Friday, November 15, 2013

Google is showing the phone companies how to really do phone upgrades

With the release of the Moto X, Google has reinvented the smartphone. Not only making the handset in the U.S. but also having a better understanding on what consumers want. With the Moto X, Google marketed the device as a flagship phone but it lacked the flagship hardware such as Samsung's amoled screen or Apple's retina screen. The Moto X delivers on experience and simplicity over hardware and specifications of the current market. With a 720 resolution screen and a below par camera (compared to the Galaxy) the Moto X certainly lacks the sexyness of the Galaxy and iPhone appeal. However the features, make up, and battery life make up for those deficiencies and has added the "okay Google now" feature (which is a game changer in my opinion).

Now Google has released the much anticipated Nexus 5 available to consumers for an unlocked model at around $350 which is unherd of for a flagship phone running the newest Android OS Kitkat which will be rolling out to Google devices very soon. The Nexus 5 is a comparable flagship device to Samsung and Apple with the flexibility of carriers that usually come with the older S models to go on various networks.

Now Verizon has released the Moto G which is now even more aggressively priced than the Nexus with some of the same principals as the MotoX with the price point similar to the Nexus 5.

What does this mean for you. Probably very little now but if Google keeps this trend, this may change the game for good in the future (and the future is always speculation). With premium phones becoming cheaper without a contract this is something, in my opinion Apple was trying to accomplish with the 5C. The iPhone 5C compares to Androids Moto G because of the plastic frame and the strip down qualities and it doesn't have Siri (but who really uses Siri), and also the Moto G gives the same experience in functionality which a downgraded camera takes just as good of pictures of food as a 12 megapixel does. 

So what I feel is going to mold the future of the smartphones is the success of Nexus 5, the Moto X and Moto G. If Google sees that people are now considering functionality over the hardware, this can change the development from smaller faster lighter hardware, to more functional and userfriendly OS development that is more intuitive. The movement of unlock phones means that consumers will not renew contracts to receive a premium phone and consider going the cheaper way of the pay as you go plans or something that is more suitable for their usage. iPhones and Galaxy's are still going to be the major phones on TV commercials, however T-Mobile forced carriers to change the upgrade policy (which i think is a rip off) and now this is Google showing everyone how its done!!!

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