Google announces new Nexus phones, new Chromecasts for video and audio and an enticing convertible Android tablet. Tom Merritt and Patrick Beja discuss.
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Show Notes
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To answer your question as to why use an Android tablet. As a MS Office experience you get a better overall experience on an Android compared with Windows 10. I use both Nexus 7.2 vs Lenovo thinkpad 8.3. W10 is almost excellent however SwiftKey on Android is superior. Windows flips into old world windows from time to time, and the tablet interface is arbitrarily dumbed down e.g. Windows Explorer.
Yes, but if SwiftKey is the advantage then the Pixel C isn’t the answer since it’s main advantage is uspporting a physical keyboard.
In todays podcast Patrick made a brief comment that the Microsoft Surface was more expensive than the Pixel C. The Pixel C is a direct competitor with the Surface 3 (non pro). The Surface 3 64 GB model costs $499, the same as the Pixel C 32 GB model. The Surface 3 128 GB is $599, again the same as the Pixel C 64 GB model. The keyboards are $129 for the Surface 3, and $150 for the Pixel C. Then with the Surface 3 you have the Pen, which isn’t included like with the Surface Pro, for an additional $50. The cost between the two is nearly identical. So you’re either looking at $20 less or $30 more depending on if you want the Surface Pen or not.
I understand people wanting to stay in a specific ecosystem. I like Android OS, my smartphones and tablets have always been Android. I’m not saying the Surface 3 is the better device. It’s great to see more competition dropping into this form factor. However it’s important to note that the Pixel C is in direct competition with the Surface 3. While the iPad Pro is in direct competition with the Surface Pro 3 (with the Surface Pro 4 probably announced next week)
By direct competition I assume you mean the Surface 3’s screen size is the same as the Pixel C and the iPad Pro’s screen size is the same as the Surface Pro 3. I personally don’t see the Surface as a competitor for either, since Surface has a full OS not a tablet OS.
But you’re correct that the 10-inch Surface is cost comparable to the Pixel C not more expensive.
I have to know out of what dusty closet you guys found Dr. Sbaitso hiding all these years.
Someone just sent that in to us. Or maybe Dr. Sbaitso did.
Tom I am excited by the Nexuses (nexi??) for a couple of reasons. Google positioned the phone as premium and for the first time compared features of a Nexus phone directly with the iphone. They never did that before as the Nexus phones were always considered phones for developers and hardcore Android fans. Its still operates a reference hardware but it seemed as a change in tone. Also The camera dude, as the owner of 3 previous Nexus phones we always got the short end of the stick when it came to cameras, they were good enough not great and based on what was said yesterday it seems that we can finally check off that box. Sure it didn’t have 3d touch but its faster, more powerful has a fingerprint reader, better camera, usb C and the Android sensor hub https://youtu.be/Jc-LEG0T_4c?t=1167. To borrow a tag line from a competitor, the only thing that has changed about the Nexus is everything.