Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, Sandrock323’s birthday, the chances of Verizon acquiring Sprint, or the countdown to MLB opening day, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see Amazon phones and tablets featuring Google Android by the end of the year. The company has done well selling digital music, movies, TV shows, and books. Its new Android Appstore is poised to do well. The Kindle e-reader is the company’s best-selling product of all time. It would make a lot of sense for Amazon to start selling hardware featuring seamless integration with its digital offerings. The pieces are there. Do you think Amazon is interested in expanding its hardware business to exploit its numerous digital products?
The mobile phone industry uses the razor-and-blade model. Carriers sell you the phone (the razor) for a relatively cheap price and keep you on the hook with monthly service (the blades). An Amazon Android phone or tablet would work similarly. Amazon or its carrier partners would sell you the hardware for a relatively low price. Amazon would stand to make more money selling you digital goods. In other words, it would use the Kindle model, but on a larger scale.
What do you think the chances are of Amazon branded Android hardware happening? Do you think it will be WiFi-only products, partnerships with mobile carriers, or both? Would you be interested in an Android phone with tight Amazon integration? I’d love to hear what you think!
If I had to guess I'd say wifi only devices. Honestly Android being on every new device is like an accelerometer or mp3 player added to everything. Unfortunately if it means tight amazon integration then that means another version of Android with a skin on it. I really wish it weren't open sometimes, that way the products would have to do more than change the UI and add their own store. Perhaps it would be better? I don't know.
Personally I'd rather someone like Amazon become an ISP or carrier. We are fixing to be down to 3.
Being open gives users more ways to experience Android. For example, some people prefer HTC Sense. Others would rather have vanilla Android. It's good that consumers have that choice.
I think Amazon could have a hit if it simplified buying digital content — apps, movies, music, TV, etc. — for people that are new to smartphones. Similar to how the Kindle made e-readers more accessible and the iPod made MP3 players more accessible.
@Ray
What choice? You take the skin or you don't correct? Serious question. I am under the impression that HTC, Samsung, Moto, etc will not let you disable their skin.
I guess I disagree with the way Android is handled by carriers and OEMs. I'd prefer a hardware company to stick to what it does best…make hardware. Like Samsung or Motorola. Everytime I convince myself that I am going to get an Android device, I am turned away by the UI and the social networking thrown in my face. In contrast I like how iOS keeps things simple. iOS isn't without its faults though. GameCenter is pretty useless and I have it tucked away in a folder. I have to click cancel a few times whenever I launch a game. Notifications suck as well.
I'm very interested in what Nokia will do with WP7.
You have a number of different skins to choose from. It's not like they're all the same. Sense, Espresso Sense, TouchWiz, Blur, etc. each bring something different to the table.
Like I wrote before, I expect Nokia to add a ton of Ovi services to its Windows Phone 7 products. There's a lot of great stuff in Ovi, but most Americans don't know about it because Nokia's high-end phones were shunned by the American carriers. Ovi Maps, for example, is pretty excellent.
@Ray
Maybe we are misunderstanding one another. Please explain what each brings to the table and how I'm able to choose a device I want that just runs android. No skin, no UI "improvements" no social networking integration.
gd FB is the of us all…..twitter is just speeding it up.
Obviously each skin offers a different experience. Do you really want me to list out individual differences?
You have a variety of Android devices to choose from, from different hardware manufacturers and with different software. I don't see how choice is bad. If you don't like a particular hardware vendor then don't buy their hardware. If you don't like a particular Android skin then don't buy a phone that uses it. If you want vanilla Android then buy a phone that runs it. You have these choices with Android. You don't have them with iOS.
@Ray
Those choices as you put it are crap. If you want vanilla buy one on TMo…which has no service beyond a metro area. Samsung was the first of the Android makers to make what I would deem a unified and very choice filled approach with the Galaxy S series. ATT suck where you are at? Go with one of the other 3 flavors of the same phone with minor differences between the 4.
Of course I have choice with iOS. I get the same iOS experience on each iphone 4 from both carriers. I have access to all the apps with both carriers. Apple is a hard one to use for comparison I know since they do it all in house.
I think I tend to equate Android to a PC too often. If I buy a Dell or an HP with Windows (version here) then it comes with that. There are some bloatware items but those can be removed. I'm not nervous about having a Dell desktop and an HP or IBM laptop. The experience as far as the software presentation is the same. If you have a Moto phone and an HTC tablet or any combination of Android devices the UI will be different. That's bothersome to me.
I still want a Thunderbolt though. LTE is so fast here.
It's crap to have a variety of hardware configurations and software types to choose from?
Vanilla Android isn't already available on two carriers, with a third one coming soon?
The choices you bring up for iOS aren't much. You can choose from carriers and two capacities. Can you choose from different screen sizes? Can you choose from different processors? Can you choose to have a keyboard or not? I'm surprised that you're dismissing these choices as "crap".
@Ray
Yeah the configurations as far as hardware are concerned do give choice, as long as that choice you prefer is on a carrier you like and you can deal with the software enhancements. The Android experience though isn't about choice. You will have bloat attached depending on carrier or manufacturer. Not your choice to remove it. The OS needs tighter controls from Google I think. I'm not just picking on Android either. iOS could use better notifications, BlackBerry OS could use some strong hardware, and WP7 needs to really decide how much control carriers have. WP7 and iOS look the same no matter the device though, which gives you the same software experience no matter the device. BB not so much.
You totally ignored the points I brought up though. The interaction between two different devices running Android isn't the same. Not all skins are made equal either.
Which carrier offers vanilla besides TMo?
You're ignoring the fact that some people like skins. Even Espresso has fans.
Verizon and soon Sprint also have vanilla Android.
I just had to explain the same thing to my friend. I think its funny because it was almost like reading a transcript from our convo lol.
Seeing the word razor reminded of something. Can you believe that the Motorola Razor was the #1 phone before the iPhone came out. My how the phones have changed lol/
@BB
yes i can. My friend held on to his Razr until 2010 when it finally stopped charging. he had that phone since 2005 i think.
D d d damn. I had one for 2years then I got the LG Voyager. I wonder how many people have/use a Razr.
I used an unlocked RAZR as my international phone from 2005 to 2006.
@bb
that's what i said. he now has some motorola phone with verizon, that guy has a hard on for Motorola.
@rpad
see you had a reason to keep it even for a year but he kept it just because he never found a phone he wanted. he would insist that he would never get a smartphone but in the end his Razr let him down and now he ended up getting one and loves it. lol
I only kept it for a year because I lost it at some beach party in Thailand. I picked up a Samsung D900 to replace it.
haha, but you used it because it was unlocked and needed it for work. he just refused to accept that smartphones can be very useful and fun. he regrets not getting a smartphone sooner.
I can't imagine life without a smartphone. Similar to how I can't envision life without the Internet. Obviously it's possible, but it would be such a drastic change. I need to look up stupid information on Wikipedia every hour or so. One of the few things I miss when I'm in Thailand is mobile broadband. The country is still stuck on EDGE.
i agree. i can't see myself without a smartphone either.
I also agree with your Amazon Android phone, it's going to happen. If FB can get one why not Amazon. Maybe we should all get Android phones and we can buy apps through your links!?
The more I think about it, the more I'm scared of an excellent Amazon Android phone. Impulse purchases of all kinds would be way too easy. This is why I'm positive an Amazon Android phone will happen.
Happy Birthday Sandrock!!
Happy Birthday Sandrock!!
Happy Birthday Sandrock.
@Ray
http://www.dorkly.com/embed/13121/level-1-pokemon…
Pretty impressive battle—team of level 1's take down a team of 75's or so.
I got these messages while googling a few minutes ago. I'm kind of shocked to see them filtering the gubment's lobby groups whims.
n response to a complaint we received under the US Digital Millennium Copyright Act, we have removed 1 result(s) from this page. If you wish, you may read the DMCA complaint that caused the removal(s) at ChillingEffects.org.
In response to a complaint we received under the US Digital Millennium Copyright Act, we have removed 1 result(s) from this page. If you wish, you may read the DMCA complaint that caused the removal(s) at ChillingEffects.org.
<3 the birthday wishes everyone!