Report: Google to Stop Selling Nexus Phones in 2015

[JMcEntegart]

No more Nexus after next year?

Report: Google to Stop Selling Nexus Phones in 2015 : Read more

 

[JD88]

Interesting. What also is not mentioned here is Motorola. Perhaps Google feels like They can achieve a sort of Android reference standard with Motorola phones as they have with the Moto X. Is this limited to phones or Nexus tablets as well?

 

[killerclick]

ah heck. Back to insanely overpriced phones or 75-year contracts.

 

[RooD]

So android will be stuck with shit updates. I buy nexus for the newest android version and the instant updates they receive. I don't know if they update the play editions upon release of new versions but I sure hope so.

 

[Solandri]

The Nexus 6 model will escape from its owner, pose as a human, integrate into human society, and track down and kill its creators. So obviously the Nexus branding will be worthless after 6.

 

[teh_chem]

Contradicting what I'm about to say, I actually prefer LG's android UI a lot, and I'm not a huge fan of vanilla android's UI (namely the menu/settings interface). However, you can always install a 3rd party launcher that gets you a decent UI alternative without having to deal with a modified OS kernel, or bulky bloatware that sucks resources, and a million different versions of current Android to push to devices (each manufacturer has their own). I think the Nexus line of devices was a long-term play Google wanted to get started in order to establish consistency in OS to try to hammer down some significant user-experience criticisms with Android devices. Google has shown device manufacturers that their brand-specific additions to Android are not only unnecessary, but not really preferred by consumers, and are a headache for 3rd party developers to deal with and work around. However, just because 'Play' versions of android phones are going to be more prevalent, I hope consumers don't assume that means the prices of the 'Play' versions are going to be as cheap as Nexus phones have been. I think the "Nexus Project" was only to garner support for vanilla devices--done through cheap phones being sold at-cost. Now that manufacturers have started to make Play versions, the Nexus line--and the google-subsidized prices--are probably going to go Kablooey.

 

[vmem]

"What will happen if manufacturers are pricing the devices?"Wonton price gouging returns...

 

[dragonsqrrl]

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.

 

[teh_chem]

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.

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.

 

[sykozis]

Unless Motorola continues to release reasonably priced phones, it'll be back to Windows Phone for me....

 

[thundervore]

This is actually a good move. I know some people who likes specific brands names but want stock android phones. Like myself, I hope the play edition comes directly from the manufacturer and not a shitty carrier and software updates come directly from Google just like the Nexus phones.

 

[kenyee]

Would be great if Play Edition phones weren't so much more expensive than the Nexus phones

 

[TriBeard]

I doubt it. Play edition phones are not serving the same niche. They are full retail price, and updates are not as quick. I also don't see why google would have gone further than ever as far as differentiating it and adding new features (new launcher, etc) that are exclusive to the nexus devices, and in this case the nexus 5 if they were gonna stop the line cold turkey.

 

[tobalaz]

So does his make the Moto-X the new Nexus?I've got the LG Optimus G, and prefer stock Android over the LG UI.I was a bit scared at first to getting a phone without a Micro SD card, but ever since my Optimus (and getting used to push files over ADB) I'd happily take a Nexus.

 

[ferooxidan]

If this is true then I'd hate it very very much! I love my nexus because of the instant updates from Google. All those bullshit "Google Play Edition" is still overpriced compared to Nexus and updates are slow as hell. Moreover, Google Play Edition smartphones sometimes is not worldwide available. There is no SGS4 GPE, HTC One GPE, Xperia Z Ultra GPE, etc. in my country to this day. Even Motorola has vanished from my place, the last time I remembered is RAZZR series, after Google bought the company they just vanished from here not selling their phones here. I really want Nexus series continues.

 

[Bloob]

I believe this may very well happen. Google now has basically a same kind of monopoly on mobile as MS does on desktops, there is no more need for them to sell phones at or below cost, not that they've ever had that much stock.

 

[house70]

[quotemsg=12548058,0,111998]So android will be stuck with shit updates. I buy nexus for the newest android version and the instant updates they receive. I don't know if they update the play editions upon release of new versions but I sure hope so.[/quotemsg]

I have SGS4 GPE and HTC One GPE. Both have received 4.4.2 at most a couple weeks after the Nexus line.

 

[thehritzinator]

Take this with a grain of salt. This is one report. The nexus line is doing better than ever. Would it make sense to cut out a top-selling product? NO.

 

[burkhartmj]

I find this hard to believe. It seems Google just hit their stride with their Nexus devices, I don't see that changing any time soon. On top of that, one of the huge points of Nexus was to get a high-end phone at a reasonable cost. The Google Play edition devices currently offered are twice as expensive as a Nexus 5 with the same or worse hardware, so Google would lose the primary draw behind their Nexus devices.

The only way I see this happening is if Motorola devices become spiritual successors to the nexus line, but that'd still require a price drop as the Moto X came out with lower specs at $500+. Doing that would also go against what Google said about not favoring Motorola, one of the benefits of the Nexus line is giving a way for other manufacturers to work closely with Google, giving all of that revenue to Motorola by ending the Nexus line would piss a LOT of people off [the exact same way Microsoft's Surfaces did].

If this does happen, I'll probably end up changing ecosystems. From my experience at least, Android phones are too locked down by the manufacturers for my tastes. Considering I hate all of their interfaces [like TouchWiz and Magazines, and Sense] I need at least stock and ideally the ability to flash customs. This is dead simple on Nexus devices, and made a stellar experience by the incredibly vibrant development for these phones specifically because they are AOSP and not locked down at all.

 

[burkhartmj]

[quotemsg=12551805,0,368500][quotemsg=12548058,0,111998]So android will be stuck with shit updates. I buy nexus for the newest android version and the instant updates they receive. I don't know if they update the play editions upon release of new versions but I sure hope so.[/quotemsg]

I have SGS4 GPE and HTC One GPE. Both have received 4.4.2 at most a couple weeks after the Nexus line.[/quotemsg]

They're also both double the price of the Nexus 5. if you're looking for a good phone in the 300-400 range, then neither of those are acceptable. Without Nexus you either get a lower end phone or give up on getting an off contract phone.

 

[teh_chem]

[quotemsg=12549682,0,1549211]I doubt it. Play edition phones are not serving the same niche. They are full retail price, and updates are not as quick. I also don't see why google would have gone further than ever as far as differentiating it and adding new features (new launcher, etc) that are exclusive to the nexus devices, and in this case the nexus 5 if they were gonna stop the line cold turkey. [/quotemsg]
Because one of the biggest criticisms of Android, and a significant reservation a lot of consumers have, is that the OS update process is broken when Google starts leaving it up to the hardware manufacturer, and then the cell service provider to actually push updates. Moreover, such a complicated process--where there is no real motivation by hardware mfg's and carriers to spend time and money on updates--leaves users subject to possible security flaws that would typically be updated. Sprint and LG are excellent examples of this--they hardly push updates to any devices save for the Samsung Galaxy devices.

[quotemsg=12549996,0,1302111]If this is true then I'd hate it very very much! I love my nexus because of the instant updates from Google. All those bullshit "Google Play Edition" is still overpriced compared to Nexus and updates are slow as hell. Moreover, Google Play Edition smartphones sometimes is not worldwide available. There is no SGS4 GPE, HTC One GPE, Xperia Z Ultra GPE, etc. in my country to this day. Even Motorola has vanished from my place, the last time I remembered is RAZZR series, after Google bought the company they just vanished from here not selling their phones here. I really want Nexus series continues.[/quotemsg]
Play edition phones would theoretically get updates in the same way that current nexus devices do. I haven't heard about Play Edition devices getting updates any slower than current nexus devices.

[quotemsg=12552282,0,724639]Take this with a grain of salt. This is one report. The nexus line is doing better than ever. Would it make sense to cut out a top-selling product? NO.[/quotemsg]
Because the top-selling nexus products are being sold at-cost (i.e., no profit), and other hardware manufacturers are not interested in selling vanilla android handsets at typical retail prices (i.e., with profit) if they have to compete with a google-subsidized device. That, and it's my guess that google only started the nexus project to gain support and desire for vanilla android, to show manufacturers and carriers that consumers don't actually like or benefit from the bloat they usually stack on top of the Android OS (which complicates updates, and sometimes leaves customers/handsets vulnerable to some things).

 

[Kingfoxl]

I do not agree with this decision. That has to mean something.

 

[Saljen]

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!!!

 

[Christopher Shaffer]

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?

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.

 

[teh_chem]

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!!!

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.