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 ...'"

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.

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

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: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: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'.

Re:Hmm

[CrashandDie]

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

It's not Google's monopolistic nature that scares people, it's the sense of hegemony that pours out of all their apps...

They want to do everything, maps, email, search, video, phones, calendar, file indexing, coder motivation, etc

I don't mind it, I mean, it's not your usual next door company, but they are a regular company. Plus, a few people think it'll soon be all over [battellemedia.com]

Though, I do understand why people would see Google as an evil company, the bottom line is that they are nothing more than a company, believing that they are a God given gift, is just stupid...

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)