Entries tagged with “google phone” from Paul Lopez Unwired

Is it real or a PR buzz generator for Google? The device is built by HTC and patterned after the HTC Passion but is reportedly thinner than the iPhone. Is this just a Passion running an alpha version of Android 2.1?  Google employees have been tweeting and showing off their new toy to their friends. This has generated a storm of speculation and controversy on the blogs both in favor and against Google selling their own hardware. Google has handed out developer phones before such as the unlocked G1 HTC Dream last year. In the U.S., if I buy this unlocked phone I can put in my AT&T or T-Mobile SIM card and get it to work. But I would be unhappy if it only supports EDGE speeds on the AT&T network! Unlocked phones occasionally suffer some technical disadvantages by not supporting advanced services and quite often ratchet down in connect speed. The Snapdragon chip from Qualcomm runs 30% faster and consumes less than 10 milliwatts in standby mode. This makes video scream, but I'd be concerned with getting the bandwidth I need with the carrier. You'll get free GPS voice navigation, Google Talk/Wave and QR (Quick Response) Tagging; making it a great advertising vehicle. Google's taking a play out of Apple's playbook. The innovator needs to have some level of control over both the hardware and the software of the device. The challenge will be in managing the market supply chain and technical ecosystem. They should target prepaid MVNO carriers who need a decent smartphone option thereby avoiding the potential backlash from paid subscription carriers.  I will probably add one to my utility belt in January.

As Google approaches $700 a share, they are reported by the Wall Street Journal to be in "advanced talks" with the #2 and #3 wireless carriers in the U.S. As discussed here before, Google expects to create a new ecosystem around the Google phone - software development kits, handset OEM deals and multi-carrier availability. While Apple's iPhone initially did not come with an open API for third party development, the Google phone is expected to allow operating system access - thereby allowing developers to build additional phone features. Apple recently announced their iPhone SDK amid much enthusiasm from the developer community.

It remains to be seen how much Google will compromise to get handsets launched with the carriers. With this recent news the blogging community is taking the opportunity to throw Verizon under the bus - seeing them as crippling the Google phone. Originally, it was thought Google would release an open handset GSM device allowing customers to select the carrier of choice. Get your Google phone, insert your SIM and go - of course that is too simple! Most industry observers view an open handset as a long shot due to long standing stranglehold carriers have on devices. Apple moved the user experience in a new direction, but the carrier business model essentially stayed the same.  Advertising revenue from mobile phones is still small but the expectation is the market is growing and with the decline of voice revenue, carriers see it to build their top line revenue.For Google - the carriers want you, need you, just don't let them bleed you.

The Google Phone gets real as various scribes hint at prototype features: The Boston Globe on its Qwerty keyboard and three-dimensional animated buttons; Om Malik on its specialized browser, mobile-Linux OS and Java apps; TechCrunch on how Google's Gpay mobile-payment system could be the Google Phone's killer application; and Rational Security on the ads Google will run on the phone to make it free.

Is this the beginning of free phone service?