Blog, Bygdsiljum, Skellefteå

If you know me, you'll know I'm a big Google fan. I'm one of the lucky ones on a legacy storage plan, I use Google Apps for my emails and all Google services, I had the Nexus One the week it came out, I bought the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 the week it came out, now have a Nexus 7 and my current phone is the Samsung Nexus, but I'm typing this post on a MacBook.

I've never been an Apple fan, until recently. I was given a MacBook and that was the day I understood what so many were talking about.

You see, it just works. You lift the lid and it's on. You don't wait, you don't have to press a button, it just turns on. The apps work too. The App Store is amazing and as someone that used to hate paying for software, today, I don't mind because I know it's going to work and do exactly what I want it to do.

But, this post isn't about Apple or my brand new MacBook Pro Retina, which is everything I expected it to be and more, it's about Google and hardware and the reason why I'm seriously considering moving to Apple for everything, even though I know it will be hard.

You see, I've had my Samsung Nexus for elven months and today it died. The Galaxy Tab lasted just over a year before it died and I know that wasn't a 'Google' branded product, but it was Samsung and I know I'm not the only one that has had this issue and continues to do so.

But Google have a responsibility to make sure who they do business with, when it comes to hardware, are up to it. I'm completely convinced now that Samsung are not. Sure, I know people that love Samsung, but is it a coincidence that both products I've purchased haven't lasted - even though if you were to look at them, they're as good as new?

So now I'm in that place - do I send the phone off to get fixed and be without for a month (my son has the Nexus One) or do I just upgrade to the Nexus 4 and give it one last chance with a new manufacturer?

I'm going to go with the latter, I have to, I'm a Google whore, but it is frustrating as hell, especially when the hardware issues are just touching the surface - try and get some official accessories for the Nexus 7 - months after it was released, it's impossible and you're stuck with third party plastic on Amazon that looks nice and all that but don't last.

Google have to get a grip of this market and while they shouldn't take responsibility for hardware they don't manufacture, they sure as hell can make sure that getting them fixed is much easier and not such a long process, but also make sure that quality control is a bit better.

This isn't my last swing with Google, even though I've written this I can't see myself leaving, but these phones are not cheap and actually bloody expensive when you consider it only lasted 11 months and before you think it; the phone was not on a contract, it was ordered from an online store that is now no longer in business and I had to do that because Google still, even today, don't have a store in Sweden!