Google Pixel and Pixel XL

sesevans said:
Back to the price of the Pixels (formerly Nexus):

I am assuming that by (reportedly) pricing the Pixel phones at a similar price point to the iPhone, Google is making a huge statement about quality. Reminds me of how wine is advertised ---knowing a wine is expensive, drinkers are more inclined to think it is "better".

There appears to be a huge ad campaign already being run by Google for the announcement of the phones on 4 October. My impression is that in the past, Google spent ad money (together with the manufacturer of the Nexus device) after the product was launched and aimed it at Android/Nexus enthusiasts, rather than the general public. But this time it feels different and with the big emphasis on "made by Google", they are laying the ground work for the general public to think something big (and presumably more expensive) is coming. In the past Google product announcements have been nothing like the theatrical announcements made by Apple and Samsung. As I say, this time it feels different.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNnCtmyujLA

Now they are launching Allo before 4 October event too because it is presumably going to be well integrated into a slew of Google products (think Pixels, Home, etc) and be big differentiators that showcase Google's chops in Artificial Intelligence and robotics.

Anyone else getting excited?
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Yup I mentioned this elsewhere and it is very reasonable to come to this conclusion.

This is the change that "Android" as an entity needed. I think Google have gotten a bit tired of the general public associating Android to Samsung phones.

A pure Google experience where a device can be bought from Google (or anywhere else), is supported by Google, updated by Google and runs the latest Google things and is now seen by the masses as "Android" is going to be a great thing.

With Microsoft supposedly binning off the Lumia range in favour of Surface Phone, Apple doing what they do, and now Google running things with Android big time, we are going to end up with 3 big players running the smartphone show, with OEMs doing their own thing with customised handsets that we're already used to (and often annoyed by due to slow update cycles).
 
spudbynight said:
I'm just sceptical if Google has the right sort of brand to sell a phone at the same price as the iPhone.
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They'll sell but obviously nowhere near the iPhones sales numbers. More like HTC 10 numbers.

Due to iPhone having no iOS device alternatives, whereas Android having other Android OEM's as their alternatives.
 
Nexus had but one purpose - to knock down platform flagship device prices - instead of letting asian giants chase iPhone with new tech every 3 months at ridiculous prices every year google would launch flagship with pricetag of a middle range phone and bring the balance to the force. "look what you can do with few hundred bucks". That's why Nexus historically was available in scarce numbers, through authorised channels or directly from google. Because the price had to be right.

Google bought Motorola for the same reason - here's your $150 device, look at this thing, nothing at that price comes even close. Point proven, Motorola sold on.

So to have google join apple in launching stupidly priced "three year contract in 8% of market share of the first world, lifetime of slavery everywhere else" politics, to me is unthinkable. I doubt it, I'll believe it when I see it.
 
A big reason for me to buy Android phones is because they offer such excellent bang for buck. I can sit there with a OnePlus or Nexus that's about as good as an iPhone but costs almost half. And yet now the prices are going up.

Will the Pixel phones be competitive with the iPhone? I just don't know. Seems a tall order.
 
Another reason why I think Google will be foolish to try and match iPhone prices is the issue of customer service.

One of the big pluses of an iPhone is being able to walk into an Apple shop and get the issue resolved there and then. For me that isn't enough to justify Apple prices, but it is a big plus in their favour.
 
God dammit HTC

So this is going to be less waterproof than a mid range Sony phone...and less waterproof than the not all that waterproof new iPhone

The way things are going this is never going to be worth a premium price for me
 
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spudbynight said:
I'm just sceptical if Google has the right sort of brand to sell a phone at the same price as the iPhone.
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Google has a very strong brand in consumer tech, everyone understand Google makes awesome software like search/gmail and so on. I think if they are serious and market it will it will be a solid phone. The 0.1% of users that loved a cheap Nexus will be upset but the other 99% don't care too much that it costs more.

I've had a Nexus for the longest time and everyone that sees it just assumes its a new Samsung Phone. The worse was the Nexus 4 that had large writing on the back that said Nexus. Whenever I explain its a Google built phone people are really interested and automatically think its great cause its Google (even though in the past that hasn't been the case). I've had casual friends/family buy Nexus phones cause they found out it was Google built and not Samsung.

"andy" said:
God dammit HTC

So this is going to be less waterproof than a mid range Sony phone...and less waterproof than the not all that waterproof new iPhone

The way things are going this is never going to be worth a premium price for me
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This was a huge turnoff, on the Android side the big dog Samsung has their highend line covered, and now Apple does too :/ . Google better have everything else on point.
 
Google makes great software like search and gmail. How much do they charge consumers for it?

Aldi have a great brand for what they do. They wouldn't do very well if they started charging Waitrose prices for the same stuff.

Apple have over time built up a brand reputation for selling premium products at a premium price. I'm not saying that Google don't have a strong reputation for what they do, they just are not a luxury brand.
 
Hardware wise right now Google doesn't have a rep for being cheap outside of the nerd crowd. For the average person Google doesn't even make a phone but they make the Android software that Samsung and others use. If there first phone has solid marketing and is on par with the iPhone on most features I could see it doing reasonable well.

Also I don't consider Apple a Luxury brand, nothing they sell is much higher then the market average, a lot of brands have smartphones that cost the same price as an iPhone, same with laptops and others.

What Google needs is good marketing and solid hardware, and they have slowly been working towards that, right now the Nexus 6p has solid camera, display, build, battery life and a unique design that I personally think looks good. If the Pixel phone builds on that it should be a good start. It won't sell 100m units but a good 5m is a great start for their first office Google Phone. Also not having a lower end phone will add to the idea that the Pixel is a high end brand.
 
"andy" said:
God dammit HTC

So this is going to be less waterproof than a mid range Sony phone...and less waterproof than the not all that waterproof new iPhone

The way things are going this is never going to be worth a premium price for me
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Where is the waterproof info posted?

Nvm found it. Sucks if true....
 
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spudbynight said:
Another reason why I think Google will be foolish to try and match iPhone prices is the issue of customer service.

One of the big pluses of an iPhone is being able to walk into an Apple shop and get the issue resolved there and then. For me that isn't enough to justify Apple prices, but it is a big plus in their favour.
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Google has amazing CS. I had a small fault with my Nexus 5 and a 3min phone call later I had a new phone on its way and a free return label. Apple phone CS is trash I've honestly been told to just google to try and fix a fault I had with my laptop. In store is better but with the crazy demand you need to setup an appointment which could mean an few days depending on your apple store. I did get a replacement without much issue but the turnover time was higher and I had to visit a store, better for some but I actually liked the Google experience better. I had 1 month too return it and I could spend time setting up my new phone before I sent the old one back. It took less time from me in total, and I didn't need to travel at all apart from dropping the old phone at the post office which I walk by everyday to work.
 
Fallen god said:
Google has amazing CS. I had a small fault with my Nexus 5 and a 3min phone call later I had a new phone on its way and a free return label. Apple phone CS is trash I've honestly been told to just google to try and fix a fault I had with my laptop. In store is better but with the crazy demand you need to setup an appointment which could mean an few days depending on your apple store. I did get a replacement without much issue but the turnover time was higher and I had to visit a store, better for some but I actually liked the Google experience better. I had 1 month too return it and I could spend time setting up my new phone before I sent the old one back. It took less time from me in total, and I didn't need to travel at all apart from dropping the old phone at the post office which I walk by everyday to work.
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Outside of nerds who knows about the quality of Google CS?

I'm not disputing the quality of service that Google offer or the quality of the phone that they might sell. What I am disputing is whether the man on the street views their brand as being as strong as Samsung or Apple for a smartphone.

When faced with the choice between an iPhone and a Google phone at the same price and with similar specs, which will sell more?

I hate Apple as a company but realise they are the only company that launches a smartphone and has people queuing outside shops for 4 days to buy one. They also won't allow networks to discount their handsets on contract. When I last renewed my contract with Vodafone I was considering either the iPhone6 plus or the Note 4. I actually got the iPhone and returned it for the Note 4. Both phones had near identical cost of ownership on the Vodafone website. The retention team couldn't so much as a fiver off the price of the iPhone. They were happy to waive the upfront cost of the Note 4 and also knock 35% off the monthly cost as well. That was too big a saving to turn down.

Look at the way Apple price their products after launch as well. They will charge the full launch price up to the day before a replacement is launched. They have been known to carry on selling phones for up to three years after launch as well. No other company could get away with that. They have the iPad Mini 2 on sale still and that was launched in 2013.

Google might be able to build up a similar level of brand desirability but I can't see them doing it over night. Samsung have been pushing their prices further and further upwards as their brand has become more valuable. I think Google could launch the Pixel at a competitive price - somewhere between the Nexus phones and the iPhone price and then build up loyalty.
 
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