Google Nexus got growing pains

Last night Google unveiled three Nexus devices. Of these, the Nexus 6 and the Nexus 9 are big deals. The Nexus 6 is a smartphone - or to be precise, a phablet - while the Nexus 9 is a tablet.

The Nexus 6 is the supposed successor to the Nexus 5. The Nexus 9 is without a precedent as far as the Nexus devices go. But it is clear that Google, after the success of Nexus 7 tablets, is feeling confident enough that it can take on the iPad and with Nexus 9 is going after the world's most successful tablet.

Both look to be solid devices. But for some reason they are missing the charm, the aura, the character that the earlier Nexus device had.

The Nexus programme was created by Google to give a direction to the Android ecosystem. The Nexus phone, when it came out in 2010, wasn't supposed to compete with the iPhone. similarly, the first Nexus 7 tablet that came out in 2012 wasn't supposed to take on the iPad.

Instead, the Nexus devices were meant for developers and Android enthusiasts. they were also supposed to showcase the capabilities of the latest version of Android. To make sure that the nexus devices realise these two goals, Google focused on two things with them - low price, and consequently slightly older hardware.

But yesterday's Nexus devices are different. The Nexus 6 and the Nexus 9 are devices with incredible hardware. They pack in some of the best mobile phone parts a smartphone or a tablet can have nowadays. For example, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 inside the Nexus 6 is the world's fastest mobile processor available to non-Apple devices right now. Similar, the Nvidia Tegra K1 inside the Nexus 9 is the world's fastest tablet processor available in the world right now.

Unfortunately, this hardware comes at a price. While the Nexus 9 is supposed to cost $399, the Nexus will go on sale at a price of $649. This is big jump. In comparison, the Nexus 7 tablet released last year had a price of $229 and the Nexus 5 released in 2014 sold for a price of $349.

The real appeal of the Nexus devices was that because these were Google devices and ran an optimised version of Android, they offered incredible performance at a price point that was significantly lower than what companies like Samsung and HTC charged for their high-end phones. For example, in India, you can today buy Nexus 5 for less than Rs 28,000 and yet get performance that is better than what devices like Galaxy S5 or LG G3, which sell for nearly 40,000, offer.

This combination of low price, stellar hardware and superb performance gave a unique character to the Nexus devices. With the Nexus 6 and Nexus 9 Google is moving away from its earlier position of selling devices at marginal cost and venturing into a territory where it is just like any other phone maker.

There could be several reasons why it has happened. We had heard that Google's partners such as Samsung, LG and HTC, which make Android phone, were not very happy with the nexus programme. They probably didn't like the fact that Nexus devices, which have better performance, less for less than what their own phones cost. May be, there was pressure on Google to change the nature of Nexus programme and Google complied.Or may be after the Android One, which is Google's pure Android for low-priced phones, the company realised that it doesn't need to see the affordable Nexus devices. People who want to get stock Android on cheap can always get the Android One phones. These phones have been introduced at a price of around Rs 6,000 but Android boss Sundar Pichai has confirmed that better and more powerful Android device would come in future. Maybe these more powerful Android One phones would occupy the position of the older Nexus devices.

Or maybe Google just got tired to of selling phones and tablets at almost cost even as Apple reaped massive profits over the iPhone and tablets. It is entirely possible that Google just decided to take Apple head on in the market with a hope that it will also bring it better profit.

Whatever the reasons, the Nexus programme is no longer the same and the new Nexus devices no longer have the simplicity, charm and the low price that made them such a big hit with people.