Google Nexus 6 Price doesn't matter

Robbie317

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Re: Price doesn't matter

Why would they remove that ability? If they did, it becomes a 6" tablet. Phone calls are still important to a lot of people, especially those with a family or people who run a business.

The majority of people still talk on the phone.... and they do talk on the phone plenty... but data consumption continues to grow and talking on the phone has basically stagnated... It's not really increasing nor decreasing.... There is a reason providers have gone more to tiered data plans vs unlimited and in turn gone away from tiered talk plans to unlimited talk plans.... Data consumption continues to grow and put strain on the network... So they charge more for it and they had to find ways to increase profits while keeping the same # of subscribers....

Did I read somewhere a Google executive said their market research showed once a person uses a 5.5 inch or bigger phone the majority of them won't go back to something smaller and this is their reasoning behind the Nexus 6???
 

Scott7217

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Re: Price doesn't matter

Well, if that trend were to continue (race to the bottom pricing) then phones become commodity items. There is no incentive to innovate when that happens. The PC market is a perfect example. Very low margins. Risks become too risky, and if the chance of reward is not high enough companies just won't do it.

In that case, should we advocate for a minimum price? How should we respond to efficient, fiscally-responsible companies that dare to manufacture devices below a certain price? Do they deserve our support or our condemnation?
 

Kevin OQuinn

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Re: Price doesn't matter

In that case, should we advocate for a minimum price? How should we respond to efficient, fiscally-responsible companies that dare to manufacture devices below a certain price? Do they deserve our support or our condemnation?
When is the last time you saw a new PC manufacturer enter the market, make a dent of any kind, and stick around for a while?

Generally speaking people will buy a cheap product if it's decent. It's all about value right?

The "price first" mindset is what got the PC to where it is today. Everything was similar enough that the major difference between products was price. The companies failed to compete on any other level.

I hope that phones don't go that way, that there can be different price points, and that they don't become commodities.
 

RealDogBoy

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Re: Price doesn't matter

In that case, should we advocate for a minimum price? How should we respond to efficient, fiscally-responsible companies that dare to manufacture devices below a certain price? Do they deserve our support or our condemnation?

They deserve support.

I usually cringe at the term "race to the bottom" since vigorous price competition is almost always a boon for consumers.

The desktop PC market over the last 20 years is a good example of how competition has driven down the prices of very good hardware so that less wealthy people can afford good PCs.

The smartphone may be on a similar cycle (but on the early part of the curve). I don't see it as a bad thing if the price of a high-spec phone is driven down. And I don't think that would discourage innovation -- these devices are so popular that any feature (or performance enhancement) would be valued highly by the public -- they would be willing to pay and the innovators would be rewarded.
 

Almeuit

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Re: Price doesn't matter

Here are a few articles for your review:

Clive Thompson on the Death of the Phone Call -- Wired (article link here)

Excerpt: "According to Nielsen, the average number of mobile phone calls we make is dropping every year, after hitting a peak in 2007. And our calls are getting shorter: In 2005 they averaged three minutes in length; now they’re almost half that.

We’re moving, in other words, toward a fascinating cultural transition: the death of the telephone call. This shift is particularly stark among the young."

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UK is now texting more than talking -- Ofcom (article link here)

Excerpt: "Text-based communications are surpassing traditional phone calls or meeting face to face as the most frequent ways of keeping in touch for UK adults.

The findings were revealed when adults were asked what methods they used at least once a day to communicate with friends and family.

The average UK consumer now sends 50 texts per week - which has more than doubled in four years - with over 150 billion text messages sent in 2011.

Almost another ninety minutes per week is spent accessing social networking sites and e-mail, or using a mobile to access the internet, while for the first time ever fewer phone calls are being made on both fixed and mobile phones.

Teenagers and young adults are leading these changes, increasingly socialising with friends and family online and through text messages despite saying they prefer to talk face to face."

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Texting Dominates As Teens And Young Adults Make Fewer Phone Calls -- Huffington Post (article link here)

Excerpt: "As NBC News explains, 63 percent of teens text every day, compared to only 39 percent making or taking cell phone calls daily. And it seems social networking (29 percent daily use) and instant messaging (22 percent) are increasingly taking up U.S. teens' time, too.

Taken together, these studies appear to foreshadow a time in the not-so-distant future when text-based messages are the norm and phone calls are thought of as a quaint, nonessential way to get in touch."

So calls are dropping but not "no body uses the phone". As I said.. Some of us do.. :)... So therefore I doubt Google just counts teens texting as no one ever calls.
 

Kevin OQuinn

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Re: Price doesn't matter

They deserve support.

I usually cringe at the term "race to the bottom" since vigorous price competition is almost always a boon for consumers.

The desktop PC market over the last 20 years is a good example of how competition has driven down the prices of very good hardware so that less wealthy people can afford good PCs.

The smartphone may be on a similar cycle (but on the early part of the curve). I don't see it as a bad thing if the price of a high-spec phone is driven down. And I don't think that would discourage innovation -- these devices are so popular that any feature (or performance enhancement) would be valued highly by the public -- they would be willing to pay and the innovators would be rewarded.

It's also driven down innovation in the PC market. How is that good in any way?
 

Storm24

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Re: Price doesn't matter

I may be in the very small minority here, but I have a mother still alive. And I use my phone to call her a couple of times a week. I lost my father to cancer and my grandparents are no longer with me. Could I text my mom? Sure. But I would rather hear her voice and tell her I love her. So much gets lost in a text or email. Whether it be happiness, anger, sarcasm.... Have you called your parents/grandparents lately?
 

Scott7217

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May 21, 2013
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Re: Price doesn't matter

When is the last time you saw a new PC manufacturer enter the market, make a dent of any kind, and stick around for a while?

Generally speaking people will buy a cheap product if it's decent. It's all about value right?

The "price first" mindset is what got the PC to where it is today. Everything was similar enough that the major difference between products was price. The companies failed to compete on any other level.

I hope that phones don't go that way, that there can be different price points, and that they don't become commodities.

We moved beyond PC manufacturers. You don't always have to order a Dell, for example. People who are serious about computing build their own PCs, especially for gaming. That's a $21.5 billion business annually.

If you don't want to build your own, you can get someone from AVADirect, CyberPowerPC, Digital Storm, or XoticPC to make something for you.

Certainly, if you want a cheap PC, you can get one. It really depends on what you want to do. Most people really just surf the web, check their email, and update their social media. You can pretty much get anything to do that.

People are also trying to get away from Microsoft because it's expensive to license Windows. That's why Google's Chromebook line is very popular. If you don't have to pay anything to Microsoft, you can get a cheap, but very capable system running Chrome OS.

Is there something that you feel is missing from the PC world? I'm not sure what you're really looking for. As far as I can tell, it's a healthy business.
 

Scott7217

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Re: Price doesn't matter

The desktop PC market over the last 20 years is a good example of how competition has driven down the prices of very good hardware so that less wealthy people can afford good PCs.

I would agree. It used to be that only businesses could afford desktops and laptops were only for executives that were flying business class. Now you have parents buying laptops for their kids so that they can do their schoolwork. I'm sure the same is happening to smartphones.
 

Scott7217

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Re: Price doesn't matter

So calls are dropping but not "no body uses the phone". As I said.. Some of us do.. :)... So therefore I doubt Google just counts teens texting as no one ever calls.

Luckily, I didn't say "no body uses the phone." That would imply no one calls at all.

What I said was "Google realizes that people don't really make phone calls these days." That implies that talking on the phone is becoming rarer these days.

You can see that in the design of the Nexus phones. The Nexus S and the Galaxy Nexus had a slight curve to bring the mouthpiece closer to facilitate talking. Current Nexus phones are flat.

Furthermore, carriers are trying to differentiate on data. It's not too hard to get a plan with unlimited voice minutes. In the past, you would have different buckets of voice minutes, plus allowances for night and weekends. AT&T in particular made a big promotion over its rollover minutes. Now people have more voice minutes than they can use, but data is in short supply.
 

RealDogBoy

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Re: Price doesn't matter

It's also driven down innovation in the PC market. How is that good in any way?

I'm not sure innovation has been driven down. Maybe I'm missing something. PCs have been around for over 30 years and it could be that all of the low-hanging fruit has been plucked and only marginal innovations remain to be found.

Is there any specific feature that you can cite that's lacking -- presumably due to inadequate funding?

I'm talking about hardware -- the software situation is remarkably bad for a mature product. But lately the shining light in desktop software has been (IMO) Linux Mint -- free! That's a case where the ultimate race to the bottom (zero) has resulted in a fine product. :cool:
 

Closingracer

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Re: Price doesn't matter

Here are a few articles for your review:

Clive Thompson on the Death of the Phone Call -- Wired (article link here)

Excerpt: "According to Nielsen, the average number of mobile phone calls we make is dropping every year, after hitting a peak in 2007. And our calls are getting shorter: In 2005 they averaged three minutes in length; now they’re almost half that.

We’re moving, in other words, toward a fascinating cultural transition: the death of the telephone call. This shift is particularly stark among the young."

----------

UK is now texting more than talking -- Ofcom (article link here)

Excerpt: "Text-based communications are surpassing traditional phone calls or meeting face to face as the most frequent ways of keeping in touch for UK adults.

The findings were revealed when adults were asked what methods they used at least once a day to communicate with friends and family.

The average UK consumer now sends 50 texts per week - which has more than doubled in four years - with over 150 billion text messages sent in 2011.

Almost another ninety minutes per week is spent accessing social networking sites and e-mail, or using a mobile to access the internet, while for the first time ever fewer phone calls are being made on both fixed and mobile phones.

Teenagers and young adults are leading these changes, increasingly socialising with friends and family online and through text messages despite saying they prefer to talk face to face."

----------

Texting Dominates As Teens And Young Adults Make Fewer Phone Calls -- Huffington Post (article link here)

Excerpt: "As NBC News explains, 63 percent of teens text every day, compared to only 39 percent making or taking cell phone calls daily. And it seems social networking (29 percent daily use) and instant messaging (22 percent) are increasingly taking up U.S. teens' time, too.

Taken together, these studies appear to foreshadow a time in the not-so-distant future when text-based messages are the norm and phone calls are thought of as a quaint, nonessential way to get in touch."
So what? People need to make phone calls still. As much as I dont call people if the phone can't I won't buy it. I use around 60 minutes a month and have peaked around 200. I still can't text t-mobile customer service Lmao
 

coolqf

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Is there a phone that has same specs or better than the Nexus 6 and is also cheaper? Nexus phones are known for having the best at their price point.
 

coolqf

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Re: Price doesn't matter

It's also driven down innovation in the PC market. How is that good in any way?
Previously the PC market was controlled by Intel and Microsoft and this absolutely stifled innovation. MS controlled the ecosystem with Windows and the web with IE. Intel controlled the hardware. If it was up to MS and Intel the current tablet market and low power CPUs would not exist because their margins are so low.

For sure, the Asus Transformer touch screen with full Windows and free Office 2013 for under 350 wouldn't have existed if it wasn't for Apple and Google. Windows 8 wouldn't be so touch friendly if wasn't for Apple and Google....