16 gigs is just way too small, I don't want to put stuff on the cloud.

[JeffDenver]

SD cards Google isn't going to support. Honestly I think we should focus on either larger internal storage or some new alternative, because Google dropped the pink slip on SD.

Nothing is set in stone. There is nothing at all stopping google from doing a 180 on this issue.

The reason SD is the ideal solution IMO is because it will satisfy everyone at little or no cost. Add as much memory as you need, or add nothing at all if you want to use the cloud instead. Everyone is happy. Choice is not a bad thing.

The only really logical argument against SD I have heard so far was from Jerry Hildenbrand. I don't agree with it, but it is more than the "OMG it is not that big a deal" response I hear from everyone else. He doesn't like it for political reasons (some agenda against Microsoft, I forget the details) and because he says he thinks it compromises the device security.

 

[Aquila]

Nothing is set in stone. There is nothing at all stopping google from doing a 180 on this issue.

The reason SD is the ideal solution IMO is because it will satisfy everyone at little or no cost. Add as much memory as you need, or add nothing at all if you want to use the cloud instead. Everyone is happy. Choice is not a bad thing.

The only really logical argument against SD I have heard so far was from Jerry Hildenbrand. I don't agree with it, but it is more than the "OMG it is not that big a deal" response I hear from everyone else. He doesn't like it for political reasons (some agenda against Microsoft, I forget the details) and because he says he thinks it compromises the device security.

There's more to it in the article he wrote about it that describes what I was trying to say a few threads ago too. It's a security and performance and IP and software design decision, that also happens to make their cloud backup services more attractive.

You're right they could flip, but I suspect they think of this one as, "solved".

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

 

[JeffDenver]

You're right they could flip, but I suspect they think of this one as, "solved".

Now that we are seeing Vanilla versions of flagship devices, it may not matter anymore. Google no longer has a defacto-monopoly on vanilla android phones.

And yes, that may have been intentional on their part.

 

[fernandezhjr]

Now that we are seeing Vanilla versions of flagship devices, it may not matter anymore. Google no longer has a defacto-monopoly on vanilla android phones.

And yes, that may have been intentional on their part.

They are still Google devices being sold thru the Playstore. This still keeps stock Android in Google's hands. Remember, Google does not manufacturer devices itself; and it doesn't need to in order to control Android.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

 

[JeffDenver]

They are still Google devices being sold thru the Playstore. This still keeps stock Android in Google's hands. Remember, Google does not manufacturer devices itself; and it doesn't need to in order to control Android.

They are not Google devices. If they were, they would conform to google's vision, which is no SD.

Nexus devices are google devices. These are not Nexus devices. They are Vanilla Android versions of existing HTC and Samsung products.

 

[Unicorn Rancher]

Now that we are seeing Vanilla versions of flagship devices, it may not matter anymore. Google no longer has a defacto-monopoly on vanilla android phones.

And yes, that may have been intentional on their part.

That's a great point. From that perspective, the push shouldn't be to get Google to change their hardware. The push should be to get the device manufacturers (and mobile carriers) to use real Android without all the bloatware, crippleware, and other malware they typically build into their ecosystem.

 

[dkhmwilliams]

That's a great point. From that perspective, the push shouldn't be to get Google to change their hardware. The push should be to get the device manufacturers (and mobile carriers) to use real Android without all the bloatware, crippleware, and other malware they typically build into their ecosystem.

The problem is that those manufacturers don't believe that their software enhancements should be considered bloatware. Especially when it has become a huge selling point for some. Carriers are the same way. They believe the junk they put on devices is absolutely necessary. What makes it worse is when consumers actually subscribe to these services not knowing any better.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using AC Forums mobile app

 

[JeffDenver]

I think the fact that hardware manufacturers are not allowing users to install vanilla Android really says all that needs to be said. THEY themselves are not confident that their skins are really adding value to the phone. That is why they don't want to give people the option of removing them.

HTC is the only company that has had the balls to put that to the test. They are saying they want to give users the option of removing Sense. That will impress the hell out of me if they follow through with it.

 

[TheLibertarian]

But they didn't want to design it that way. We have the two choices that are given to us 8 and 16 gigabytes. You can either choose one or choose neither. Remember, this is someone else's vision. We aren't creating anything. We are consumers, we buy. If we don't like it, then we don't buy it. I don't understand this conversation. Some are acting as though the Nexus 4 is defective. It is what it is. 8, 16 or no Nexus 4. They're is no SD card slot so you better get used to cloud storage and streaming media. Deal.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using AC Forums mobile app

Perfect.

Somehow, JD doesn't understand there are literally hundreds of devices to chose from and instead of making the correct choice, he makes the incorrect choice and spends months making sure the entire A/C knows he made the wrong decision.

His argument, in automotive terms: I want a lightweight sports car, that's very fast, with a V12, but I also needs to have room for 11 sets of golf clubs, seat 14 people, and be able to tow the moon. Any V12 sports car that does not fit those requirements is defective and the company should readjust their products to my specific needs.

Unbelievably illogical, but I don't see an end to his refusal to accept, well, anything that he doesn't agree with.

 

[fernandezhjr]

They are not Google devices. If they were, they would conform to google's vision, which is no SD.

Nexus devices are google devices. These are not Nexus devices. They are Vanilla Android versions of existing HTC and Samsung products.

And here I thought the Nexus was an LG device. wink wink. Let me get this straight, made by an outsourced manufacturer like the Nexus, sold thru the Playstore like the Nexus, runs vanilla Android like the Nexus, updated directly by Google like the Nexus.......

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

 

[Scott7217]

Yes, I do own the 16 gigabyte version. And I went with that version because I wasn't certain if 8 gigabytes would be enough. As it stands, it would have been. But I wanted to be on the safe side. I do understand that you want more choices. I'm certain most consumers would like more choices. However increasing the amount of internal storage in the Nexus line seems to go against the company's overall philosophy. It seems to me that they are trying to promote their cloud storage. Increasing the amount of internal storage capacity just isn't in line with their overall philosophy. I would also guess that they are trying to keep the cost of the Nexus devices down. Increasing internal storage goes against that as well. If someone wants more storage options, there seems to be many other Android devices they can choose from.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using AC Forums mobile app

I think I understand where you're coming from. Just to clarify, you bought the 16 GB model because you thought you would have problems if you bought the 8 GB one, but these problems never became serious or never came up at all, right? What specific problems were you anticipating? Your experience will be helpful to others who may want to buy a Nexus.

It's good that you are a firm believer in Google's vision for the Nexus line and the cloud. Would you agree that it would make more strategic sense to reduce the amount of storage? For example, Google could eliminate the 8 GB and 16 GB models and only release a cheaper, 4 GB model. This would keep the cost down and provide an incentive for people to use the cloud. Does that sound reasonable to you?

 

[Scott7217]

It is obvious to me that they are selling quite a few Nexus 4s, so people must be pretty happy with the choices they are offered. Price point, speed, always getting updates to the OS, etc.etc..... Don't see many people lamenting the lack of a 32Gb model.

Do you have any updated sales figures? I'm inclined to believe you if you can provide some numbers. I did a quick Google search, but I only found some articles that said the Nexus 4 sold 1 million units in February. Obviously that number is higher now, but I don't know what the exact number is.

While you don't see many people asking for a 32 GB model, I have the opposite experience. Still, that may be a result of which forums we visit to get our information. I do know that when the Nexus 4 first launched, the 16 GB model seemed to sell out faster than the 8 GB one. When Google launched the white Nexus, the same thing happened again. The 16 GB model sold out quickly. (It's back in stock now.) I interpret that as people wanting more storage instead of less storage.

If Google did release a 32 GB Nexus and sales were so poor that Google discontinued it, I would have more reason to believe that people aren't interested in a 32 GB model. Since that model doesn't exist, I can only speculate. For example, the Nexus 7 tablet originally came in 8 GB and 16 GB models. Eventually Google discontinued the 8 GB and added a 32 GB one. Is there a reason why a cloud-connected tablet would need more storage but a cloud-connected phone does not? I would be interested to know the reasoning behind this.

 

[fernandezhjr]

I think I understand where you're coming from. Just to clarify, you bought the 16 GB model because you thought you would have problems if you bought the 8 GB one, but these problems never became serious or never came up at all, right? What specific problems were you anticipating? Your experience will be helpful to others who may want to buy a Nexus.

It's good that you are a firm believer in Google's vision for the Nexus line and the cloud. Would you agree that it would make more strategic sense to reduce the amount of storage? For example, Google could eliminate the 8 GB and 16 GB models and only release a cheaper, 4 GB model. This would keep the cost down and provide an incentive for people to use the cloud. Does that sound reasonable to you?

4GB is nowheres near reasonable. The cellular data networks are not built up enough and the cost of data is still way to high. Apart from that, just over 3GB is taken up for system. That would leave users with less than a gig for apps and other storage.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

 

[JeffDenver]

And here I thought the Nexus was an LG device.

You were wrong. It is a google device. LG simply made it to their specifications. LG is not known for excluding SD from their phones for example (I can't think of any LG phones off the top of my head that have no SD)...Google did that. Even LG's own version of the phone has an SD card - LG Optimus G - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Let me get this straight, made by an outsourced manufacturer like the Nexus, sold thru the Playstore like the Nexus, runs vanilla Android like the Nexus, updated directly by Google like the Nexus.......

...not made to google's specs.

They are other (existing) phones that have vanilla android installed on them. Google had no input into the design process at all. Being vanilla android does not make a phone a Nexus device. The Droid 1 was not a nexus device, and was not a google phone, despite the fact that it had vanilla android.

 

[minnemike]

If Google wants the Nexus 4 to be cloud centric, do we even need a 16 GB model? An 8 GB model would be sufficient to utilize the cloud.

The Nexus 4 is based on the LG Optimus G, which has a micro SD card slot. It came out before the Nexus 4, so if Google wanted a micro SD card slot on the Nexus 4, they could have added one.

Yes = Room for apps, more or less.

Exactly. They purposely did not include one. Why would that be? This is a cloud machine and buying it when you value external storage so greatly would be a foolish choice.

 

[minnemike]

Thats a great idea.

Please list for me the top 3 devices that you would recommend that have vanilla android, an SD card, and similar or better specs. I'll go buy one today.

I heard there is a new vanilla android S4? You can always go with a custom ROM too. Apart from that, it looks like you are screwed bruthaman.

 

[Scott7217]

Why were you apprehensive about your 8 GB Nexus 4? Was there a reason for you to be concerned?

I can definitely appreciate the cloud, but to me, it's not an all or nothing proposition. I can enjoy the cloud when I am connected. When I am not connected, I can make use of the internal storage on the Nexus 4. Just because some people want more storage does not mean I am abandoning the cloud, nor would I dream of taking the cloud away from anyone. I view the cloud and internal storage as partners working in harmony together.

You bring up the idea of having a tablet, an iPod, and a DSLR camera. Those are options, but then why have a smartphone in the first place? People like convergence. If one device can serve the function of multiple devices, then you're more likely to carry it with you and use it when you really need it. How much do you think a 32 GB Nexus 4 would cost? How much would a tablet, an iPod, and a DSLR camera cost, combined? Which option would cost more? Those are the things we must weigh carefully. We should not dismiss things outright just because we have no use for them personally. It may be of use to someone else.

Did anyone go to TechEd? Nah me either but a friend did and apparently CLOUD was the keyword if you get what I'm saying. If you don't, everything is going to be in the cloud it's the future of computing and I'm afraid like most technology, you will just have to accept it.

I mean the cloud is a terrible idea, storing things in a location where they are accessible anywhere in the world with internet connection and the backups are created automatically for you...

The cloud is the answer to all the people who complain that their phone has crashed and all their precious pictures that they never backed up have been deleted, or the phone has been lost/stolen?

I have the 8GB model and although I was apprehensive, I'm happy. I have 10,000 songs on Google Music to stream whenever I want. My top 100 are stored physically on the device so if I'm without an internet connection, I do have at least access to them and all my pictures get stored in the Box. I take thousands of pictures and screengrabs of my favourite text messages but the only time I look through them is when I'm at a PC anyway. With the Box, as long as I have an internet connection I can look at them on my phone too so there's no real difference between it being stored locally.

I appreciate that this isn't great for everyone but why not buy a tablet if you enjoy video that much? Surely the next complaint will be that the screen size isn't big enough for viewing video on? And an iPod for your music? If you had 32GB of storage, how much of that could you possibly get through before your battery goes flat? 4 hours of video (I think being generous, not sure)? 5 hours of music? My iPod 120GB classic stores more music than I could possibly have in a lifetime and the battery lasts 24 hours. Why? Because that device was designed specifically to do that.

I would assume music lovers to own an iPod, camera enthusiasts to own a DSLR and video lovers to own a tablet. The N4 does everything and it does everything well, but we can't expect it to store everything and as mentioned, we'd only forget to back it up anyway.

 

[minnemike]

Yes, I do own the 16 gigabyte version. And I went with that version because I wasn't certain if 8 gigabytes would be enough. As it stands, it would have been. But I wanted to be on the safe side. I do understand that you want more choices. I'm certain most consumers would like more choices. However increasing the amount of internal storage in the Nexus line seems to go against the company's overall philosophy. It seems to me that they are trying to promote their cloud storage. Increasing the amount of internal storage capacity just isn't in line with their overall philosophy. I would also guess that they are trying to keep the cost of the Nexus devices down. Increasing internal storage goes against that as well. If someone wants more storage options, there seems to be many other Android devices they can choose from.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using AC Forums mobile app

I have the 16gb too. I am sitting at 7gb left with the phone chock full of apps I like to use. This phone is designed absolutely perfect for all of my needs. Google did a perfect job in deciding specs on this phone for me.

 

[JeffDenver]

I heard there is a new vanilla android S4?

I heard it is not out yet.

You can always go with a custom ROM too.

...and deal with all the compatibility and stability headaches. No thank you. Thats the entire reason I went with Vanilla Android this time around.

Apart from that, it looks like you are screwed bruthaman.

And there is your answer as to why I chose the nexus 4 despite it's flaws.

 

[dkhmwilliams]

I think I understand where you're coming from. Just to clarify, you bought the 16 GB model because you thought you would have problems if you bought the 8 GB one, but these problems never became serious or never came up at all, right? What specific problems were you anticipating? Your experience will be helpful to others who may want to buy a Nexus.

It's good that you are a firm believer in Google's vision for the Nexus line and the cloud. Would you agree that it would make more strategic sense to reduce the amount of storage? For example, Google could eliminate the 8 GB and 16 GB models and only release a cheaper, 4 GB model. This would keep the cost down and provide an incentive for people to use the cloud. Does that sound reasonable to you?

That's hardly the point. I had two choices like everyone else. I chose the capacity model. What I didn't do is choose to buy the device, then complain about the storage capacity even though I knew what I was buying from the start. And guess what, if I had gotten the 16 GB version and realized I needed more, I would have returned it and gotten something else.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using AC Forums mobile app