[POLL]: Should Google re-implement the pre-order system? - Nexus 4 General

Simple question: Should Google re-implement the pre-order system?
Hopefully some "people of power" within Google will look at the stats generated from this Poll, and adjust their game plan accordingly.
I personally think the pre-order system is the only way to conduct sales on a Lunch date of a high-demand new product for a several reasons, some of them being:
a) Allows both the Manufacturer and/or Google to accurately gauge the market demand prior to launch, and thus create/plan stock accordingly.
b) Allows accurate shipping times to be predicted based on the volume of orders, rather than playing a "guessing game".
c) Allows a specific amount of Launch Date devices to be in stock to at least meet the demand of some of the "on the day purchases", while still achieving the "sold out effect" marketing scheme, if they want.
d) Consumers are more comfortable being informed with expected wait times for orders; comfortable with the fact that the device is already on pre-order (now it's in the hands of Google to roll out the devices). AND consumers don't have to keep checking a website in order to find out if it's available again or not.
The bottom line is: The pre-order system is a more professional and organized approach to selling a high demand item, from only one online source.
Furthermore, I think that Google Play should start taking orders now for the re-stock of Nexus devices, so that even if it has to put on back-order, at least the consumer knows they're in-line/queue for the device, when it becomes available, no more frequent and unnecessary effort in consistently checking back.

I would prefer it would over refreshing lots
Sent from my HTC EVO 3D X515m using xda premium

google could care less about the stats from an xda post... we comprise of probably less than 0.01% of the buying market for the n4

I think they should!. Thing is.... Pre ordering gives us as the consumer the option to give interest and thus giving Google the information needed to generate a general clue as of demand. At the moment, the only demand they can calculate is site activities.
As its been mentioned all over this forum, both here in the UK & Internationally. Google, has really shown themselves to be very amateurish on how they have conducted there orders and allowing the customer to show interest in purchasing there products.
Poorly managed I hear you ask?!... Its been a complete embarrassment for such a big company!.
Sent from my LG-P990 using xda premium

Lock up peoples money before every delivering a phone? Of course they should. It's a good business model

nba1341 said:
Lock up peoples money before every delivering a phone? Of course they should. It's a good business model
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Well if you want the device, you want the device. You're going to pay either now or later, doesn't make a different.
Better to be informed and secure that your device is on order and not "up in the air".

norazi said:
google could care less about the stats from an xda post... we comprise of probably less than 0.01% of the buying market for the n4
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dont know about that. they dont even advertise. most people i know dont even know google makes devices. for that matter android lmao. i bet most of the buyers were from xda such as myself

Except that it is not legal to sell something a product that you do not have in hand.
---------- Post added at 03:07 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:06 PM ----------
Oh ya xda website during launch was almost crashing and not Google huh?..... didn't know xda had better servers.

nba1341 said:
Lock up peoples money before every delivering a phone? Of course they should. It's a good business model
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For something like nexus 4 I would definitely put down my money even it was 6 months before shipping.

It should make a eu play store devices... thre are no custom between states in europe, why is only in 5 countries ._.

There was problems when they did preordering before however there was only really 2 problems they needed to fix rather than abandoning preorders completely.
First the problem with the nexus 7 was that as orders came in it didn't change the estimated delivery timescale. If the site updates the estimate even if it gets to be weeks at least you know what to be expect. How hard is it to say we have x thousand for release, y thousand a week later and update the estimate accordingly as ordered are placed.
Secondly the other problem was they ended up sending out newly placed orders immediately while seeming to forget about those that preordered. This is something that should have been fixed quite easily by simply fulfilling orders in the correct order.
I agree that if they did preordering properly it would be better than the current system.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

gbroon said:
There was problems when they did preordering before however there was only really 2 problems they needed to fix rather than abandoning preorders completely.
First the problem with the nexus 7 was that as orders came in it didn't change the estimated delivery timescale. If the site updates the estimate even if it gets to be weeks at least you know what to be expect. How hard is it to say we have x thousand for release, y thousand a week later and update the estimate accordingly as ordered are placed.
Secondly the other problem was they ended up sending out newly placed orders immediately while seeming to forget about those that preordered. This is something that should have been fixed quite easily by simply fulfilling orders in the correct order.
I agree that if they did preordering properly it would be better than the current system.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
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I love how your solution solving procedure is the solution itself... lol
How did you come up with 4? 4.

Over 90% so far agree that they should re-implement pre-ordering. Good stats so far

MatAuc12 said:
Except that it is not legal to sell something a product that you do not have in hand.
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Haha says who?

Honestly, I would vote that Google leave the ordering/shipping business all together. They can still make great devices, but launch after launch, Google has proved that they just can't get a clue. If Amazon.com can give me free two day shipping on a 15 pound medicine ball and charge me $30, I think that Google should be able to successfully launch 5, yes 5 new products at the same time. And remember, this is not the first F'd up launch. Pre-orders for the N7 didn't go so well either.
Personally, I will stay with the Nexus line far into the future, however, no longer will I be purchasing from Google directly.
And PS, their ordering web site look like it is from 10 years ago, doesn't provide barely any useful information, and sometimes doesn't even get updated until after the even has happened (IE, someone receives and order even though their order says "Pending"). This is from the same company that created an app that can zoom all over the world and show us down to 100 feet what a street in, say, China, looks like.

Nah screw that. I like instant gratification, and want my stuff as soon as its announces.

plinkous said:
Haha says who?
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Someone who knows more than you apparently.

BakaPhoenix said:
It should make a eu play store devices... thre are no custom between states in europe, why is only in 5 countries ._.
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I think google likes EU custumores buy million of Apple devices. And Apple thanks.
Google = :angel:

Google royally screwed up the launch, everyone can agree with that. Google should implement a preorder system and like you said allowed people to secure their place in line.
Even Apple allows people to do that via carriers (Rogers in Canada allowed people to pre-order). Looks like there's a lot Google needs to learn before they get this right as their Nexus 7 launch wasn't that good in the first place.
deltatux

deltatux said:
Google royally screwed up the launch, everyone can agree with that. Google should implement a preorder system and like you said allowed people to secure their place in line.
Even Apple allows people to do that via carriers (Rogers in Canada allowed people to pre-order). Looks like there's a lot Google needs to learn before they get this right as their Nexus 7 launch wasn't that good in the first place.
deltatux
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Agreed.

Related

Why such a strange release?

So who has theories on why this release has been limited to such a few sporadic outlets? I mean the Play Store I get since that is Google but why no other major electronics retailers? I would expect at least Best Buy and Fry's to be selling from the brick&mortar front and Buy.com, New Egg and Amazon from the online. Instead we have a few obscure online shops like B&H and some office supply stores? Game Stop seems to be the only one that kind of fits but even that isn't the first place I would think of when looking for new tablet.
Just a thought as we wait...
It's become fairly obvious to me that Google doesn't know what in the world it's doing.
grukko said:
It's become fairly obvious to me that Google doesn't know what in the world it's doing.
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Send it out to all retailers, but have retailers hold stock until launch day. Ship preorders 2 days before launch. Done.
Now the only thing that can unravel this is if some retailers don't hold their stock. That's what seems to be happening, not entirely Google's fault.
Google has no control whatsoever over the distribution since the Nexus 7 wasn't manufactured in-house (read: inside the Google premises) nor distributed by them. ASUS is the manufacturer and all Nexus 7 retail units were distributed through their own supply chain.
The Nexus Q, yes... It's a different story.
This is yet another instance where Apple make Google look like a bunch of rank amateurs. Honestly. I pre-ordered mine on June 29th from the Play Store, assuming that might amount to something!
Here's how google could have done this properly:
Announce that the launch date is a specific date. Let's say July 20th, not 2-3 weeks. Vagueness makes people speculate.
Next, Ship it out to UPS distribution centers and retailers and tell retailers to hold until the 20th. Part of the reason retailers are not following instructions is that anxious people keep bugging them and it's wasting warehouse space for an effectively undetermined amount of time, something that retailers also hate. On July 19th, give the go-ahead to UPS and retailers release on the 20th. Everybody is happy, because everything that was promised was delivered.
This shouldn't have been complicated at all. Pre-ordering with UPS and retailers isn't exactly new.
This should be in Q&A.. might get closed =P
Sent from my Nexus 7 that I don't have yet using XDA Premium HD
ACCUSED24 said:
This should be in Q&A.. might get closed =P
Sent from my Nexus 7 that I don't have yet using XDA Premium HD
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Why even make such a reply? If you have an issue, use the report button.
I do disagree with your point. His question was asked in an open discussion format. Q&A in many device forums on XDA is more meant for support based questions.
ACCUSED24 said:
This should be in Q&A.. might get closed =P
Sent from my Nexus 7 that I don't have yet using XDA Premium HD
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This is not a question I need answered but a topic to provoke discussion on Google/Asus launch strategy. Thanks for your insightful post though
I don't know what's going in but I am a little annoyed that people who purchased from Gamestop and ebuyer are getting theirs and my play store pre order is still saying 1-2 weeks
mewantnexus7 said:
Here's how google could have done this properly:
Announce that the launch date is a specific date. Let's say July 20th, not 2-3 weeks. Vagueness makes people speculate.
Next, Ship it out to UPS distribution centers and retailers and tell retailers to hold until the 20th. Part of the reason retailers are not following instructions is that anxious people keep bugging them and it's wasting warehouse space for an effectively undetermined amount of time, something that retailers also hate. On July 19th, give the go-ahead to UPS and retailers release on the 20th. Everybody is happy, because everything that was promised was delivered.
This shouldn't have been complicated at all. Pre-ordering with UPS and retailers isn't exactly new.
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I total agree that this would have made the launch smoother and easier for consumers. However, Google has many highly paid marketing and logistic professionals at their disposal. Is it just that they keep dropping the ball on Nexus launches or is this by design to artificially generate additional hype and anticipation? I'm wondering if it's some type of marketing strategy itself.
..still can't it out..
It creates buzz..
Since apparently no one can read or use the search function.
Nexus Phreak said:
Google has no control whatsoever over the distribution since the Nexus 7 wasn't manufactured in-house (read: inside the Google premises) nor distributed by them. ASUS is the manufacturer and all Nexus 7 retail units were distributed through their own supply chain.
The Nexus Q, yes... It's a different story.
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TLDR; Blame ASUS.
Maybe it just took them longer to link the devices to peoples accounts since other than storage size that is the only difference between buying it in retail and getting it from Google Play.
And I'm sure a big list of people cancelling their orders later to get over the limits of Google's horrible store didn't help because they would then have to undo the linking on those devices.
madchild1 said:
I don't know what's going in but I am a little annoyed that people who purchased from Gamestop and ebuyer are getting theirs and my play store pre order is still saying 1-2 weeks
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Yeah, quite frankly, I'm also annoyed. In fact, more than a little annoyed. Unless the Play store gives us some sort of reparation for getting screwed over like this, I'm never pre-ordering or buying from Play ever again. I think a free case is fair compensation for all of us who preordered from Play and got screwed over.
In fact, anyone have a link handy for Play's customer support/service email so I can write them a strongly worded letter? Their "Contact Us" page only has their phone number.
drpfenderson said:
Since apparently no one can read or use the search function.
TLDR; Blame ASUS.
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that's not a suffecient reason, all google had to do was have a street date implemented.
google is repeatedly terrible at hardware launches. how a multibillion dollar company is so bad at something when it's not their first time doing it is beyond me.
drpfenderson said:
Since apparently no one can read or use the search function.
TLDR; Blame ASUS.
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So what is your source that states that Google has no say what so ever in the marketing and release of the flagship product that bears there name? Please don't confuse giving your post no credibility with not being able to read.
Maybe you'd prefer the Apple model... people standing in line for a day or 2, running out on release day and no one able to activate their devices? This is Google's first outing for a branded tablet... give 'em a break. Trust me, it'll be worth the wait.
I preordered mine from GameStop and was told July 31 as the release date...extremely surprised to get it last Friday!
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium
This is normal for Asus.
Heck, the Prime has been out for over 6 months, still cant find one in a retail outlet.
Hopefully it's not as bad and they start getting them out.. Wouldn't hold my breath though.
People will probably have to check nowinstock.net for months to track one down.

Angry at Google?

I think many of us (especially us Canadians who are still mostly N7-less) are pretty pissed off at how Google handled the pre-orders. I think many of you would agree that it's a reasonable expectation that pre-orders from the supplier should come before retailers are able to put theirs on the shelf. This is especially reasonable when you consider that we were charged 2-day shipping via UPS without any other alternative from Google. It has also been reported that some Canadians are getting 4-day shipping estimates even though they paid for supposed 2-day shipping.
I know that many of you will probably tell me to stop whining and just suck it up because they didn't break any promise as to the plain writing contractual agreement. But that doesn't mean that there are implicit expectations which should be met in good faith. This is especially true for a company that has a history of catering to its users and still holds the informal motto of "don't be evil".
I know that Google has always been a pretty open company and listened to feedback, and I still trust that they uphold these values. Is there anything we can do as a group of people to voice our opinions directly to them and let them know? I am sure that many of us are also developers hoping to get their first hands on the device as well. And I'm sure that Google would like to keep its developing community happy.
Addendum:
I just wanted to say why I wrote the post. This is was not meant to be a rant. If you re-read the OP, you will see that I am actually looking for a way to collectively voice to Google our discontent. That's because I believe Google to be a high-quality company that listens to its users. And I do WANT to order from Google Play again for the next device, but not before helping them improve their process by vocalizing our disappointments to them.
A rant in itself is useless, but what I am looking for is a way to let Google know where they can improve so we can enjoy a better Play store in the future.
no point of pre-ordering if we are not given any exclusivity ><
Stop whining.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
Not mad at all, I am getting what I paid for.
It's funny when people say that they aren't upset that they over paid for a product that they'll get after people that didn't pre-order.
Sent from my Nexus 7
ibopm said:
I think many of us (especially us Canadians who are still mostly N7-less) are pretty pissed off at how Google handled the pre-orders. I think many of you would agree that it's a reasonable expectation that pre-orders from the supplier should come before retailers are able to put theirs on the shelf. This is especially reasonable when you consider that we were charged 2-day shipping via UPS without any other alternative from Google. It has also been reported that some Canadians are getting 4-day shipping estimates even though they paid for supposed 2-day shipping.
I know that many of you will probably tell me to stop whining and just suck it up because they didn't break any promise as to the plain writing contractual agreement. But that doesn't mean that there are implicit expectations which should be met in good faith. This is especially true for a company that has a history of catering to its users and still holds the informal motto of "don't be evil".
I know that Google has always been a pretty open company and listened to feedback, and I still trust that they uphold these values. Is there anything we can do as a group of people to voice our opinions directly to them and let them know? I am sure that many of us are also developers hoping to get their first hands on the device as well. And I'm sure that Google would like to keep its developing community happy.
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awww big baby didnt get his shiny nexus 7 before everyone else *cries*.
Wah. get over it.
Maybe you should launch Angry Birds at them?
I'm a little upset I paid for the shipping from the play store when I could have e just ordered from games top.. Not pay the shipping and get my n7 sooner. It's not that big of a deal for me but everyone will forget later today when they get their devices.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda app-developers app
you got/will get it a week after everyone else. how will you manage to live?
Angry is probably too strong, but i'd have hoped (as with pre-ordering anything) that you'd at least get the thing delivered on launch day. Wouldn't expect to get it early necessarily and there are clear commercial reasons why this wouldn't go down well for a product thats being sold via third parties as well as from Google directly. And if the courier is struggling to keep up then its probably Google's fault for apparently giving regional exclusivity to any single company. After all, the likes of Amazon seem to cope quite well using multiple couriers and getting large volume launches of items out on time.
And certainly the communication side of things could've been alot better done than it has been, not to mention the customer services element for those who tried unsuccessfully to can pre-orders a week or more ago.
Isn't this what that OTHER thread is for?
ikn0wagh0st said:
Stop whining.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
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infamousjax said:
awww big baby didnt get his shiny nexus 7 before everyone else *cries*.
Wah. get over it.
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Can't tell if trolls or just stupid.
Did either of you even read the OP? He had an extremely valid point. We paid for required two-day shipping, supposedly in an effort to receive our products on or before the day everyone else could receive theirs. Of course this was not guaranteed by Google, but the fact that it didn't happen makes it unlikely that I'll ever preorder another Google product unless they adapt the same philosophy used elsewhere, like Amazon and Apple.
I followed the rumors since the 370T, preordered within minutes of availability, paid extra for mandatory expedited shipping, and it's finally being delivered tonight. Folks simply wandered into stores last week and picked theirs up. That's not how it should work. I'm not whining - I just believe Google should handle things differently in the future.
infamousjax said:
awww big baby didnt get his shiny nexus 7 before everyone else *cries*.
Wah. get over it.
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That's not my point as Jiggavolt has also explained. I would gladly have paid $5 or $10 shipping to get 3-week shipping rather than the 2-day shipping. But since we were required to purchase $20 (Canadian) 2-day shipping (which turned out to NOT be 2-DAY shipping AT ALL), I think it's fair to say that I feel a little cheated. Beyond that, there are implicit expectations that have not really been followed through or at least communicated. Even a simple apology to say that they were a bit slow would satisfy me.
_MetalHead_ said:
Isn't this what that OTHER thread is for?
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No, I'm seeking an avenue to communicate discontent with Google in a collective way.
ibopm said:
No, I'm seeking an avenue to communicate discontent with Google in a collective way.
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Ha! Since you stated that so eloquently, I just can't argue with it
Yeah, I could see being upset, actually. I ended up just calling all of the Gamestop stores within 15 miles (probably 6 of them) before I found one that had one in stock.
I would be angry too, but mainly about the 2 day shipping issue. However, I believe that UPS is at fault here if they cannot deliver within two days, not Google. I did not want to pay for shipping so I picked mine up at Staples on Sunday.
It's easy. Next time Google comes out with another device. DO NOT ORDER FROM THE PLAY STORE no matter what they say. You will get PLAYED again. They named it the PLAY store for a reason.
In my mind, Google has botched the entire process from start to finish.
1. Mystery specs - for the longest time, nobody could figure out if it had MHL or HDMI out, USB OTG, external storage, etc. Even media sites were conflicted on these features.
2. Saying that it will only be available on the Played store when it wasn't.
3. Shipping to retailers FIRST before fulfilling their own pre-orders hoping that retailers will hold them for an unspecified amount of time.
4. Shipping devices in no discernible order (FIFO, LIFO), etc.
5. Shipping 8GB orders first before 16GB, and then 16GB before those that also bundled a case with it.
6. 2 day shipping questionable... existing posted screenshots showing estimated time of delivery of 4+ days confirms this.
7. Canada gets brown back and US gets black back. WTF?
8. No able to cancel orders and no response from e-mails (at least for emails from Canada).
9. No specific launch date except mid-July. It's mid-July already, and some haven't even seen movement on their orders.
10. No explanation from Google over this fiasco.
The only redeeming feature was the price.
I don't know if this is Asus' fault or not, but Google is to blame. I think what Google should have done is hold shipping to retailers until they fulfilled their own Played store pre-orders first. None of this "everyone gets it at the same time" crap... WE OBVIOUSLY DIDN'T ORDER IT AT THE SAME TIME, so why go this route? If retailers don't have stock to sell, they can't sell it. However, if they do and it is taking up space, you can bet somebody is going to break the rule... esp. when there is no specific date to sell it.
The Played store is the premiere store for buying google branded devices. Google should make sure that when you order from there, you are at least guaranteed to get it the same time, if not earlier, than all other retailers at launch. Otherwise it is pointless to pay shipping when you could just walk to your local B&M and buy it right away for the same price - minus shipping. As it stands now, you would be a fool to order from the played store for the next device no matter how exclusive it will be.
The next time around, not ordering devices from the played store will be a good lesson for google.
If Steve Jobs were alive and this was an Apple product, he would have made it right by now. God rest his soul, he's probably laughing in his grave right now.
In the words of Justin Timberlake... Cry me a river.
I can't say I'm exactly thrilled over the situation. I found out Staples has them on the shelf right now. Meanwhile, I've received nothing from Google regarding my pre-order. No status update, no shipping notification, nothing. It stings a little bit to realize I'm paying more to get it later when you factor in the shipping cost... especially when I could have one within 5 minutes since Staples is just down the road...
I'm not exactly angry to go to war with Google over this, but this is definitely some serious food for thought for future purchases. I can't see myself possibly pre-ordering through Google again.
Anyone who pre-ordered with the expectation of receiving it before those who didn't pre-order, had the wrong expectations. I've been involved with many pre-orders and known of many many more. I've never seen one with that expectation.
However, you should expect to receive it on the generally available (GA) date. That's where this release broke down. Whether it's Google or Asus, it doesn't matter. The process failed.
However number 2. When I saw that pre-orders were paying for shipping and taxes, a flag went up for me. I decided to not pre-order as it would be cheaper for me to walk into a store and buy on the GA date. I saw little value in pre-ordering.

Intentional hype?

Am I the only one here thinking that it was part of google's plan to make it look like they sold a bunch of N4s in order to get the media's attention by bragging about how many they sold? Just Google: "nexus 4 sold out". You will find many websites reporting that nexus 4 are selling like hot cakes/or are sold out. I'm going to have to look at the next news paper, I bet we will see it in the headlines. This is wonderful news for Google. Great advertisement.
More over I would like to know what you guys think of this. Don't you think that such a rich company like Google would have for seen this?
Also the fact that the number of sold devices are not being reported, wouldn't that indicate that the amount of devices are actually not that much after all? (mentioning the # of sold units would discredit their bragging right? - Of course, only if it is not high)
Chances are they have a lot on stock but want to sell only a certain amount for the time being.
Now what would concern me is, if it actually is the truth that they ran out of supply. I mean, LG? There are few people who have faith in LG, their android update policy is enough to associate that company with incompetence.
Even with the nexus phone being an LG, they already managed to leave a bad impression in countries with no play store by announcing a price which could be nearly up to double the price of the nexus 4 in the play store.
What if LG is not able to keep up with demand? What is your say? What do you think is going on?
I visited a site that mentioned that Google has done this before, in order to see how high the demand is and to fulfill the needs a few days/weeks/month later. Was not following the galaxy nexus sale , anyone that experienced this here?
Hope this thread doesn't get closed, I could imagine some interesting discussion going on
no, just scumbags trying to make a profit by hogging all the stock
AznDud333 said:
no, just scumbags trying to make a profit by hogging all the stock
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I think it its engineered, why not Apple do it all the time
Naw, I mean, there really weren't any commercials over it or anything. Google has the money to spend on advertising for it, but they honestly didn't. I feel they just weren't too sure on when to do it themselves and that we were probably making more out of it than needed to be.
dahmmy said:
I think it its engineered, why not Apple do it all the time
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google's site never lags
it lagged today.
It's a big global conspiracy to ruin your day. Mission accomplished.
If this was Apple then, yes, I would believe it was intentional but honestly the server was crashing. What I saw you can't fake. It was like a DDoS attack. That server was basically brought to its knees. SERIOUSLY.
Sent from my Nexus 7
Ravynmagi said:
It's a big global conspiracy to ruin your day. Mission accomplished.
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The Illuminati. Yes! They are watching us!
@above: hmmm. I prefer Lg is incompetent
I think it may be a combination of Google's lack of concern about their customers combined with a poor working relationship with LG. I don't think Google wants publicity about this launch because they and LG won't come off looking too good. Google must have thought it was getting more units from LG because they had indicated they would sell the Nexus 4 via Playstore in the Netherlands and Belgium. Then at the last minute, they had to cancel those commitments because they didn't get enough units from LG. At the same time, non-US carriers selling the phone at a much higher price than Google got units ahead of launch time so their customers could physically have the phone today. Hence, you have a number of users posting threads here about problems with their brand new Nexus 4 phones, which they have in hand. So, LG shorted Google to send phones to vendors that sell the Nexus 4 at a higher price. I suspect the whole sales cycle of this phone may be marked by problems between Google and LG, resulting in supply shortages for the lower priced Google-sold phones. If consumers want the phone and don't want to wait for weeks at a time between LG's periodic shipment of a meager supply to Google, you may be forced to buy from other vendors at a higher price or, in the US, a contract commitment to T-Mobile. It looks like Google + LG= oil + water; they don't mix well.
mke1973 said:
I think it may be a combination of Google's lack of concern about their customers combined with a poor working relationship with LG. I don't think Google wants publicity about this launch because they and LG won't come off looking too good. Google must have thought it was getting more units from LG because they had indicated they would sell the Nexus 4 via Playstore in the Netherlands and Belgium. Then at the last minute, they had to cancel those commitments because they didn't get enough units from LG. At the same time, non-US carriers selling the phone at a much higher price than Google got units ahead of launch time so their customers could physically have the phone today. Hence, you have a number of users posting threads here about problems with their brand new Nexus 4 phones, which they have in hand. So, LG shorted Google to send phones to vendors that sell the Nexus 4 at a higher price. I suspect the whole sales cycle of this phone may be marked by problems between Google and LG, resulting in supply shortages for the lower priced Google-sold phones. If consumers want the phone and don't want to wait for weeks at a time between LG's periodic shipment of a meager supply to Google, you may be forced to buy from other vendors at a higher price or, in the US, a contract commitment to T-Mobile. It looks like Google + LG= oil + water; they don't mix well.
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.... Or maybe not. That's quite the stretch.
shadehh said:
Also the fact that the number of sold devices are not being reported, wouldn't that indicate that the amount of devices are actually not that much after all? (mentioning the # of sold units would discredit their bragging right? - Of course, only if it is not high)
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It is Google's policy not to release sales figures. So it indicates absolutely nothing. Asus released some Nexus 7 sales figures last month and apparently Google was not too happy.
This is what happens when things are under-priced. Whether mandated by law (price controls) or whether a company does it out of its own desire (Nexus 4). Selling something below its true value will lead to shortages because the demand will be too heavy. Combine that with Google probably trying to not overestimate the demand in order to not build too many, it should be no surprise that it sold out so quickly.
FallN said:
If this was Apple then, yes, I would believe it was intentional but honestly the server was crashing. What I saw you can't fake. It was like a DDoS attack. That server was basically brought to its knees. SERIOUSLY.
Sent from my Nexus 7
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
very true... i had an N4 in my cart 8 times today (EIGHT freakin times) and each and every time i tried to proceed, i got that craptastic yellow banner telling me that something happened on the back end. their servers were absolutely hammered.
PincheKeith said:
This is what happens when things are under-priced. Whether mandated by law (price controls) or whether a company does it out of its own desire (Nexus 4). Selling something below its true value will lead to shortages because the demand will be too heavy. Combine that with Google probably trying to not overestimate the demand in order to not build too many, it should be no surprise that it sold out so quickly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm happy with the low price and even if I have to wait a year to get a nexus 4 I'm so happy Google set new standards. I don't find the price too cheap, they could have easily added 50 bucks more for all I care. But I'm glad they set new standards for great hardware all others phone manufacturers must now adjust
I waited all day, from 3:00 AM EST when it was SUPPOSED to launch, to 12:00 PM EST when the "second" launch time was "announced", resulting in two times in which the "Add to Cart" button popped up but didn't work after clicking through. The minute I step inside my house, I rush to my computer, and see a nice, red SOLD OUT sign.
It had to be either a) testing the waters in terms of demand for the device (highly unlikely), b) a publicity stunt in order to garner more (free) attention for the Nexus4 (as we say it, any publicity is good publicity), or c) as stated a shortage of devices as a result between miscommunication/communication breakdowns between LG and Google.
Thoroughly disappointed. I sold my phone (GNexus) in the hopes of upgrading for very little $, and now I'm stuck with no phone at all.
oceansaber said:
I waited all day, from 3:00 AM EST when it was SUPPOSED to launch, to 12:00 PM EST when the "second" launch time was "announced", resulting in two times in which the "Add to Cart" button popped up but didn't work after clicking through. The minute I step inside my house, I rush to my computer, and see a nice, red SOLD OUT sign.
It had to be either a) testing the waters in terms of demand for the device (highly unlikely), b) a publicity stunt in order to garner more (free) attention for the Nexus4 (as we say it, any publicity is good publicity), or c) as stated a shortage of devices as a result between miscommunication/communication breakdowns between LG and Google.
Thoroughly disappointed. I sold my phone (GNexus) in the hopes of upgrading for very little $, and now I'm stuck with no phone at all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
man, i feel you. i sold my gnex and my backup (g2x) device in anticipation of the nexus 4. I'm old and tired. So, i'm just going to go to my tmobile store and pick up a note 2. I got one for my wife last week and she has been completely satisfied with it. I'll re-evaluate the state of android in a couple months, whereby I might sell the note 2 to finally get the nexus 4. we'll see.
If you believe that its all a conspiracy, put your aluminum foil hat back on and go sit in the corner.
PincheKeith said:
This is what happens when things are under-priced. Whether mandated by law (price controls) or whether a company does it out of its own desire (Nexus 4). Selling something below its true value will lead to shortages because the demand will be too heavy. Combine that with Google probably trying to not overestimate the demand in order to not build too many, it should be no surprise that it sold out so quickly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Finally someone who understand economics.
Put gas half price today. Guess what will happen. Even if gas stations prepared. EVERYONE will gas and you can't prepare for that. Supply is driven by how valuable it is to sell. Demand is determined by how much value you get. They released a 600$ phone at 300$. Take off your tinfoil hats and go to school.
There is no conspiracy. We are talking about about a relatively small cell phone player in LG and a device with a small profit margin. Considering that both these companies are banking on the same profit model, ie, google wants large volume sales for ads and LG wants large volume to compensate for smaller net profits per phone. With the next big phone literally always around the corner, to delay sales in any way is very bad for both companies.
shadehh said:
I don't find the price too cheap, they could have easily added 50 bucks more for all I care.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Then it is too cheap If people are willing to pay $400 or $450, and they sell it for $350, that's too cheap. That's why demand is (and should be!) so high.
I don't think they did this intentionally, they have a great device at a great price and it sold out.

How did Google Manage to Mess up the launch this Badly?

Well, I for one did not expect Google to mess up this bad.
They run the biggest Data centers and networks in the world.
And they can't manage to have a good system for Ordering/Shipping phones?
I might just send them an email asking them why they don't purchase a small company that deals with shipping/orders.
They might as well do that as it will save them in the future.
About two Weeks late bro
Yeah I know, I just never got around to making this thread.
I read on another forum that even after the second launch they were still blown away by how many people were still purchasing the n4. I think they were just unprepared and should've waited for the others to receive their phones from the 13th.
Perhaps this really the way they had planned it to go. All the publicity, the rarety bringing prices up.
At this point I find it hard to believe that most of us all knew oy would be big which is why we waited all night, etc. There is no way they could not know.
In the end this may turn out very well as long as they get any issues sorted quickly.
I read an article today that apple is releasing a $200 iPhone to compete with Google. Go figure, Google is changing everything!
sent via xda premium with nexus 7 while waiting for my back ordered Nexus 4-hoping for it today or tomorrow!!
imtiax said:
Well, I for one did not expect Google to mess up this bad.
They run the biggest Data centers and networks in the world.
And they can't manage to have a good system for Ordering/Shipping phones?
I might just send them an email asking them why they don't purchase a small company that deals with shipping/orders.
They might as well do that as it will save them in the future.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think you don't understand with over 100 million android users even if like 3-4 % decide they want this phone that's 4 million orders. Even the best servers in the world can't handle millions of people hitting a site and mashing F5.
Its called DDOS attack and all us crazy Nexus 4 purchasers were doing that to Google.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
Well I was referring to the Stock Issue, they should have been prepared.
An Android with 2GB ram and a Quad Core Processor is a must have. Especially for that dirt cheap price.
mobilehavoc said:
I think you don't understand with over 100 million android users even if like 3-4 % decide they want this phone that's 4 million orders. Even the best servers in the world can't handle millions of people hitting a site and mashing F5.
Its called DDOS attack and all us crazy Nexus 4 purchasers were doing that to Google.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't forget all the stupid apps and scripts constantly polling the servers for updates...
Hardly surprising the have problems coping with demand...
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
I think it was all very last minute, the phones probably weren't even being made until the final month to launch, probably why there are shortage and build quality issues. LG are probably all hands on deck right now and maybe the cheap price Google are selling them at is slowing things down as LG and carriers are not happy?
Who knows but Google has the money to jut pay them to keep making.
imtiax said:
Well I was referring to the Stock Issue, they should have been prepared.
An Android with 2GB ram and a Quad Core Processor is a must have. Especially for that dirt cheap price.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If I were Google, based on previous experience I'm not surprised .
Nexus s didn't sell that well, galaxy nexus as well, so even taking both numbers in to the account its probably not even half what is being sold when it comes to nexus 4
And like someone said earlier. 2-4 % out of some few hundred million people its a hell of a lot of orders .
Look at apple they practically have the same problems after every new iPhone. Their webpage is damn slow ,yes it still works but it rather unusable .
Talk in to account that searching is less data hungry than purchasing. All purchasing has to be verified with banks, checked on server if everything is valid etc oh and it has to go through SSL
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium
1. What was wrong with posting in one of the 15 other threads of this nature? Its one of the rules to search before you post. You didn't. reported for rule breaking and spamming the forum.
2. Only ppl who didn't get the phone and have a veruca salt complex care.
3. You have no idea how to run a company at all. I doubt you can barely keep your basement dwelling clean, let alone tell google how they should do business. Especially when the phone is sold out ...Twice.....Seems they are doing just fine.
And
4. Whats super retarded is that if they never would have sold out / had any issues the same ppl would have created "Google fail" threads because they couldn't even sell out the flagship device.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2004241

Someone from Google Finally gives an apology

Dear all
I know that what you are going through is unacceptable and we are all working through the nights and weekends to resolve this issue. Supplies from the manufacturer are scarce and erratic, and our communication has been flawed. I can offer an unreserved apology for our service and communication failures in this process.
For those that originally received a 3-5 days shipping estimate, your orders are now in process for fulfillment. You can expect an email notification early this week which will include tracking information. Although you will be initially charged in full, you will receive a credit for the shipping charge soon after.
For others that received pre-Christmas shipping estimates, we anticipate processing your orders for fulfillment this week.
I realise that the people who ordered the Nexus 4 so early are among our most committed and loyal users and we are doing all we can to put things right.
Sorry again.
Dan
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Head of Google UK (Dan Cobley) finally offers some insight and an apology on this mess of a launch.
I apologize if this has already been posted, I couldn't find anything.
Full Article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/dec/17/nexus-4-delays-apology-blame
erosgulo said:
Head of Google UK (Dan Cobley) finally offers some insight and an apology on this mess of a launch.
I apologize if this has already been posted, I couldn't find anything.
Full Article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/dec/17/nexus-4-delays-apology-blame
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What mess? I, like the majority of people were quoted ships in 1-2 weeks, and it was delivered to be within the 2 weeks.
Some people are just a bunch of whining drama queens.
If you want to look at a product launch that REALLY failed, you only have to look at the Xbox360, 60% failure rate after 3 years on the market..... Thats a REAL botched product launch...
www.nofussreviews.com/survey-results-2012
And the background behind the problems...
http://venturebeat.com/2008/09/05/x...istory-of-microsofts-video-game-console-woes/
CrazyPeter said:
What mess? I, like the majority of people were quoted ships in 1-2 weeks, and it was delivered to be within the 2 weeks.
Some people are just a bunch of whining drama queens.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
granted, some people are drama queens, but there are many people who still haven't received their order from Nov 13, and don't forget all the backordered folks from the initial release. Still there's some 1-2 weekers who have not received shipping emails. There's also the issue of ppl not receiving their devices in proportion to their order time. Furthermore, he's also apologizing about their lack of communication, which was another issue.
Also, providing an example of a greater failure doesn't justify this one haha.
CrazyPeter said:
What mess? I, like the majority of people were quoted ships in 1-2 weeks, and it was delivered to be within the 2 weeks.
Some people are just a bunch of whining drama queens.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Google originally quoted 3-5 day shipping to those of us who ordered on Nov 13. Then we got a backorder email the next day that changed the estimate to 3 weeks. I got my phone yesterday. That's right, a day shy of 5 weeks. Some Nov 13 orders have yet to be filled. They have NOT been filling the orders in the order that they were made, nor have they kept up with demand. This has been a shameful fiasco. Why do you think the shippong and orders thread has almost 40,000 posts?
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
WHAT???!!! AN APOLOGY FOR LATE SHIPPING???!!! WHO CARES! FK HIM AND HIS APOLOGY!!!!
Where's an apology for USB/OTG and all the hardware issues??? Who needs an apology, recall this phone and start over again. They need to be hit where it hurts, in the wallet. Apologies don't hurt them financially. Fk that.
A lot of people got backordered, and even at this moment, the phone is completely sold out. There aren't really people being drama queens factoring in that the Google website is pretty much the only place to get the phone (unless you want to pay 200 dollars more), and when other products are sold out, there are lots of other places that might be supplied. LG came in with a really small supply of Nexus 4's, and it's hurt us in the end. Then again, I think the problem is also that, even now, I don't think they're that incredibly concerned since they're not looking to profit off the phone majorly as they are just trying to introduce the phone into the market as a stepping stone for other companies. If they don't sell some large number like 2 million phones, they are more than happy and I don't think that's what their intentions were in the first place. Unfortunately, this ends up hurting a lot of people who actually want the phone, or who have it and want accessories and such.
yahoowizard said:
A lot of people got backordered, and even at this moment, the phone is completely sold out. There aren't really people being drama queens factoring in that the Google website is pretty much the only place to get the phone (unless you want to pay 200 dollars more), and when other products are sold out, there are lots of other places that might be supplied. LG came in with a really small supply of Nexus 4's, and it's hurt us in the end. Then again, I think the problem is also that, even now, I don't think they're that incredibly concerned since they're not looking to profit off the phone majorly as they are just trying to introduce the phone into the market as a stepping stone for other companies. If they don't sell some large number like 2 million phones, they are more than happy and I don't think that's what their intentions were in the first place. Unfortunately, this ends up hurting a lot of people who actually want the phone, or who have it and want accessories and such.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wonder if/when google will bring the nexus line to motorola if we'll see an actual big player rise in the smartphone world. I imagine if google put in an actual real solitary effort into the nexus line (instead of these half assed cooperative efforts) and advertised its product well, we would see a legitimate competitor in the smartphone market. There is some money to be made with the rise of android in the past year. I hope google will consider augmenting its objectives for the nexus line in the near future.
CrazyPeter said:
What mess? I, like the majority of people were quoted ships in 1-2 weeks, and it was delivered to be within the 2 weeks.
Some people are just a bunch of whining drama queens.
If you want to look at a product launch that REALLY failed, you only have to look at the Xbox360, 60% failure rate after 3 years on the market..... Thats a REAL botched product launch...
www.nofussreviews.com/survey-results-2012
And the background behind the problems...
http://venturebeat.com/2008/09/05/x...istory-of-microsofts-video-game-console-woes/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What mess? Lol too funny
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2
estallings15 said:
Google originally quoted 3-5 day shipping to those of us who ordered on Nov 13. Then we got a backorder email the next day that changed the estimate to 3 weeks. I got my phone yesterday. That's right, a day shy of 5 weeks. Some Nov 13 orders have yet to be filled. They have NOT been filling the orders in the order that they were made, nor have they kept up with demand. This has been a shameful fiasco. Why do you think the shippong and orders thread has almost 40,000 posts?
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Because people like posting =)
Not to mention people ordering later than others but still get their phones shipped sooner...
The only mistake Google made with this phone was selling it so cheap so millions of people wanted to buy it instead of getting it.on contract like normal phone.
The only mistake???
Pfft.
Old news ...we have enough news Google screwed up in every aspect of selling the N4, from the launch time announcement to the ordering to the shipping to the communication to the rma's.
you name and it they screwed up big time everywhere they were involved in.
I find it hard to believe how cynical everyone is. I had a few issues as well with Google, but I called and talked through it all. I know some of the customer service representatives are a little clueless, but those who have't got their device yet, probably could have done something about it. Also, Google is new to this game, you can't expect everything to be perfect their first try.
And yes I know they've sold devices before, I have purchased almost all of them, but I don't believe they have ever had such a high demand.
Just relax and enjoy the holidays.
munchy_cool said:
Old news ...we have enough news Google screwed up in every aspect of selling the N4, from the launch time announcement to the ordering to the shipping to the communication to the rma's.
you name and it they screwed up big time everywhere they were involved in.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ermmm... what's with that announcement? Did not correctly estimate sandy schedule?
biffsmash said:
The only mistake Google made with this phone was selling it so cheap so millions of people wanted to buy it instead of getting it.on contract like normal phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, because it would have been sooo much better if they sold it for £500+, just like the iPaidTooMuchForThisPhone.
When you stay awake to be first to order a phone that takes 2 weeks more than it should and there is still no bumper for sale, that is failure. If i wanted to pre order i would have in September.
I do not see LG getting another Nexus after this.
Sent from my Nexus 4
bass++ said:
When you stay awake to be first to order a phone that takes 2 weeks more than it should and there is still no bumper for sale, that is failure. If i wanted to pre order i would have in September.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The preorders would run out as fast as orders, so you still won't be happy. Preorders don't magically speed up production.
No company on this earth has an infinite supply chain flexibility. Or they are grossly mismanaged. I don't see how it is a failure.
I do not see LG getting another Nexus after this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dunno, I suppose LG probably won't even bid for another nexus. And the next OEM will be Compal, ZTE, Huawei or something.
Or even Motorola, like "dear OEMs, if you don't elect supplying us with a new platform, Motorola will. This is not a threat, we repeat, this is not a threat!"
---------- Post added at 03:10 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:02 PM ----------
vanmarek said:
Yes, because it would have been sooo much better if they sold it for £500+, just like the iPaidTooMuchForThisPhone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There woudn't be any supply problems, sleepless nights and anxiety So el goog wouldn't fail and everyone would be happy
I'm not complaining because all the bugs in the initial release could be potentially sorted out when Google makes new devices. Just waiting past what your promised is not enjoyable especially when you get a definite ETA.
Sent from my SGH-T999
If I helped please press the thanks button
neim81094 said:
I'm not complaining because all the bugs in the initial release could be potentially sorted out when Google makes new devices. Just waiting past what your promised is not enjoyable especially when you get a definite ETA.
Sent from my SGH-T999
If I helped please press the thanks button
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What bugs are these that require new devices?

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