Category: Mobile Tech

Google.com/phone and the Nexus One: 28 Days Later

It has been 28 days since Google launched the Nexus One phone and its Google.com/phone web site. Some aspects of Google’s foray into consumer electronics went smoothly. Some didn’t. I caught up with a company representative to get some insights on the launch and Google’s mobile-phone future.

It has been 28 days since Google launched the Nexus One phone and its Google.com/phone web site. Some aspects of Google’s foray into consumer electronics went smoothly. Some didn’t. I caught up with a company representative to get some insights on the launch and Google’s mobile-phone future. Some of the answers were insightful and some were the standard PR line. Check it out and see for yourself!

Raymond Padilla: Considering that the Nexus One was Google’s first attempt at selling consumer electronics, what were some of the things the company did right? What were some things the company could have done better?

Google: Because we just launched the Nexus One four weeks ago, I think it’s too early to comment on these questions.

RP: A lot of journalists are fixated on iPhone killers and are unable to talk about the Nexus One without comparing it to the iPhone. To me, the bigger story is Google.com/phone. Isn’t that the bigger deal?

Google: We do view our new consumer web store as a significant announcement. With the Nexus One and future devices, our hope is to change the way consumers purchase a mobile phone. The goal of Google’s new consumer channel is to provide an efficient way to connect Google’s online users with selected Android phones from partners. We want to make the overall user experience simple: a simple purchasing process, simple service plans from operators, and simple and worry free delivery and start-up.

RP: Some of my readers don’t see how Google.com/phone is changing anything. I see it as a work in progress with the potential to change the market. How is Google’s effort to sell phones directly to customers different than buying an unlocked phone off of Amazon.com, for example?

Google: Working with device manufacturers and operators worldwide, our vision for this new program is to give customers more choice and simplicity when it comes to purchasing their mobile phones by matching hardware preference to service options. Our ultimate goal is to give the consumer the opportunity to buy the phone of his/her choice (as more phones beyond the Nexus One become available) and choose an operator which best meets his/her needs. This is a new model in the US, and we hope it simplifies the buying process for mobile devices moving forward.

RP: What about the disadvantage of not being able to play with a phone at a store. Some people feel that the Amazon Kindle would have been more successful if more consumers could see what it could do first hand. The Nexus One is currently in a similar boat. Doesn’t it take a leap of faith to buy a $529 product without getting to play with it?

Google: We are introducing a new consumer purchasing model with the Nexus One. It will only be available through our Google-hosted web store initially, and we have included tools in this online store to enable users to take virtual tours of the hardware and software elements of Nexus One.

RP: In a perfect world, what will Google.com/phone have to offer one year from now? Would 25 phones on all four major American carriers be a conservative or aggressive estimate?

Google: The Nexus One is just the beginning, our plan is to:

  • Add more operator partners in the US and internationally.
  • Launch more Google-branded devices, brought to market in partnership with other Android handset partners.
  • Bring these devices to more countries for more consumers to enjoy.

RP: Some customers need someone to talk to for customer service. Are Google’s support forums for the Nexus One enough?

Google: Our support site can be found at google.com/phone/support, which has pointers to our help center, where there is lots of troubleshooting information. HTC provides telephone support for device troubleshooting and warranty, repairs, and returns. Google also offers self-help through our help center, user-to-user help through forums, and email support to customers who are unable to find answers to their questions online. T-Mobile USA also fields calls regarding their service (including service billing inquiries).

We work quickly to solve any customer support issues as they come up, and we are trying to be as open and transparent as possible through our online customer help forums. We’ll continue to address all issues in as timely of a manner as possible, and we’re flexible and prepared to make changes to our processes and tools, as necessary, for an optimal customer support experience.

Apple Working on Second Tablet That’s More Mac Than iPhone?

While it’s fun arguing about the future prospects of the Apple iPad, TechCrunch’s excellent MG Siegler has thrown a huge wrench in the works. According to one of his sources, Apple has another tablet that’s “pretty far along” in development. This one should be quite different from the iPad. Siegler wrote:

From what I’m hearing, Apple is pretty far along on work on second tablet device. A bigger one. And this one may be much more like a Mac than an iPhone.

Some of you (*cough* Smartguy *cough*) are down on the iPad because of its limitations that stem from operating in a closed an environment. This second tablet should keep tech enthusiasts and Mac power-users happy.

That said, it seems unusual that Apple would introduce this product so soon and possibly confuse the market. If the device is “pretty far along” then it’s reasonable to think that it would be launched this year. Considering how new the market is, that’s probably too soon. Why confuse customers and splinter the developer community? The counterargument is that Apple’s competition will soon release competing products that will probably lack the iPad’s refined interface but offer more versatility. Perhaps this second tablet will fend off those products.

What do you think of this rumor? Is Apple going tablet happy? What do you think the second tablet will be called? How long will it take before someone Photoshops a picture of Moses holding two Apple tablets?

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Another Case for Why the Apple iPad Will Succeed

Similar to this interesting analogy of the iPad being the Wii of personal computing is developer Ethan Nicholas’ view on Apple’s upcoming (and divisive) product. While some of you don’t like that fact that the iPad lives in a tightly controlled environment and is limited to the functions deemed acceptable by Apple, Nicholas believes this is why the system will appeal to a certain group of users. In a guest column for TechCrunch he wrote:

The iPad is a computer for people who don’t like computers. People who don’t like the idea of upgrading their 3D drivers, or adjusting their screen resolution, or installing new memory. Who don’t understand why their computer gets slower and slower the longer they own it, who have 25 icons in their system tray and have to wait ten minutes for their system to boot up every day.

It’s an excellent point that a lot of tech enthusiasts don’t consider. People forget that the iPhone didn’t succeed because of its power; it was a success because it harnessed the power of a smartphone with an incredibly refined interface that anyone could use. While the iPad is certainly more limited than a thin-and-light laptop, it’s also completely simple to use and maintain.

Now that I’ve had more time to think about it, I’m pretty sure Apple will sell millions of these things. Between people that want a simple (but powerful) computing device, tech hipsters that have to show off at Internet cafes, and Apple fanboys that will buy anything Steve Jobs sells, the iPad has a great chance at being another massive hit for Apple.

What do you think? Is the iPad Apple’s latest “insanely great” device? Or is it the second coming of Newton?

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PadCast: Tarver Games’ Chris Cross Talks iPad Game Design

Last week I chatted with Tarver Games president and co-founder Chris Cross for an RPad.tv PadCast. Cross gave me an update on what’s going on with his excellent iPhone game Ghosts Attack and his upcoming project Brickman. Naturally, I was interested to hear his thoughts on the Apple iPad as a game designer. The always entertaining Cross revealed some cool insights that will give you an idea of how iPad games will be different from their counterparts for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Check it out!

Stephen Colbert Busts Out iPad at the Grammy Awards

Stephen Colbert is awesome and funny…and apparently on the cutting edge of technology since he busted out an Apple iPad at the Grammy Awards two months before it goes on sale. Check out this video of the cute clip that boosted Colbert’s geek cred by a factor of (at least) five.

Is the iPad the Wii of Personal Computing?

Woobius CTO Daniel Tenner believes that Apple’s iPad is the personal computer for “everyone else”. Similar to how a lot of casual gamers don’t need or want the cutting edge capabilities of the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, there are consumers that will be satisfied with the novelty and modest power of the iPad. Yes, Tenner believes the iPad is the Wii of personal computing and told TechCrunch:

A better comparison is with the Nintendo Wii. While Sony and Microsoft competed in the cut-throat market of consoles for gamers, the Wii also created a new product category: consoles for everyone else. It worked pretty well for them — it turns out that there’s a lot more non-gamers than gamers, and making a device that appeals to 95% of the population sells better than making one that appeals to only 5%.

A lot of us have been looking at the iPad through nerd-tinted lenses and haven’t thought about what the iPad means to “normal” people. Tenner’s point is interesting, but I’m not sure I buy the comparison. I’m not yet convinced that the iPad has created a new product category. I shall give this more thought (because that’s what geeks do!).

What do you think? Is the iPad the Wii of personal computing?

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Apple iPad’s A4 Processor Related to Snapdragon and Tegra

One of the big surprises at Apple’s iPad unveiling is that the device uses Apple’s own silicon. A lot of people — myself included — were wondering about the design of Apple’s A4 processor and how it compares to the current batch of high-end mobile-chips (Snapdragon, Tegra, etc.). CrunchGear has the answer:

The A4 is a custom implementation of the ARM A9 processor, also found in Snapdragon (running the Nexus One) and Tegra (running the Zune HD). The difference is there is a GPU mated with the A9 in Apple’s design, probably to help offload the graphics work and keep the interface smooth.

There’s room for processor shrinks and even overclocking; the A9 has been clocked to 1GHz by everyone because it stays cool, but if Apple (or anyone) were to apply some better cooling, they could take it all the way up to 1.3GHz.

Early reports are that the iPad is so fast that it makes the iPhone 3GS look like a tortoise. With its A9 roots, this makes total sense. It will be interesting to see if Apple uses an A4 variation in the upcoming iPhone, which is expected to be announced in June.

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Second-Hand Thoughts on the Apple iPad

In the last 24 hours, I spoke to five of my friends that got their hands on Apple’s iPad. All five of them are avid iPhone users, so keep that in mind as you read their opinions. Here are their sentiments, along with my thoughts on them.

The Form Factor is Sexy and Useful — Well duh. For the most part, Apple’s products always look good. My pals said that the iPad feels great and they can see themselves using it on the couch or in bed. All five raved about the its looks, but to me it looks like another Apple product. That’s not a bad thing at all, but I have to think they’re drawn in by the newness of the iPad and Steve Jobs’ “reality distortion field”.

The Virtual Keyboard is Good — Four out of five of my friends (as opposed to dentists that recommend Trident gum) loved the virtual keyboard. They said the ample screen made typing very accurate. I’m sure that’s the case, but I can’t see typing for an extended period of time on this thing. The lack of tactile feedback is one thing, but typing on a hard surface can’t possibly be comfortable. I loathe the virtual keyboard on my (sim-less) iPhone and while I imagine that the iPad’s is better simply because of its size, I doubt that I’ll “like” it.

The good news is that one of my friends asked a rep about other wireless keyboards for the iPad and was told that any Bluetooth keyboard will work with the device. I hope that’s true.

It’s Just Like Using an iPhone — I think everyone was expecting this. On the plus side, it has the same simplicity and ease-of-use that the iPhone and iPod Touch have. The downer is it had the same limitations (no multitasking…yet) and quirks that the iPhone and iPod Touch have. When I was irked about the lack of multitasking, one of my friends said, “You do most of your work on your browser and Google Docs so why do you care?” He has a point. I could work efficiently on an iPad, but I would like multitasking and I’m sure many of you would too.

The Processor is Snappy — Continuing with the “iPad is the Mark McGwire of iPhones” theme, the device sports a zippy processor. Considering that some of the planned games and apps for the iPad are more robust than the iPhone’s, this was totally necessary. For entertainment purposes, the firepower was needed to play high-quality video at 1,024×768. Hopefully the fast processor will lead to multitasking on the iPad at a future date.

The Screen is Lovely…But Not Widescreen — As I noted yesterday, the iPad has a strange aspect ratio for this day and age. Considering it’s being positioned as a data consumption device, it’s unusual that it’s 16:9. All five of my friends at the event were puzzled by this and none of them could get a good answer.

Apple is Being Mum on VoIP — I was annoyed that only one of my friends asked if Skype would work on the iPad. It can and it should, but the communications aspect of the device were not mentioned at all. My friend that asked this question was met with a big IDK. If Apple blocks Skype on the iPad, its usefulness to me goes down by 44 percent.

No Camera? — Considering how cheap a 640×480 camera would be and how large the iPad’s bezel is, three out of five of my friends were shocked that it didn’t have a camera. It seems like it would be a great device for video chatting. I’m with you brothers!

GPS Mystery — The WiFi only models of the iPad lack any kind of GPS. The WiFi + 3G models have assisted GPS. Two of my friends asked if it had “real” GPS and were met with crickets (not actual crickets or the Disney variety).

24 hours later, the device is less interesting for me. I have an iPhone 3GS and I’m getting hooked up with a Kindle this week. The iPad is cool and beautiful, but for the price of the high-end model, I can get a pretty powerful thin-and-light notebook from Asus that would be way more useful. I do think the iPad can be a productive and entertaining device, but my bases are covered already.

So there you have it! Given the information I received from my five pals at the event, has your opinion on the iPad changed?

Apple iPad Press Conference Recap

Sadly, my bum knee and a DMV appointment has me stuck in Los Angeles instead of at the Apple press conference in San Francisco. The good news is that I’ll scour various web sites for presser information so that you don’t have to! Keep refreshing this page for current information on the iPad, iLife, iPhone 4.0, and other surprises Apple has in store.

– It’s nice to have Steve Jobs headlining the pressers again. Even reading second-hand reactions, I can tell that his followers are thrilled to have him back. He’s older and skinnier than before, but he looks pretty strong. Here’s a photo (above) from Engadget.

– Jobs goes over a bunch of retail and sales numbers. Guess what? Apple is making lots of money!

– Jobs wants to introduce a device that’s better than a laptop for somethings and better than a smartphone for other things. He disses netbooks as not being better than anything. Zing.

– It’s called the iPad! You can read/watch RPad in the iPad! Score!!! Check out the two photos below from Gizmodo.

– Things you can do on the iPad: web browse, look at photos, navigate maps, watch YouTube in HD, buy stuff from iTunes — so far it looks like the rumored “iPhone on steroids”.

– The aspect ratio looks kind of funky. From the photos, it doesn’t appear to be 16:9 or 4:3. It’s closer to the latter. I guess the designers thought the form factor was better. *shrug*

– When Jobs went to the NY Times web site, it appeared that the Flash was unavailable. Sorry N8R!

– I’m still waiting on the unique features of the iPad. So far it’s just a bigger iPhone/iPod Touch. It better have compelling original features to justify the (presumably high) price tag. (P.S. I’m sure it will have unique features. Steve is just warming it up.)

– A bunch of my friends at the event have reported that the WiFi at the venue is sucking big time. My other friends with Sprint and Verizon 3G cards are laughing at them.

– Specs! The iPad is .5 inches thin and weights 1.5 pounds. It sports a 9.7-inch IPS display with full multitouch support. It’s powered by Apple’s own silicon — a  1GHz A4 CPU. It will be available in 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB models.

– Other goodies include 802.11n WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, microphone (yay Skype!), and ten-hour battery.

– Scott Forstall has taken over the presser. He’s the VP of iPhone Software.

– Current iPhone and iPod Touch apps can be transferred to the iPad. The new SDK gives developers tools to take advantage of the iPad.

– Forstall showed off a bunch of apps, including a native Facebook app and a snowmobile game. The latter looked smooth, but rather generic. I guess it was fine for demo purposes.

– Gameloft dude shows of a native version of Nova. The larger screen and gesture controls could make for some interesting games.

– The NY Times is next. Can the iPad “save” newspapers in a way that Amazon’s Kindle couldn’t? The NY Times app looks pretty slick, but if I have to pay a subscription….

– Steve Sprang is about to show off Brushes, a popular drawing app for iPhone that’s getting the Mark McGwire treatment. I suck at art so this is  perfect time to pee.

– EA is showing off Need for Speed. It looks good, but I can’t imagine driving with finger gestures. Then again, I don’t have a license at the moment. Ha! Here’s a photo below from Gizmodo.

– Are people going to call the 64GB version of the iPad the “Maxi” Pad? Oh crap, people can refer to my longer PadCasts as MaxiPadCasts. Damn it.

– My friend Zak at 2K brought up an excellent point. Where does the virtual d-pad go?

– MLB is showing off its app. I dunno about this one. It looks kind of goofy and I love baseball.

– A-ha! Jobs has announced iBooks! This could be one of the iPad’s killer features.

– Here’s some info on IPS screens, for those of you that are interested. I’m still not sure about reading for an extended period on the iPad. E-ink is excellent for this.

– Book partners include Penguin, Harper Collins, Simon & Schuster, MacMillan, and Hachette. The iTunes Store will have a special book section. I wonder if Apple will suddenly block the Amazon Kindle app for iPhone. Ha!\

– The iPad will run iWork! Jobs asked the iWork team to develop an iPad compatible version a year ago (so he claims). A productivity suite is pretty huge.

– SVP Phil Schiller (aka Jobs’ understudy) is explaining iWorks for iPad. It must be kind of weird going from headliner to understudy…but he’s Phil, not Steve.

– So far iWork is pretty awesome, but it better be cheap for come free with the iPad. Otherwise I’d just stick to Google Apps. Btw, does anyone use Google Apps on Safari? Does it work well enough?

– Another question is how comfortable typing will be on the iPad. Wouldn’t excessive typing on a hard surface with no give lead to more repetitive-stress injuries?

– My Twitter friend Amanda just said, “If it doesn’t run flash, it can’t surf the web. It’s the iPadlock. Thanks Apple!” That cracked me up.

– Each iWork app will cost $9.99. That’s $29.97 for all three, unless there’s a bundle discount. I dunno….

– Data plans are through AT&T. It’s $29.99 for unlimited Internets and $14.99 for 250MB of Internets. You also get free AT&T WiFi for when the network craps out. The best news is that no contract is required.

– All iPad 3G models are unlocked and use microSIMs.

– Prices start at $499!!! That’s lower than most were predicting.

– If the 64GB model is priced reasonably, anyone want to buy my 32GB iPhone 3GS? Ha!!!

– Here’s the pricing chart from Engadget.

– For those of you that can’t see the chart, the 3G models cost more. For the WiFi-only models it’s $499, $599, and $699 for 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB, respectively. For the WiFi + 3G models it’s $629, $729, and $829. WiFi models are shipping in 60 days. 3G models are shipping in 90 days.

– There’s a dock/keyboard accessory. That looks incredibly useful.

– Did anyone else notice the lack of a camera? Or did I miss something? No special iChat functionality?

– I think Apple will do well with the 16GB models. They seem like great netbook alternatives (with the keyboard accessory). The 64GB model with 3G seems too expensive. At the point, just get a MacBook, no? Anyway, I’m going to give it more thought and write something about it all later. For now, I’m going to jump into the comments section with you guys!