Month: June 2013

The Nexus Line and VoLTE…Why it Matters (Part 2)

Hi Folks,

So I wrote a post about the Nexus line and VoLTE back in November 2012 when the Nexus 4 was announced without LTE and created the a backlash of various commenting. You can read the entire post here: The Nexus Line and VoLTE…Why it Matters

They key points of that post..well my predictions over the next 2 years were..

  • Google releasing a Nexus device unlocked with LTE on all carriers using VoLTE
  • VoLTE going live nationwide within a year
  • Unlimited Data Plans making their way back
  • Unlocked Better priced Contract Free Mobile devices. No more $650 Off contract phones
  • More competition, with more and more customers becoming month to month non contract users

Well fast forward 8 months and one major announcement just occurred,http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-57591213-94/verizon-says-first-lte-only-phones-to-arrive-in-late-2014/, yes Verizon will pushing LTE only phones across the network late in 2014.

What do you all think? I think LTE only phones will be the next big thing in mobile wireless service? With major carriers like Verizon not able to control or locked down LTE only phones, due to Open Access rules, I think competition and pricing of phones will get better for the consumer. And Google will finally be able to offer the Nexus on every carrier.
Your thoughts?

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Low End, Mid Range, High End….It Doesn’t Matter..It’s the Experience

All this talk about the leaked Moto X specs and it’s “Mid-Range” Specs made me think about this whole spec battle in general. We all know the the Nexus line of phones are considered Mid Range devices based on their specs, but 9/10 provide a much more smoother enjoyable experience than the High End devices like the GS4 or HTC One.

I guess my point here is that just because a phone is a mid-range device does not mean it will perform worse than the so called high end device. I mean the iPhone based on specs would be considered a mid rang device, however most people considered it, arguably here, a premium high end device. So what exactly is the difference?

I think in the end the focus should be experience…not specs. For the new Moto X, you probably are not going to need some crazy specs to run Stockish Android. The real reason the GS4 and One need those specs is because they have to account for the skin layer on top of Android which the phone runs.

For me I predict the cheaper “Mid Range” Moto X will out perform the Galaxy S4 and the HTC One in regards to smoothness, polish, and more enjoyable user experience. In my mind that is what makes a premium phone, high end phone. Sure it might lose in the benchmarks….but that doesn’t matter.

I think Apple’s marketing team has always been geniuses at pushing the message that the iPhone is about experience not specs. I think this is why the new “Cotton Candy” look of iOS 7 gets so much flack. It messes with the users experience.

Google/Motorola needs to change the conversation in Android and start focusing on the experience…not the specs. IMO Stock Android’s design language is a much cleaner, more gender neutral look than any of the other OS. With Google services in tow, there is really no reason the phone should not be a hit.