Will the Nexus Prime be the Android flagship to compete iPhone5?

[defcon3]

Hello awesome crowd,

I have been reading rumors on possible release dates, and it looks interesting:

Oct 03rd - Nexus Prime
Oct 04th - iPhone 5

Tight week, tight squeeze, will be hot to watch. As I am up for renewal of my contract, have been wondering - will the Nexus Prime be the current flagship of the Android nation? Given it will be a nexus, i.e. getting all the latest-and-greatest OS updates, methinks so.

What is your view on this? Worthy competitor or a milestone (with some HTC/Motorola beast round the corner)?

Cheers

 

[geeksbsmrt]

Re: Will the Nexus Prime be the Android flagship to compete iPhon

Hello awesome crowd,

I have been reading rumors on possible release dates, and it looks interesting:

Oct 03rd - Nexus Prime
Oct 04th - iPhone 5

Tight week, tight squeeze, will be hot to watch. As I am up for renewal of my contract, have been wondering - will the Nexus Prime be the current flagship of the Android nation? Given it will be a nexus, i.e. getting all the latest-and-greatest OS updates, methinks so.

What is your view on this? Worthy competitor or a milestone (with some HTC/Motorola beast round the corner)?

Cheers

Oct 3 for Nexus: Most likely not, we haven't even had an ICS announcement yet.

Oct 4 for iPhone: No clue as I don't follow them but I would think we would have heard more by now if so.

 

[_JKK_]

Re: Will the Nexus Prime be the Android flagship to compete iPhon

Oct 3 for Nexus: Most likely not, we haven't even had an ICS announcement yet.

Oct 4 for iPhone: No clue as I don't follow them but I would think we would have heard more by now if so.

Both dates are the current dates rumored. And I mean like, WSJ rumors for the iPhone. Not "Mom and pop's Apple blog"

IPhone date looks particularly solid (note: that's the actual launch date, not date for event).

 

[geeksbsmrt]

Re: Will the Nexus Prime be the Android flagship to compete iPhon

Both dates are the current dates rumored. And I mean like, WSJ rumors for the iPhone. Not "Mom and pop's Apple blog"

IPhone date looks particularly solid (note: that's the actual launch date, not date for event).

I could have sworn the Nexus was Nov 3...

 

[Stang68]

Re: Will the Nexus Prime be the Android flagship to compete iPhon

Those dates are wrong.

 

[defcon3]

Re: Will the Nexus Prime be the Android flagship to compete iPhon

OK, not the angle I was aiming at...Thank you to geeksbsmrt - perhaps Nov 04th looks more realistic, as we still have no ICS indeed...

I clearly marked those dates are RUMORS, although the Oct 04th Apple EVENT has been 99% confirmed, whereas the iPhone5 LAUNCH DATE is still hanging (expected a week later). To me the NP announcement was more of a wish-date than anything else.

Regardless, the dates are not the focus of this thread - the rumored features/hardware is.

In your mind, from all written and read so far - do you think the Nexus Prime will be worthy to compete with the iPhone5, or maybe some other Android?

O

 

[flashpiti]

Re: Will the Nexus Prime be the Android flagship to compete iPhon

It would make no sense for Google/Samsung to announce the nexus the day before the iphone because it would be buried in the iphone's press. much more sense to announce it a month later, but still well before the Christmas shopping season starts.

 

[Hearthatvoiceagain]

Re: Will the Nexus Prime be the Android flagship to compete iPhon

Moving away from arguments about dates and on to what the OP really wanted to talk about.

It's going to be interesting. The rumors have the iPhone coming out on Sprint (as well as AT&T and VZW) in the US with the Nexus also being on most if not all carriers. If Samsung/Google Price this right and spend some money on advertising then we could see a genuine head to head fight.
On a slightly connected note Techradar published a survey today that showed the Galaxy S2 as the "Most Desired existing phone" in the UK. (more then double the votes of the iPhone 4) Galaxy S2 dominates most desired current phone poll | News | TechRadar UK

If this can be transferred to the Nexus Prime/iPhone battle then Victory shall be ours.

 

[geeksbsmrt]

Re: Will the Nexus Prime be the Android flagship to compete iPhon

OK, not the angle I was aiming at...Thank you to geeksbsmrt - perhaps Nov 04th looks more realistic, as we still have no ICS indeed...

I clearly marked those dates are RUMORS, although the Oct 04th Apple EVENT has been 99% confirmed, whereas the iPhone5 LAUNCH DATE is still hanging (expected a week later). To me the NP announcement was more of a wish-date than anything else.

Regardless, the dates are not the focus of this thread - the rumored features/hardware is.

In your mind, from all written and read so far - do you think the Nexus Prime will be worthy to compete with the iPhone5, or maybe some other Android?

O

My bad, didn't mean to come across to harshly about the date thing. I've just been watching too many people spout off dates, others taking them as gospel, and being frustrated when the device isn't released then. It's just becoming annoying. As to the question posed:

For quite some time now I have not seen the iPhone as competitive in the smartphone market. Spec wise, it is just not able to hang. However, consumer Apple products (except iPods and for the most part iPads) have been behind in the hardware department. The thing Apple has going for them is the fact that their software is second to none in terms of resource management.

That being said, I don't see much difference in the competitiveness of the market due to a new iPhone, Nexus, or super Android device. Most of the only people that will care about the differences are people like you and me who follow the forums and "obsess" over the next best thing.

 

[defcon3]

Re: Will the Nexus Prime be the Android flagship to compete iPhon

You guys are right - obsessing and chanting a date will bring us no closer. LOL

I sport the Desire HD and lately, the battery has been less than satisfactory. The design of the device itself does not allow for a higher capacity (thicker) one, so I am stuck with filling-up on afternoons. Back from lunch I plug it in... Most colleagues who share my usage levels last through the day with their crappy iPhone4.

Reason why I am obsessing about the next best (Android) thingie is that I do not wish to jump ship - I would like for Google et al to give me something better than the next iPhone with
- better battery
- better screen
- better updates

I want no overlays, no flashy crap, no themes or bling - just solid battery on solid screen with a solid connectivity (good radios). And I am praying the next Nexus will be it. Or that the Samsung S II HD will be it. Or ANY Android for that matter will be it. I just wish to wipe the giddy smiles off the iPhone crowd. O O O

Guess it is too early to speculate over rumors. Plan is clear - first we wait for ICS, then see the Nexus Prime.

Are we there yet?..

 

[dsignori]

Re: Will the Nexus Prime be the Android flagship to compete iPhon

...

For quite some time now I have not seen the iPhone as competitive in the smartphone market. Spec wise, it is just not able to hang. However, consumer Apple products (except iPods and for the most part iPads) have been behind in the hardware department. The thing Apple has going for them is the fact that their software is second to none in terms of resource management.

That being said, I don't see much difference in the competitiveness of the market due to a new iPhone, Nexus, or super Android device. Most of the only people that will care about the differences are people like you and me who follow the forums and "obsess" over the next best thing.

How "Competitive" the Nexus is with the iPhone needs to be defined to answer the question. If the question is how competitive will it be in the hardware/software/spec area, then most would agree the Nexus will probably be super competitive.

If the question is how competitive will the Nexus be SALES-wise, forget it. IMO if the Nexus sells 10 million it would be considered a resounding success. The iPhone will no doubt sell 100 million +, maybe more. In fact, it will probably sell 3-5 million in the first weekend, and over 10 million in the first month. There is no way any single phone right now will approach the iPhone in sales in the near future. Maybe in a few years, but the way the market is right now, the iPhone will trample any other single phone in sales. They have a high percentage of the consumers' mind share and an easy, fluid UI that is appealing to the mass market.

 

[geeksbsmrt]

Re: Will the Nexus Prime be the Android flagship to compete iPhon

How "Competitive" the Nexus is with the iPhone needs to be defined to answer the question. If the question is how competitive will it be in the hardware/software/spec area, then most would agree the Nexus will probably be super competitive.

If the question is how competitive will the Nexus be SALES-wise, forget it. IMO if the Nexus sells 10 million it would be considered a resounding success. The iPhone will no doubt sell 100 million +, maybe more. In fact, it will probably sell 3-5 million in the first weekend, and over 10 million in the first month. There is no way any single phone right now will approach the iPhone in sales in the near future. Maybe in a few years, but the way the market is right now, the iPhone will trample any other single phone in sales. They have a high percentage of the consumers' mind share and an easy, fluid UI that is appealing to the mass market.

That was more or less the point I was making in the statement:

" I don't see much difference in the competitiveness of the market due to a new iPhone, Nexus, or super Android device. "

The iPhone will sell because it is an iPhone (great software, brand recognition, loyal customers, etc...) Nexus/Moto/Sammy/LG/HTC/etc... will all continue to see similar sales numbers. It's just the way it is.

 

[oxymoron]

I agree, the average consumer is uninformed. They wouldn't know what to do with the power of a super device, and aesthetics play a LARGE role in their purchase. Let's face it, many people are superficial... and they also buy smartphones.

If Android is to ever "beat" Apple, they need three things:

1 - To have a better GUI equally as fluid, or more fluid than iOS.
2 - Hardware manufacturers committing to develop solid, attractive, sleek, aesthetically pleasing hardware WITH displays at least as attractive as the retina.
3 - Maintain the "tweakability", open source standard and hacker friendliness, so as not to lose all of us that originally fell in love with Android.

Purely my opinion of course, but that's how I see it. Will it ever happen? I think long term, it's possible. Google is huge, I only see them getting even more so. I am curious to see what comes from the whole Google/Motorola Mobility thing.

Will the Nexus compete with the iPhone 5? Improbable, in my opinion. If the leaked images of it are accurate though, I do see it appealing to more of the iPhone crowd than an Android device would, regularly.

Apple doesn't do it for me. The UI is too user friendly (see limited) for me. I am a geek. I don't see that changing in the future. Geeks dig Andy

*customized tapatalk signature*

 

[rrhartjr]

Re: Will the Nexus Prime be the Android flagship to compete iPhon

That was more or less the point I was making in the statement:

" I don't see much difference in the competitiveness of the market due to a new iPhone, Nexus, or super Android device. "

The iPhone will sell because it is an iPhone (great software, brand recognition, loyal customers, etc...) Nexus/Moto/Sammy/LG/HTC/etc... will all continue to see similar sales numbers. It's just the way it is.

Think of it this way.

How long has any alternative browser (Firefox, Chrome, whatever) been better than Internet Explorer? How long have we (technically inclined folk) been trying to convince regular people (our family, our friends) to switch?

The fact is, most people just use what they are used to.. it takes lots of time and lots of intervention from trusted folks to change that. It's a slow process and it spec sheets usually don't help.

It makes me uncomfortable to look down my nose and say it's just about IGNORANT UNINFORMED APPLE USERS.. that's far from it. And it certainly doesn't help anyone feel welcome. You and I see the power, but most people just see something "different." Just my thoughts.

 

[geeksbsmrt]

Re: Will the Nexus Prime be the Android flagship to compete iPhon

Think of it this way.

How long has any alternative browser (Firefox, Chrome, whatever) been better than Internet Explorer? How long have we (technically inclined folk) been trying to convince regular people (our family, our friends) to switch?

The fact is, most people just use what they are used to.. it takes lots of time and lots of intervention from trusted folks to change that. It's a slow process and it spec sheets usually don't help.

It makes me uncomfortable to look down my nose and say it's just about IGNORANT UNINFORMED APPLE USERS.. that's far from it. And it certainly doesn't help anyone feel welcome. You and I see the power, but most people just see something "different." Just my thoughts.

I understand the point you are trying to make but not sure I follow. I was never meaning to put the iPhone or its users down. In fact, I see no issue with the iPhone. It is not a product I would use, it doesn't suit my needs. However, my boss and three coworkers use iPhones and refuse to switch to Android. I do IT Support and programming and all four of them are VERY intelligent. The major difference between iOS and Android is the openness of development. Anyone can make an app for Android and put it on the Market. Apple must certify all Apps before they will allow them on the AppStore. This creates a very stable OS and device leading to a constant pleasurable experience.

Android on the other hand can have some issues on the software front. For example, I bank with USAA and use their Android app to deposit any checks that I get. I have run multiple Gingerbread ROMs on my OG Droid and even stock on a Bionic for 2 weeks. Every time I went to take a picture of the check from the USAA App it force closed because of an issue with the camera hooks. As long as the camera had never been started after a phone boot the App would allow me to take one picture (need two to deposit the check) then force close on the second. This did not happen with any Froyo ROM on my OG. Also, in our environment it seems that any device that is not stock Android has issues keeping Exchange calendars with over 5000 entries synced properly. Stock devices have no issue.

That is the only issue I can find with the Android model. Too many people doing too many things can cause instability as a whole.

Again, in no way was I trying to imply that any user of any device was inferior/uneducated/uninformed/etc... Except for maybe Symbian/OS2/BB users

 

[oxymoron]

Nor did I mean any disrespect either. iPhone is a wonderful device, and all the software is optimized very well.

It's also, just not for me. I do think Steve Jobs has done everything right for that company. He has "set the standard" for the consumer. I think he's a pretty neat guy overall.

I just prefer Android ... which is one of the reasons I'm on the Android Central forums right now

*customized tapatalk signature*

 

[scotty_pimmpen]

Re: Will the Nexus Prime be the Android flagship to compete iPhon

Honestly, I wish Android had the polish of an iOS. I enjoy everything about Android except the complete lack of attention paid to visuals. I don't need fancy transitions, but if I'm being 100% truthful I don't find Android to be that nice looking without a launcher.

I must say though, that when I got my Galaxy 10.1, I was really blown away by how nice honeycomb looked. I can only hope that ICS really steps up and exceeds that level.

 

[mzdrati]

Re: Will the Nexus Prime be the Android flagship to compete iPhon

Wow- I really appreciate the tone of this conversation. I am a smartphone newbie. I am still using the first and only "smartphone" I've ever owned (sadly, a BB Storm 1). This Storm 1 is just terrible, but at the time (2.5 years ago) there wasn't much else available as a Verizon customer. The good thing for me is that whatever I get next (my contract was up in Feb of 2011 and I've been waiting for the Bionic or iPhone 5) can only be lightyears better.

I've never owned an iPhone or any Android phone before. My friends all pooled their money and bought me a 16GB iPad2 for my birthday in July, & having not even opened it I took it back to exchange it for either a 32GB version, or maybe an Android device. I have NO allegiance to either, and truly wanted the best device for me. I found out that iPads in nearly every configuration were backordered due to circumstances overseas, so I got a gift card and decided to see what is out there. Ever Android tablet that I tried had issues, at least when compared to the iPad2. The Android tablets that I tested seemed way more flexible (both in build quality and in performance) but the limited but impressively quick and consistant performance of the iPad2 made me choose it over the others (Galaxy, EETransformer, etc). To be honest- I wanted to dislike the iPad2 because a tablet that allowed me to expand its memory, and connect with it via USB really appeals to me- but I have a laptop, and the iPad2, like all tablets- in my opinion- is just a toy, so I decided that all things considered- I preferred it because of the OS and the way it manages the wonderful array of consistantly-decent apps (both paid and free).

Given my position on the iPad2- I'm tempted to wait to see what the next iPhone is like before I commit to buying a new phone (which I sorely need). I really would have purchased a Bionic had it come out in April or May, but with the iPhone and possible Prime supposed to be released so soon- I figured I'd at least wait until these things are announced (if the rumors of their being announced are true, that is). I think I am going to purchase ONLY an LTE device, as Verizon has enabled LTE in my area, and in my general sales territory. There's a lot of guesstimation that the next iPhone will not have LTE, and if that's the case- then it'll be easy to look at the Bionic and anything that is really, really close to launching. My only worry is that Android does not sync well with Outlook (or so I've read / been told) and I use Outlook extensively in my daily life. I have reservations with being forced to sync with Gmail, as I work in a business that is a little on the secretive side, (nuclear industry) and I have some Outlook contacts that are supposed to stay private.

Since you all seem so balanced and impartial- any advice on pros and cons of iOS vs Android (Gingerbread or ICS)? I love tech, and am more savy than your average user, but I don't think I'll get too into rooting or moding. The phone that works for me shouldn't need it.

Thanks for your fair- non-fanboy opinion.

TONY

 

[ManBearPig618]

Re: Will the Nexus Prime be the Android flagship to compete iPhon

Since you all seem so balanced and impartial- any advice on pros and cons of iOS vs Android (Gingerbread or ICS)? I love tech, and am more savy than your average user, but I don't think I'll get too into rooting or moding. The phone that works for me shouldn't need it.

Thanks for your fair- non-fanboy opinion.

TONY

Phone arena actually has a great article on that which was just posted today...it's very objective and summarizes the differences nicely.

Mobile Competition Part 1: What OS to choose

Summary - iOS is a very simple, minimal OS that basically is an app launcher. There is virtually no customization or choice available to the user. Android might not always be as polished, but is more of a true OS that allows the user myriad choices. I just switched from an iPhone 4 to Android, and am loving the change. Just my .02.

 

[mzdrati]

Re: Will the Nexus Prime be the Android flagship to compete iPhon

Thanks! I appreciate your opinion. Thanks for posting that link!

TONY