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

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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.
Suppose your only other option was a Droid 1?

Thats what you seem to be missing. It is not always a matter of "OMG just choose something else". The fact that other options are less appealing does not mean the one you chose is ideal. Or that you should be forbidden to complain about it.
 
I heard it is not out yet.


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


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

Not waiting for the S4 sealed your fate with the N4 since you gave them yet another vote of confidence that the current design is a best seller.

With the speed at which phones are designed these days, hoping for the N4 to add SD cards seems pointless. You realize they are already making plans to release the N5? Maybe you should focus your efforts on getting that to have SD?
 
Not waiting for the S4 sealed your fate
I doubt I would have waited even if i had known about it. More likely I would have just used the Nexus 4 till it came out and then traded up. I may still do that.

Now that I have escaped Verizon, I am no longer limited to one phone every two years.

With the speed at which phones are designed these days, hoping for the N4 to add SD cards seems pointless.
Complaining can't hurt. Whats the worst that can happen? And there are alternatives now.

You realize they are already making plans to release the N5? Maybe you should focus your efforts on getting that to have SD?
Complaining online is a means to that end. While it is unlikely that google is watching, it is not impossible. And is better than nothing.

I'm not the only one who has complained about it, and this is not the only site with people complaining about it.
 
So, can we give feedback to Google so that they can make future devices more suited to our needs?

Remember, even the Galaxy Nexus had variants with 32 GB of internal storage. That was only one generation ago. The Galaxy Nexus definitely used the cloud, and having all that storage never bothered anyone. So it's not like there was never a Nexus smartphone that had 32 GB. It's not an impossible feat of engineering.

With regards to the current generation, Google discontinued the 8 GB Nexus 7 and added a 32 GB one. So we have a precedent where Google updated an existing product line.

If you want to look at only phones, we'll eventually get the HTC One running stock Android. That has 32 GB. The Samsung Galaxy S4 and the Sony Xperia Z have micro SD card slots, yet both will be running stock Android, too. So Google has no problem with more storage or micro SD card slots.

I would agree that we are consumers, but we are also customers. The customer is always right.


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.

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Suppose your only other option was a Droid 1?

Thats what you seem to be missing. It is not always a matter of "OMG just choose something else". The fact that other options are less appealing does not mean the one you chose is ideal. Or that you should be forbidden to complain about it.

Two things; choosing something else makes a statement, and may lead to you getting what you ultimately want. Secondly, the fact that the product you want doesn't exist, but seems to be something that is easy to produce could be indicative of your needs/wants being comparatively insignificant compared to others. Not saying this to be a jerk either. Seems like Google and other players in the mobile industry are turning to the cloud. It is one of the reasons I got rid of my iPhone 5. I had the 64 GB version because I needed to because Apple's cloud services were weak. Couldn't stream my content so I had to keep it on the phone. Then I started to wonder after I had almost filled 64GB, what would I do then? Not buy anymore HD movies? No more pictures or videos? I was starting to hope that they would release a 128 GB model next. That's when I decided to embrace the cloud. Internal storage would soon not be enough for me. And since you can't stream iTunes content as of today, I had to leave.

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That's part of the problem. If the people who think the Google design was "defective" would put their money where their mouth is, and CREATE their dream device and price it accordingly, then the market could vote with their dollars. But that would require cojones.

Exactly! It's really hard to break into the smartphone market. Frankly, you have a lot of people who think everything is made by Samsung. It's because Samsung is a big company, and they can manufacture to scale. It's hard for other companies to compete on the same level.

If people are willing to pay more for more storage or other features, I don't see the problem with Google making something to cater to that demographic. Google likes taking people's money, just like any other company.
 
It is no coincidence that the N4 is cloud focused and also designed for Tmobile as the primary carrier - where you can still get unlimited unthrottled data. It is a match made in heaven. I think this point is lost on many here. They designed it purposely this way. Will they design the N4 differently now? No chance. It has been a hit! Will there be different phones in the future with SD? Of course there will be. But complaining about the N4 design theory will have zero to do with that. I have to imagine this entire thread has been an epic waste of time. LOL. But it was fun in some regard. haha. I really love this phone primarily for being out of contract and on an unlimited unthrottled plan where cloud services can run amok. IN fact I love cloud so much, I guess I should buy an OPtimus go over to that forum and complain that is should come without an SD and be 100% cloud. lol
 
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Two things; choosing something else makes a statement, and may lead to you getting what you ultimately want.
I agree. But making a statement is not the reason I am purchasing the phone. My assets are limited, so I have to make a decision based on what I can see beforehand.

Secondly, the fact that the product you want doesn't exist, but seems to be something that is easy to produce could be indicative of your needs/wants being comparatively insignificant compared to others.
I am hardly the only one with these wants/needs. And Asking for something that is very common in the Android world (and that even the cheapest Android phones have) is hardly unreasonable IMO.

Seems like Google and other players in the mobile industry are turning to the cloud.
They are wrong to do so. If enough people complain, they may become convinced that they are wrong IMO. If everyone just shuts up and stops complaining, there is 100% chance that nothing will change.

I use the cloud all the time. It is not enough. It is not reliable enough to replace local storage. It will never be as fast as local storage. The cloud is a supplement, not a replacement.

The cloud and local storage are not mutually exclusive. You can have both. Google is pushing it's cloud agenda for ideological reasons....not because they are unable to give you SD expansion.
 
Make the right decision today and you won't end up a whining on some message board tomorrow. Nobody from google is gonna read your opinion here. And if they did, they are not likely to care about it. They already have their business plan in full force.

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You're right that no one is going to read the complaints. Google is using their servers to search the web. They'll use artificial intelligence to find out what people like and dislike. You don't need human eyes when machines can do it faster and more efficiently. This is Google's real strength, and that's why they make a lot of money. They'll know what we want before we even know that we wanted it.
 
It is no coincidence that the N4 is cloud focused and also designed for Tmobile as the primary carrier - where you can still get unlimited unthrottled data.
At slow-*** speeds. As a T-mobile customer I can tell you, the cloud is FAR less reliable than it was with Verizon. Even Verizon was not that reliable. Even now I still cannot get 3G or better at my gym.

I like T-Mobile a lot, but their network is FARRR from perfect.

I think this point is lost on many here. They designed it purposely this way.
No one is debating that they designed it this way on purpose. I believe you. We are saying it was wrong, and a flaw in the phone's design. That the phone would be better with SD.

Will they design the N4 differently now? No chance.
I disagree. Low chance is not the same as no chance. If people stop complaining, THEN there will be no chance.

It has been a hit!
...because there are no other vanilla Android devices to compete with it. With the GE One and S4, that might change.
 
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.

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I would have believed you if there weren't Google Editions for the Samsung Galaxy S4 and the Sony Xperia Z coming with stock Android. Both of them have micro SD. Do you think Google will have Samsung and Sony disable them?
 
At slow-*** speeds. As a T-mobile customer I can tell you, the cloud is FAR less reliable than it was with Verizon. Even Verizon was not that reliable. Even now I still cannot get 3G or better at my gym.

I like T-Mobile a lot, but their network is FARRR from perfect.

In my town, it has been flawless. I love the fact I can stream HD quality video over Plex to my phone sitting pretty much anywhere. It's always case by case, location to location.
 
Keep in mind that Google's margins are extremely thin on the N4, if they exist at all. Some analysts speculate it's negative, and that's prior to the costs of RMAs, etc. Keeping the cost down is about keeping the price down to get people into the OS and ecosystem. Obviously more choices are a good thing, but will there be enough adoption of each choice to justify each level of choice? Hopefully their decisions are based on some market research or analysis of S3 sales, etc.

Some of the lines of thought in the market seem to be very contrary to how it appears that Google solves problems. For example, on storage they looked at the problem of having multiple file systems on multiple partitions, etc. and said, "lets just make that all one giant block of storage". People complained saying, "that's not enough storage", and so they said, "okay, here's unlimited access to all your photos, music, movies, books, documents, e-mail, etc.... all for free, now you don't have to have it all on your device". Clearly there are people that do not like that as a solution because it doesn't work for them the way that they use their devices. Two solutions, presented many multitudes of times: 1. Get a device that works the way you want to use it 2. Change how you use it to fit the device you bought.

Another example is batteries. People said, "I don't want to be tied to the charger all day and my battery doesn't last long enough. Batteries must be removable!" But in Google's mind, your battery shouldn't be dying in a day. Swapable isn't the solution, that's still a battery that doesn't do it's job. They instead intend to have batteries that last days. Again, obviously if you're the person who spends many days at a time away from electricity, but still need to have your screen, music, gps and LTE on non-stop, that's probably not going to help. But for the vast majority of people, if you give them a battery that's still at 65% at the end of the day, my guess is the urge to swap it out decreases.

Of course, I'm speculating based on their words and actions instead of looking at it through the lens of what I want them to do.
 
In my town, it has been flawless. I love the fact I can stream HD quality video over Plex to my phone sitting pretty much anywhere. It's always case by case, location to location.
Not like that here in Colorado at all. And not just in Denver.
 
I would have believed you if there weren't Google Editions for the Samsung Galaxy S4 and the Sony Xperia Z coming with stock Android. Both of them have micro SD. Do you think Google will have Samsung and Sony disable them?

Of course not.... but a Google branded phone comes with a Google branded vision. And that vision, at least at present, includes the cloud at its heart. Iphone was the same when it came out and I don't think they have changed. Why? Because apple users have bought into their "vision" too (although really for their innovation, not cloud things). Google IS the cloud and the cloud IS google. Best you come to terms with this and bail out now. LOL
 
Keep in mind that Google's margins are extremely thin on the N4, if they exist at all.
I am convinced that removing SD had nothing at all to do with cost. This was a design decision.

32 gig version of the Nexus 7...none for the Nexus 4. Why is that?

Another example is batteries. People said, "I don't want to be tied to the charger all day and my battery doesn't last long enough. Batteries must be removable!" But in Google's mind, your battery shouldn't be dying in a day. Swapable isn't the solution
Upgradable is. The people who need a better battery can then get one. People satisfied with the stock one can use it. Again...everybody wins.

That is why this is all so annoying...these "problems" have easy fixes. Google chose not to use them.
 
I would have believed you if there weren't Google Editions for the Samsung Galaxy S4 and the Sony Xperia Z coming with stock Android. Both of them have micro SD. Do you think Google will have Samsung and Sony disable them?

They will not disable them, at least not on the S4 so I doubt they will on the Xperia. These are two completely different issues. AOSP simply does not contain code to support SD cards. It's of course easy for them to add in on these specific devices this case, but we have no reason to believe they're going to do so on a permanent basis by including that code once again in future versions of Android.
 
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


...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.

And how would you know the specifications? Those devices are not even out yet. And once again, those devices are being sold thru the Playstore. I never said they were part of the Nexus program. I said they will be Google devices. The fact that they won't include Touchwiz and Sense and be sold thru Google tells you this, just like I made the point that LG is manufacturered by LG, yet is a Google device. These two new devices will be no different. Samsung and HTC are merely manufacturing these devices for Google, even though they are not Nexus.

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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".

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I think the issue in question is that micro SD support would require Google or its partners to pay a royalty to Microsoft for the FAT32 file format. If Google lets Samsung and Sony sell their Google Edition smartphones with the micro SD card slot functional on stock Android, then Google has reversed course. If Google forces them to disable the slot, Google will be consistent with its previous efforts.
 
Of course not.... but a Google branded phone comes with a Google branded vision. And that vision, at least at present, includes the cloud at its heart. Iphone was the same when it came out and I don't think they have changed.
Of COURSE they have changed...higher capacity iPhones have come out with each generation. I think they are up to 128 gigs now.

Google did exactly the opposite. Apple is obviously not on the same page...they recognize that the Cloud is not a final solution for everyone.
Why? Because apple users have bought into their "vision" too (although really for their innovation, not cloud things). Google IS the cloud and the cloud IS google. Best you come to terms with this and bail out now. LOL
I think a better solution is just to buy non-google vanilla android phones now that they are finally available. I will just bail on the nexus line.
 
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