3 ms·

They should brick the cell modem's firmware and sell them for ~$200 as iPod Touch competitors.

by blasdel 17y ago

ars 17y ago
I actually plan to use it that way - without any cell or cell data service. I haven't bought it yet though, I'm hoping someone else will try it first and let me know if it works.
kylec 17y ago
Why? From what I can tell the Nexus One's primary strengths are its integration with GMail, Google Voice, its large screen (for web browsing), and the turn-by-turn navigation app. All of which would be much less useful without a cell network data connection. The places where it lags behind are precisely where the iPod Touch is leagues ahead - the App Store, the music/video player, the integration with iTunes, etc. I'd even briefly considered getting a Nexus One for the aforementioned strengths and using my iPhone as a glorified iPod Touch for the weaknesses. I can't imagine why anyone would want to do it the other way around.
rms 17y ago
I also thought that after some guy's post asking for a $150 Android phone with no cell connection. I wonder how cheaply one could be manufactured by someone that wasn't Google or an existing manufacturer. I wouldn't want to get in a business trying to compete with Apple based on price alone though. Maybe if your handset completely supported Google Voice for unlimited minutes over a T-Mobile prepaid data only SIM card for $30/month but I'm not sure if the carriers and Google would allow you to do that.
- daeken 17y ago
  No need to manufacture it yourself. There are dozens of phones/media players on Alibaba which can be purchased cheaply and hacked to your heart's content. I actually considered picking up one of the existing Linux ones and making it run Android, then reselling it. You can get decent hardware from there for $100 for a single unit, even cheaper if you do it in bulk (even 10 units in certain cases).
  - rms 17y ago
    Does anyone think that a viable business exists here? Happy to explore it with people via email.
    - daeken 17y ago
      I'd be interested in working on it. I think it'd be low cost to get it up and going; even if it doesn't work, you're out a few hundred bucks in dev units and a few weeks' work. The biggest problem, IMO, is finding a vendor that will dropship pre-flashed units to customers. If you can find that, the rest is cake. It's considerably more expensive if you have to have the units shipped to some central facility for flashing before they hit the doorstep.
joubert 17y ago
Does it have WiFi like the iPod touch does?
- Zaak 17y ago
  yes

They should brick the cell modem's firmware and sell them for ~$200 as iPod Touch competitors.

by blasdel 17y ago

They should brick the cell modem's firmware and sell them for ~$200 as iPod Touch competitors.

ars 17y ago

I actually plan to use it that way - without any cell or cell data service. I haven't bought it yet though, I'm hoping someone else will try it first and let me know if it works.

kylec 17y ago

Why? From what I can tell the Nexus One's primary strengths are its integration with GMail, Google Voice, its large screen (for web browsing), and the turn-by-turn navigation app. All of which would be much less useful without a cell network data connection. The places where it lags behind are precisely where the iPod Touch is leagues ahead - the App Store, the music/video player, the integration with iTunes, etc. I'd even briefly considered getting a Nexus One for the aforementioned strengths and using my iPhone as a glorified iPod Touch for the weaknesses. I can't imagine why anyone would want to do it the other way around.

rms 17y ago

I also thought that after some guy's post asking for a $150 Android phone with no cell connection. I wonder how cheaply one could be manufactured by someone that wasn't Google or an existing manufacturer. I wouldn't want to get in a business trying to compete with Apple based on price alone though. Maybe if your handset completely supported Google Voice for unlimited minutes over a T-Mobile prepaid data only SIM card for $30/month but I'm not sure if the carriers and Google would allow you to do that.

daeken 17y ago
No need to manufacture it yourself. There are dozens of phones/media players on Alibaba which can be purchased cheaply and hacked to your heart's content. I actually considered picking up one of the existing Linux ones and making it run Android, then reselling it. You can get decent hardware from there for $100 for a single unit, even cheaper if you do it in bulk (even 10 units in certain cases).
- rms 17y ago
  Does anyone think that a viable business exists here? Happy to explore it with people via email.
  - daeken 17y ago
    I'd be interested in working on it. I think it'd be low cost to get it up and going; even if it doesn't work, you're out a few hundred bucks in dev units and a few weeks' work. The biggest problem, IMO, is finding a vendor that will dropship pre-flashed units to customers. If you can find that, the rest is cake. It's considerably more expensive if you have to have the units shipped to some central facility for flashing before they hit the doorstep.

joubert 17y ago

Does it have WiFi like the iPod touch does?

Zaak 17y ago
yes