Google Phone Rumors Solidifying

MrCrassic alerts us to an Ars Technica roundup of various reports about Google's rumored gPhone, from CrunchGear, Engadget, and others. Business Week attempts to read into the silence of software developers (who are all, presumably, under NDA) to triangulate Google's plans. Both outlets agree that Google is probably developing its own Linux-based OS for the gPhone, and that it will be open to outside developers.

Re:Competition for the iPhone?

[aliquis]

Trolltech one is cool but waaaay to expensive.

In other news both my phones where 250 and 350 sek each.

Re:Competition for the iPhone?

[LingNoi]

The last link about the Linux devices... Some of these arn't open source. For example the Motorola phones, although they use Linux are locked down via DRM.

I found out about this after I bought a Motorola A1200 advertised as using Linux then found out that although you can get a code of the Linux code they use it's completely useless because your can't compile and use your own kernel for the phone.

Re:consumer-level?

[m2943]

I am not sure where you are coming up with the distinction that the iPhone is more tethered to the docking station than a gPhone would be.

You even use iTunes on your "Mac or PC" to activate the iPhone! The phone is designed with desktop syncing in mind; the fact that you can use some mobile web sites to get by without syncing doesn't change that.

For the Google phone, you'll likely just unpack it, turn it on, and you're good to go. Syncing and all that will probably be OTA, the way a modern phone should be.

since it would be through a web page on the gPhone

I see no reason to assume that. In fact, Google has already created mobile applications for mail, calendaring, and maps, and they recommend against using the web based ones on phones that give you a choice.

Commoditization of the telecom industry

[rukidding]

When you look at this from a value chain perspective, new players are entering at the device and the content points of the value chain. There are no new entrants coming in to compete with the telecoms. The value added for any new offering is coming from the user interface of the device and the ability to get new content. The wireless infrastructure connecting the content with the devices seems to be less and less of a factor for many consumers and there doesn't seem to be a lot of incentives in this area to attract new players to compete with the AT&Ts and Verizons of the world. Soon I see wireless plans being more of a commodity. The wireless protocol or company will matter very little to the consumer. Price will become the main factor in determining the wireless company a consumer uses. The devices and the content you can get to on it will be the main attractions to most consumers. It seems to me Apple and Google understand this very well.