Samsung and Google pull Nexus Prime, Ice Cream Sandwich launch(techradar.com)
techradar.com
Samsung and Google pull Nexus Prime, Ice Cream Sandwich launch
http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/samsung-and-google-pull-nexus-prime-ice-cream-sandwich-launch-1032490
37 comments
Wasn't the announcement supposed to be on 10/11 that is almost a week away from Steve's death. Is it really that mournful at Google?
I imagine Steve's death might change the tone of an announcement they'd prepared. Something sharply competitive would have been appropriate a few days ago but, yes, would even be distasteful next week.
That's exactly it. A product rollout is a careful public relations exercise. PR interacts strongly with public perception, and public perception is shifting wildly right now. They need to rethink and rework.
It's likely that the companies decided to postpone as a mark
of respect to rival Steve Jobs, who passed away earlier this
week.
I'm a google employee. Internally, there has been much mourning and tribute to Steve. Our internal corporate portal contains a memorial on the front page. At a company-wide meeting, Larry again reflected on Steve.
And I doubt Google is the only company doing this. Look, competitive as companies in the valley are, we are all still human beings, with a sense of respect for others in our industry, and when one so who has burned so brightly, dies so young, we take notice. The amount of cynicism displayed here is just sad.
And I doubt Google is the only company doing this. Look, competitive as companies in the valley are, we are all still human beings, with a sense of respect for others in our industry, and when one so who has burned so brightly, dies so young, we take notice. The amount of cynicism displayed here is just sad.
I guess you missed all the posts yesterday about Sergey Brin, Larry Page, Eric Schmidt, and most likely a lot of other Googlers who had a lot of respect for Steve Jobs, so no, I do not think that reason is _that_ unlikely.
Well, if it happens that it coincides with the date of the funeral +/- 1 day then you could imagine that it's not the best strategic time to make a key announcement.
That's not a mark of respect though, that's "they want to get a load of press and think they're going to be held off the tech pages".
EDIT: I think worth also noting that it's supposition that it's being delayed as a mark of respect, rather than anything Google or Samsung have said.
EDIT: I think worth also noting that it's supposition that it's being delayed as a mark of respect, rather than anything Google or Samsung have said.
Strategy doesn't preclude tact. I.e. press hits doesn't have to be only reason not to launch a product on the day of the funeral. [Edit: Being tactful can also be strategic, because it will be seen as, well, tactful. The problem, as you demonstrate, is that it can also be seen as strategic. But what's wrong with being tactfully strategic or strategically tactful?]
I also imagine there will be at least a few top level Google executives attending.
I also imagine there will be at least a few top level Google executives attending.
Yeah, I'm from the UK. We're used to seeing our politicians do just that so it taints my view of the world. They also do the reverse and use major news to bury things. Sucks to be us.
in fairness, the popular TV show "The West Wing" is practically a crash course in how to do this... so it's not unique to our government :)
Yes, see in particular http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Take_out_the_Trash_Day
With all due respect, Google IS an advising and marketing company.
Some rumors were saying the phone itself would ship on October 27th, even if the announcement of it was on October 11th. So the postponing of the "announcement" wouldn't affect shipping anyway.
I think it would be very unfortunate for them to have the iPhone 4S and iOS5 hit the blogosphere between their announcement and launch. Does that make sense - was the iOS5/4S launch date really that secret?
If they re-schedule and launch soon, I'll think it was respect. If they don't have anything for people to buy for Christmas, I'll think the product simply wasn't ready. Business is business.
If you're a Cringely fan, you've noted his next prediction...please take your grain of salt before reading kthx
"Running this story in reverse it’s suddenly clear why Apple didn’t introduce the iPhone 5 this week. It would have been lost in the news of Jobs’s death, killing the marketing value he would have loved. I’m sure the phone will appear in a week or two with that appearance in part to encourage the recovery of Apple shares from what is sure to be a short-term decline."
Personally it doesn't make much sense (the 3GS is still on the plate). Then again, we have leaked case designs for the iPhone5 (or did we? https://twitter.com/#!/Cabel/status/121243424350412800 )
"Running this story in reverse it’s suddenly clear why Apple didn’t introduce the iPhone 5 this week. It would have been lost in the news of Jobs’s death, killing the marketing value he would have loved. I’m sure the phone will appear in a week or two with that appearance in part to encourage the recovery of Apple shares from what is sure to be a short-term decline."
Personally it doesn't make much sense (the 3GS is still on the plate). Then again, we have leaked case designs for the iPhone5 (or did we? https://twitter.com/#!/Cabel/status/121243424350412800 )
We can be cynical about everything or take them at face value. Its our choice. I'll go with face value this time.
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Where are the official announcements of this? I can't find links in any of these clone-posts, and I can't find announcements on Google or Samsung's websites.
It's apparently an email that's going to press outlets. This Is My Next/Verge is as reputable as any, and they've confirmed it: http://thisismynext.com/2011/10/07/samsung-google-postpone-g...
Come on, Steve was using all kinds of legal shenanigans to try to keep Samsung Android products off the market. Why are they continuing to love their abuser?
Seems to have struck a nerve. I thought all this patent litigation was considered bad around here.
You're off-topic and disrespectful.
There's a time and place to talk about Apple's legal practices. But this thread is about Samsung and Google (potentially) behaving much more respectfully toward a competitor than you are. Which is commendable.
There's a time and place to talk about Apple's legal practices. But this thread is about Samsung and Google (potentially) behaving much more respectfully toward a competitor than you are. Which is commendable.
I dunno why after a person's death everyone has to talk only of their good sides. It's a social convention but it's kinda dumb.
He did a lot of good stuff, and also quite a bit of bad stuff. That's ok by me.
Google and Samsung did not comment by saying this is to pay respect to S.Jobs, because they wouldn't know what the reaction would be. Now that the reaction is positive, they might comment on it that way.
Otherwise, people would know and start saying "it's in fact because the news would be overshadowed by S.Jobs death, and it would also taint our product launch. It's an extraordinary event, Lets launch later".
There's nothing respectful in not launching a product, a week later. There has been many cool marks of respects instead, all over the worlda and the web, which mean a LOT more and make a LOT more sense than a product launch delay.
I know, unpopular opinions gotta be downvoted, and criticism bashed. Heh. That's pretty much against what S.Jobs believed in, ironically.
Google and Samsung did not comment by saying this is to pay respect to S.Jobs, because they wouldn't know what the reaction would be. Now that the reaction is positive, they might comment on it that way.
Otherwise, people would know and start saying "it's in fact because the news would be overshadowed by S.Jobs death, and it would also taint our product launch. It's an extraordinary event, Lets launch later".
There's nothing respectful in not launching a product, a week later. There has been many cool marks of respects instead, all over the worlda and the web, which mean a LOT more and make a LOT more sense than a product launch delay.
I know, unpopular opinions gotta be downvoted, and criticism bashed. Heh. That's pretty much against what S.Jobs believed in, ironically.
As an instinctual contrarian, I had something of an allergic reaction to the hagiography, esp. by people who had very little actually to do with Jobs. Many times during the last two days I had the impulse to try to counter what I saw as knee-jerk, saccharine self-insertion in the guise of mourning.
But each time, I took a deep breath, and let people have their moment.
I agree with you that he wasn't perfect. But he was a remarkable human being, and I'm ok with a social convention that, at least for a short time after a person's death, focuses on the good parts of his life, and the lessons we can learn from them.
The rest of your comment is speculation on the motives of Samsung and Google. Anyone who says, "this one reason is not the reason, and this other reason is the real one" is wrong. Especially at the level of this kind of product launch that's a cooperation between two such huge companies, the decision is likely mind-bogglingly complex.
And, honestly, I think a product launch decision can actually have a real-world impact on sales, so it's potentially a lot more meaningful decision than tweeting #thankyoustevejobs.
Again, I'm sure the decision is a byzantine one. But the gggp comment appears to be advocating an antagonistic attitude toward the recently dead. That's simply and obviously disrespectful.
But each time, I took a deep breath, and let people have their moment.
I agree with you that he wasn't perfect. But he was a remarkable human being, and I'm ok with a social convention that, at least for a short time after a person's death, focuses on the good parts of his life, and the lessons we can learn from them.
The rest of your comment is speculation on the motives of Samsung and Google. Anyone who says, "this one reason is not the reason, and this other reason is the real one" is wrong. Especially at the level of this kind of product launch that's a cooperation between two such huge companies, the decision is likely mind-bogglingly complex.
And, honestly, I think a product launch decision can actually have a real-world impact on sales, so it's potentially a lot more meaningful decision than tweeting #thankyoustevejobs.
Again, I'm sure the decision is a byzantine one. But the gggp comment appears to be advocating an antagonistic attitude toward the recently dead. That's simply and obviously disrespectful.
> I dunno why after a person's death everyone has to talk only of their good sides. It's a social convention but it's kinda dumb.
If you had ill to say of the person, it would be polite and honest to say it when they were alive to defend themselves. The time after a person dies is a little soon as they have relatives and friends who need to work out their grief and not deal with a bunch of detractors.
I am sure Steve Jobs will be debated by historians and evaluated my the ever changing morals of the years to come.
If you had ill to say of the person, it would be polite and honest to say it when they were alive to defend themselves. The time after a person dies is a little soon as they have relatives and friends who need to work out their grief and not deal with a bunch of detractors.
I am sure Steve Jobs will be debated by historians and evaluated my the ever changing morals of the years to come.
By this argument, you're claiming that once dead, everything you've ever done is suddenly right. Well, again, that's kinda dumb.
I agree with quite a few of the "bad things" Mr Jobs has done, but that doesn't make them "good things". It has nothing to do with honesty. Nothing. Nada. Zero.
Also, I don't need someone, like historians, to tell me how to think. Neither a global population's moral. I have my own though and my own morale. I know, again, that's not a common point of view. Much easier to go with the flow. And again, Mr Jobs would agree. If you want to honor his memory, maybe it's time to think different^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H on your own.
Also, I don't need someone, like historians, to tell me how to think. Neither a global population's moral. I have my own though and my own morale. I know, again, that's not a common point of view. Much easier to go with the flow. And again, Mr Jobs would agree. If you want to honor his memory, maybe it's time to think different^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H on your own.
No, thats not what I said. I just think a brief bit to pause an consider and give people time to bury their dead should be the norm.
The historian comment was to show that the net effect of his life (or any other) will not truly be known until well after death. The morality part was my quick quip on what morals history's judgment will be based.
Its a free country, be rude and add all the pain to the world you want. I just tend to believe a little bit of thought and compassion for others would make it a nicer place.
The historian comment was to show that the net effect of his life (or any other) will not truly be known until well after death. The morality part was my quick quip on what morals history's judgment will be based.
Its a free country, be rude and add all the pain to the world you want. I just tend to believe a little bit of thought and compassion for others would make it a nicer place.
I don't know why people have to adopt the "anti-cultural" attitude to show their 'coolness'. You can be 'cool' without bashing a guy who just passed away; just do something cool on your own.
I'm no Apple fanboi, but there's a time and place for some things. This is not the time or place to be criticizing Jobs or those who grieve at the loss. I can see why people are sad; and that's fine with me. I may not agree with a lot of what SJ did, but this is not the time to bring out his failings. If you have nothing positive to say, just keep quiet; you aren't adding to the discourse by peeing in the punch.
I'm no Apple fanboi, but there's a time and place for some things. This is not the time or place to be criticizing Jobs or those who grieve at the loss. I can see why people are sad; and that's fine with me. I may not agree with a lot of what SJ did, but this is not the time to bring out his failings. If you have nothing positive to say, just keep quiet; you aren't adding to the discourse by peeing in the punch.
In an updated statement, the companies confirmed they were making the move out of respect for Jobs.
“We believe this is not the right time to announce a new product as the world expresses tribute to Steve Jobs’s passing,” the companies said.
http://allthingsd.com/20111007/samsung-google-cancel-launch-...