I think it means the exact opposite. Now that Google has gotten the public used to (and seeking) 'nexus' devices that get rapid OS updates, and device manufacturers are going to be selling the Play-edition handsets, it means that starting 2015, manufacturers won't have cheap at-cost Nexus devices to compete with (in pricing). Future Play devices are probably going to be just as expensive as current manufacturer-specific devices.I sure hope this means there will be affordable Play Edition phones in the future, because right now they aren't really an alternative to the Nexus phones in terms of pricing.
That's a great question, but it also leaves out (as does the rest of the article) one of the best parts of the Nexus 5: it's unlocked and available at a reasonable price OUTSIDE of a carrier agreement. In fact, I'd argue it's the BEST phone offered w/out a contract.What will happen if manufactures start pricing these devices is that they won't matter. They'll be effectively the same as buying any other phone through the carrier:1) Contract-locked2) Carrier-locked3) Over $700 w/out a contract4) Irrelevant to anyone who actually cares to have stock Android because the carriers will likely offer ONLY the non-Play version w/their "improved" crap version of Android bloatware at the $99 and free ranges (like the Galaxy phones) and anyone who actually cares to have stock Android will just buy one of those, wipe it, unlock the bootloader and install whatever ROM they want.I get what Google is looking for: they want the manufacturers to license the Nexus/Play name and then offer this as a separate device. But the carrier contracts they're tied in with will either prevent them from doing so or leave little incentive.This is bad for the consumer. It's a sad move on Google's part.Over the last couple of years, Google's Nexus line of tablets and smartphones have been priced incredibly competitively, and users have been drawn to stock Android at an affordable price. What will happen if manufacturers are pricing the devices?
Other than the price concern, the rest is a pretty baseless statement. The Nexus 4 was literally the exact same hardware as the LG Optimus G--except the OG actually supported LTE whereas the N4 did not.I don't like this... I don't like this at all. Google has a significantly higher bar for their phones than other manufacturers. Take LG for example. The Nexus 4 and 5 are incredibly beautiful pieces of hardware that use good materials and have top of the line specs. Now compare these devices to the rest of LG's product line. They aren't even in the same league. Not to mention, the play phones are between $500 and $800. This means no more $300 off-contact phone every two years for me... This is terrible!!!