The Nexus 6 Struggle
A Horror Story of Google’s Elusive Flagship
Tonight’s the night. It was a chilly Fall evening. The clock struck midnight, October 29th. Everyone had gone to bed, deep in their slumber. Everyone except me. I was eagerly awaiting preorders for the Nexus 6 to go live. While it was a long shot that I would be able to order one right when the October 29th hit, for that is not Google’s style, I stayed up just in case. 12:05, nothing. I sigh, and depart for my bed.
1:58AMCST, 11:58PM PST
I am awoken by Timely, a company owned by Google. Just in time to fire up my laptop, load the Play Store, and see if Google wanted to release the Nexus 6 at midnight in their neck of the woods. No dice. The fog pushing a brisk air envelops the house. I admit defeat for the day as my eyes are weighed down with the sands of sleep.
8:00AM CST, October 29th.
I am awoken again. This time, it is not an alarm. But rather, the childlike anticipation for the Nexus 6, much like Christmas for Android fans. I fire up my laptop to Google Play, turn on the kettle precisely to 202 degrees Fahrenheit for my morning coffee, and settle onto my couch. It is going to be a long morning. I crack my knuckles, fire up Netflix(autoplay is a blessing), and start hitting F5 every couple minutes.
12:00PM CST, October 29th.
I have been mindlessly droning on for hours now. There seems to be no end in sight. My Netflix binge-watching of American Horror Story is coming to a close. But in reality, my horror story, and the horror story of many others, is just beginning.
12:13PM CST, October 29th
Derek Ross posts on Google+ that he successfully fulfilled his order.
I panic, keep hitting F5. Keep refreshing the page. I keep trying different combinations of devices. No luck.
12:45 CST, October 29th
I feel a sense of dread seep into my bones. It’s as though a terrible tragedy has occurred The first device I chose to review was the Nexus 5. This was the first device to bring me into tech writing. It was beautiful, and I ordered one on launch day. I expected that Google would have learned from the Nexus 4 debacle to be better prepared.
I was wrong
Google, I love you. I love your services, I love your devices. You have allowed me to reach out to new people I never thought I’d know thanks to Google+. I started writing on Google+. I write all of the drafts of my reviews on Google Drive. I use Inbox, Google Play Music, and many more apps. I’m invested in Google. The entirety of my digital being resides on your servers.
Yet, with all of this important data in your hands. You are still incapable of correctly launching a phone. At this point, it’s inexcuseable. This is the first of the Nexus line to be on contract on every major carrier. This is the first Nexus device poised to sit in stores alongside the Galaxy S-whatever, the HTC One(A-Z,1–9), and Moto X’s. This is the first device from Google, that if I were to recommend it, anyone could walk into a store and buy it(at the end of this month). The Nexus 6 is a big deal for Google. It’s their foray into the big boy phone market. The first foray fully into the mainstream.
Sundar and company want Stock Android to take over the world. It’s evident in all of Google’s Apps living on the Play Store, a new advertising campaign, and the massive rollout of the Nexus 6
The Nexus 6 is a big deal for those that call themselves Android Enthusiasts as well. With the monumental success of both the 1st and 2nd Gen Moto X, Motorola was the clear choice to design the next Nexus. Adding to the allure of a Motorola Nexus, which would seemingly be Google’s last date with Motorola before Lenovo rides off into the sunset with them. This is the first Nexus that truly has no compromises. The spec sheet is stacked, first impressions are glowingly positive, and demand is high. This is the Nexus we’ve been waiting for.
But because Google can’t launch a product correctly, most of us are still waiting.
Most of us are still waiting
Luckily, I was able to order a Nexus 6 today. It took an hour of constant Auto-Refreshing on two different computers. There were multiple times when I could add a Nexus 6 to my cart, only for something to go wrong and my cart would be marked as “empty”
But this doesn't solve the problem for everyone. Google is only restocking the Play Store every Wednesday. So, for the foreseeable future, there will be a mad dash every Wednesday. Just like today, there will be massive hiccups and bugs. Leaving many of the Android faithful disappointed.
If I’m going to spend $700 on a phone off contract, I expect the experience to be incredible. But if I’m going to spend $700 dollars on a phone, I expect to be able to buy the phone without wanting to rip my hair out.
