GPhone Still In the Works At Google

Technical Writing Geek writes "According to sources at a Taiwanese manufacturer, Google will definitely be launching its own branded phone. An article at DigiTimes states that the company has yet to finalize the handset's specifications, OS, production contractor and operating partners. 'TI's handset chipsets will find their way into the Google phone should the company decide to roll out an EDGE-compliant handset, but Qualcomm could turn out to be the winner if Google decides to bet on a 3G model ... However, the choice of a 3G platform might force Google to postpone the launch of the so-called Gphone to the first half of 2008 instead of the latter half of this year as expected due to the change of platform and problems related to licensing of patented technologies ...'"

Comments

The real winner

[miroth]

The real winner (other than Google) will be whichever service provider wins the Gphone contract.

Re:The real winner

[petehead]

The real winner (other than Google) will be whichever service provider wins the Gphone contract.

I, for one, hope the Google doesn't sign exclusively with one carrier.

Re:The real winner

[Speed Pour]

Google has claimed many times, and I think they have demonstrated this with their success, that their business does it's best when it operates as platform independent. In this instance, that means building a phone that will work with every provider of a particular technology, be it 3G, EDGE, or whatever...

It doesn't seem unlikely that they would eventually build phones for each of the major options so that a "GPhone" could be connected to Sprint, AT&T, T-Mobile, and every other service you care to name. (note: the following speculation is based on virtually zero knowledge of the possibility, only the assumption of possibility) Begs a bigger question, could they possibly build a phone with interchangeable chips that would make it possible to spend $15 to change the phone from one option to another. This would result in making a semi-future-proofed phone possible, which would build a huge secondary market...something that only re-doubles google's business model; where they believe that as long as they are the ones providing the data, they are coming out ahead.

I've yet to understand all of the people who claim that google would make a mistake by playing in the hardware market...It seems those people don't understand that google's business model isn't at all related to that of the carriers or other handset producers. Google will focus on making money from services and content delivery (ie. Advertising), not from constantly selling new handsets each year and pushing customers to make regular upgrades. Google has the money to fund a venture like this, and they are counter-culture to the approach that the existing carriers and handset makers have used so far, which *COULD* ensure them solid footing in this market if they play it right. As a side note, I feel that "playing it right" will also mean playing friendly with carriers at first and NOT including VoIP at first (since it will not be welcomed to the market by carriers)

Hmm

[ackthpt]

I wonder if it will pop-up Flash ads during phone calls.

• You call/receive call
• Google speech pattern recogniser listens in, detects 'date', 'dinner' and 'movie'
• Information passed to server
• Server pops up ad for Trojans (complete with animation!)

nah, they'd never do that .. would they?

Re:Hmm

[Ajehals]

If they do that then I will add the following predictions

1: The GPhone will be free, but you can buy one if you wish to use your own number.
2: It will never leave Beta.
3: Microsoft and Yahoo will release rival Phones, but they wont be as good, and will look ugly.
4: People will complain that the Gphone is clearly a monopoly as it is Google leverage its advertising monopoly into another market to take it over....*

* Not that I think Google is a monopolist, nor can I see why they would be classed as such

Eh?

[taupin]

So there's not actually any information here. Everything is still up in the air - OS, partners, specs, producers, launch date - except that Google *will* be making a phone.

Wake me up when something actually is known.

Other thoughts...
How long will it be in beta?
September Fools' ?

Data collection

[bhalter80]

Does anyone see this bringing a whole new meaning to phoning home? Think of all the data they could collect but owning the platform, they could mine where your contacts live how often you talk to each of them, all sorts of usagine information not relating to the phone depending on the feature set. This seems like a data miner's mother lode.

Re:Data collection

[RobertM1968]

Which isn't too much different from any other Cell Provider... especially since many still sell that information - while Google has a history of creating a level of user anonymity that companies like AT&T don't.

So while Google may have access to more information (assuming you use their phones to access Google's online services), they seem less likely to use that information (from current and previous track records) than other cell carriers already ARE doing.

Re:Data collection

[hc5duke]

Think of all the data they could collect but owning the platform, they could mine where your contacts live how often you talk to each of them, all sorts of usagine information not relating to the phone depending on the feature set. This seems like a data miner's mother lode.

RIM already has that capability with BlackBerry.

Re:Data collection

[blhack]

Think of all the data they could collect but owning the platform, they could mine
where your contacts live how often you talk to each of them, From what I hear, the google brothers closest from Brad Dunglhorfingshtick owns the worlds foremost tinfoil hat manufacturing facility. This is, IMHO, simply an attempt by google to gift their friend Brad D. some cash; tax free. Informants inside of google have even gone so far as to state that Sergey is PERSONALLY fronting the operating capital for They're Watching, Brad's hat conglomorate. IN this way, Sergey is said to be "double-dipping", a term coined the the mid-90's hit comdedy television show "Seinfeld". Sergey will make money not only off the phone, but on the "back-end" as well from all the whack-tards out there who will sell their entire Second Life Real Estate portfolio and convert it to tin foil hat bonds.

A wise move comrad, a wise move.

Or......you're an idiot.

Re:Data collection

[TheGratefulNet]

Or......you're an idiot.

well, read this and see if you still feel like defending google no matter what they do:

http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2006/11/google.html

the fact is they have a lot of power and they have a lot of data. past performance is no indicator of future, as they say, and given that absolute power corrupts absolutely, I just fear any single entity that gets that much info on us.

I don't worry about the gov getting as much on us - the gov is mostly incompetant (that actually works in our favor, as citizens). but google is pretty competant - and that scares me, given how much data and access (and machine power) they have.

Re:Data collection

[m2943]

I don't worry about the gov getting as much on us - the gov is mostly incompetant (that actually works in our favor, as citizens). but google is pretty competant

You are so naive. Do you really think that the people that manage a trillion dollars of our money and can casually send US troops to kill 500k civilians overseas are stupid and bumbled into their jobs? Look at who's running the country now and who was running it half a century ago. These people want power above all and were smart enough to get it, and they have the family and connections to make it work, generation after generation.

Considering the alternatives, it's not even a bad system. Unlike many previous systems of government, if you want it badly enough and are smart and ruthless enough, you can probable make it yourself into that circle. Many of the people, in addition to their egos, are also genuinely concerned about the well-being of the country, even if you wouldn't believe it.

But don't assume for a second that they don't know what they are doing.

Sergey and Larry got where they got because they incredibly lucky in addition to being smart. Many government leaders got where they got through meticulous long term strategizing and planning.

he said, she said.......

[inzy]

but no real details. nothing beyond what was reported the last time this was here, or the time before, or the time before........

wake me up when google announce something

And the point of the article is...?

[WindowlessView]

WTF? So, basically the gPhone will have some kind of operating system and be connected to some kind of network, all of it to made by some as yet unnamed manufacturer.

Re:And the point of the article is...?

[Ajehals]

You forgot to add "Maybe" to the end.

In other news...

[freyyr890]

Google announces plan to destroy all information it can't index.

Only one question

[mysterious_mark]

Will it have an SDK and or support J2ME?

Re:Whole Lotta Speculation going on

[ackthpt]

but nothing concrete....

Nope, nothin concrete, BUT(!) there's ultra sekrit spy photos of Microsoft's zuPhones!!!

This year?

[kevin_conaway]

...However, the choice of a 3G platform might force Google to postpone the launch of the so-called Gphone to the first half of 2008 instead of the latter half of this year as expected...

We're already in the latter half of this year. Its nearly October!

If they don't have a hardware spec, OS, production contractor or operating partners I'd put my money on the proverbial snowball in hell before GPhone 2007

Re:The Power of Google

[JustinKSU]

What I want to know is will the GPhone help me find the GSpot?

In other words...

[SoapBox17]

An article at DigiTimes states that the company has yet to finalize the handset's specifications, OS, production contractor and operating partners.

In other words, they have not finalized anything. Which is basically the definition of vaporware.

Re:In other words...

[geekoid]

Vaporware is when some one claims it has been finalized, but the product is never materialized.

This is called 'Planning', or possibly 'road mapping', maybe even 'talking out their ass'.

What would be better than a phone...

[Chineseyes]

would be if they released their own phone OS instead of their own phone with cross platform syncing tools. Windows Mobile is PAINFULLY lacking and I refuse to use the IPhone until they have one with a replaceable battery and a minisd slot.

Google + Apple = Goople?

[greywire]

I have to wonder what the gPhone will be like when there's already the iPhone getting all the attention. Because certainly they've been working on this since before the iPhone came out, and, since Google CEO Eric Schmidt is on the Apple board, they probably knew more about the iPhone than the public did before it came out...

One has to wonder if Google would even want to compete head on with the iPhone..

But they wouldn't be making something of lesser gee-whiz functionality, would they..

If it wasn't for my knowing that Apple hasn't traditionally been interested in sharing their IP with "clone" companies, I would almost start to think the gPhone is going to be a lot like the iPhone..

Maybe there's more going on between Apple and Google than we know...

Re:Google + Apple = Goople?

[timeOday]

One has to wonder if Google would even want to compete head on with the iPhone..

I hope not. The iPhone is just a smartphone with a few new features that looks like an iPod; there's nothing special about the infrastructure or business model.

If google jumps in, I hope it will be more revolutionary. For instance, if they won the bandwidth auction that's happening soon, and used that to make a high-speed nationwide data+voice wireless network open to third party devices (though since it's "new" spectrum, initially only the gPhone would work). I'm probably just setting myself up for major disappointment, but that's what I wish.

Re:The Power of Google

[SimonInOz]

Maybe it'll help you spot a Gman. Is that what you want?

700 MHz

[b0s0z0ku]

If Google gets the spectrum license, will they be building their own competing voice/data network in the USA?

-b.

Re:700 MHz

[nine-times]

Well... yeah. That's what the 700Mhz spectrum is going to be used for, and Google is one of the players looking to bid.

Of course, the really big idea is not to have a voice/data network, but to have it be an all-data network with VOIP. Of course, carriers really hate the idea because it pushes the idea that you can have a dumb pipe, and separate from that you have voice service which could possible be provided by another provider. The cell carrier business model relies on the presumption that the pipe and the service are inseparable, and building the pipe entitles you to all service contracts of any sort.

Verizon and the cable companies like this idea, too, that phone services, data services, and video services are all somehow inherently bound to the data network that carries them. This is what the net neutrality debate is all about. These big companies want to say, "I own the pipe, so I should get a piece of anyone providing any service through that pipe." If we can ever knock the services free of the pipe, I think we'll see a bit of a revolution.

Re:The Power of Google

[b0s0z0ku]

What I want to know is will the GPhone help me find the GSpot?

Google up the location, set ringer on "vibrate."

I'm Feeling Lucky

[arsheive]

I want an "I'm Feeling Lucky" button on this thing that uses google's vast amounts of data on everyone to automatically call whomever I _should_ be talking to at the time.

Re:I'm Feeling Lucky

[Serhei]

Then, I want this feature put in a phone with no screen and one button, so that it can compete with the iPhone Shuffle.

The Underwear Gnomes strike again!

[peterb]

You just gotta love /. "Google's planning on shipping the phone in the latter half of this year, even though they haven't yet decided on what the hardware platform is, what OS it will be running, who their cell network partners will be, or any of the manufacturing details!" Also, in other news, I will be giving free ponies to everyone who visits my website. Free flying ponies.

OpenSource all the way

[Anonymous Coward]

Much to the contrary, from what I've heard it will be OpenSource all the way from kernel (Linux) to app layer (Java VM), including application framework and extensive developer support. And cheap too. The whole point of this is to kick-start a community around OSS phone development.

Clearly

[geekoid]

the iPhone is the one to get, it's two better.

Re:Clearly

[Onan]

Perhaps Google and Apple can compromise and collaborate on the hPhone.

this sounds familiar...

[Tumbleweed]

the company has yet to finalize the handset's specifications, OS, production contractor and operating partners

Hmm...that sounds just like my plan to take over the world! I just haven't figured out how, yet, that's all. But just you wait! *shakes fist*

In Other News...

[8ball629]

3D Realms has confirmed that they will be releasing Duke Nukem Forever the 2nd quarter of next year due to issues surrounding DirectX 8.

Re:Whole Lotta Speculation going on

[darthnoodles]

You lied! You said there was nothing concrete.