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Google has a lot to learn IMHO.

D

degenx83

Newbie
So I've been waiting for this phone for months now and I have so say I'm a bit frustrated. I read somewhere that Google, when releasing a Nexus phone actually has a minimal marketing budget and relies primarily on the manufacturer to do the marketing (which some argue is why the Nexus lines haven't really blown the Iphone out of the water). My frustration comes from the fact that this phone was announced almost a week ago and we still don't have a proper release date from Google or Samsung. Rubin doesn't say anything about Canada during the launch, yet it's mentioned in a Press Release on the Google Blog (but again no date, no carriers).

Google should honestly take a page from the Apple playbook. The 4s was announced and roughly a week and a half later die hards had it in their hands. Not only that but everyone knew who was getting it and when it was going to be available. Apple just simply knows how to capitalise on hype. Google announced this phone and who knows when it will actually be released...but by the time it will be released the hype will be much lower.

I'm hoping all this will change once Google takes over Motorola's operations. I'm hoping Google will be able to announce a phone and push it to the market in a timely fashion in order to capitalize on hype.

Google has a great product in ICS and the Galaxy Nexus, and I'm definitely going to get one, no doubt. But then again, I've always been an early adopter, I'm not the average consumer.

Just had to vent here as I think although Google has the superior product to Apple, Apple will continue to be ahead of the curve in sales because of their marketing and product delivery (I'm talking pure smartphone sales).
 
I think that google after seeing the iphone 4s launch wanted to take a little time and get ics as polished as can be before it is launched to the masses. I think they are still working on somethings and are letting the hype and places like these do most of the advertising for it. I mean everytime I come to these forums I see the nexus on top of the screen. The nexus was never directed at average consumers it was always meant for developers to make their apps on it. I think with the addition of verizon as a carrier they will sell much more and maybe come the next nexus it will have more advertising and a closer announcement to launch.
 
I guess you're right, the Nexus is never meant for the average consumer. It's just that I find it had more cohesion in their marketing and product delivery they would be much more successful.

Additionally the average consumer doesn't really know that Siri isn't anything new. That Google has had voice dialing and searching for years. Or that i've been using the Cloud to back-up my stuff automatically since my Nexus 1. Everyone thinks that Apple is starting all this now...just frustrating. If Google would just come our with some poignant ads for their Nexus line they could swing the balance in their favor. Just another thought :)
 
You don't have a release date from Google or Samsung because neither of them can give a release date. Given that it looks like this Nexus (like the Nexus S) will be subsidized, it is the carrier who determines the release date. Sure, Samsung and probably Google get a say, but VZW or whichever carrier you have has the final say. Your blame is a bit misplaced, IMO.

-Nkk
 
But the nexus line doesn't cater to masses like the iPhone does. People want the iPhone because it's simple, and simple to figure out. Grandparents use the iPhone. 2 year olds have learned to use the iPhone.

Google knows if you're a nexus type person you're going to find all the info you need. They don't need to market it like the iPhone because people who buy nexus devices are pretty tech savvy, and have most likely found all the info they need through online forums and such.

Personally, I'd rather there weren't a huge group of people walking around with nexus devices. Most of my friends (largely iPhone users) find my phone to be confusing, which would give the devices a bad name when they're blogging about how hard to use they are.
 
nkk said:
You don't have a release date from Google or Samsung because neither of them can give a release date. Given that it looks like this Nexus (like the Nexus S) will be subsidized, it is the carrier who determines the release date. Sure, Samsung and probably Google get a say, but VZW or whichever carrier you have has the final say. Your blame is a bit misplaced, IMO.

-Nkk
Click to expand...

My point is that, if it were Apple doing the same thing, they would have settled the release date with the carrier before announcing the product.
 
chris20nyy said:
But the nexus line doesn't cater to masses like the iPhone does. People want the iPhone because it's simple, and simple to figure out. Grandparents use the iPhone. 2 year olds have learned to use the iPhone.

Google knows if you're a nexus type person you're going to find all the info you need. They don't need to market it like the iPhone because people who buy nexus devices are pretty tech savvy, and have most likely found all the info they need through online forums and such.

Personally, I'd rather there weren't a huge group of people walking around with nexus devices. Most of my friends (largely iPhone users) find my phone to be confusing, which would give the devices a bad name when they're blogging about how hard to use they are.
Click to expand...

I hear what your saying and I agree with you. I don't want the masses walking around with a Nexus device either...but that's you and I thinking about US personally.

Think like Google, or a Google shareholder (which I am). I want Google to get it right to get more market share. I would want this thing to launch with a bang and get people talking. With all this talk of Android being stolen I'd want to go out there and show the world that it's not stolen with poignant ads and deliver a better product.
 
degenx83 said:
I hear what your saying and I agree with you. I don't want the masses walking around with a Nexus device either...but that's you and I thinking about US personally.

Think like Google, or a Google shareholder (which I am). I want Google to get it right to get more market share. I would want this thing to launch with a bang and get people talking. With all this talk of Android being stolen I'd want to go out there and show the world that it's not stolen with poignant ads and deliver a better product.
Click to expand...

I wish they would do some more of the droid does ads and take jabs at the iphone. Or show how android has progressed and how apple has "copied/stolen" whatever you want to call it parts of android and how smoothly ICS works and how amazing the screen is. Things like that are what people want to see, I mean most iphone owners only know what they see in the ads and that is what they use to bash android.
 
I have to agree, I don't see the logic in not mentioning any of this. Especially after the actual announcement and conference of the phone. There's not even a Galaxy Nexus page on Samsung or any carrier pages. Are they going to just wait until day before to tell us anything?
 
Tuned said:
I have to agree, I don't see the logic in not mentioning any of this. Especially after the actual announcement and conference of the phone. There's not even a Galaxy Nexus page on Samsung or any carrier pages. Are they going to just wait until day before to tell us anything?
Click to expand...

Most likely since it is verizon yes. they want to get as many sales of their locked down and bloated up razr that they make more money off of before they announce the nexus that they can't load with bloat.
 
chris20nyy said:
But the nexus line doesn't cater to masses like the iPhone does. People want the iPhone because it's simple, and simple to figure out. Grandparents use the iPhone. 2 year olds have learned to use the iPhone.
Click to expand...
Agree with you 100%, but I also can't stand how some Apple fanboys (and Ballmer) call Android too complicated. I can hand my 4.5 year old my Droid2, he can wake up the phone and breeze through homescreens and the app drawer to find exactly what he wants with no problem.
 
DonDraper said:
Why don't you sign up on google's site for information ?
Galaxy Nexus

What do you want them to do? They just announced the phone and ICS. It's coming, sit back and relax
Click to expand...
I have, and they don't give out any information so that's a waste, and the news sites will tell us anyway.

It's been half a week so far and all we know if Verizon is a carrier, which we already knew a while ago. All I'm asking is that they at least tell us what carriers will have it, don't see why they'd wait until right before the device is released to find out which carriers they're going to release it with which means they should be able to tell us.
 
Tuned said:
I have, and they don't give out any information so that's a waste, and the news sites will tell us anyway.

It's been half a week so far and all we know if Verizon is a carrier, which we already knew a while ago. All I'm asking is that they at least tell us what carriers will have it, don't see why they'd wait until right before the device is released to find out which carriers they're going to release it with which means they should be able to tell us.
Click to expand...

Well there is a gsm version that pasdrd through fcc you can do a google search and see what bands it has and from there what carriers it will come to. Simple as that.
 
Tuned said:
I have, and they don't give out any information so that's a waste, and the news sites will tell us anyway.

It's been half a week so far and all we know if Verizon is a carrier, which we already knew a while ago. All I'm asking is that they at least tell us what carriers will have it, don't see why they'd wait until right before the device is released to find out which carriers they're going to release it with which means they should be able to tell us.
Click to expand...

Yup, I signed up as well. Still nothing. To those who are saying that the carrier determined the date of Google wanted more time to polish the OS then why not just delay the announcement until after all those details are settled? That way you come out with all info in hand instead of needing a signup page that isn't updated. Like I said, for a product that has been in the works for a while now, it seems when it comes down to the wire, the marketing and product distribution seem somewhat improvised. Just a learning that Google needs to take away from this whole experience I guess.
 
You guys leave out one detail when you talk about this. Apple is a hardware company. They make money on selling their hardware and software with the media from the appstore and iTunes as an added bonus.

Google is not a hardware company. They are an advertising company. In fact, they're the most successful one ever. It makes no sense for them to throw money at advertising a phone when its meant to show off their OS to developers and give other hardware companies an example of how to build an Android Smartphone. They let Motorola pay Verizon to market the hell out of their phones, because when it comes down to it Google wants you to use Android to search and view ads on, not to get a chunk of the cost of the phone. It makes little difference to them whether it's on a Nexus or a Razr.
 
Telexen said:
You guys leave out one detail when you talk about this. Apple is a hardware company. They make money on selling their hardware and software with the media from the appstore and iTunes as an added bonus.

Google is not a hardware company. They are an advertising company. In fact, they're the most successful one ever. It makes no sense for them to throw money at advertising a phone when it's meant to show off their OS to developers and give other hardware companies an example of how to build an Android Smartphone. They let Motorola pay Verizon to market the hell out of their phones, because when it comes down to it Google wants you to use Android to search and view ads on, not to get a chunk of the cost of the phone. It makes little difference to them whether it's on a Nexus or a Razr.
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I hear what you're saying which is why I mentioned that things should be different when they take over Motorola. That said though, if I were Google, I would still be very involved when it came to a marketing a Nexus device because it represents google.
 
Forget about that idea. They want Motorola for one reason, and one reason alone. Moto can continue to operate the way they want - Google doesn't care. It was about building a patent portfolio to protect Android.
 
Telexen said:
Forget about that idea. They want Motorola for one reason, and one reason alone. Moto can continue to operate the way they want - Google doesn't care. It was about building a patent portfolio to protect Android.
Click to expand...

This. It was mentioned earlier that Google had a "limited marketing budget" and where relying on the manufacturer/wireless provider to market the phone. Do you really think if Google REALLY cared about this specific phone (in terms of market share), they don't have the money to mount the biggest marketing campaign for a phone ever? Of course they have the money.

The Nexus phones have been nothing more to Google than having a true "geek" phone out there. Where people could play with it and do as they please.

It will be interesting to see if anything changes when Motorola comes out with the next Nexus phone (I can practically guarantee that will happen). What is said above is 100% true. Google bought Moto for the patents, but it will be interesting to see if they treat the Moto division the same as they have other Nexus partners. Will they sell off the hardware aspect sans the patents? Or will they change directions now that they have a hardware division and blow it out with a kick ass phone/hardcore marketing campaign. Or simply take minor losses and treat Moto the same as they have prior Nexus devises. No one, except Google know at this point.
 
Hardware announcements for 2011 sucked across all carriers, OSs, and whatever. If there was one that you could call a success (meaning it was more than expected), then that would go to the SGS2 outside the US.

Hardware (from a VZW stand point):
iPhone 4S: Basic update and no innovation from the iPhone 4
Thunderbolt: whoopdee doo
Bionic: What a waste.
BB: No phones that I am aware of and many abandoning the OS
MS: There are a few Mango phones, but nothing spectacular.
Galaxy Nexus: Leaves a lot to be desired by pinching pennies. Should have built it right and charged more. This could have been the first phone to truly impact iPhone but won't
Razr: Nothing spectacular or drastically different than the Nexus.

Software:
ICS: We'll see. It needs to get to the user friendly level of iOS. Android is still a lot like Linux vs Windows.
iOS5: Another update to a user friendly OS. Too bad it is on very down level hardware. I might have gone this route.
 
Whether one considers Google or Samsung in the launch of the GNex I agree with the OP: a lot of Apple's success is not just because the phones are shiny and simple but because they are damn good at marketing them and damn good at having them ready to buy almost the moment the product is announced.

This way you capture people's "Peak of Expectation", grab their money and ship the item before people can get a more realistic handle on what they are (over)paying. In short: capitalizing on the hype.

The Google/Samsung event did not even mention a unit price which is a critical data point. If not the "Typical Subsidised 2-year contract price" then at least the outright handset price.

With only a little more effort I'm sure the event could have rivalled the iPhone 4S launch and seen a boatload of additional sales as a result.
Perhaps as others have said Google really don't care that much - they just want to make sure they have "something" out there.

Missed opportunity in my view.
 
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