Another Damn Apple Post?
When I started Backingin.com last December, I had no intention of creating an Apple blog (pro or con), but after a couple of months, "Apple" is the largest tag in the 'tag cloud'. As I stated in my first post, Backingin.com will become what it wants to become, and lately my thoughts are dominated by technology. So, staying with the tech theme, I read with interest today that Apple is suing HTC for patent infringement. HTC is one of the largest manufacturers of cellphones and the maker of the Google Nexus One smartphone. Apple is claiming that HTC violated 20 iPhone patents.
There seems to be three dogs in this fight. One one side, there are those who think it is long overdue that Apple started defending themselves against intellectual property theft. On the other side is a group that believes Apple is acting like the new Microsoft by using the courts to try to intimidate any real competition to the iPhone. Then there are those who believe that all technology companies have lost their minds and sold their souls by using patents as weapons. Place me firmly in the third camp.
The patent battles have become ridiculous. Apple and Nokia have been trading barbs over who infringed on who's patents for the past few months. According to an article on CNet's News.com, Nokia claims that Apple infringed on seven Nokia patents "in virtually all of its mobile phones, portable music players, and computers." I don't know who is right and who is wrong is this case, and I believe that patents are necessary to protect your company's technology, but the current state of patent litigation mania will only hurt one party: the consumer.
Nexus D’oh! II
It looks like my concern that the Google Nexus One would supplant the Motorola Droid as the top Android phone was unfounded (in sales at least). According to an article on Gizmodo, the Nexus One only sold 20,000 units during the first week of sales and 80,000 in the first month. Compare those numbers to the Droid: 250,000 in the first week and 525,000 in the first month of sales! Only the original iPhone beats the Droid at 350,000 and 600,000.
I guess the lesson learned here is: you have to advertise your products! Apple and Motorola/Verizon inundated television with commercials for their phones. Google’s marketing plan so far is to have text and image ads all over the web via Google AdWords/AdSense. Combine the lack of television advertising with the fact that you can only purchase the Nexus One through Google.com, and you have a recipe for disaster. You can go to any Apple or AT&T store and hold an iPhone in your hands, or you can visit the Verizon store for a demo of the Droid. Being able to actually use an expensive product before purchase means a lot. Not to mention that stores and salespeople have a vested interest in making you buy their phone. When Verizon or AT&T gets you in their store, they can do the hard sell, and they can up-sell you service plans and accessories. When you go to google.com/phone, you will see an awesome demo of the Nexus One, but all you have to do is close your browser when you've had enough.
Selling consumer electronics is not like launching Google Maps. The Nexus One can’t be in ‘beta’ for 3 years. If Google search goes down, so what? Users will switch over to Yahoo! or Bing. If a user’s Nexus One locks up, they are going to want immediate customer service. When you shell out a couple hundred bucks for a phone and it doesn’t work, you’re not going to be too pleased with searching a support forum for answers.
Unless Google finds a partner to help them sell and service the Nexus One (T-Mobile is the Nexus One network, but they don’t provide customer sales or support), the Motorola Droid will continue to be the Android top dog (until the next big think comes along in about 10 minutes ).
Buyers Remorse
To some extent, I always regret what I purchase. As much as I may love the item, parting with my hard-earned cash always takes a toll on me. As a result, I am VERY critical of every good and service that I purchase. I wouldn't have it any other way. When you buy a car, rent a DVD, or dine out at a fancy restaurant you have not only purchased that good or service, you have also purchased the right to bitch about it!
I have noticed that some people never negatively criticize something they have purchased, a sports team they follow, or anything on which they have spent money, time, or energy. I assume that they subconsciously feel that their choice of purchase reflects on them to a very large degree. Not me. I'll tell you straight up that I purchased a Chrysler PT Cruiser in 2002, and it was the biggest piece of crap that I've ever owned, but others would never admit it. They would defend the Cruiser and tell you how great it is despite their deep hatred for the car. This mentality is completely foreign to me. What's the use of being alive if you can't complain about living?!
If you are a regular reader of BackingIn, you know that I'm a Microsoft enthusiast, but don't get me started on how much I hate Microsoft Outlook. I live for the New York Mets, but I could do a thesis on why they suck out loud. I bought a 2009Volkswagen Rabbit, and it is a great car, but it gets horrendous gas mileage and the fit and finish are sub-par. I own a Motorola Droid, and it is way cool, but rest assured, I will give you a true assessment of it below.
Nexus D’oh!
I owned the hottest Android-based smartphone for exactly 33 days. Today, Google announced the Nexus One Android phone. Google created (now administered by Open Handset Alliance) the free, open-source smartphone operating system, called Android. Multiple phone manufactures build Android-based smartphones, but Google stayed out of the hardware business until now. I own the Motorola Droid. Motorola has a massive marketing campaign pitting the Droid against Apple’s iPhone, and by the reaction of my friends to my new phone, it appears that the marketing is paying off. People know the Droid, and it selling very well. Technology moves very fast, and I knew that I wouldn’t have the leading-edge phone for very long, but 33 days?!
Google will really blow the wind out of Motorola’s sales with the Nexus One. The Nexus One is thinner, faster, and has a better screen than the Droid (and the iPhone!). Nexus also has specific hardware and software features like 3D and voice to text for all input fields. Not to mention, that when people think about the iPhone’s biggest competition from now on, it will be the Nexus One.
