Not that it matters. It's android vs iOS.
Google Pixel and Pixel XL
- Thread starter opethdisciple
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Not that it matters. It's android vs iOS.
Soldato
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I'd say it does matter. Brand loyalty is one factor, and also all the different manufacturers of android phones cater for every market and price point, most of which Apple don't even dream of competing with.
Yeah and who's fault is that? It's the game Apple want to play.
As shown they have a tiny market share compared to Android yet they still make more money - that's all that matter at the end of the day.
Apple Watch so far is merely an afterthought in Apple's product range.
When we look at Apple, we see that they shipped 42 million iPhones in the June quarter. The Sept quarter is estimated at about the same but it is the Dec quarter that all matters--expect 75 million iPhone shipments in that quarter. As mentioned iPhones are probably 70% of Apple's profits. Throw in 9 million iPads and 5 million iMac and there you have it.
I do not believe Apple even gives out numbers for the Watch as it is not significant, esp in the above scheme of things. If you have Watch numbers please share them.
I am not saying that the Watch is a waste of their time. After all, in the Star Trek world I envisage (see my recent post), the Watch was the key computer device on the Enterprise. Apple's watch is currently in a slow evolution, nothing particularly innovative in my view, or otherwise we might be talking differently about it. Perhaps this will change but do tell if you think it has some killer feature it is about to drop on us.
Yet Apple are still making $$$ on them compared to Google.
Which is fair enough but big part in that is that once you buy into their ecosystem you're pretty much stuck. With Android you can buy any brand and use all/ most of your apps and games on any of them.
Anyway can we have less Apple chat in here.
Only 3 days to go! Tomorrow after work gonna pop in to Three to get Nano sim card so I'm ready when my phone arrives. 
and his verdict after a few days is..
https://www.reddit.com/r/Android/comments/57ualw/google_pixel_32gb_im_back_as_promised_with_some/
The Verge review:
http://www.theverge.com/2016/10/18/13304090/google-pixel-phone-review-pixel-xl
MKBHD Unboxing:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOwYlhUbsko
http://www.theverge.com/2016/10/18/13304090/google-pixel-phone-review-pixel-xl
MKBHD Unboxing:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOwYlhUbsko
Interesting comment on the net this morning concerning Apple could apply equally to Google and its launch of the Pixel phone.
The investment bank, Goldman Sachs suggests Apple launch Apple Prime (similar to Amazon Prime's tightly integrated content strategy). They suggest Apple charging a monthly service fee for services such as: "launch day availability of the newest iPhone and re-tooled music and TV packages". What this would mean for music and TV would be the expectation that Apple would offer its Prime users original TV content (like Amazon and Netflix offers) and music content (original launches?).
If Apple were successful in offering this hardware plus content-loaded Prime package for a monthly service fee, it relies heavily on the Apple "branding". People expect to pay a premium because they offer premium products.
Enter Google's combo of Pixel phones, Google Home, Nest, Google Assistant, YouTube, Chromecast TV/Audio and the possibility over time of a successful hardware and software and content (YouTube would need to offer more I expect) package wrapped around a new high-end brand and you have the makings of a Prime service from Google.
I see a must-have Pixel phone as a key ingredient in this potential strategy. Hence, expect continued marketing muscle behind Pixel.
The investment bank, Goldman Sachs suggests Apple launch Apple Prime (similar to Amazon Prime's tightly integrated content strategy). They suggest Apple charging a monthly service fee for services such as: "launch day availability of the newest iPhone and re-tooled music and TV packages". What this would mean for music and TV would be the expectation that Apple would offer its Prime users original TV content (like Amazon and Netflix offers) and music content (original launches?).
If Apple were successful in offering this hardware plus content-loaded Prime package for a monthly service fee, it relies heavily on the Apple "branding". People expect to pay a premium because they offer premium products.
Enter Google's combo of Pixel phones, Google Home, Nest, Google Assistant, YouTube, Chromecast TV/Audio and the possibility over time of a successful hardware and software and content (YouTube would need to offer more I expect) package wrapped around a new high-end brand and you have the makings of a Prime service from Google.
I see a must-have Pixel phone as a key ingredient in this potential strategy. Hence, expect continued marketing muscle behind Pixel.
Highlights from Wall Street Journal review today are below. Although this write up is clearly not a heavy tech qualifying review, it is a review that many Americans and indeed global business people will read rather than Verge, Engadget, etc. That is why I say Pixel has the potential to be a real winner in sales leading up to Christmas:
"Google Pixel Review: The Android iPhone you have been waiting for
Android people, please step forward. Good news! Your next phone-buying decision just
got a heck of a lot easier. The Google Pixel is now the best Android smartphone you can buy. The other leading contender was disqualified due to spontaneous combustion.
iPhone people, it’s your turn. Ask yourself: Why do I have an iPhone? Is it because of its software, services and privacy policies? Or is it because it’s a very good phone for things like Google Maps, Gmail, Spotify and Facebook Messenger? If you’ve answered yes to the latter, the Pixel may be for you, too.
The Pixel looks like an iPhone 7 clone. It comes in two sizes like the iPhone. It’s the same price (starting at $650 for the 5-inch Pixel and $750 for the 5.5-inch Pixel XL). And, for the first time, Google itself controls both the phone hardware and the software. Yep, just like Apple.
It’s basically the Android iPhone—except with a headphone jack and some privacy
concerns.
Why is Google suddenly making such an aggressive play for iPhones? Ironically, it’s
because the smartphone war is over. The big leaps now come in software and services
and the ecosystem of devices around them. With an iPhone of its own, Google can appeal to long time Apple buyers who already tend to live mostly in Google’s world.
While Google still needs to convince me why we should trust it with so much data, the
Pixel succeeds in refuting many of the arguments I’ve long made for choosing iPhone
over Android.
Google thinks the appeal is so clear, it built a dongle to make switching to the Pixel quick and painless, even from an iPhone.
…for the best camera
The best camera is the one you have with you. In most situations, I’d rather have the
Pixel camera. One reason is the phone’s superior screen. The AMOLED display makes photos look better; even ones taken on an iPhone. Blacks are deeper, colors are more vibrant and the higher pixel density makes everything sharper.
The camera also performs better in low-light situations, compared with the excellent
cameras in the Samsung Galaxy S7 and iPhone 7. In testing, its photos had more dynamic range and color saturation. The only noticeable trade off is that some Pixel night shots have more noise (digital graininess).
Plus, you never have to stop snapping. The Pixel comes with unlimited cloud storage of
full-resolution photos and video. You can easily clear photos to make room on your
phone, with automatic and manual options.
… for better battery life
The Pixel XL had no problem making it through my day. The smaller Pixel had a
harder time keeping up, hitting 10% most days by 8 p.m. In my punishing lab tests, the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus lasted an hour longer than the similar-size Pixels.
The Pixels win on faster charging, though. With the included USB-C wall charger, the
smaller Pixel went from zero to 100% in 1.5 hours—nearly an hour faster than the iPhone 7.
for easy-to-use software
Google’s reasoning for making its own phone becomes clear with the software. I’ve never used a faster, more fluid Android device. It’s a Google app user’s dream: Gmail, Google Docs, Maps, Calendar… all work far better than their iOS counterparts.
Samsung, LG and other brands tend to make lots of design and feature changes to the
software. With Google’s own Android phone, it’s simple: Most-used apps go on the home screen, while the rest remain in the app drawer. Swipe down from the top for
notifications and settings, swipe left to right to see a daily digest. Here Google uses your searches, location, calendar and email to predict what information you’d like next: the weather, drive time to your next meeting, TV shows you should watch tonight.
You can also call on the increasingly talkative Google Assistant by saying “OK Google” or holding the home button. Think of it like Siri, but smarter. The Assistant prompts you for follow-up questions and has been far more accurate and speedy than Siri in
understanding my commands.
The Assistant works great but you have to be willing to let Google be Big Brother. During setup, you’re asked to let the Assistant access your web and app activity and your entire location history. Google creates a private map of where you go, to provide commute predictions and improved search results—not to mention more targeted ads. You can turn off Location History in Settings. Assistant queries are also logged. Google says you can delete the whole history or each entry individually in the “My Activity” panel. I’d like an amnesia option on my Assistant.
…for guaranteed updates
Over 50% of iPhones now run iOS 10, the latest iPhone OS, which came out last month. Less than 20% of Android phones run the year-old Android 6. Only Nexus phones have Nougat 7.0 so far, and the Pixel is the first phone to have Android 7.1 Nougat. Google promises that Pixel phones will stay in lockstep with updates—even ones sold by Verizon, the exclusive U.S. carrier. This is crucial because without updates, phones lose features and security patches.
....for superior customer service
Google lacks Apple’s world-wide retail infrastructure, but its new 24-hour chat and
phone support is a good start. At midnight on Saturday I had a question about the Pixel’s fingerprint sensor. I tapped on the Support tab in Settings and was on the phone with a helpful rep within two minutes.
General conclusion: selecting a phone these days is really only half about the
hardware. It’s the ecosystems and services— and how much we trust them—that tip the scales."
"Google Pixel Review: The Android iPhone you have been waiting for
Android people, please step forward. Good news! Your next phone-buying decision just
got a heck of a lot easier. The Google Pixel is now the best Android smartphone you can buy. The other leading contender was disqualified due to spontaneous combustion.
iPhone people, it’s your turn. Ask yourself: Why do I have an iPhone? Is it because of its software, services and privacy policies? Or is it because it’s a very good phone for things like Google Maps, Gmail, Spotify and Facebook Messenger? If you’ve answered yes to the latter, the Pixel may be for you, too.
The Pixel looks like an iPhone 7 clone. It comes in two sizes like the iPhone. It’s the same price (starting at $650 for the 5-inch Pixel and $750 for the 5.5-inch Pixel XL). And, for the first time, Google itself controls both the phone hardware and the software. Yep, just like Apple.
It’s basically the Android iPhone—except with a headphone jack and some privacy
concerns.
Why is Google suddenly making such an aggressive play for iPhones? Ironically, it’s
because the smartphone war is over. The big leaps now come in software and services
and the ecosystem of devices around them. With an iPhone of its own, Google can appeal to long time Apple buyers who already tend to live mostly in Google’s world.
While Google still needs to convince me why we should trust it with so much data, the
Pixel succeeds in refuting many of the arguments I’ve long made for choosing iPhone
over Android.
Google thinks the appeal is so clear, it built a dongle to make switching to the Pixel quick and painless, even from an iPhone.
…for the best camera
The best camera is the one you have with you. In most situations, I’d rather have the
Pixel camera. One reason is the phone’s superior screen. The AMOLED display makes photos look better; even ones taken on an iPhone. Blacks are deeper, colors are more vibrant and the higher pixel density makes everything sharper.
The camera also performs better in low-light situations, compared with the excellent
cameras in the Samsung Galaxy S7 and iPhone 7. In testing, its photos had more dynamic range and color saturation. The only noticeable trade off is that some Pixel night shots have more noise (digital graininess).
Plus, you never have to stop snapping. The Pixel comes with unlimited cloud storage of
full-resolution photos and video. You can easily clear photos to make room on your
phone, with automatic and manual options.
… for better battery life
The Pixel XL had no problem making it through my day. The smaller Pixel had a
harder time keeping up, hitting 10% most days by 8 p.m. In my punishing lab tests, the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus lasted an hour longer than the similar-size Pixels.
The Pixels win on faster charging, though. With the included USB-C wall charger, the
smaller Pixel went from zero to 100% in 1.5 hours—nearly an hour faster than the iPhone 7.
for easy-to-use software
Google’s reasoning for making its own phone becomes clear with the software. I’ve never used a faster, more fluid Android device. It’s a Google app user’s dream: Gmail, Google Docs, Maps, Calendar… all work far better than their iOS counterparts.
Samsung, LG and other brands tend to make lots of design and feature changes to the
software. With Google’s own Android phone, it’s simple: Most-used apps go on the home screen, while the rest remain in the app drawer. Swipe down from the top for
notifications and settings, swipe left to right to see a daily digest. Here Google uses your searches, location, calendar and email to predict what information you’d like next: the weather, drive time to your next meeting, TV shows you should watch tonight.
You can also call on the increasingly talkative Google Assistant by saying “OK Google” or holding the home button. Think of it like Siri, but smarter. The Assistant prompts you for follow-up questions and has been far more accurate and speedy than Siri in
understanding my commands.
The Assistant works great but you have to be willing to let Google be Big Brother. During setup, you’re asked to let the Assistant access your web and app activity and your entire location history. Google creates a private map of where you go, to provide commute predictions and improved search results—not to mention more targeted ads. You can turn off Location History in Settings. Assistant queries are also logged. Google says you can delete the whole history or each entry individually in the “My Activity” panel. I’d like an amnesia option on my Assistant.
…for guaranteed updates
Over 50% of iPhones now run iOS 10, the latest iPhone OS, which came out last month. Less than 20% of Android phones run the year-old Android 6. Only Nexus phones have Nougat 7.0 so far, and the Pixel is the first phone to have Android 7.1 Nougat. Google promises that Pixel phones will stay in lockstep with updates—even ones sold by Verizon, the exclusive U.S. carrier. This is crucial because without updates, phones lose features and security patches.
....for superior customer service
Google lacks Apple’s world-wide retail infrastructure, but its new 24-hour chat and
phone support is a good start. At midnight on Saturday I had a question about the Pixel’s fingerprint sensor. I tapped on the Support tab in Settings and was on the phone with a helpful rep within two minutes.
General conclusion: selecting a phone these days is really only half about the
hardware. It’s the ecosystems and services— and how much we trust them—that tip the scales."
Every time I've bought a new Nexus phone the novelty has worn off a little bit quicker than the time before. Now all the niggles that annoyed me have been ironed out and Android is so boringly slick so I can hardly fault my Nexus 5X.
I really want to buy the Pixel, as I've owned almost every Nexus phone to date but I know the novelty will wear off in about 1 hour. This isn't a criticism of the Pixel as such, more a testament of how far smartphone hardware and software has come in 5 years.
I really want to buy the Pixel, as I've owned almost every Nexus phone to date but I know the novelty will wear off in about 1 hour. This isn't a criticism of the Pixel as such, more a testament of how far smartphone hardware and software has come in 5 years.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/google-pixel-review-the-android-iphone-youve-been-waiting-for-1476795541
Just link to the article.
Just link to the article.
The chin - well I don't mind it. It means one handed use on the regular Pixel will be easier. My thumb will need to travel less distance access the app tray, so no big deal for me.
An average, mid-tier looking phone which just happens to house a great camera, fantastic software and is blisteringly fast. Money aside, if you can trade off looks for functionality then it's a great flagship.
Eagerly awaiting the arrival of it!
An average, mid-tier looking phone which just happens to house a great camera, fantastic software and is blisteringly fast. Money aside, if you can trade off looks for functionality then it's a great flagship.
Eagerly awaiting the arrival of it!