they would kill off their partners like Sony, HTC, Sansung ... etc and turn into a one size fits all phone like Apple does that is expensive. Google can't do what Apple is doing making the best of breed iOS device as the sole source manufactures. Android wants partnerships which means those other Android manufactures have to make a profit selling Android devices to push the technology edge on devices.

I don't quite understand what your trying to accomplish. Would you like the Nexus 5 to be $650? The Nexus 5 is a plain Android phone no wave over the screen to view your messages its just an android phone with pure android software. Samsung and HTC are doing just fine in sales.

 

[JeffDenver]

They are not evil because they are overcharging their customers. People are willing to pay for their image. That might make the people stupid or naive, but it doesn't make Apple Evil.

Apple is evil because they are obnoxiously sue-happy and think they invented everything.

 

[Robbie317]

I don't quite understand what your trying to accomplish. Would you like the Nexus 5 to be $650? The Nexus 5 is a plain Android phone no wave over the screen to view your messages its just an android phone with pure android software. Samsung and HTC are doing just fine in sales.

Well Samsung is lol... I think HTC is still losing money with a better product than Samsung.... Samsung is a freaking MONSTER in the tech industry.... Their advertising budget dwarfs what HTC probably makes........ Sick what Samsung can spend...

 

[Ry]

The developer focus went out the window after the first Nexus. Succeeding Nexus phones were all targeted to consumers. Not saying they succeeded with them all but that was the strategy.

Edit - Just noticed Robbie said the same a couple posts earlier.

Exactly. Once the Nexus S hit Sprint, it was no longer "developer-only".

 

[snookasnoo]

You lost all credibility with your first two sentences and the rest is even worse.
There is a lot of conjecture about why Google has Nexus devices. it isn't just for developers which should be really obvious. If it was it wouldn't be sold in so many places on so many carriers. It has to do with their desire to show unadulterated Android free of all the garbage the other manufactures lard on their phones. i realize some people like this but I dislike it. There is also an aspect of making a phone that works unlocked on multiple carriers which they haven't abandoned completely and third is to provide a platform for access to Google services which they can use to gather more data about you to sell. Which is after all Googles business model.
Google makes no profit from Nexus devices and there is some evidence they lose money on them but they must feel it is worth it.

Google isn't the evil fruit company that over charges for similar technology by selling with a bling-bling marketing attitude for a devices targeted for the technology ignorant social status consumers with money to burn. There is no better cell phone device on the market for $350 than the Nexus 5 and it isn't even close for another $150 to compare any cell phone to the Nexus 5.

Google makes Android as we all know. Most of us got the Nexus 5 to be on the leading edge of Android OS versions released and with a device that developers were using to develop Apps. Maybe Goggle made a mistake letting non-developers buy the Nexus 5 since everyone wants the Nexus 5 to be the best of breed at everything at 40% less than other Android or Apple devices. That was never Google's idea when they sold the Nexus 5.

You want to know about the biggest issue with Apple is they make a one size fits all phone that is very proprietary and won't open up their device for the secondary manufacture's devices. Apple doesn't want iOS competition to Apple's devices since it is all to make more profit by keeping their devices prices up. There is nothing wrong with that but that isn't Google's mission with the Nexus 5. What makes Android better than iOS is the open market development of different manufactures making Android devices in a multiple number of device designs and sizes. Apple's bling-bling marketing can't compete in Android's market place since profit is Apple's only objective. Apple targets the rich people for their devices and Android targets the world's devices that puts high technology devices into the hands of the average person in most developed countries plus a more affordable device in the hands of much poorer people of the world.

Google is selling a Nexus 5 that isn't the best at everything since it would kill off the open Android competition if Google sold the cheapest device with all the best features. The Nexus 5 was made for developers not for consumers. Google can lose money making a Nexus 5 that is really a development device to provide the next Android version to developers so they can get their Apps ready for other Android devices. Google did the non-developers a favor by letting us buy a flagship quality phone for 40% or more cheaper than the competition. I am sure that Samsung, Sony, HTC, Alcatel, Cherry, Huawei, Kyocera/Sanyo, Pantech, ZTE, Google/Motorola and LG would be happy if Google would not let non-developers buy the Nexus 5.

Samsung, Sony, HTC and LG can't lose money like Google can on selling Android devices because Google makes their money on other non-hardware markets. What makes Android better is it's a open market with devices and prices that are very competitive. The Nexus 5 is 40% cheaper than any other flagship quality phone and yes it has some flaws. Google needs to make a device for developers to make their Apps as they release new OS versions of Android plus leave room for other Android cell phone manufactures to keep making a profit by selling phones for higher $$$ that must have higher quality features to be profitable.

 

[Scott7217]

For instance, why wouldn't developers just buy other phones? They would be fine if the nexus 5 never came out.

You make a good point. I think most developers just buy a cheap phone with a boot loader that's easy to unlock. Heck, they can even buy phones from eBay that have cracked cases or other cosmetic damage. They only care that the internal components work well enough to run their apps. I'm sure most developers carry a second phone for their personal stuff.

Also, if you're writing an app, you want to make sure that it can run on a variety of phones, even the low-end models. Not everyone has a quad-core processor and 2 GB of RAM in their phones. If your app depends on that to run, you automatically disqualify potential customers from using your app, which hurts you in the end.

I'm thinking that people confuse developers with enthusiasts. Enthusiasts love to load custom ROMs on their phone, and that's fine. However, enthusiasts don't always develop apps. So, I think of enthusiasts as consumers who love to customize every bit of their experience. The Nexus 5 is an excellent choice for them.

 

[Jonneh]

Like every single other reply to this, I have no idea why this thread was even created. While not breaking the rules, it is rather pointless and has little room for any actual discussion unless we wade through all the company-bashing and just form a question of what Google's mission with the Nexus line is. Is that what we're supposed to be doing here? I think that's been answered quite a few times though. Maybe we'll get lucky and a MOD will decide to close this up before things get nasty or before we lose ourselves completely and form entirely new topics to discuss.