Why I won't be buying the Nexus 6

 

That title hurts. For two years I've been luxuriating in the power and simplicity of my glorious Nexus 4. So impressive is that device that my brother made the transition from iPhone to Android in order to pick up the Nexus 5 a year later. My daughter enjoys using her Nexus 7, another fantastic budget device with a big engine under the sleek black hood.

And now I'm turning my back on the Nexus line ...



I may have mentioned in my previous blog that I've been saving up for the Motorola Nexus 6 for the last two months. I've sold my watch for £70, a desk for £100, cycling shoes for a poxy £30 (he got a bargain), an Apple Bluetooth Keyboard for £30, a Carom board for £15, a saddle for £30, a padded shirt for £5 (arms were too short anyhow) and a spreadsheet of other items all in order to buy the Nexus 6. I knew it was going to be expensive. I knew it would probably cost £400, maybe even £440.

And then the bombshell landed. Google were going mainstream. They were pimping out their flagship to the UK market for £500! F@ck ..... that.

I'm sorry Google, but you've got to hear this. You don't wander the streets of our global civilization peddling your wares like some new drug dealer in town. You don't get us hooked on your brand with budget flagship devices before SCREWING us over later down the line!!!! What the hell were you thinking? You are a very wealthy company. You're ethos behind the Nexus line was laudable and well executed. Yes we compromised on cameras and speakers, but the build quality was above par and the tech was generally superb.

Releasing the Nexus 6 is a misrepresentation of your brand. You should have gone Project Silver, or called it the Google Phone or something. Calling the new Motorola bohemoth a Nexus 6 has disappointed a loyal and very g33ky following. The size wasn't a particularly major issue to me, it's the sheer expense of one device that turned me off.

And whilst we're on betrayal, take a look at Motorola and ask yourself Google. Why is your Nexus 6 so slow to make it to the marketplace? What's the big issue with supply and demand? From my armchair, several thousand miles away, it appears that Motorola built you a phone and then started churning out Droid Turbo's as fast as they could. A slightly smaller and equally powerful device with a battery on board that could probably power the Millenium Falcon. Could it be that Motorola are making it difficult for you Google? I'm sure they wouldn't be telling you they're being obstructive and slow in producing your Nexus 6, but if you look at the marketplace right now, they seem to have grabbed a BIG chunk with the Moto X and the Droid Turbo and the Google flagship is a competitor.

Anyway, back to your betrayal of me Google. Let's not forget who you designed these phones for in the first place. Someone in your company noticed that when Google create their developer device with which to test their operating systems on, it could also be released unto the public without the extraneous and expensive frilly bits. The Nexus phones were like racing cars. There was no leather trim, no excess features, fuel economy sucked. The experience was raw naked Android, and they rocketed ahead of the competition for a time.

This year promised to be a more refined experience. We would be getting some upholstery to cut it with the big boys. The camera would mix it with the best Android can offer (I still think Apple have the edge on photography). The speakers would be dual .... stereo (Oh God I wanted those dual stereo speakers!). Still pure Android with a merest whiff of some good elements from other manufactures devices (kudos to the double tap to wake). And so I waited, selling my precious belongings like a man in a hot air balloon trying desperately to clear an oncoming mountain.

Well, I cleared the mountain. I actually sold £500 worth of stuff. And all within a week of release. In theory, that release has now been put back to today. However, I don't care. Why not? Because I'm not buying the Goddam Nexus 6. I'm not buying into this shit. Why the hell should I pay that much cash for something so insignificantly better than other devices on the market?

My Nexus 4 still cooks on gas for daily use. I browse the net, sell stuff on eBay, message on Whatsapp, take photos and connect with my friends and family. The phone is still perfectly adequate. The reason I want to upgrade is because the screen size just isn't productive enough for my requirements. I want to write more and I don't want to squint. My theory is to have a device large enough to use as a tablet, with a great camera, that is a pleasure to use. Now, we all love new stuff and Lollipop is coming in the next few days (today officially, according to the unofficial rumours, but there are no over-excited posts on Android forums proclaiming that Lollipop has arrived). Which got me ruminating. How could I justify spending £500 on a freaking phone?

The answer was fairly simple, but fraught with risk. I wouldn't buy one device, I'd buy two! For the price of a Nexus 6 I can buy a 2nd Gen Nexus 7 and a Oneplus One!

Why get the Nexus 7? Simples. It's got a lovely big screen perfectly suited to working on documents (with my bluetooth keyboard) and watching movies in the bedroom ... yes ... movies. And I get the Oneplus One in order to take great photographs and cyanogenmod to play with the OS. Cyanogenmod does something no Nexus has ever been able to do. It allows you to literally reinvent your interface with the OPO. This means your daily driver never gets tired and boring.

 

So, after an abortive purchase of a "perfect" Nexus 7 from a guy in the UK over eBay (which was covered in scratches), I was reimbursed and I purchased a refurb model for £100. The refurb came without any manuals but the unit and charger were both brand new. I'm super happy with this purchase. Bearing in mind the Nexus 6 would have cost me £500 I must add that my daughter broke her cheap phone this week. Popping onto eBay I was able to buy her a Nexus 4 (which arrived looking brand new minus a small scratch on the back) for £100.

So I've got a Nexus 7, my daughter has a Nexus 4 and I am about to order my OnePlus One. Total cost, including cases is £495. Three devices for the price of a Nexus 6! BOOM! What can I say, just because something is branded with your favourite logo it doesn't mean you have to slavishly follow it into uncomfortable territory. Ok, so I'm not turning my back on the Google Nexus line, just the expensive stuff.

I'm really looking forward to my OPO, I shall review it here when it lands. All I need now is an invite...