Google Hardware Year 3

[anon(10092459)]

With everything out for 2018, I’d like to know what you guys think about Google’s hardware efforts since 2016. I think there’s been some great successes like Pixel and the home speakers, but some misfires as well, like Clips camera.

I think some of the company’s messaging around the Google Experience gets lost a bit with poor/lazy writing from journalists/YouTubers using phrasing like “Google wants the Pixel to be the best Android experience.” (which is a misinterpretation and off message).

I also think marketing was better years 1 & 2. This year, marketing for the Pixel so far has been too much about the camera and not enough about Google services and Assistant (which is where I think the message is). The Home Hub spots are okay and at least deliver a message around solutions. The “Make Google Do It” campaign was flawed, IMO. Better, I think, would be “day in the life” spots that show how Google’s hardware can make life easier from home to work to social over the course of a day.

Sundar’s got a grand and right vision, though he may need to shift Lieutenants. Rick Osterloh gets a B- overall, but this year’s debacle of a launch gets a D. But he’s had to build a hardware division from basically nothing, and that deserves some credit. Ivy Ross gets a B- overall. I think she’s got a good design language, but her background in fashion seems to be more reflected in the home products.

Overall, IMO Google is on the right path, but need to continue to work harder. They need to highlight message and mission more consistently and with better cohesion. Sundar’s talked about having over 70 billion data points in Google’s knowledge graph. Strengths like that don’t need to be discounted. That’s a vault of information that delivers solutions for millions of people every day through Google’s services and AI/ML. We’ll see what the team from HTC has cooked up for us in 2019, I guess.

Anyway, thoughts …?

 

[Velenoso]

I'd tell what I think but it would only be deleted like my last post.

 

[anon(10092459)]

I'd tell what I think but it would only be deleted like my last post.

Lol! .. maybe give it another go ...?

I'd actually like to read your opinion.

 

[Velenoso]

How good are brand new devices that have bugs?

 

[anon(10092459)]

How good are brand new devices that have bugs?

What brand new device doesn't ? No recent flagship that I can think of is bug free at launch.

 

[Velenoso]

You're 100% right, why release phones that have bugs, the answer can only be is that they are pushing them out without enough R&D

 

[anon(10092459)]

You're 100% right, why release phones that have bugs, the answer can only be is that they are pushing them out without enough R&D

I think there's some validity to that. But with the speed which tech is advancing right now, what company can afford to wait. Take the home speaker space. Google was behind Amazon in that development and has been fighting an uphill battle to secure the marketshare it has. What company wants to start in 2018 with design and development on something like that with Amazon and Goggle dominating at this point?

 

[Velenoso]

But with the speed which tech is advancing right now, what company can afford to wait.

And I think there's some validity to that. But we still are paying top dollar for flagship phones that have bugs.

 

[anon(10092459)]

And I think there's some validity to that. But we still are paying top dollar for flagship phones that have bugs.

So staying on topic... What I think you're saying is that the hardware division hasn't come far enough after 3 years. I'd challenge that a little bit when you consider they're that division look far different than it does today.

Also, what they've been able to accomplish over that time period. They've shipped 6 phones, a laptop, a tablet, a suite home home products that now include the Home Hub, etc .. I mean, there's a lot of work there.

 

[I Can Be Your Hero]

And I think there's some validity to that. But we still are paying top dollar for flagship phones that have bugs.

Every flagship phone has bugs and that won't ever change. If a company tried to fix every single bug before the device released, they wouldn't ever get to release a product. I do agree that the Pixel 3 has quite a large number of what I would consider serious bugs (photos not saving, SMS not being received, buzzy speakers, ram management issues) but they're not really widespread and hopefully Google get on it and fix the issues soon.

As far as the topic goes, I think Google have come along pretty decently over the last 3 years with hardware design. Granted, the original Pixel phone designs were based off the HTC A9 as it was supposedly rushed development due to the partnership with Huawei falling through. I didn't think they were attractive phones at all, but the software experience was far ahead of everything else and the camera was also best in class.

The Pixel 2/2 XL was released and I really wasn't happy with it. Poor screen, didn't like the plastic feeling coating over the phone, big bezels on the 2 especially - it looked and felt cheap to me.

The 3/3 XL have come out and I think they're by far the best hardware the Pixel has seen, but again, some issues. The notch I still think is ugly and I can't 'unsee' it even after over 2 weeks of ownership. I've had to put on Nacho Notch to try to hide it. Other than that, I would have preferred if Google pushed better internal hardware specs, particularly larger battery, more internal storage and more RAM. If Google can continue pushing their computational photography stuff hard, then I'm fine with one camera lens, but it's the other hardware that I'd like to see improved. I mean, a 4,000mah battery is going to provide better battery life than a 3,460mah one. 128gb internal storage as the base is going to mean more memory for users. 6gb ram will mean better memory management, assuming they tune it correctly.

I get that they're trying to follow Apple's lead and have people not care about the hardware specs and focus on the experience, but this is Andrdoid after all - it's not as efficient as iOS and having less ram, smaller battery does affect it more than it would on iOS. I'm optimistic and think with HTC's design team, the Pixel 4 could be something really special in terms of design (I've always loved HTC design). But then again, I see all these other phones - iPhone XS, Note 9, Mate 20 Pro etc and to me they all have better design than the Pixel. Pixel is more function over form, but I wish they also focused on the form part more.

I also think everything outside of the Pixel phones look great. I thought the Pixelbook looked stunning, the Home and Chromecast devices look great. Just the phones need work.

 

[Almeuit]

And I think there's some validity to that. But we still are paying top dollar for flagship phones that have bugs.

You'll never have a piece of software without bugs. I do agree some are pretty bad but to expect top dollar means zero bugs just isn't realistic.

 

[Velenoso]

What I think you're saying is that the hardware division hasn't come far enough after 3 years.

No not at all, I have nothing against the pixel device, I haven't even held one in my hands. I have read articles on it and other phones and like my S9+ they pretty much have bugs out of the box.

I just wish manufacturers didn't feel the need to release a new device every year.

 

[C5Longhorn]

I think Google tries to thread a fine line with phone hardware. On the one hand, they want to show the world and other Android phone manufacturers what they can do with Hardware, software, and AI. This serves to showcase Android and hedge their position if Samsung and others went with a different OS, etc. At the same time, they don't go all in on hardware like Apple and Samsung because they don't want to alienate said Android vendors and ecosystem players by competing 100% against them. They are still an ad and tech company.

 

[Robisan]

Rick Osterloh gets a B- overall, but this year’s debacle of a launch gets a D.

Before the launch debacle Osterfat greenlighted the Lurch and Frankenstein had a baby front design of the 3XL. After screengate, launchgate, notchgate what does it take to get fired by Google?

 

[anon(10092459)]

Before the launch debacle Osterfat greenlighted the Lurch and Frankenstein had a baby front design of the 3XL. After screengate, launchgate, notchgate what does it take to get fired by Google?

I don't think Rick is mr right, just mr right now. His total body of work isn't bad. The HTC deal was done on his watch. Google was nimble enough to position themselves well in the home device space that others have missed entirely. He's gotten a laptop and a tablet out and into the marketplace. Pixels have been improving since 1st gen, so he has some positives.

That said though, I think once the division gets stable in the next couple of years, Google may move on from his leadership.

 

[mustang7757]

With everything out for 2018, I’d like to know what you guys think about Google’s hardware efforts since 2016. I think there’s been some great successes like Pixel and the home speakers, but some misfires as well, like Clips camera.

I think some of the company’s messaging around the Google Experience gets lost a bit with poor/lazy writing from journalists/YouTubers using phrasing like “Google wants the Pixel to be the best Android experience.” (which is a misinterpretation and off message).

I also think marketing was better years 1 & 2. This year, marketing for the Pixel so far has been too much about the camera and not enough about Google services and Assistant (which is where I think the message is). The Home Hub spots are okay and at least deliver a message around solutions. The “Make Google Do It” campaign was flawed, IMO. Better, I think, would be “day in the life” spots that show how Google’s hardware can make life easier from home to work to social over the course of a day.

Sundar’s got a grand and right vision, though he may need to shift Lieutenants. Rick Osterloh gets a B- overall, but this year’s debacle of a launch gets a D. But he’s had to build a hardware division from basically nothing, and that deserves some credit. Ivy Ross gets a B- overall. I think she’s got a good design language, but her background in fashion seems to be more reflected in the home products.

Overall, IMO Google is on the right path, but need to continue to work harder. They need to highlight message and mission more consistently and with better cohesion. Sundar’s talked about having over 70 billion data points in Google’s knowledge graph. Strengths like that don’t need to be discounted. That’s a vault of information that delivers solutions for millions of people every day through Google’s services and AI/ML. We’ll see what the team from HTC has cooked up for us in 2019, I guess.

Anyway, thoughts …?

I'd like to evaluate Google in 2 or 3 years from now , They are in 3rd version of Phone . They are doing right things and will be mistakes along the way which is normal look at other manufacturer at this stage of being your 3rd version out, they had obstacles to overcome before they got better. That's my take I look down further then the short term they have so far .