"Nexus 6 is too big for right now, but right sized for the future"
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| Image Source: http://i-cdn.phonearena.com/images/articles/ 146377-image/Google-Nexus-6-unboxing.jpg |
As for me, I think that this same basic idea is the problem that Android has always had to deal with.
One of the beauties of Android is that there are multiple OEM's that use it as an operating system on their devices, so we see many iterations of devices every year. Manufacturers compete with their own previous models and also with each other in order to produce the best devices (or the ones that sell the best). This leads to a much more rapid rate of improvement over companies that control the hardware and the software of their devices (Blackberry, Apple). I attribute the rapid rate of improvement in Android since Gingerbread to this rapid iteration of devices.
The problem, though, is that this rapid iteration doesn't always end up like manufacturers intend. For example, NFC has been essentially standard in Android phones for years, but only now are we starting to see the potential of a real mainstream roll-out or adoption of the technology. Qi wireless charging has been available on many Android phones for years, and it still isn't really being adopted on the mass market. I fear the same thing will happen with the recent quad-HD screen trend as well; we won't have mainstream quad-HD content for years, if we get it at all.
It's great to be on the bleeding edge of technology. As a geek, I love this kind of stuff. But you have to also be able to see that adaptation and change take time.
This is what Apple has been good at since the launch of the iPod. Apple doesn't invent that much new technology (although they like to make it seem like they do, if you watch their keynotes). What Apple does is adopt technologies at the right time so as to make an impact. Their slow iteration approach has worked better for them to this point (I feel that they are suffering from this, now, but that is a post for another day).
This is what ties us back into the article that I started with at the top of the page; the Nexus 6 is too big for today. Yes, there is a "but," but it remains to be seen how important that will be. The question comes down to how soon will society change so that the Nexus 6 is perfect?
The OG Samsung Galaxy Note was ahead of its time. Samsung's strategy of throwing everything at the market and seeing what sticks payed off with that device, and as a result, they essentially own the "phablet" market. The thing is, though, that until last year (and more so this year than last) did the large Note size phone really hit the mainstream. It was too ahead of its time, and most people weren't ready for it.
Meanwhile, Apple didn't make the jump to the larger screen phone until now. And while they didn't make the best optimizations for their device, you cannot say that they are too early to the large device market. A 5.5" phone is no longer the weird monster phone that the OG Note was in 2011.
In case you're not an Apple fan, I also think that Android Wear was an execution by Google that was actually timed appropriately. I think Google waited long enough for companies like Pebble to drum up support and awareness for smartwatches, and then launched a product that just works better (with Android).
So, yes, I think the Nexus 6 captures the current track of technology. I can definitely imagine a future where we return to having a smartphone and a laptop. I can especially imagine this as the current movement towards ecosystems continues (smart homes, Android TV w/ chromecast, Continuity + Handoff, etc). Or perhaps the future is one where tablets still exist, but they're more of a one per family media consumption device, or only used for specialized artistic (or otherwise) tasks.
Again, the question is: is that future coming soon, or is that future a year or more off?
Because I can say that right now, the Nexus 6 is just too darn big.
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