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Android Hardware Thread - 2009 Edition
- Thread starter ThatObviousUser
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Bboy AJ
My dog was murdered by a 3.5mm audio port and I will not rest until the standard is dead
I'm not talking about CDMA...Onix said:
I'm talking about pushing the choice to the user on which cell infrastructure they choose and can hop on or off at will.
If it's any proof of concept, the N1 being able to work on both T-mobile's EDGE and 3G network + work on AT&T's EDGE network is a starting point and a pretty bold statement by Google.
Now imagine a year or two down the line when you have the Qualcom chips that give you T-mobile's EDGE/3G Sprints EDGE/3G/4G, AT&T's Edge/3G/4G and possibly even Verizon's 3G/LTE network?
Pipedream or ambitious goal for Google? I think both, but the game changer is that the cell companies are no longer dictating who can have which phone and for one... I'm happy to see that change.
Just read a couple of those articles this morning. I'm getting really tired of this tap dancing bullshit and lack of confirmed news recently with the N1 and Android 2.x.Bboy AJ said:
I know that 2010 will bring Android 2.x to other carriers and phones but I wish they'd just come right out and say that.
Baron Doggystyle von Woof
Member
Solideliquid said:
Better to use wallpaper apps from the app store.
I got Zedge and Screens for my wallpapers.
You can use Zedge also for ringtones which is awesome.
Pctx said:
I don't understand where you're getting this from.
Unlocked GSM phones have always supported EDGE on both T-Mobile & AT&T and 3G on only one of the two. There is absolutely nothing different with the N1 from any other unlocked phone. This is the nature of GSM technology
There is also no evidence that the CDMA carriers are going to stop dictating which phones go on their network. Verizon and Sprint control network access based on the MEID whitelists, not based on the frequency. You cannot legally get a phone on their networks without their cooperation.
We already have phones that do both GSM and CDMA. They do not allow you to put the phone on multiple networks in the US. Rather, they allow you to use a single CDMA carrier in the US and GSM carriers outside the US only.
I don't see anything that is new or exciting about Google's strategy as far as we know it thus far.
Pctx said:
Any unlocked cell phone can do this, it's nothing new. GSM cell phone companies really have no control over what kind of phone you use; which is why the freedom is great (as long as you pony up for it). This is nothing new as well.
I think it's both ambitious and a pipedream at the same time - Google's entering the market, but they've done it before with the G1. Same process and all. To me, it's kinda hard to see what the N1's purpose is at the moment. Especially if it's invitation only initially.
The importance of this is an Android phone on ANY GSM/CDMA network... this is the concept that I'm talking about that is going to be Google's major push into all major markets regardless of the carrier.tokkun said:
Right now-- Verizon and Sprint do have locked networks. I think the major debate is CDMA vs. GSM frequencies and locked ID's based on those. Verizon and Sprint simply keep the keys to the kingdom by blacklisting any device that is not allowed by device ID.
Based on where I believe Google is heading, I think they want Android OS on any carrier, any country, any time. This isn't a new concept but it's one that has been executed piss poorly by many phones and many carriers.
If this Nexus One comes unlocked for both Tmo/AT&T, it's a major win for consumers. If HTC/Google start releasing a phone that work (in the future) that works on Verizon/Sprint/Tmobile and AT&T, that is a major shift in cell phone strategy on Google's part.
What's the sacrifice that people have to make for that? Cost. (meaning contracts now mean nothing and subsidized phones are gone.)
You imagine that you pay T-mobile for 450 minutes + 400 text messaging + internet data for $80 bucks but use Sprints network? what about Verizon's? Maybe AT&T?
Use that however you want and pay whatever company however much you want.... but this is game changing.
I'm not saying that this is going to happen overnight and I'm not saying that people can expect this next year, but Google see's the cell market as another revenue stream for them and they are going to be the ones that change the cell market in the US, not Apple, not AT&T... not even Verizon.
Are there some strong roadblocks to this? Sure, but ask yourself this question--- with the upcoming Qualcomm chips, the fact that Google has Android on every major carrier in the US, the impending Android OS 2.1 explosion next month, Google has the carriers right where they want them for this to happen.
Nexus One Dock Doubles Down on the Bluetooth
Most docks are little more than a plug with some extra plastic, but the Nexus One dock, recently leaked by the FCC, has a bit more.
Bluetooth, in particular, is a notable addition in the dock (since Bluetooth is already in the phone). In other words, you're docking a Bluetooth device into another Bluetooth device. Why could this be?
Really, there are many explanationsand Bluetooth is cheap enough at this point that it need not be a luxury. Maybe HTC wanted you to have a headset that you kept at home. Maybe Bluetooth was chosen for remote accessories. Maybe Bluetooth just sounds cool to engineers.
Regardless, the thing'll have Bluetooth. Oh, and from the looks of it, the dock will hook into your home theater as well. [FCC via AndroidForums via Engadget]
This phone needs to be release soon...
callhitman
Member
What smart phone should i get the iphone or the droid. Or should i wait for what ever comes out next.
Onix said:
If by conjecture you mean:
- Google selling "a" phone most likely by themselves of which you can at this moment use on two carriers in the US.
- Actual chips that are in production that have been talked about for the upcoming migration of the iPhone to Verizon for their LTE (4G) network.
- Google no longer being tied to a specific carrier means custom orders (ala "Nexus One") from HTC for whatever carrier they want.
- The inception of Google Voice which Google is going to market to Android smartphone users and why not have a platform that is custom tailored for that experience?
- The rising market share of Android OS in the smartphone market and it's dramatic increase from last year.
So sure--- you could call my "theory" a joke if you want, but Google is on the warpath with Apple/Blackberry whoever and my guess, is we will see these things come to pass in the coming years.
I guess to scratch the itch that you have for wanting a Snapdragon phone on a CDMA network though, that's up to Verizon and the vendors... my point is why shouldn't that be up to the consumer?
Anyways--- I'll shut up about my theories now and just focus on the hardware.
Pctx said:
Again though, assuming Google's mission is to get open networks is a bit of a jump isn't it? They've never really stated this have they? ... and even if they do ... until we hear of actual discussions with Verizon, etc ... it really doesn't mean much?
I'm not calling your theory a joke. I'm asking if there is actual evidence for it.
Please understand, I WANT open networks, I was simply trying to understand your post. I haven't followed the cell industry as close as you guys, and was just trying to get to the bottom of what you said.
Feel free to discuss your theory, just phrase it as such. For a n00b like me, I don't have enough context to know when someone is stating a confirmed item or a theory unless they state it as such. I'm not trying to call you out ... just trying to understand the situation.
Battersea Power Station
Member
I am so excite.SimleuqiR said:
Well-- my point is that Android the smartphone OS is on every major US carrier now (including AT&T even though that phone is a pretty gimped version of the Droid). A chess player never outright says what he strategy is before he plays does he? What they have done up to this point both in apps/search and now mobile phones, lead me to believe that this is their next phase which is giving the consumer choice of what phone they want on which carrier and Google controlling the updates, not the carriers. The later seems to be a more potent contention for my theory but again, if I were Google, why not have both? (Control over the hardware/open network model + control over the updates?)Onix said:
Again, I'm looking at the trends that Google has/is going through and if people think Android is going to just be a niche market, they're wrong.
Sure thing. Having traveled quite a bit internationally, having an open phone to me... is a big deal. Being able to pop in and out SIM cards that have pre-paid minutes and pre-paid data, that's a big deal in Europe. Not so much in the US, but I'm sure that will be changing. The biggest thing to take away from my comments is that Verizon (aside from Sprint) is somewhat limiting what Google (in theory) do in the US if they had a GSM band available on their network. The chips I'm talking about for the next-gen phones (maybe even iPhone) is a hybrid chip that has both CDMA (Verizon/Sprint) and GSM (Tmobile/AT&T) bands so the phone can do whatever the user wants. Possibly another route though, is if it is locked to CDMA, and you buy the phone, you might be able to get it unlocked to go to another carrier or use it internationally.
Who knows, that's another worm for another can though.
Well my predictions, theories or opinion is again based off what I see Google doing. Google is testing the waters with the N1 but to what end? Could it be that they flip cell carriers in the US on their ears and put the power in the hand of the consumer? Possibly. Could this be the trojan horse or business model for other phone manufactures to follow or pursue? Sure. Is this more about choice or power? That I don't know. My hope is that anyone who wants to have a Nexus One phone in 2010 will be able to use one... Verizon/Sprint/AT&T/T-mobile. I have doubts on the rumors of the "invite only" because to me, that seems to be a DOA business strategy but who knows. Time will tell.
Pctx said:
There are Windows Mobile phones on every carrier. Same thing with Blackberry, etc.
Regardless, the main hole I see in the theory is you seem to imply it is up to Google. If they want to do it, they simply will. As others have stated though, the final say comes from Verizon, etc, so even if Google wants to do this ... there aren't any guarantees.
If Verizon feels it's in their best interest to keep things closed, I don't think Google will change there minds.
First off, I'd like to make it clear I'm a big proponent of Android, and feel there's a very good chance it won't be niche.
Pursuant to this discussion however, how is that tied to your theory ... at all? Why does Google have to convince the carriers to go with open networks in order for Android to succeed? There are Android phones on basically all of the US carriers already, and it's continue to expand.
Were open networks necessary for WinMo to get carried on all the major networks? Blackberry? Hell, Symbian? I don't see how this is any different.
Again though, it's up to the carriers. Please understand, I don't like how things are in the US, but it is simply the way it is. Unless the locked networks start losing tons of customers, I fail to see the incentive for them to change. To open their networks preemptively only makes it more likely people will network hop as deals become available. At least I'm quite confident that's how they look at things.
But at this point it isn't up to them. Just because HW is becoming available that can support all the US networks doesn't mean the carriers will open things up.
I certainly want an N1, and would like to do it with Verizon. However, hasn't the HW already been confirmed to not support CDMA?
Vyse The Legend
Member
As it turns out, some of the rumors are true.
T-Mobile has officially acknowledged Nexus One and confirmed they are allowing it to be officially used on their network. However, they will not provide technical support for the device. The onus for that falls directly on Google and HTC.
More importantly, Google is selling the phone directly.
T-Mobile has officially acknowledged Nexus One and confirmed they are allowing it to be officially used on their network. However, they will not provide technical support for the device. The onus for that falls directly on Google and HTC.
More importantly, Google is selling the phone directly.
Vyse The Legend said:As it turns out, some of the rumors are true.
T-Mobile has officially acknowledged Nexus One and confirmed they are allowing it to be officially used on their network. However, they will not provide technical support for the device. The onus for that falls directly on Google and HTC.
More importantly, Google is selling the phone directly.
So not subsides? At all? Mmm...I hope the whole invite thing is not 100% true. I want to buy this phone as soon as it is available through Google.
tokkun said:
True. I wouldn't mind getting some sort of discount if I will be staying with T-mobile...the N1 guarantees this.
Edit:
This is a nice little blurb on what Google might be trying to do with the Nexus. Obviously we've spoken about this in this very same thread.
Will the Carriers be Androids Downfall?
from AndroidGuys by Sam Herren
While reading Googles latest manifesto of what it means to be open, I am concerned that while Google is proclaiming that Open systems Win, that is not necessarily a money making proposition or a differentiator for wireless carriers. Many of you who follow Android are also keenly aware of the Linux market and its storied fragmentation of literally thousands of different distros, could this be possible for Android?
With the recent introduction of Android 2.0 and Verizons exclusivity, this has become a major issue for consumers, especially while several of Sprints and T-Mobiles handsets languish on 1.5 and 1.6 respectfully. To say the least, we are tired of waiting. Yes, I left TMO for VZ to get the Moto Droid but even early adopters like me can afford to do this every few years, if at all, with the ETF and upfront costs it takes to get the new phones. And the carriers are not at total fault here, but with their partnerships with HTC, Motorola, and Samsung ,they have virtually locked up Android for disparate hardware certifications, various proprietary drivers, and klugey UIs.
Another main unintentional consequence is what it is doing to the Android Market and our beloved apps (its still the software Stupid). Applications are suffering in quality and updates because developers are having to decide which version of Android they want to maintain and support and based on the comments above, along with that goes a carrier vote, as well.
No, I believe that Google is and has been patiently waiting on the sidelines to see what critical mass Android will hit and it is now near the tipping point of going mainstream. The Nexus One photos and information leakage is not a coincidence based on the context of Android users making it known they want a carrier agnostic, pure Android phone with updates managed by Google, and a consistent UI. Whether the N1 actually turns out to be that phone remains to be seen, but I believe it is the first of many steps in the right direction.
The one thing I dislike about Android is the fragmentation. Not everyone that owns an Android phone can have the latest and greatest the OS has to offer...they are stuck at 1.5, or at 1.6 for God knows how long.
JonathanEx
Member
GHghhghe. And today I decided to buy a Hero.
Battersea Power Station
Member
Haha. That's probably the highest ratio of advance ownership of a high-tech gadget to ability to speak on said gadget I've ever encountered.obaidr said:
ThatObviousUser
ὠαἴÏÏιÏÏÎ¿Ï Ïαá¿Ï εἶ
I hope they stocked up, that stuff is going to sell quick.
I hope my years of unpaid Google fanboyism will get me an invite.
Iron_Scimitar
Banned
Good thing i have several pairs of pants on standby.
Pctx said:Well from the looks of it, it's not going to be invite.
Looks like Google is straight selling this phone come Jan. 5th and T-mobile may get it in stores later w/ Subsidized price. Really I could care less if this phone was $500 bucks, I'm getting it!
I sure hope so. I paid $600.00 for my iPhone (original) over two years ago. Even if the Nexus is about that much I will probably get it. A subsidize T-mobile one wouldn't hurt, but I don't know if I can wait 3, 4, 5 months for one? My contract is up with T-mobile. But I probably get the other phones subsidize (I have three lines on my account) with a new contract.Andrex said:I hope they stocked up, that stuff is going to sell quick.
I hope my years of unpaid Google fanboyism will get me an invite.
Don't fret. Hopefully Google has enough to cover the early adopters.
This is not meant as a troll comment, I have serious issues with these Android phones.
Recently my employer told me to go pick up a new phone. So I read up on the Android phones, mytouch, G1, etc. And I went and played with them.
I have problems with the interface being slow. Everything has a slight delay on these phones. But my real problem was the requirement of having a google account to access the phone and the requirement of syncing your address book to google in order to get your contacts on the phone. This was a deal breaker for me and raised serious concerns.
It's also slow when searching for contacts and emails.
So my question to those of you living the corporate life, how did you get the company to approve this phone?
Recently my employer told me to go pick up a new phone. So I read up on the Android phones, mytouch, G1, etc. And I went and played with them.
I have problems with the interface being slow. Everything has a slight delay on these phones. But my real problem was the requirement of having a google account to access the phone and the requirement of syncing your address book to google in order to get your contacts on the phone. This was a deal breaker for me and raised serious concerns.
It's also slow when searching for contacts and emails.
So my question to those of you living the corporate life, how did you get the company to approve this phone?
ThatObviousUser
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FreezeSSC said:
T-Mobile's not subsidizing it (at least not initially), so either Google will do it or it won't be at all.
ThatObviousUser
ὠαἴÏÏιÏÏÎ¿Ï Ïαá¿Ï εἶ
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