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GPhone Still In the Works At Google
Posted by
Zonk
on Thu Sep 20, 2007 06:09 PM
from the i-wish-goog-411-worked-better dept.
from the i-wish-goog-411-worked-better dept.
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 ...'"
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The real winner (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:The real winner (Score:5, Insightful)
I, for one, hope the Google doesn't sign exclusively with one carrier.
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OpenSource all the way (Score:2, Interesting)
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
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 n
Re: (Score:2)
Hmm (Score:3, Funny)
I wonder if it will pop-up Flash ads during phone calls.
nah, they'd never do that .. would they?
Re:Hmm (Score:5, Funny)
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
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Eh? (Score:4, Informative)
Wake me up when something actually is known.
Other thoughts...
How long will it be in beta?
September Fools' ?
Data collection (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Data collection (Score:5, Interesting)
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.
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Re:Data collection (Score:4, Insightful)
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Re: (Score:3, Informative)
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 "S
Google is a marketing company (Score:2)
Or......you're an idiot.
I'm having a hard time seeing what incentive they would have to make a phone besides using it for data mining. That's what Google does. They collect information about you and send you targeted advertisements. It's how they make their money. They've done that with every service they've offered.
Exactly what do you propose their motivation is here? You seem to be implying that with this GPhone, Google breaks with all of its previous history for some mysterious reason.
Re:Data collection (Score:4, Interesting)
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 [motherjones.com]
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.
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Re: (Score:3, Funny)
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,
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google scares me, with the huge amounts of customer data they have 'in trust' on us.
I don't think I'll be considering any kind of 'google phone' thank you.
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How's that move from Amherst to Nashua treating you?
(No need to tell us, we already know. Just making conversation.)
he said, she said....... (Score:2, Interesting)
wake me up when google announce something
And the point of the article is...? (Score:4, Funny)
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
In other news... (Score:4, Funny)
Only one question (Score:3, Interesting)
Re: (Score:2, Troll)
Small device + virtual machine
Fry It! (Score:2)
I hope someone there read Stephen Fry's recent blog on phones [stephenfry.com] and is taking it all to heart.
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This year? (Score:3, Insightful)
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
In other words... (Score:5, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
This is called 'Planning', or possibly 'road mapping', maybe even 'talking out their ass'.
What would be better than a phone... (Score:3, Interesting)
Re: (Score:2)
Why? It's already smaller/lighter/thinner than many competitors, and if you're worried about battery life, there are several external batteries that fit on the back almost seamlessly and connect to the bottom connector. And if you want to replace the internal battery without giving up the phone, there are already several replacement kits out.
-b.
Google + Apple = Goople? (Score:4, Interesting)
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? (Score:4, Interesting)
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.
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700 MHz (Score:4, Interesting)
-b.
Re:700 MHz (Score:5, Interesting)
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.
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Re: (Score:2)
Sort of -- standard TCP/IP is really bad at doing voice, especially over poor connections. Too much latency, even when speed is high.
-b.
I'm Feeling Lucky (Score:5, Funny)
Re: (Score:2, Funny)
The Underwear Gnomes strike again! (Score:5, Funny)
shipping date realities (Score:2)
Clearly (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Clearly (Score:5, Funny)
Parent
this sounds familiar... (Score:3, Funny)
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*
Has to be 3G (Score:2)
As you may have heard, Google is a large search engine which also provides excellent services like YouTube. Search engines also forward users to web sites filled with graphics and some with videos.
So why would Google want to construct a phone? Do they intend to make the best phone experience or do they tout this thing as the ultimate source to information via the World Wide Web? It's clear to me that a company like Google wants to maximize the s
Re: (Score:2)
They have way too much money and have failed to innovate beyond being a search engine? Just guessing...
In Other News... (Score:4, Funny)
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Nope, nothin concrete, BUT(!) there's ultra sekrit spy photos of Microsoft's zuPhones [wikimedia.org]!!!
Re:The Power of Google (Score:4, Funny)
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Re:The Power of Google (Score:4, Funny)
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Re:The Power of Google (Score:5, Funny)
Google up the location, set ringer on "vibrate."
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