Google Changes Tack on Android

Oh I hope this is true.<p>I sit here seven months after Google released the source to ICS, and still the T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy S II has not been upgraded to Android 4.0, and today the rumor is it will be at least another month before TMo and Samsung can get their act together.<p>Android may have lots of Google induced issues, but it certainly seems that 90% of the issues most users have comes from terrible carrier bloatware and infrequent, late, or just never occurring carrier updates.

A few weeks ago, I bought an HTC One S unsubsidised from T-Mobile. The cost? $599. Friends thought I was crazy. You can get it for $199 on monthly contract! But do you know how much I pay per month? $30. For unlimited texts, web and 100 minutes of calls. I'll make up the difference within months.<p>If Google can make this kind of thing easier, I'm all for it.

Credit for acknowleding their mistake, but man it took a long time for Google to stop mutilating their own feet with the flagship phone crap and lip servicing AOSP, forcing manufacturers to add sizzle to compete.

It should be interesting to see what a product sold to consumers rather than wireless carriers will look like. My guess is that they will be less expensive and have less bullet-point features; carriers need expensive phones to justify an expensive ETF (and cost to switch), but consumers just want to buy something inexpensive and replace it in a year or so.

I bought a Galaxy Nexus from Google about a week ago for $399 from Google Play. Completely worth it, as it's unlocked and it runs pure ICS and will be updated whenever Google releases an update.

if i remember correctly, this was the original vision for android. the nexus one (thanks bgentry) was initially only sold through google's online store, and then the carriers got it and eventually google shut down their online store. It's good to see google taking back some control.<p>between google and apple surely there is enough influence that together they can bully the carriers into sucking less.

The main problem here is consumers don't want to pay $400 when they can pay $200. If they're going to stick with their carrier for the long haul the 2 yr contract isn't really a problem. It comes down to upfront cost and the carrier will always win at that game.

Does this mean Verizon and Sprint will never get another Nexus? I don't know if the concept of "unlocked" means anything on their SIM-less networks.

Google as a MVNO coming up in 3...2...