Google Reportedly Working on Own-Branded Phone Set for Release This Year

[MRU]

I've only had terrible experiences contacting Google. It's a nightmare.

I had an absolute nightmare of a time last year getting a Samsung S6 Edge repaired after it developed a hardware fault. It took 5 completely useless repairs and a public shaming on Samsung's Facebook page with video evidence of the poor service, before someone at the top intervened and sorted it. But just because I have had terrible experience, I would not paint them whole as terrible because there are others who have had great Samsung customer service.

Besides, there is plenty of anecdotal evidence on this forum itself of folks who have had poor apple customer service, and yet we still universally praise it.

 

[Zirel]

Like any smart business they smell blood in the water and are ready to take a bite out of Apple. Declining sales, yesterday's tech for tomorrow's prices and (easiest of all to pounce on) ridiculously high profit margins. Competition breeds innovation, perhaps this'll get Apple to stop phoning it in (pun intended) and get back to their core business.

Oh yeah!

When Google gets their name in a phone, and when they see what the reality is:

• People complaining it's too expensive
• People complaining that despite being cheaper, is not as good as more expensive phones
• People complaining about hardware issues
• People complaining about reception issues (dropped calls AND slow internet)
• People complaining about the store
• People complaining about battery life that's never good enough (iPhone 6S battery life is about double of iPhone 5S, people still complain, because the more it lasts, the more they use the stupid thing, and the less they want to charge it)
• People complaining about the performance of X part where the OEM cut corners
• People complaining because store that you go, doesn't sell it
• People complaining because they love to go to somewhere that has to listen to them and complain
  
  And my favourite:
  
  
• People complaining because the phone X doesn't have one feature like the phone Y, ignoring the fact that phone Y also doesn't have features that phone X has.

Today, Google has built a good image because they make things that people don't depend on, and accept bugs

• like search, where you accept to scroll past the first results or redo your query
• like when gmail incorrectly labels your e-mail and sends real mail to spam
• like youtube, if it breaks, or stutters, it's "the internet" fault
• like youtube recommendations, when they show you things you don't like, or are not relevant to the video you're watching
• like when Google Maps sends you for a worse way, "it's GPS fault"

And also, are "good", but only because they are free:

• Does anybody pay for Google Docs? No, Microsoft Office!
• Does anybody pay for Google Voice? No, Skype!
• Does anybody pay for more Google Drive storage? No, iCloud!
• Does anybody pay for YouTube Red? No, Netflix!
• Does anybody pay for Google Play Music? No, Spotify!
• Does anybody pay for Google Maps? No, but I will gladly pay $$$ for GPS or Android Auto/CarPlay in my car!

But when the thing takes form in a device made by Google, with Google's brand, it's different... and the real problems appear

Android for example, has much less criticism than iOS because it lives in ether. It's not a real thing, when there's a fault, it's never Google's Android fault, it's always the OEM that has too much "bloat", "expensive", "bad after-sales service", or "not optimized", or "battery is too small, make thicker phones", or even "doesn't make updates".

When they have a real product, made by themselves, and not by third parties, everything changes radically!

People make unfair comparisons between the iPhone and "Android", and that "Android" is the best of all brands combined, but only the good parts.

• Android is better than iPhone because Samsung OLED's
• Android is better than iPhone because Xiaomi is ridiculous cheap
• Android is better than iPhone because LG has this amazing camera
• Android is better than iPhone because Sony is waterproof
• Android is better than iPhone because brand X has this good feature
  
  But:
  
  
• Android is not bad because bloatware, it's only Samsung's fault
• Android is not bad because they copy Apple's designs, it's only Xiaomi's fault
• Android is not bad because they don't send upgrades to people, it's only LG's fault
• Android is not bad because you can only buy from shady online vendors, with questionable after sales support, it's only Sony's fault

This has to end. It's impossible to be the best at everything, the iPhone isn't the best at everything, but overall, is the best phone out there. But of course, can't fight ghosts.
[doublepost=1467028138][/doublepost]

Plus the changes apple made to notifications seriously reminds me of stock android. Can anyone say google cards?!

BS!

Google cards with live video?

 

[MacBH928]

IMHO with about 2B smartphone users, we could use a 3rd platform competitor against Android and iOS. Competition is good.

Maybe there could be an open source one like Linux vs Wind and OS X

 

[Zirel]

If I did not have an iPhone, it would be a nexus. It is a very similar experience IMO...clean and nearly no bloat.

Then why don't you have a Nexus?

 

[djcerla]

Oh yeah!

When Google gets their name in a phone, and when they see what the reality is:

• People complaining it's too expensive
• People complaining that despite being cheaper, is not as good as more expensive phones
• People complaining about hardware issues
• People complaining about the store
• People complaining about battery life that's never good enough
• People complaining about the performance of X part where the OEM cut corners
• People complaining because store doesn't sell it
• People complaining because they love to go to somewhere that has to listen to them and complain

Today, Google has built a good image because they make things that people don't depend on, and accept bugs (like search, where you accept to scroll past the first results or redo your query).

But when the thing takes form in a device made by Google, with Google's brand, it's different... and the real problems appear

Android for example, has much less criticism than iOS because it lives in ether. It's not a real thing, when there's a fault, it's never Google's Android fault, it's always the OEM that has too much "bloat", "expensive", "bad after-sales service", or "not optimized", or "battery is too small, make thicker phones", or even "doesn't make updates".

When they have a real product, made by themselves, and not by third parties, everything changes radically!

People make unfair comparisons between the iPhone and "Android", and that "Android" is the best of all brands combined, but only the good parts.

• Android is better than iPhone because Samsung OLED's
• Android is better than iPhone because Xiaomi is ridiculous cheap
• Android is better than iPhone because LG has this amazing camera
• Android is better than iPhone because Sony is waterproof
• Android is better than iPhone because brand X has this good feature

This has to end. It's impossible to be the best at everything, the iPhone isn't the best at everything, but overall, is the best phone out there. But of course, can't fight ghosts.
[doublepost=1467028138][/doublepost]

BS!

Can MR make a sticky with this?

 

[samcraig]

Here's your opportunity to switch to Chormebooks and Google phones and leave MR behind forever guys. I hope they enjoy negativity over on Google forums, because they're going to love you.

I wonder why you feel so threatened by people who vary in opinion with yours. Or that you think that someone has to be all in on one ecosystem instead of enjoying any/all of them.

 

[Zirel]

Apple could make life hard for Google? That made me chuckle.

$50B in revenue in a bad quarter
$200B+ in the bank
478 Apple retail stores in 17 countries

Apple squashes Google like a bug if they dare to compete!

 

[5105973]

Here's your opportunity to switch to Chormebooks and Google phones and leave MR behind forever guys. I hope they enjoy negativity over on Google forums, because they're going to love you.

Nah, Apple is just going to get sharper. I admire their commitment to security and privacy and so do many people I know. Apple will retain those of us who do and who are aware of how much Google tracks its consumers and then strengthen its product lineup to compete better and quell some of the criticism. They responded well in the form of the SE to a few needs and wishes they were overlooking for a time. Competition should just light more of a fire under them. I am thinking it going to look good for us consumers who prefer Apple products. At least I hope so.

 

[Loge]

Does it have a headphone jack?

 

[Ted13]

Have you ever used Google customer support ?

Google customer support is very good. They offer easier returns than Apple outside of the USA, and like apple have no issue replacing devices if there is a problem. Google are doing very well at this at the moment.

Likewise Google customer support often go out of their way to help you if they can, I had an issue with Google Play Music which allows 4 device 'de-authrorisations' per year. I go through a lot more phones than that and I had to contact Google a couple of times to sort this, which they did. But instead of just being re-active, they then contacted me themselves (after I explained why I had to have this corrected previous), and they proactively worked with me and my account lifting the de-authorisation limit from my account so that I never have the problem again. That's by anyones standard is fantastic customer support.

Somehow I must have missed out on it: there is a huge Apple Store with an excellent Genius bar 8 blocks from our house. If I have any problem that I need taken care of, I just walk over there and it get s fixed. Somehow I must have missed the info about the nearby Google store. (Frankly I doubt Google's over the phone service is anywhere as good as Apple Care either).

 

[kemal]

Blah blah blah will it have a headphone jack? blah blah blah

 

[Mactendo]

That will probably teach Tim some hard lessons.

 

[MRU]

Somehow I must have missed out on it: there is a huge Apple Store with an excellent Genius bar 8 blocks from our house. If I have any problem that I need taken care of, I just walk over there and it get s fixed. Somehow I must have missed the info about the nearby Google store. (Frankly I doubt Google's over the phone service is anywhere as good as Apple Care either).

Just because you doubt it doesn't make it universally so ...

Just because you have Apple stores near you doesn't make it so for everyone. Or for the the millions of apple customers who live in countries where Apple has NO apple store presence at all ...

There is way too much insular generalisation on this forum and automatic assumptions.

It may surprise, but contrary to prevailing belief on this forum, the World isn't just North America or your local store ...

 

[maflynn]

Seems long over due, given that android is the most prevalent platform. I thought with the Nexus line, Google would transition over to their own design

 

[MRU]

Then why don't you have a Nexus?

They already answered that ....

If I did not have an iPhone, it would be a nexus. It is a very similar experience IMO...clean and nearly no bloat.

 

[MacsRgr8]

As a fan of a company that likes to make the hardware and software, I guess this does add some wight to the iPhone competition. Google creating the hardware and software eliminates that speciality...

Especially if they implement DEP-like features which make iOS great for businesses.

 

[Mac21ND]

If there's any issue I have with Google, it's their core business model: advertising. I've always felt their cloud services, Android, etc are all trojan horses for mining and selling data.

 

[mejsric]

I'm really curious where Apple will be in 5 years.

The spaceship will land to Mars.

 

[Sasparilla]

Wasn't expecting this (seemed like Google had a pretty good thing going with the existing Nexus program, although software update support was too short), be interesting to see what Google does with it. Their main battle in Android world is with Samsung (not known for good customer support).

 

[dwhittington]

Hey, I've got it! Google could buy Mototola. Oh, wait...

 

[crsh1976]

I have owned and used a few Nexus devices, they're really the best Android experience you can hope for since there's none of the customized junk manufacturers add on top (Samsung being the worst offender here).

 

[sk1wbw]

I don't get it. Google already their own branded phone called the Nexus, they're just made by other OEMs like Motorola and LG.

 

[mantan]

I had an absolute nightmare of a time last year getting a Samsung S6 Edge repaired after it developed a hardware fault. It took 5 completely useless repairs and a public shaming on Samsung's Facebook page with video evidence of the poor service, before someone at the top intervened and sorted it. But just because I have had terrible experience, I would not paint them whole as terrible because there are others who have had great Samsung customer service.

Besides, there is plenty of anecdotal evidence on this forum itself of folks who have had poor apple customer service, and yet we still universally praise it.

Apple gets a free pass on medicore and overpriced customer service. I've way less than impressed in my experience with them...especially considering the premium they pay and expensive AppleCare to cover things.

But the release of a Google phone is good news. The more options for the customer the better. Competition breeds innovation. Apple touts the advantage of being the hardware AND software company. Maybe Google sees opportunities that are missed by having others handle the hardware. As others have said, it's probably the perfect time to jump in the market. Since phones aren't subsidized any more, a lot of people won't 'upgrade just to upgrade' each year. There will likely be a lot of 6/6+ and 6s/6s+ customers sitting this upgrade out who could be tempted to look at something different.

I'm in that boat. My iphone 6 is paid off. There is nothing about the rumored 7 that makes me want to buy it. It seems like a good time to try something different, I can always go back to my 6 if I don't like it. (Though the GPS in my 6 is broken, which has rendered it useless for running and as a GPS in the car.)

 

[69Mustang]

Here's your opportunity to switch to Chormebooks and Google phones and leave MR behind forever guys. I hope they enjoy negativity over on Google forums, because they're going to love you.

Probably about as much as we love you and your special brand of negativity fandom.

 

[samcraig]

Somehow I must have missed out on it: there is a huge Apple Store with an excellent Genius bar 8 blocks from our house. If I have any problem that I need taken care of, I just walk over there and it get s fixed. Somehow I must have missed the info about the nearby Google store. (Frankly I doubt Google's over the phone service is anywhere as good as Apple Care either).

You are aware that not every area has an Apple Store... right?

"Frankly I doubt..." - Well I'm going to go out on a crazy limb here and state that you don't have any basis to make that comment since you haven't needed Google's customer service. As someone on both platforms, I can (without doubt) say that both Apple and Google - in my experience - have gone above and beyond when it has come to customer service.

In a shocking "twist" though - I have (ironically?) NEEDED customer service from Apple MORE than I've needed it from Google. Go figure.