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Comments on news posted 2010-05-14 15:38:37: While Google's Nexus One phone was supposed to rattle the wireless status quo by offering users unsubsidized phones via a Google store, the promised revolution never arrived. ..

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stridr69
join:2003-05-19
San Luis Obispo, CA

stridr69

Member

Doesn't surprise me..

Shelling out over $500 for a phone you can't physically play with was a poor decision. But, I give Google kudos for being different. It will be interesting to see what retail stores will sell this phone.
Now, if they only sold that puppy completely unlocked, I'd get one.

IIIBradIII
Comm M-E-L Instr
join:2000-09-28
Greer, SC

IIIBradIII

Member

So does that mean T-Mobile is getting the N1 in stores?

So does that mean T-Mobile is getting the N1 in stores?

Guspaz
Guspaz
MVM
join:2001-11-05
Montreal, QC

Guspaz

MVM

Where does this leave Canadians?

The Nexus One was a popular purchase for subscribers to Wind Mobile, who got the AWS throughout most of Canada. They don't carry the phones themselves, but do encourage customers to use whatever hardware they want.

WiseOldBear
Laissez les bons temps rouler!
Premium Member
join:2001-11-25
Litchfield Park, AZ

WiseOldBear

Premium Member

Glad I Got Mine

I bought the AT&T version day it was announced and glad I did. I rather enjoy not being tied to iTunes and find the marketplace well supplied with apps I actually use. I also like the fact it is totally unlocked.

pfak
Premium Member
join:2002-12-29
Vancouver, BC

pfak to Guspaz

Premium Member

to Guspaz

Re: Where does this leave Canadians?

Since when is parts of Alberta and Ontario "all of Canada"? What other providers besides WIND offer AWS?

»care.windmobile.ca/Suppo ··· ing.aspx

asdfghjklzx5
Premium Member
join:2004-05-03

asdfghjklzx5

Premium Member

Destined to fail

The model of buying a phone and then shopping for carriers will never work in the U.S. until the government gets involved and mandates that all carriers use the same type of network (GSM or CDMA) and same frequencies.

FFH5
Premium Member
join:2002-03-03
Tavistock NJ

1 edit

1 recommendation

FFH5

Premium Member

Google's plan for unsubsidized phones dies

Looks like Google's plan to bypass the carriers and push the unsubsidized phone model has crashed and burned. U.S. buyers are just too hooked on buying subsidized phones, even though they ultimately pay close to full price for it over the length of a 2 yr cell plan.

Also what helped kill it was the fact that Google has one of the worst customer service organizations on the planet. The cell service providers get bad marks for customer service, but they look great compared to what Google offers.
InfinityDev
join:2005-06-30
USA

InfinityDev

Member

bow down before the ones you serve

Android winning is very important. I never expected Verizon to actually launch it without gutting it, but they did. AT&T was too spineless to let the Backflip stand on its own, though.

Unless Google's going to build its own network it has to bow down to the carriers in the US on some level.

Google could take the high road by promoting the phones that offer a fuller google experience than not on its own, maybe with some really good YouTube comparisons. Profile all of the good points about all of the Android phones, as best they can by region.

Sort of like direct-to-consumer marketing in pharma. "Ask your doctor about the HTC Incredible."

Mizzat
Will post for thumbs
Premium Member
join:2003-05-03
Atlanta, GA

Mizzat to FFH5

Premium Member

to FFH5

Re: Google's plan for unsubsidized phones dies

said by FFH5:

Looks like Google's plan to bypass the carriers and push the unsubsidized phone model has crashed and burned. U.S. buyers are just too hooked on buying subsidized phones, even though they ultimately pay close to full price for it over the length of a 2 yr cell plan.

Also what helped kill it was the fact that Google has one of the worst customer service organizations on the planet. The cell service providers get bad marks for customer service, but they look great compared to what Google offers.
Buying an unsubsidized phone is silly, the rates for the carriers are the same wether you buy it subsidized or not, so it is built into thier pricing. Now if they offered a discount for brining your own hardware, or price went down after your commitment....

So to take full advantage you should upgrade everytime you're able and sell your new or old phone. It just makes sense.

pnh102
Reptiles Are Cuddly And Pretty
Premium Member
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD

pnh102 to FFH5

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to FFH5
I wouldn't say the unsubisidized part was the problem. I would say the problem of it only working effectively with T-Mobile was the real issue.

The Nexus One should have included full 3G support for all the major carriers right out of the box. THEN it would have stood a chance for taking off.

MPScan
Premium Member
join:2001-08-24
Boston, MA

1 recommendation

MPScan

Premium Member

You have to give....

Props to Google. Admit defeat. Shut it down. Move on.

mikesterr
join:2008-04-18
Sanford, FL

mikesterr to asdfghjklzx5

Member

to asdfghjklzx5

Re: Destined to fail

said by asdfghjklzx5:

The model of buying a phone and then shopping for carriers will never work in the U.S. until the government gets involved and mandates that all carriers use the same type of network (GSM or CDMA) and same frequencies.
Maybe I'm wrong but isn't that exactly what will happen since all carriers are moving to LTE ? Or does the voice part still stay on the old respective GSM/CDMA networks?
neftv
join:2000-10-01
Broomall, PA

neftv

Member

Prices

Yea that phone is/was pricey. One can get a glorified Net book for that price of $549.

DaveDude
No Fear
join:1999-09-01
New Jersey

1 edit

DaveDude to pnh102

Member

to pnh102

Re: Google's plan for unsubsidized phones dies

said by pnh102:

I wouldn't say the unsubisidized part was the problem. I would say the problem of it only working effectively with T-Mobile was the real issue.

The Nexus One should have included full 3G support for all the major carriers right out of the box. THEN it would have stood a chance for taking off.
I agree, only releasing on Tmobile, then months later releasing the ATT version. No commericals or Ads. Plus a weak camera. If there isnt 3G support, whats the point ?

aztecnology
O Rly?
Premium Member
join:2003-02-12
Murrieta, CA

aztecnology to neftv

Premium Member

to neftv

Re: Prices

said by neftv:

Yea that phone is/was pricey. One can get a glorified Net book for that price of $549.
All unsubsidized phones is/are pricey...
neftv
join:2000-10-01
Broomall, PA

neftv

Member

Amazing what companies can get away with in this age of just profit motives.

asdfghjklzx5
Premium Member
join:2004-05-03

2 recommendations

asdfghjklzx5 to mikesterr

Premium Member

to mikesterr

Re: Destined to fail

said by mikesterr:
said by asdfghjklzx5:

The model of buying a phone and then shopping for carriers will never work in the U.S. until the government gets involved and mandates that all carriers use the same type of network (GSM or CDMA) and same frequencies.
Maybe I'm wrong but isn't that exactly what will happen since all carriers are moving to LTE ? Or does the voice part still stay on the old respective GSM/CDMA networks?
I'm not an expert on what's going on regarding carriers and what technologies they are adopting. All I know is that the current system is a clusterf**** of consumer unfriendliness.

Guspaz
Guspaz
MVM
join:2001-11-05
Montreal, QC

Guspaz to pfak

MVM

to pfak

Re: Where does this leave Canadians?

Since Wind won the AWS spectrum auction for every province except Quebec (where Quebecor paid about as much for Quebec alone as Wind did for the rest of Canada). Just because they've only launched service in Alberta, BC, and Ontario doesn't mean that other provinces aren't in the plans.

aztecnology
O Rly?
Premium Member
join:2003-02-12
Murrieta, CA

aztecnology to neftv

Premium Member

to neftv

Re: Prices

said by neftv:

Amazing what companies can get away with in this age of just profit motives.
Or that it actually costs a lot of money to design/manufacture these devices, and yes, still make a profit to stay in business. 10-15 years of a subsidized business model has permanently infiltrated the consumers psyche...

mikesterr
join:2008-04-18
Sanford, FL

mikesterr to asdfghjklzx5

Member

to asdfghjklzx5

Re: Destined to fail

All I know is that the current system is a clusterf**** of consumer unfriendliness.
AMEN

Z80A
Premium Member
join:2009-11-23

1 recommendation

Z80A to FFH5

Premium Member

to FFH5

Re: Google's plan for unsubsidized phones dies

'mericans love making payments. We are a debt culture.

Philmatic
Premium Member
join:2000-07-15
Oxnard, CA

Philmatic to Mizzat

Premium Member

to Mizzat
said by Mizzat:

Now if they offered a discount for brining your own hardware, or price went down after your commitment....
T-Mobile does exactly that...

Jeff
Connoisseur of leisurely things
Premium Member
join:2002-12-24
GMT -5

Jeff to MPScan

Premium Member

to MPScan

Re: You have to give....

said by MPScan:

Props to Google. Admit defeat. Shut it down. Move on.
Agreed. They're not offering up any bullshit excuses, which is nice to see.
neftv
join:2000-10-01
Broomall, PA

neftv to aztecnology

Member

to aztecnology

Re: Prices

Yea the poor companies to make that profit.
That is just one factor the other is the unfriendly business tax this tax that environment that simply gets passed to the consumer like it's our fault.

DarkLogix
Texan and Proud
Premium Member
join:2008-10-23
Baytown, TX

DarkLogix to WiseOldBear

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to WiseOldBear

Re: Glad I Got Mine

I just bought mine today and can't wait for it to arrive
DarkLogix

DarkLogix to mikesterr

Premium Member

to mikesterr

Re: Destined to fail

said by mikesterr:

All I know is that the current system is a clusterf**** of consumer unfriendliness.
AMEN
I second that
AMEN
cmaenginsb1
Premium Member
join:2001-03-19
Palmdale, CA

cmaenginsb1 to Z80A

Premium Member

to Z80A

Re: Google's plan for unsubsidized phones dies

said by Z80A:

'mericans love making payments. We are a debt culture.
??? Unless I terminate the contract I don't pay anything more whether I buy a phone and bring it to a carrier or buy a subsidized phone from the carrier. No "payments" involved.

ArrayList
DevOps
Premium Member
join:2005-03-19
Mullica Hill, NJ

ArrayList to Philmatic

Premium Member

to Philmatic
said by Philmatic:

said by Mizzat:

Now if they offered a discount for brining your own hardware, or price went down after your commitment....
T-Mobile does exactly that...
I was going to say that exactly.
ArrayList

ArrayList to Mizzat

Premium Member

to Mizzat
said by Mizzat:

So to take full advantage you should upgrade everytime you're able and sell your new or old phone. It just makes sense.
who is going to buy the phone your selling if everyone is constantly getting new subsidized phones?

personally I don't think cellullar companies should be selling phones. I think they should focus on service exclusively.
ArrayList

ArrayList to cmaenginsb1

Premium Member

to cmaenginsb1
said by cmaenginsb1:

said by Z80A:

'mericans love making payments. We are a debt culture.
??? Unless I terminate the contract I don't pay anything more whether I buy a phone and bring it to a carrier or buy a subsidized phone from the carrier. No "payments" involved.
t-mobile doesn't do this. if you byod you get a lower monthly rate.
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