Nexus to Verizon in the Spring: Implications

[Martin030908]

Oh and the Apple Tablet? If I can't put it in my pocket I'm not interested even if it gives blow jobs. (well ok, if it gave BJ's I'd buy it but I still wouldn't lug it around).

Notice how the Nexus hype has overshadowed recent iTablet/iSlate news?
Apple has got a fight on their hands. Google is coming hard.

 

[wil318466]

Oh and the Apple Tablet? If I can't put it in my pocket I'm not interested even if it gives blow jobs. (well ok, if it gave BJ's I'd buy it but I still wouldn't lug it around).

Ahem.. I'd buy it and wear it around my neck with an 80s style RUN DMC chain if it did that.

-Wil

 

[DPrynce]

There is another *huge* downstream affect people may not realize : The number of Verizon Android users in the Marketplace is irreplaceable.

Thats right. Irreplaceable (since I said it twice, I really hope I spelled that correctly). The network effect is very important here. Have you guys read all the annoying "Droid vs iPhone" articles? Did you notice something that seemed to push a few of the articles winners to the iPhone?

The App Market. Google NEEDS a large customer base for their app market, in order for it to grow. The App Market needs demand. The demand, in turn, makes developers interested. This, in turn, makes the market better, thereby increasing demand.

Its a secondary thing, but very important for the long term growth potential of Android/Google. Verizon is the biggest wireless company in the United States. Google NEEDS to be in that market, they need the customer base.

I don't want to make predictions.. but I can see this trend already. Google/Android will dominate the market within the next few years. Apple restricts, Android doesn't. We all know in business and in politics what happens when things are restricted. You choke growth.

What Google has done in the last few years is nothing short of amazing, considering the jump that Apple had. Its not going to stop. A shame, Apple was such a good company, too. (smile). Yes, I'm a bit premature, but I'm talking about 5 years from now.

Its like when people predicted the Soviet Union would collapse in the 1990s 10-15 years beforehand. And it did.

-Wil

If you want good example of this, just look at Sony and the Betamax. Great product but Sony restricted marketing and the VHS beat it out. Another example was the Sega. Great product but beat out by Nintendo. Betamax and Sega both better products, far superior to the competitors, but their closed marketing did them in. Google/vzw/moto have the right thinking and stand to win big time. Time will tell of course, but history already shows them as victors in this. Open unrestricted markets always overpower the closed/stifled ones.

The music industry is learning this as well and are having to adapt in order to stay in the game. They tried to restrict online traffic of music and it didn't work. Too much restriction always sends consumers away where they can find more for less. Besides which, the Droid is fantastic in too many ways, many which we don't even know yet. I am just beginning to see some of the possibilities.

 

[Martin030908]

Oh and the Apple Tablet? If I can't put it in my pocket I'm not interested even if it gives blow jobs. (well ok, if it gave BJ's I'd buy it but I still wouldn't lug it around).

Ahem.. I'd buy it and wear it around my neck with an 80s style RUN DMC chain if it did that.

-Wil

Would be my Flava Flav clock :icon_ banana:

 

[iSecks]

Sorry guys.. but I'm not sure if you guys are correct in your assessment. This isn't a Verizon thing. Its a Google thing.

I think Verizon has very limited say to what is going on with the Droid. In fact, I think Motorola has very limited say also. when I say limited, I mean more like "none".

When the phone updates is up to GOOGLE, not Verizon. (Please, correct me if I'm wrong here, if anyone knows for sure) This is a Google OS operated device. The hardware is Motorola (who, from what I read, was pretty much "told" how to make this phone from Google) and the network is of course, Verizon. These are 3 different entities. Each has their incentive, but Google has the upper hand, I believe.

Remember, Verizon has been notorious for locking down their phones. Vcast, that Verizon Navigator crap... I think Verizon realized they WILL keep bleeding customers to AT&T and other networks because they just *couldn't* do the things other networks could do because they limited the devices. This is why Verizon has had the worst selection of smart phones for years. Verizon wanted to capitalize by charging for each and every vcast whatever service they offered. It didn't work.

Verizon had to realize they needed to open up. They absolutely had to offer an alternative to the iPhone. We all know people who left Verizon to get an iPhone. I had iPhone envy. Most people I knew on the Verizon network did also, but just weren't willing to goto a crappy network.

Verizon cares about the residual. They want the monthly bill. They know they will get more $ per customer, also, because Smartphone users tend to use their phones A LOT more than regular users. Look at me as an example. My bill went from 45 dollars a month total to 103 a month. Multiple that by a few million people, for the foreseeable future, and you can see whats in it for them.

Anyway, sorry to go off on a tangent, but my point is that I think Google decides when and where, not Verizon, and definately not Motorola.

-Wil

Actually, it IS Motorola who updates the device. Look at the Cliq on T-Mobile. It's running Android 1.5 still, only because Motorola does not want to update the Blur UI to a newer version of Android. And for them, it's a good reason too. They've already sold the phones, and updating the operating system would cost money that they're not getting paid. There's no incentive to push updates for the phone for them.

Now, I'm sure Moto will update the Droid [at least to 2.1] because there's no real hard work to put into upgrading it. With the Cliq they would have had to rewrite Blur to work on 1.6 or 2.0. Since the Droid isn't running any modded OS like Blur or Sense, it should be a piece of cake to get a custom update for it.

 

[Johnly]

What a great conversation. Yes, Google has the world by the short hairs on new tech. Apple and Iphone had it for a while, but you're right, their heavy hand of control may be their downfall.

However, don't give Google a position of World Domination yet. They've got a business model that works, is customer-centric, and supports business as well as individual users. It's masterful marketing, vision, and strategy.

I'm not a Google Fanboy, but I do admire a company that not only responds, but ANTICIPATES market demand and creates products to fill that demand (can you spell GMAIL with free GIGAbytes of storage).....

Food for thought.

recovering storm abuser ha ha me too!

 

[Johnly]

There is another *huge* downstream affect people may not realize : The number of Verizon Android users in the Marketplace is irreplaceable.

Thats right. Irreplaceable (since I said it twice, I really hope I spelled that correctly). The network effect is very important here. Have you guys read all the annoying "Droid vs iPhone" articles? Did you notice something that seemed to push a few of the articles winners to the iPhone?

The App Market. Google NEEDS a large customer base for their app market, in order for it to grow. The App Market needs demand. The demand, in turn, makes developers interested. This, in turn, makes the market better, thereby increasing demand.

Its a secondary thing, but very important for the long term growth potential of Android/Google. Verizon is the biggest wireless company in the United States. Google NEEDS to be in that market, they need the customer base.

I don't want to make predictions.. but I can see this trend already. Google/Android will dominate the market within the next few years. Apple restricts, Android doesn't. We all know in business and in politics what happens when things are restricted. You choke growth.

What Google has done in the last few years is nothing short of amazing, considering the jump that Apple had. Its not going to stop. A shame, Apple was such a good company, too. (smile). Yes, I'm a bit premature, but I'm talking about 5 years from now.

Its like when people predicted the Soviet Union would collapse in the 1990s 10-15 years beforehand. And it did.

-Wil

If you want good example of this, just look at Sony and the Betamax. Great product but Sony restricted marketing and the VHS beat it out. Another example was the Sega. Great product but beat out by Nintendo. Betamax and Sega both better products, far superior to the competitors, but their closed marketing did them in. Google/vzw/moto have the right thinking and stand to win big time. Time will tell of course, but history already shows them as victors in this. Open unrestricted markets always overpower the closed/stifled ones.

The music industry is learning this as well and are having to adapt in order to stay in the game. They tried to restrict online traffic of music and it didn't work. Too much restriction always sends consumers away where they can find more for less. Besides which, the Droid is fantastic in too many ways, many which we don't even know yet. I am just beginning to see some of the possibilities.

for three post, you sir, have some good insight....

 

[asmallchild]

This phone is phenomenal

I really love the option of having a slideout keyboard

I'm getting better with it too!

 

[Martin030908]

There is another *huge* downstream affect people may not realize : The number of Verizon Android users in the Marketplace is irreplaceable.

Thats right. Irreplaceable (since I said it twice, I really hope I spelled that correctly). The network effect is very important here. Have you guys read all the annoying "Droid vs iPhone" articles? Did you notice something that seemed to push a few of the articles winners to the iPhone?

The App Market. Google NEEDS a large customer base for their app market, in order for it to grow. The App Market needs demand. The demand, in turn, makes developers interested. This, in turn, makes the market better, thereby increasing demand.

Its a secondary thing, but very important for the long term growth potential of Android/Google. Verizon is the biggest wireless company in the United States. Google NEEDS to be in that market, they need the customer base.

I don't want to make predictions.. but I can see this trend already. Google/Android will dominate the market within the next few years. Apple restricts, Android doesn't. We all know in business and in politics what happens when things are restricted. You choke growth.

What Google has done in the last few years is nothing short of amazing, considering the jump that Apple had. Its not going to stop. A shame, Apple was such a good company, too. (smile). Yes, I'm a bit premature, but I'm talking about 5 years from now.

Its like when people predicted the Soviet Union would collapse in the 1990s 10-15 years beforehand. And it did.

-Wil

If you want good example of this, just look at Sony and the Betamax. Great product but Sony restricted marketing and the VHS beat it out. Another example was the Sega. Great product but beat out by Nintendo. Betamax and Sega both better products, far superior to the competitors, but their closed marketing did them in. Google/vzw/moto have the right thinking and stand to win big time. Time will tell of course, but history already shows them as victors in this. Open unrestricted markets always overpower the closed/stifled ones.

The music industry is learning this as well and are having to adapt in order to stay in the game. They tried to restrict online traffic of music and it didn't work. Too much restriction always sends consumers away where they can find more for less. Besides which, the Droid is fantastic in too many ways, many which we don't even know yet. I am just beginning to see some of the possibilities.

Exactly... Apple is only going to get away with telling people what's on their device for so long. People don't like being 'told' anything. Open Source will bring about a power shift in the mobile market....

 

[wil318466]

Sorry guys.. but I'm not sure if you guys are correct in your assessment. This isn't a Verizon thing. Its a Google thing.

I think Verizon has very limited say to what is going on with the Droid. In fact, I think Motorola has very limited say also. when I say limited, I mean more like "none".

When the phone updates is up to GOOGLE, not Verizon. (Please, correct me if I'm wrong here, if anyone knows for sure) This is a Google OS operated device. The hardware is Motorola (who, from what I read, was pretty much "told" how to make this phone from Google) and the network is of course, Verizon. These are 3 different entities. Each has their incentive, but Google has the upper hand, I believe.

Remember, Verizon has been notorious for locking down their phones. Vcast, that Verizon Navigator crap... I think Verizon realized they WILL keep bleeding customers to AT&T and other networks because they just *couldn't* do the things other networks could do because they limited the devices. This is why Verizon has had the worst selection of smart phones for years. Verizon wanted to capitalize by charging for each and every vcast whatever service they offered. It didn't work.

Verizon had to realize they needed to open up. They absolutely had to offer an alternative to the iPhone. We all know people who left Verizon to get an iPhone. I had iPhone envy. Most people I knew on the Verizon network did also, but just weren't willing to goto a crappy network.

Verizon cares about the residual. They want the monthly bill. They know they will get more $ per customer, also, because Smartphone users tend to use their phones A LOT more than regular users. Look at me as an example. My bill went from 45 dollars a month total to 103 a month. Multiple that by a few million people, for the foreseeable future, and you can see whats in it for them.

Anyway, sorry to go off on a tangent, but my point is that I think Google decides when and where, not Verizon, and definately not Motorola.

-Wil

Actually, it IS Motorola who updates the device. Look at the Cliq on T-Mobile. It's running Android 1.5 still, only because Motorola does not want to update the Blur UI to a newer version of Android. And for them, it's a good reason too. They've already sold the phones, and updating the operating system would cost money that they're not getting paid. There's no incentive to push updates for the phone for them.

Now, I'm sure Moto will update the Droid [at least to 2.1] because there's no real hard work to put into upgrading it. With the Cliq they would have had to rewrite Blur to work on 1.6 or 2.0. Since the Droid isn't running any modded OS like Blur or Sense, it should be a piece of cake to get a custom update for it.

Interesting... but, I have a few questions. I don't know anything about the Blur, but are you sure the reason to update the Blur has to do with money? What is the cost to update the phone through the network, I don't understand how this would cost Motorola money. Also, can this device actually handle the new OS? I'm thinking that could be the reason why its not being upgraded.

In other words, I think the OS updates are limited to the phones themselves. Example : 2.1 will be updated to every phone that can handle it. It wouldn't make sense to update a phone with the 2.1 OS if the phone can't run all of the new features in the new OS. This would be like installing Windows 7 on an Intel Pentium machine. It would be a very detrimental thing to do, even if you COULD accomplish it. On the other hand, Google will not hold back an update or improvement to their OS due to backwards compatibility. They will improve their software, and if the older generations of hardware can't handle it, it will be limited to the newer hardware that can.

It is in the best interest of every part of the equation for the Droid to have every OS update *unless it can't handle it*. If 2.1 has features the Droid can't do and the Nexus can do, then I believe it wouldn't be installed onto the Droid.

What do you think? like I said, I'm completely speculating here.. but I see zero benefit to any of the parties (Motorola, Verizon, Google) to not update the Droid. Motorola ensures customers are happy with their products, Verizon ensures their cash cows (us) are happy with their network and their updates, and Google gets a large, happy marketshare.

Please, more opnions are welcome.


-Wil

 

[Gunghoray]

I will assign this particular stream to one of my new classes in Intro to Business this semester. Business is transforming every day. Your insights and ideas are masterful. i look forward to hearing my students pick your "arguments" apart.

 

[Martin030908]

Sorry guys.. but I'm not sure if you guys are correct in your assessment. This isn't a Verizon thing. Its a Google thing.

I think Verizon has very limited say to what is going on with the Droid. In fact, I think Motorola has very limited say also. when I say limited, I mean more like "none".

When the phone updates is up to GOOGLE, not Verizon. (Please, correct me if I'm wrong here, if anyone knows for sure) This is a Google OS operated device. The hardware is Motorola (who, from what I read, was pretty much "told" how to make this phone from Google) and the network is of course, Verizon. These are 3 different entities. Each has their incentive, but Google has the upper hand, I believe.

Remember, Verizon has been notorious for locking down their phones. Vcast, that Verizon Navigator crap... I think Verizon realized they WILL keep bleeding customers to AT&T and other networks because they just *couldn't* do the things other networks could do because they limited the devices. This is why Verizon has had the worst selection of smart phones for years. Verizon wanted to capitalize by charging for each and every vcast whatever service they offered. It didn't work.

Verizon had to realize they needed to open up. They absolutely had to offer an alternative to the iPhone. We all know people who left Verizon to get an iPhone. I had iPhone envy. Most people I knew on the Verizon network did also, but just weren't willing to goto a crappy network.

Verizon cares about the residual. They want the monthly bill. They know they will get more $ per customer, also, because Smartphone users tend to use their phones A LOT more than regular users. Look at me as an example. My bill went from 45 dollars a month total to 103 a month. Multiple that by a few million people, for the foreseeable future, and you can see whats in it for them.

Anyway, sorry to go off on a tangent, but my point is that I think Google decides when and where, not Verizon, and definately not Motorola.

-Wil

Actually, it IS Motorola who updates the device. Look at the Cliq on T-Mobile. It's running Android 1.5 still, only because Motorola does not want to update the Blur UI to a newer version of Android. And for them, it's a good reason too. They've already sold the phones, and updating the operating system would cost money that they're not getting paid. There's no incentive to push updates for the phone for them.

Now, I'm sure Moto will update the Droid [at least to 2.1] because there's no real hard work to put into upgrading it. With the Cliq they would have had to rewrite Blur to work on 1.6 or 2.0. Since the Droid isn't running any modded OS like Blur or Sense, it should be a piece of cake to get a custom update for it.

Interesting... but, I have a few questions. I don't know anything about the Blur, but are you sure the reason to update the Blur has to do with money? What is the cost to update the phone through the network, I don't understand how this would cost Motorola money. Also, can this device actually handle the new OS? I'm thinking that could be the reason why its not being upgraded.

In other words, I think the OS updates are limited to the phones themselves. Example : 2.1 will be updated to every phone that can handle it. It wouldn't make sense to update a phone with the 2.1 OS if the phone can't run all of the new features in the new OS. This would be like installing Windows 7 on an Intel Pentium machine. It would be a very detrimental thing to do, even if you COULD accomplish it. On the other hand, Google will not hold back an update or improvement to their OS due to backwards compatibility. They will improve their software, and if the older generations of hardware can't handle it, it will be limited to the newer hardware that can.

It is in the best interest of every part of the equation for the Droid to have every OS update *unless it can't handle it*. If 2.1 has features the Droid can't do and the Nexus can do, then I believe it wouldn't be installed onto the Droid.

What do you think? like I said, I'm completely speculating here.. but I see zero benefit to any of the parties (Motorola, Verizon, Google) to not update the Droid. Motorola ensures customers are happy with their products, Verizon ensures their cash cows (us) are happy with their network and their updates, and Google gets a large, happy marketshare.

Please, more opnions are welcome.


-Wil

2.1 will be optimized for each device that receives it. I see no reason why Droid won't get it. Google said Droid will receive it, and all the goodies the Nexus has, until, as you said, there becomes a limitation. In this case, I can understand not 'pushing' a feature of an OS to a device that may be crippled by it. It would create a bad image of the Android OS.... Isn't it better to have a slightly different OS that is seamless vs. the latest and greatest that has issues? It paints a better product picture to have things working well..... obviously

 

[olletsocmit]

If they stop supporting the droid after this update like they did the bberry storm 1, i will leave verizon. my contract is up ne ways. i am out of contract so i can leave ne time. iPhone 3gS here i come if they ditch the droid soon like the storm 1

 

[Gunghoray]

They won't stop supporting the Droid. Hundreds of Millions of bucks are on that bet.

Good post Martin. Bright guy you are.

 

[Martin030908]

They won't stop supporting the Droid. Hundreds of Millions of bucks are on that bet.

Good post Martin. Bright guy you are.

Thank you sir. :icon_ lala: