Google Nexus 5 (retail for $149) as a rival to the Ipod Touch

[BookReader2]

For those who own a 7" Nexus 7, what are your thoughts on a 5" Nexus 5 as a direct rival to the Ipod Touch?




It's size will be the same as the just launched Kobo Mini (5" ereader for $80).

Kobo announces three new readers: one glows, one's small, one runs Ice Cream Sandwich -- Engadget

Last and most diminutive is the Kobo Mini, the "smallest e-reader on the market," according to Kobo's calculations. The reader sports a 5-inch display and measures 5 x 5.24 x 0.41 inches, weighing in at 134 grams (4.7 ounces). Inside, you'll find an unspecified 800MHz processor and 2GB of storage. Battery-wise we're talking two weeks with WiFi off. Price-wise: $80. The Mini comes in black or white and features three interchangeable color backs.

5" is the same size as the LG Optimus Vu (known as LG Optimus Intuition in the USA)

While Ipod sales are in decline, it is still a BEAST. Apple sold more than 50 millions Ipods in 2010 (see the graph below).

 

[S-Doo-1965]

Galaxy Player is five inches .

get yourself a Nexus 7. you can thank me later.

 

[BookReader2]

Galaxy Player is five inches .

get yourself a Nexus 7. you can thank me later.

Galaxy Player is expensive and it has no visibility.

There are people who prefer a 5" tablet so it can fit into their pocket and easier to carry around with.

The market for a 5" tablets are kids, tweeners and teens mostly. You can carry a 5" tablet to school but much harder with a 7" tablet.

 

[NickA]

Galaxy Player is expensive and it has no visibility.

There are people who prefer a 5" tablet so it can fit into their pocket and easier to carry around with.

The market for a 5" tablets are kids, tweeners and teens mostly. You can carry a 5" tablet to school but much harder with a 7" tablet.

What does the Kobo mini have to do with this? It's competitor would be a reader, such as a Kindle Fire, not an iPod.

Anyway, a 5" tablet brings up the argument of "I would just use my phone". There's no need to pick up a 5" device if you have a recent smartphone. Mainly because you'll not only have at least a 4.3" screen, but a phone as well. I'm not going to juggle two devices that are basically the same size.

My N7 fits in my pocket. Kids throws their phones and tablets in their backpack, so carrying a table to school is irrelevant because they are carrying a bunch of books anyway.

 

[YAYTech]

I don't think it's a bad idea. I don't see myself buying one, but it's not a bad idea. Though looking up specs on the iPod touch, I can't believe they get $200 for a stinking 8gb model.

 

[natehoy]

I don't think it's a bad idea. I don't see myself buying one, but it's not a bad idea. Though looking up specs on the iPod touch, I can't believe they get $200 for a stinking 8gb model.

Agreed. Though Apple does have awesome build quality, and the Nexus was obviously built to meet a price with the corresponding compromises in build quality. This doesn't interfere with my enjoyment of the device in any way, but other people have other priorities.

But, still, a 5" Android tablet with a decent amount of memory and a $150 price tag would certainly get some market share, especially if it was similar to the Nexus 7 in terms of hardware specs.

Personally, I'd still go for the Nexus 7 as a tablet. If I wanted something in a 5" form factor, I'd upgrade my phone. 5" seems like a perfectly reasonable holstered phone size to me, since I'm already carrying around a Thunderbolt with the massive extended battery in a Seidio holster case, which turns it into a frigging BRICK. And I don't have a problem with that at all - I have very large hands and a large phone is not a problem for me.

But I can see someone with better eyesight and smaller more nimble fingers perfectly happy with a 3.5" phone and a 5" tablet, or someone who doesn't actually want a phone and the resulting expensive data plans, but is in WiFi coverage a lot, who just wants a large-phone-sized but very portable tablet.

If Google built it, I bet they'd sell nearly as well as the Nexus 7, at least.

 

[Ravynmagi]

Between the Galaxy Nexus 4.7 inch and the Nexus 7, I don't see a big need for a 5 inch tablet. Only reason I'd want a tablet that small is to put in my pocket and then I'd expect it to make calls too, so it'd really have to be a phablet.

By far, I'm more interested in a 10 inch Nexus. But I'm not holding my breath on that happening anytime soon. Think what we got is all we are getting for a while, for tablets anyway.

 

[Dubbayoo]

it's too close to cell phone size; pointless.

 

[jimbarr]

But not everyone has or wants or needs a Smartphone. Sure, eventually, it will likely be inevitable, but right now, it's not.

My wife has a simple LG Octane phone for calls and texting (she texts probably twice a month.) And The idea of her paying for a data plan? Just ain't gonna happen.

She just purchased a Nexus 7, and while she loves it, if there was an Android PDA available that was a bit larger than the iPod Touch (which she used to own) you can bet we would have purchased one in a heartbeat.

 

[BookReader2]

People who have an expensive smartphone are not the targeted market.

People who buy an Ipod Touch are.

Amazon might beat Google to it. Amazon just announced an upgraded Kindle Fire 7" for $159.

They can retail a 5" Kindle Fire for $129 easily.

 

[Dubbayoo]

I have a Razr Maxx phone and a iPod Touch that my gf doused in water. Rather than pay $150 to fix the Touch I bought a Nexus 7 - no regrets.....I might even buy her one.

 

[John-Smith]

The only way that a 5" tablet would sell, is if it sold for under $100. Which is completely possible, but doesn't leave much of a margin for profit. But for $100, I may just buy one for shts and giggles. It will also have to come with some decent ear buds. Monoprice sells some good/cheap ones for like $6, so I'm sure it only costs a couple bucks to make.

 

[YAYTech]

The only way that a 5" tablet would sell, is if it sold for under $100. Which is completely possible, but doesn't leave much of a margin for profit. But for $100, I may just buy one for shts and giggles. It will also have to come with some decent ear buds. Monoprice sells some good/cheap ones for like $6, so I'm sure it only costs a couple bucks to make.

Apple gets $200 or more for a 3.5" "tablet". I don't think anyone else can pull that much cash for one, but a larger screen and somewhat lower price point together might make for a solid combo. I don't think it would have to be under $100 by any means, not if it comes with decent hardware specs.

 

[BookReader2]

$99 could happen in 12 months time for Amazon, especially since "bills of materials" are dropping each passing week.

Potential names: Kindle Fire 5" or Kindle Fire Mini

 

[Haucore]

I'm seeing a lot of cons here but for my lifestyle the 5" is actually perfect!!! Fits in my pocket way better than how the n7 did. Hope the specs are near the n7 and really hope the manufacturer isnt ASUS

 

[dancing-bass]

I don't know... I don't think a "nexus 5" would do that well. But then again I'm a blue-collar worker not a marketing guru who would know these things.

I have a Galaxy Nexus (4.6 inch screen). Thinking about getting an N7 to go with it. Between those 2 devices and my desktop, I don't feel the need for anything in between. Even the N7 would be more of a toy then a necessity. As far marketing it as a media device (like the iPod) there are far more entrenched devices in that market and a newcomer like an N5 would have a hard time I think.

That's not to say it can't or won't happen... I'd just be surprised if it was successful, that's all. I think back to the Zune (Microsoft's media device). It seemed to work rather well, but I never saw one (other then a display unit). Any portable media device I saw were cheapie MP3 players or an iPod. Zune just didn't really seem to catch the market around where I live

 

[BookReader2]

I don't know... I don't think a "nexus 5" would do that well. But then again I'm a blue-collar worker not a marketing guru who would know these things.

I have a Galaxy Nexus (4.6 inch screen). Thinking about getting an N7 to go with it. Between those 2 devices and my desktop, I don't feel the need for anything in between. Even the N7 would be more of a toy then a necessity. As far marketing it as a media device (like the iPod) there are far more entrenched devices in that market and a newcomer like an N5 would have a hard time I think.

That's not to say it can't or won't happen... I'd just be surprised if it was successful, that's all. I think back to the Zune (Microsoft's media device). It seemed to work rather well, but I never saw one (other then a display unit). Any portable media device I saw were cheapie MP3 players or an iPod. Zune just didn't really seem to catch the market around where I live

what is "success"?

If the Nexus 7 sold 10 millions units and the Nexus 5 sold 2 million units (1/5 as many), would that equate as "successful"?

 

[rootbrain]

I could see getting one if it had the same specs (as close as possible) as the N7. Much less and probably not, because the N7 is fine to carry for me, fits in my cargo pants or the inside suit jacket. What would the N5 have that the N7 doesn't? Unless it's a phone.....

 

[Haucore]

Had there been any android OS devices like the itouch or has the only competition that apple had was the Zune?

 

[anon(924308)]

Imo 5" is kind of an awkward size--a little too big to claim ultimate portability, but a little too small for desired functionality. I I mean with the ipod, the only time I wouldn't just use the N7 to listen to music is when I'm exercising or something, but a 5" device that measures 5" by 5.25" seems a little too big to be comfortably carried in your hand, and and an arm band wouldn't really work.

My ipod measures like 4" by 2.5", and much easier to carry around in your hand. They'd have to make it smaller to rival and ipod. Aside from children, and I don't know who would want a 5x5 device instead of a 4x2 or 7x4.

^I think part of the reason the Zune failed is bc WMP can't really compare to iTunes.