Still mulling over the Pixel event. In my mind the biggest news isn't about the products, it's about the change in pricing and the software.

I have a problem with the idea of spending more than $500 for a smartphone, and I think the world is better when there are more affordable products than luxury products. 

My hope was that Google would be able to influence the market towards lower priced, high quality devices, and for me that was what Nexus was about. From my point of view, Google has caved in, given up on lower prices, and aligned itself with Apple and Samsung. I don't see how this is good for users. 

What really troubles me is the idea that by this Google has really put a price premium on being able to buy and maintain the latest version of Android in a smartphone. Motorola, One Plus, and Huawei all sell affordable Android phones, but there is a risk that when you buy one you may wait longer to get updates to Android or even not get updates at all.

I get that this is what Apple has done all along, but if Google just does the same thing as Apple, how is that really helping all of us?