I don't think Google's new Pixel strategy will work well for them. My opinion is Android is inferior to Apple on almost every dimension and I own an android because it was $400 instead of $1k for iphone (7 is $650 + $100 for more than 32g storage + case + 3-5 headphone cables + applecare + tax). So I was hoping for a Pixel that was a good replacement for my Nexus 5 which just decided that using bluetooth should reboot the phone...
Granted these are more generalizations but they're a bit of a cliche for a reason. Still, the combination of a bit more flexibility and the ability to buy a Nexus (or that one time, a Moto X) for $350-450 instead of $650 and up for an iPhone has kept me in the Android camp for the past several years.
I've also been holding off on replacing my Nexus 5 and will still wait to see just what the word is on these new Pixel phones but I will say that the higher, more iPhone-like price means I'm likely to be less forgiving of minor issues or complaints that I'd just deal with on a device that costs 2/3 as much.
Just as my Asus laptop has a worse screen than a similar Macbook sold at the time but cost $950 instead of $2200 for otherwise similar specs, I have no problem accepting some tradeoffs for the right price. But if that Asus had be marked at $1950 compared to the $2200 Macbook, I might have just gone with the better viewing angles and better support record.
Still, it's all just speculation. We all make our purchasing decisions after we get a chance to evaluate all of the options. Until the devices and reviews show up, it's all a bit premature.
How botched are their security lockdown of their phones compared to the Nexus line?
Can't seem to find a list of CVE's fixed with each update (not in their changelogs, that they only post on the forum...) , based on that, they do not fix known security problems.
