Important Notice: What a Nexus device is, and is not.

[Adrynalyne]

There appears to be some confusion in the waiting population out there as to what this device stands for.



The Nexus series of phones are:

• NOT bleeding edge hardware.
• NOT the fastest devices out there.
• ARE for bleeding edge software releases.
• ARE for developers.
• NOT perfect.

I don't know why everyone thinks the Galaxy Nexus was meant to be bleeding edge hardware. Were that the case, they would have held off for Quad core devices and 2nd gen LTE radios. The phone is to showcase Google's latest OS, and it will do it fine. If you understand what the device is about, you have less reason to whine and cry about it.

 

[Eric Kane]

Very true. Such expectations are ridiculous, but I'd like to point out a few things in light of all that. This phone will more than likely be the fastest phone not including the graphics that comes out for quite awhile due to the harmony between the 1.2ghz processor and ICS. It's 720p screen is also probably going to be the standard for a short while, as well. The complaints that I read about this phone are strictly about irrelevant specs that people compare to current phones or ones just beyond the horizon. The difference in these specs is, and I've said it a million times, Ice Cream Sandwich.

The reality is it's not an Exynos processor or Mali GPU, but it will outperform (the Exynos, anyways) due to ICS. It's not Super AMOLED Plus, but at that resolution, it will probably be comparable or even better. They need to put an asterisk on the specs page for the Galaxy Nexus that reads:

"**Hardware included in the Galaxy Nexus will run better/faster/more efficiently because it won't share it's Ice Cream Sandwich right now"

 

[1088933]

I agree with this. This phone is meant to showcase and "flagship" the software, not the hardware. It always has, and in probability, always will.

 

[ottscay]

There appears to be some confusion in the waiting population out there as to what this device stands for.

I think Google and Samsung themselves have created some of this confusion. Unlike the previous device (the developer-oriented Nexus S) this launch has all of the hallmarks of a device being aimed at the mainstream, and I don't think that's an accident. It looks to me like they are trying to change what the Nexus brand stands for, away from a niche developer product to a more mainstream phone that emphasizes UX.

Of course, your other points still stand - it's not meant to win a "who has the biggest specs" contest, and no device is perfect. But on the other hand some of the things people are complaining about as "not being cutting edge" are actually intentional choices to improve the phone. After all, they actually did include a dual 1.5ghz chipset in it, they just underclocked it for better battery life. That's not a lack of hardware, it's a feature to improve the user experience with the phone.

Anyhow, I'd expect an even larger number of carrier launches with this device then the previous ones, and a bigger marketing budget. I suspect that Google wants to take the case for stock ICS to the masses if they can manage it.

Edit: And depending on who you believe, it's not clear that the Nexus One was originally intended to be a developer phone, that may have been plan B after the carriers nixed the original plan. So the history of the Nexus brand seems to be one of almost constant change.

 

[bballben]

How are Nexus Devices for gaming? Playing games like fruit ninja and angry birds?

 

[1088933]

How are Nexus Devices for gaming? Playing games like fruit ninja and angry birds?

They run games just like any other phone out, the GN might even look a bit better with the screen.

 

[Poopai]

They should be bleeding edge so that developers can saturate the market with apps that take advantage of the new power by the time a lot of people get similar hardware.

 

[ragnarokx]

They should be bleeding edge so that developers can saturate the market with apps that take advantage of the new power by the time a lot of people get similar hardware.

The only problem with this is that it takes time to develop the next generation OS. If you start with bleeding edge hardware, that hardware is old news by the time your OS is released.

Sent from my Google Nexus S

 

[ottscay]

The only problem with this is that it takes time to develop the next generation OS. If you start with bleeding edge hardware, that hardware is old news by the time your OS is released.

That, plus it's not really the hardware that is holding back app developers - when you develop an app right now you have the ICS development tools, but unless you are purposely developing a next-gen game you generally develop for Froyo or Gingerbread, because otherwise the pretty new APIs you want to use won't work on a large number of phones.

In short, developers are hampered more by software limitations than they are by hardware ones right now.

 

[EggoEspada]

All so very true. Besides, the specs are one of the best avaiable on a device. I'm not complaining. I'm sure the experience will be top notch.

 

[rabaker07]

There appears to be some confusion in the waiting population out there as to what this device stands for.



The Nexus series of phones are:

• NOT bleeding edge hardware.
• NOT the fastest devices out there.
• ARE for bleeding edge software releases.
• ARE for developers.
• NOT perfect.

Hmmm.. I mean, I get your point, but I think you're assessment is not entirely accurate.

The Nexus series of phones are:

NOT outdated or insufficient hardware.
NOT slow, laggy devices, in fact:
ARE optimized for the OS which often equates to bleeding edge performance.
ARE designed for the mass market consumer, not just developers.
ARE as close to perfect for this new OS and at this price-point as was possible for the Google/Samsung team involved.

And I agree, people need to stop crying and complaining. Wait 4 months and Q1 2012 phones will launch with ICS (and more than likely with bloat). Or get this one.

Your choice.

 

[Adrynalyne]

I paraphrased

 

[Hbomber110]

I don't know why everyone thinks the Galaxy Nexus was meant to be bleeding edge hardware.

Because the Nexus One was !

 

[Adrynalyne]

Because the Nexus One was !

You would think if it didn't happen last time, logic dictates it wouldn't this time, either.

 

[1088933]

You would think if it didn't happen last time, logic dictates it wouldn't this time, either.

And the Nexus One was at a special point in time where it *could* be on the high end. It was right at the beginning of when hardware really took off in phones.

 

[Stang68]

The best thing I've heard in a long time is how people say the Nexus S is still one of the best and fastest Android phones around.

I posted this in another thread: That's why I'm so excited to finally get a Nexus. Sure, it's fun switching to a new phone every few months but at the same time I sort of envy the iPhone peeps who only upgrade once a year. Their phone always gets the updates and then when a new one comes out, they can get it.

I am very excited to get the Nexus and then just look forward to new updates from Google until Holiday 2012 when (hopefully) Verizon releases the next Nexus.

 

[jklewer]

And the Nexus One was at a special point in time where it *could* be on the high end. It was right at the beginning of when hardware really took off in phones.

I couldn't have said that any better... Thank God there are people out there like you and I...

 

[stsh0502]

I don't think for a second that Google thinks of the nexus as a developer phone. They aren't given out nexus phones at Google io, they gave out evos and Samsung tabs. They are marketed to everyone especially the nexus s 4g. They want Google wallet in the hands of average consumers. Google doesn't need a developer phone, a developer has to make sure the app works with a sense phone as well as a MOTO phone and not just a stock android phone. The only reason the phone is unlockable is because Google likes to show us that they are open. Look at the nexus as a showcase phone if anything a way for Google to show off its newest version of android, rather that a developer phone for geeks and tinkerers.

 

[Adrynalyne]

What does Google look at it as then?

Its the only phone released with an unlockable bootloader, that unlocks via a single command.

The only purpose for that (in Google's eyes) is for development. If google didn't see it as a phone tailored for developers, then they wouldn't have included this functionality.

The Xoom is the same way, in terms of tablets.

 

[AntonyStark]

Can't Google just look at it as THEIR phone? Can't they be vain?