4 ms·

I suspect the lack of a 3G/LTE option is a power play on Google's part. One of the biggest failings of Android thus far is the poor distribution of updates, and

I suspect the lack of a 3G/LTE option is a power play on Google's part. One of the biggest failings of Android thus far is the poor distribution of updates, and carriers do not help the situation. Without a modem Google controls 100% of the user's experience, with a modem they're subject to the whims of AT&T, Verizon, et al. I'd be very, very happy if Google wrested some control back, it might mean sane support and updates for future Android devices.

mgkimsal 14y ago
Which... I don't get. Just because my PC came with a modem 15 years ago didn't mean I was tied to AOL, Compuserve or the local ISP. I gasp bought my service from whoever I wanted. Yes, a cell modem would add more to the cost, but a contract free 7" google-updated android tablet with 3g that I could use on multiple carriers, unlocked... what's not to like about that?
- stcredzero 14y ago
  Just because my PC came with a modem 15 years ago didn't mean I was tied to AOL, Compuserve or the local ISP. I gasp bought my service from whoever I wanted. You do realize that there were laws protecting your right and ability to do that? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_System_divestiture http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_System_divestiture
  - wickedchicken 14y ago
    Hell, there were laws that had to be passed just to let you hook a modem in: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carterfone#Landmark_regulatory_decision http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carterfone#Landmark_regulatory_... Before this, you could only hook in an AT&T phone into the jack, and you had to rent that from AT&T.
  - Karunamon 14y ago
    They don't work too well on anything aside from GSM networks. some CDMA carriers (coughverizoncough) have this nasty habit of refusing to activate anything they don't sell. A practice I'm not exactly sure how it isn't against the law.
- bmelton 14y ago
  Your old modem-based ISPs all used the same plug. Cell carriers each have slightly differing radio frequencies. They would have to sell "Works with AT&T", "Works with Sprint", "Works with T-Mobile" versions all separately, as they all use different radio frequencies. The alternative is to build a mega-radio (or perhaps cluster of radios) to support all the carriers, but that adds weight and significant cost, and won't work with whatever new carrier comes out tomorrow anyway.
  - JoshTriplett 14y ago
    > They would have to sell "Works with AT&T", "Works with Sprint", "Works with T-Mobile" versions all separately, as they all use different radio frequencies. No, you only need two versions: "Works with all GSM carriers" (with frequencies to support 3G/4G on AT&T, T-Mobile, and almost every other carrier in the world) and "Works with all CDMA carriers" (Sprint, Verizon, etc). And for a first pass, you can ignore the latter entirely. At this point, most decent smartphones come with a quad-band or pentaband radio.
    - fluidcruft 14y ago
      Most decent smartphones also seem to cost significantly more than $200...
    - snotrockets 14y ago
      Not really. AT&T uses different bands than T-Mobile, which both uses different bands than European carriers, which differ from Korean carriers. It is only recently that you can find penta-band UMTS phones that gives you 3G on GSM providers in all the continents.
- shalmanese 14y ago
  The problem is, apart from T-mobile, other mobile carriers don't incentivize you to BYO phone. It's buy a $600 phone for $99 and be locked into a 2 year, $70 a month contract or BYO phone and be on a $70 month to month contract. With BYO, you're effectively giving the carrier an extra $20 a month due to lack of subsidy. Other countries have much saner systems where BYO plans are $20 a month cheaper.
  - kelnos 14y ago
    It continues to baffle me that more people don't use T-Mobile. Yes, their network isn't quite as solid or blind-spot-free as AT&T's or Verizon's, but you can save so much money on T-Mobile. Hell, it's often more cost-effective to get a subsidized phone on T-Mo with a 2-year contract, then immediately cancel the contract, pay the cancellation fee, and switch to a $20/mo-less no-contract plan. Back when the Nexus One came out, it was $579 to buy it outright, or $179/$279 to buy with a 2-year contract (depending on if you were an existing customer or not). Buy on contract, cancel, pay the $200 cancellation fee, and just then you're already $200/$100 ahead. Then consider you have 24 months on a plan that costs $20 less each month than it would under contract, and that's $480 saved, not to mention the freedom of not being tied to a carrier for those two years if you do decide you want to move. And as a bonus, T-Mo is very tether-friendly. They'll throttle you if you transfer more than some amount of data per month (which I've found to be a non-issue in my personal use), but otherwise they don't care what you do with the data connection.
  - ek 14y ago
    There are a lot of excellent MVNOs worth considering, that don't try to screw over customers and still allow you the benefits of access to a large cell network. Red Pocket, for example, is an AT&T MVNO oriented towards Asian-American customers, and they have a bunch of plans that are very inexpensive while still providing reasonable amounts of service. If I had not received a Galaxy Nexus for free at Google I/O, I would have likely purchased a device for $350 from Google and then activated it on Red Pocket or some other GSM MVNO. It's important to realize that often, prices like $600 for a smartphone are deliberately inflated for the sake of encouraging people to sign their money away on cell phone contracts. This is illustrated by the fact that the Galaxy Nexus, a relatively high-end device, is available absolutely unsubsidized, for $350.

mgkimsal 14y ago

Which... I don't get. Just because my PC came with a modem 15 years ago didn't mean I was tied to AOL, Compuserve or the local ISP. I gasp bought my service from whoever I wanted. Yes, a cell modem would add more to the cost, but a contract free 7" google-updated android tablet with 3g that I could use on multiple carriers, unlocked... what's not to like about that?

stcredzero 14y ago
Just because my PC came with a modem 15 years ago didn't mean I was tied to AOL, Compuserve or the local ISP. I gasp bought my service from whoever I wanted. You do realize that there were laws protecting your right and ability to do that? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_System_divestiture http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_System_divestiture
- wickedchicken 14y ago
  Hell, there were laws that had to be passed just to let you hook a modem in: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carterfone#Landmark_regulatory_decision http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carterfone#Landmark_regulatory_... Before this, you could only hook in an AT&T phone into the jack, and you had to rent that from AT&T.
- Karunamon 14y ago
  They don't work too well on anything aside from GSM networks. some CDMA carriers (coughverizoncough) have this nasty habit of refusing to activate anything they don't sell. A practice I'm not exactly sure how it isn't against the law.
bmelton 14y ago
Your old modem-based ISPs all used the same plug. Cell carriers each have slightly differing radio frequencies. They would have to sell "Works with AT&T", "Works with Sprint", "Works with T-Mobile" versions all separately, as they all use different radio frequencies. The alternative is to build a mega-radio (or perhaps cluster of radios) to support all the carriers, but that adds weight and significant cost, and won't work with whatever new carrier comes out tomorrow anyway.
- JoshTriplett 14y ago
  > They would have to sell "Works with AT&T", "Works with Sprint", "Works with T-Mobile" versions all separately, as they all use different radio frequencies. No, you only need two versions: "Works with all GSM carriers" (with frequencies to support 3G/4G on AT&T, T-Mobile, and almost every other carrier in the world) and "Works with all CDMA carriers" (Sprint, Verizon, etc). And for a first pass, you can ignore the latter entirely. At this point, most decent smartphones come with a quad-band or pentaband radio.
  - fluidcruft 14y ago
    Most decent smartphones also seem to cost significantly more than $200...
  - snotrockets 14y ago
    Not really. AT&T uses different bands than T-Mobile, which both uses different bands than European carriers, which differ from Korean carriers. It is only recently that you can find penta-band UMTS phones that gives you 3G on GSM providers in all the continents.
shalmanese 14y ago
The problem is, apart from T-mobile, other mobile carriers don't incentivize you to BYO phone. It's buy a $600 phone for $99 and be locked into a 2 year, $70 a month contract or BYO phone and be on a $70 month to month contract. With BYO, you're effectively giving the carrier an extra $20 a month due to lack of subsidy. Other countries have much saner systems where BYO plans are $20 a month cheaper.
- kelnos 14y ago
  It continues to baffle me that more people don't use T-Mobile. Yes, their network isn't quite as solid or blind-spot-free as AT&T's or Verizon's, but you can save so much money on T-Mobile. Hell, it's often more cost-effective to get a subsidized phone on T-Mo with a 2-year contract, then immediately cancel the contract, pay the cancellation fee, and switch to a $20/mo-less no-contract plan. Back when the Nexus One came out, it was $579 to buy it outright, or $179/$279 to buy with a 2-year contract (depending on if you were an existing customer or not). Buy on contract, cancel, pay the $200 cancellation fee, and just then you're already $200/$100 ahead. Then consider you have 24 months on a plan that costs $20 less each month than it would under contract, and that's $480 saved, not to mention the freedom of not being tied to a carrier for those two years if you do decide you want to move. And as a bonus, T-Mo is very tether-friendly. They'll throttle you if you transfer more than some amount of data per month (which I've found to be a non-issue in my personal use), but otherwise they don't care what you do with the data connection.
- ek 14y ago
  There are a lot of excellent MVNOs worth considering, that don't try to screw over customers and still allow you the benefits of access to a large cell network. Red Pocket, for example, is an AT&T MVNO oriented towards Asian-American customers, and they have a bunch of plans that are very inexpensive while still providing reasonable amounts of service. If I had not received a Galaxy Nexus for free at Google I/O, I would have likely purchased a device for $350 from Google and then activated it on Red Pocket or some other GSM MVNO. It's important to realize that often, prices like $600 for a smartphone are deliberately inflated for the sake of encouraging people to sign their money away on cell phone contracts. This is illustrated by the fact that the Galaxy Nexus, a relatively high-end device, is available absolutely unsubsidized, for $350.