2018 Q4 Handset releases: what are we looking forward to and will we get it in NZ?

Forums › Android › 2018 Q4 Handset releases: what are we looking forward to and will we get it in NZ?

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Geektastic

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#2075892 19-Aug-2018 19:38

sbiddle:

Geektastic:

Agreed. I think the biggest thing that needs 'fixing' in Android is the software aspect. It seems to me to be about time for Google to say "You can't use our software anymore unless you comply with our update schedules on time, every time."

If only..

One of the aspects I still love about Sony is their updates. You know when you get a Sony phone (except if you buy an operator branded device in NZ where you may get updates if you're lucky) that you'll get two years worth of updates and monthly security fixes for it.

This in itself is great, except for the fact once two years comes around you're essentially forgotten about.

My Xperia XZ is now two years old and is still a great handset that is perfectly capable of running Pie except Sony aren't going to bother since the handset is now around 5 generations old since they release flagship handsets 2 x per year.

I don't want to upgrade and apart from a better camera there is absolutely nothing in the current XZ2 that makes me want to fork out money on a new handset except for the fact I'll need to do so simply to keep updates happening.

That is indeed it in a nutshell. At the very least, Google should require handset makers to state unequivocally up front how long updates and so on can be expected.

dafman

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#2075893 19-Aug-2018 19:38

I had a look at PB Wellington today at some of the handsets not offered by Spark/Voda.

First, the LG G7, the phone looked and felt great, and has outstanding audio which is important to me. My only concern, it's running Android 8, how long would you have to wait for Android P?

Next was Oneplus 6. The hardware feels and looks great as well, as the interface is great, and it will be one of the quicker updates to Android P. Tempting, but no SD support.

But what really grabbed my attention was the Nokia Android One offerings. These phones are really well built, and I much prefer the metal build to the glass backs on the G7 and Oneplus. Not too keen on the bezels, don't know much about the cameras - but I reckon I won't have to wait too long for Nokia to sort out both in the very near future. And much more palatable pricing.

sbiddle

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#2075907 19-Aug-2018 20:30

It's going to be very interesting to see what Nokia launch this week and whether it ends up being my new phone. The fact they're managing to shift handsets when others can't shows how much power the Nokia brand still has.

mrgsm021

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#2075938 19-Aug-2018 21:42

I'd be keen to see the announcement of Huawei Mate 20 series, having been using the Mate 10 Pro for the last few months, the rumoured Kirin 980 CPU sounds like a beast of a performer due to its 7nm manufacturing process.

Geektastic

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#2075951 19-Aug-2018 22:06

sbiddle:

It's going to be very interesting to see what Nokia launch this week and whether it ends up being my new phone. The fact they're managing to shift handsets when others can't shows how much power the Nokia brand still has.

I do wonder, though, whether much of that brand power is restricted to those of us old enough to have grown up with their phones everywhere you looked? After all, at one point, there was almost no other realistic choice. The best phone I have ever had was, I think, the Nokia 7110, a 4G version of which I would be all over like a rash. It was a nicer phone IMO than the 8110 Matrix.

Nowadays, several generations have grown up with dozens of manufacturers to choose from and they probably just say "Nokia who?" in the same way they look at marvels like Nakamichi Dragon cassette decks as the equivalent of Edison wax cylinders...!

matisyahu

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#2075960 20-Aug-2018 02:35

Geektastic:

sbiddle:

It's going to be very interesting to see what Nokia launch this week and whether it ends up being my new phone. The fact they're managing to shift handsets when others can't shows how much power the Nokia brand still has.

I do wonder, though, whether much of that brand power is restricted to those of us old enough to have grown up with their phones everywhere you looked? After all, at one point, there was almost no other realistic choice. The best phone I have ever had was, I think, the Nokia 7110, a 4G version of which I would be all over like a rash. It was a nicer phone IMO than the 8110 Matrix.

Nowadays, several generations have grown up with dozens of manufacturers to choose from and they probably just say "Nokia who?" in the same way they look at marvels like Nakamichi Dragon cassette decks as the equivalent of Edison wax cylinders...!

I see people buying them when they're give helpful advice - the question is whether those in the store are steering them in a particular direction because of the 'well trodden path' of Samsung due to unfamiliarity with Nokia. My mum and my work colleague both have Nokia 6 and they both love the experience - none of the features that they don't need, everything is fast and reliable, great reception and great battery life.

I think the interesting thing will be if there is the release of the rumoured flag ship Nokia 9 phone then it would definitely be the icing on the cake if it were running Android One - the question is whether the carriers are going to train staff to educate customers but I wouldn't be too hopeful based on my experience in the past.

"When the people are being beaten with a stick, they are not much happier if it is called 'the People's Stick'"

sbiddle

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#2075978 20-Aug-2018 07:27

I would quite simply never buy a Huawei. Beautiful hardware that performs well but their aggressive power saving methods that continually shut down background apps are a nightmare. Building their own charging standard means things won't with any of the USB-C PD or QC3.0 desktop chargers or powerbanks I have.

I see Nokia being on the verge of being great again and hope they can pull it off.

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mrgsm021

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#2076105 20-Aug-2018 11:11

sbiddle:

I would quite simply never buy a Huawei. Beautiful hardware that performs well but their aggressive power saving methods that continually shut down background apps are a nightmare. Building their own charging standard means things won't with any of the USB-C PD or QC3.0 desktop chargers or powerbanks I have.

Yeah, having both GS8+ and Mate 10 Pro I've had to buy charger that are both PD/QC 2.0/3.0 as well as support for Huawei FCP fast charging and separate 5A cables for the Huawei.

NikT

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#2078086 23-Aug-2018 18:29

Finally have a chance to jump into this, it's been a busy week. Bundles of fun you might say.

I am looking forward to seeing new products from:

Huawei
OnePlus
Motorola
Google
Nokia
Apple
Oppo

sbiddle:

One of the problems with launching a handset in NZ is sales volumes. By the time a company submits a handset for approval and builds firmware for the operator (remembering that firmware operator is critical for the handset to work correctly including features such as carrier aggregation) they could well find themselves in the situation where they may only sell a couple of thousand handsets for the year which doesn't necessarily make them profitable.

Exactly this. Even without the market-specific firmware piece, NZ volumes as a whole are tiny. We benefit from this in some ways mind you, it's partly why we have a greater selection available here than in many other countries - Australia included.

Also ends up becoming a tradeoff between localised software and rapid updates due to this scale.

Bring on VoLTE et al mucking up the open market even further etc.

The 'new firmware for each telco' piece is per-brand rather than anything Google has done at the core. Huawei have solved this best and now only ship one software build per model in NZ rather than three. Their open market dual SIM devices run the same software as all others sold throughout APAC and as such receive updates in line with the rest of those markets.

Geektastic:

Agreed. I think the biggest thing that needs 'fixing' in Android is the software aspect. It seems to me to be about time for Google to say "You can't use our software anymore unless you comply with our update schedules on time, every time."

To my mind the biggest issue is that Google is not (publicly, anyway) sharing Play Store or ad revenue with device manufacturers. Without an ongoing revenue model, the money to pay for a device's support lifecycle has to be upfront in one chunk. This just isn't sustainable. Software updates, testing, and certification all cost actual money which has to come from somewhere, and when Google, Apple, and Microsoft all have ongoing revenue models to sustain this, it leaves the rest of them to foot the bills.

Geektastic:

I think there will be a One Plus 6T coming as well?

Unfortunately, I did not manage to get the G7 issue on PB Tech's website resolved today so I'll see what I can do about that on Monday.

Sorry about that one, turned out to be a bug with the way the selection of the headphone colours is set up. Drop a line to the team at procurement@pbtech.co.nz if you're still keen - although without putting too fine a point on it, I might suggest waiting a week. :)

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Smartphones @ PB Tech | Headphones @ PB Tech

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