Last night, we started seeing some Tweets from Google employees and others about a new Android-powered Google phone that was apparently handed out at an “all hands” meeting. Now Google is confirming that it is indeed “dogfood” testing a new Android device with employees around the world.
But this isn’t just another Android phone. Very trustworthy sources who have seen the phone say that it is the Google Phone we first wrote about last month (despite the uninformed saying we were dreaming). It will be branded Google and sold by Google as an unlocked phone, which could change everything. As we wrote in our original post:
Google is building their own branded phone that they’ll sell directly and through retailers. They were long planning to have the phone be available by the holidays, but it has now slipped to early 2010. The phone will be produced by a major phone manufacturer but will only have Google branding (Microsoft did the same thing with their first Zunes, which were built by Toshiba).
There won’t be any negotiation or compromise over the phone’s design of features – Google is dictating every last piece of it. No splintering of the Android OS that makes some applications unusable. Like the iPhone for Apple, this phone will be Google’s pure vision of what a phone should be.
The phone itself is being built by HTC, with a lot of input from Google. It seems to be a tailored version of the HTC Passion or the related HD2 (Unlocker scored some leaked pictures back in October which are of the same phone). Update: Here is a more recent picture.
Here are the details we know so far about the phone: It will be called the Google Phone (update the official name is “Nexus One”) and will launch in early January, 2010. It won’t be sold by any one carrier, but instead will be an unlocked GSM phone. In the U.S., that means T-Mobile and possibly AT&T, whose exclusivity deal with the iPhone is about to run out. It will be running Android 2.1
The phone is “really, really fast,” says someone who has seen one in action. It runs on a Snapdragon chip, has a super high-resolution OLED touchscreen, is thinner than the iPhone, has no keyboard, and two mics. The mic on the back of the phone helps eliminate background noise, and it also has a “weirdly” large camera for a phone. And if you don’t like the touchscreen keyboard, a voice-to-text feature is supposed to let you dictate emails and notes by speaking directly into the phone.
was really hoping for a completely new piece of hardware from google (i.e. not built by anyone other than google).
its smart that Google didn’t fall into the trap you suggest. hardware is hard and, if you need a example how much money it can cost when you f it up, see the XBox 360.
money? is that really a concern for google or MS for that matter?
Are you serious? Money always matters. What on earth would make you think money doesn’t matter to the executives of this corporation??
It would cost them hundreds of millions to tool up and staff a factory for making handsets. Why bother? Problems with phones rarely come down to hardware, and when they do, it’s not the fault of the sub-contracted manufacturer, it’s a problem with the design that was submitted to that manufacturer.
I must say people are happy for the google phone release a.k.a Nexus one. Although the leaked pictures isn’t that impressive. Hopefully the specs can compensate with less-mediocre HTC design. Leaked photo: http://bit.ly/nexus-one-google-phone-photo
that is funny, you probably don’t realize it but you just suggested that money is not a concern for google and microsoft.
Adisa, He did realize it, thats what he said directly. Even though he is wrong.
How is he wrong? Google has 22 billion in cash RIGHT NOW and a 190 billion dollar market cap. Money is NOT an issue or they wouldn’t be giving away a GPS app that is comparably worth $100 for free…among other things….
@Dr Dre
They’re not giving away the app just to give it away. It’s a user acquisition move. The more people on android they can get, the better for them (because of how tied into their services it is). Most of their services are free (at least at basic levels) to acquire you as a user so they can feed you ads or shift you to using other services of their’s. This has been their strategy all along.
i Think you guys missed the irony of that saying. Adisa was pointing out that saying money is no concern for Google and Microsoft is like saying religion is no concern for the Pope. i mean, this what they’re all about right?
Seems tongue-in-cheek is wasted on engineers
Mr. Queroz VP-Product manager of Google surely know how to keep the excitement of people.
Yes they confirmed that the conceptual phone is for real, but they didn’t open up much of the details. dog-fooding statement on another view: http://bit.ly/google-phone-finally-confirmed
Biggest question: Will it made another streak against the iphone kind?
This is one of the reasons why people ‘love’ TechCrunch.. Just when engadget are just speculating and mash-peepz are waiting for a tweet. TC seems to find a way to salvage things which are let’s just say ‘not easy to find’ Hopefully this ‘BIG G phone’ won’t run on AT&T carruer.. pls: http://bit.ly/google-phone-on-january-predictions
This phone will run on Tmobile and AT&T. The phone is unlocked so it most likely wont be going to verizon.
I think you should know that you have a really shitty blog.
If you’ll be our fan, then you gotta do better than that. And oh, you do know how to speak english right…?
Main thing is what 3G band will it have. I don’t know of any phones that have both 1700Mhz and 1900Mhz UTMS 3G bands.
Are you reffering to the ROD problems of the early XBOX 360 ? Maybe…
But right now the 360 is an amazing game station… say what you want, but Microsoft did a great product for once ^^
Faulty Xbox 360s are not limited to the “early” units. Even their latest ones have problems. It’s a nice device when it works, but the failure rate is abnormally high.
Indeed. Microsoft failed big time on the 360. I still primarily game on it because of some games, but it’s poorly built and a general pain.
And the 360 was their 2nd try. At the end of the original XBox’s run in 2005, Forbes magazine estimated that it caused Microsoft overall losses of $4 billion. The estimate was mostly based on Microsoft’s fiscal reports and therefore reliable. Since then their Entertainment Division has been in the red for most quarters, especially in 2007, where they lost $2 billion within one year. Overall losses must be at $6 billion or more now. I don’t know if Google is prepared to blow that kind of money.
I completely agree, not only is getting into manufacturing costly, it is not Google’s competency. Also, it may lead to conflict of interests with its partners. Read more http://truvoipbuzz.com/2009/12/thank-you-google-for-the-google-phone-opinion/
you think apple build the iPhone?
no…which is why i was hoping google would build theirs.
why on earth your were hoping they build their own phone? they are a software company per excellence not a hardware company.
Google is no software company. More than 9/10 of their services were acquired technology by buying out the developing companies, not built in house.
Some more news: Google to sell the GPhone, Tmobile to support the launch?
http://www.tmonews.com/2009/12/google-phone-that-much-closer-to-realization/
wtf? are you retarded? you think it’d be a good idea for Google to create their own fabrication plant and start an entire hardware department just for one phone? lmao
They should have their own silicon mines mined using the mining equipment they built themselves.
And it will be run by dwarves.
Dwarves they make themselves in a secret underground lab….
It better be, or the whole thing’s no f–ing good.
Or androids.
Gotta agree with Tim on this one. Hardware is not only hard, it’s very different from anything Google is good at.
If you think hardware is just industrial design, you have to remember that there are actual electronics inside the device. Any one design error could cause a variety of issues from display quality to reception quality.
Building a phone in-house will be a multi-million dollar project — and commitment — including hardware & software (that know how wireless communications work) engineers, hardware test equipment, the list goes on. Better to let someone more experienced do it and provide the vision, leadership, and capital.
Multi-million?
Are you Doctor Evil?
He didn’t end with /raisePinkyToMouth, so my guess is no ;)
They could just Google: How to build a phone.
Whether Google makes the hardware themselves, or HTC makes it doesn’t really matter. If Google specs exactly what they want, they will get it. The only difference really being the fact that if Google did it themselves it probably be more expensive.
If you understand the design/manufacturing process behind cell phones, you’ll see that FI Google indeed has complete control over the smallest detail, it is as good as Google building it themselves.
When a company like Samsung, Motorola, HTC, etc. slap their label on a phone, it does not mean that they actually build these phones themselves with their own manufacturing plants – in fact, the only you could say is that they designed the phone themselves, that is all.
A phone typically has many components – chips, circuit boards, LCD screen, microphone, speaker, shell, etc., and what happens usually is after specifying all the components they would need for a new phone, they go find *another* company that makes these components.
For example, they would contact a few LCD makers that they know of, and maybe trying to find new ones and negotiate a deal for some initial production number.
However, the delegation process does not stop here – for MANY components the makers actually DON’T own any manufacturing plants – they would need to also contact the plants (most likely in China) that they have connections with and negotiate a deal with them. So essentially the maker would “rent” the manufacturing plant for the duration of the production run. Why? Because things have production cycles – you order, let’s say, 300,000 LCDs. The plant runs for 3 months, and, maybe, if the phone sells well it gets another order for 500,000 more half a year later. But it doesn’t make sense to have the plant idle between orders, so it’ll take orders from other LCD makers or other companies.
So a cell phone you hold in your hands is a final product of many levels of design/manufacturing delegation; and this is a simplified view since the interaction could be more complicated.
Phone makers (Motorola, HTC)
- designs phone
- specifies components
- contracts component makers
- contracts assembly plants
Component makers
- designs component
- specifies sub-components (if needed)
- contracts manufacturing plants
Plants (typically in China or other such countries)
- takes phone assembly orders
- takes component manufacturing orders
As you can see, if Google gets to design and specifies the phone to the last detail, it’s at the same level as the phone makers (Motorola, HTC). The only difference is that Google is using HTC’s resources for itself – the component maker connections (if Google chooses to use them), and consultation expertise.
Actually, Google is not the first one to do this – often big-name companies like Motorola would contract a phone ENTIRELY through a smaller, less-well known company.
for the record- it’s OLED in this case :) but the principles are the same
epic reply is epic
whats the point of a gphone anyway?
there would be no advantages to other android phones since use perfect google service integration.
google should stick to the software and leave the hardware design to people like motorola, sony-ericsson and samsung.
i guess the only advantage of a gphone is that the press can play another round of apple vs google reporting.
That’s not a very well thought out point of view.
Manufacturers like doing the same thing over and over, particularly Motorla. Remember the Razr? Here’s the typical manufacturer’s point of view formula: make something…sell it…make the same thing…sell it again…make even more…sell it again…make more…sales slip because the design is old…discount it…sell more…make more…sell more…repeat until doomsday if possible.
Google (or Apple) bring a fresh perspective, one that’s not tainted by being whipped into submission by the US carriers for years. They have a different vision and perspective that Motorola, Nokia, Samsung, etc. can’t. The typical manufacturer doesn’t understand design and vision any more than bears understand calculus.
Unless a Google or an Apple steps in, the future of handsets is more of the same.
Actually Rhoda, you’re being a little blinkered. I agree with your view of the manufacturers, but your view of Apple and Google is wrong (and they are not the same). Apple are doing the same as the other manufacturers, except to an extreme – they only have ONE HANDSET, and they are selling multiple versions – at least Nokia give you a bit of choice.
Google are using the same approach to handsets as they do to everything else – they are taking the easy path. Does google own a network? No. But their service is entirely dependent on there being a network there. So why would they make a handset when there are plenty out there that they can just piggy back on?
What google bring is brand, which plays exactly to the handset manufacturers, and to the business model you describe above. Brand sells units, so I suspect HTC snapped Google’s hand off, because this allows them to sell a much higher number of what would have been ‘just another smart phone’.
If a $200 phone isn’t connected to any carrier… it might cost $600.
Users just won’t pay $600 for a phone that has NEVER been tested… made by a company that has NEVER made a phone.
I paid only $49 for my iPhone.
Just like i thought. Google needed/ used companies like Samsung, Motorola, HTC, LG Sony Ericsson to develope AND! establish Android as a consumer recognised brand.
Now the Job is done and Google/ HTC will be the only one left to profit.
The other companies won´t get the extra Google (brand) love and are still damned to improve Android for free, or are hoping/ switching back to WinMo.
Lesson learned: If Google partners up with companies – in the end, only Google profits and some lucky guys like HTC, or AP (News).
Next one to bend over for Google is Ubuntu – helping to develope Chrome OS and when that is done, Google will release a full Desktop OS and Ubuntu will be left in the rain crying: “But hey wait, you promised to just make a Web OS?!?”
Pretty much took a lesson from Apple’s playbook-hook up with Motorola, see how things work out (ROKR), let Motorola take the blame, then go do it right yourself.
@sigh2
You have to keep in mind that it’s Google, HTC and T-Mobile who took ALL the risk to release the first ever Android phone, a platform which was brand new, never tested in public and completely unproven. All the other manufacturers you mention didn’t have the balls to take the risk and were sitting around playing the sissy wait-n-watch game.
If you take the risks, you reap the benefits. If you don’t, you don’t deserve a share of the profits. What’s wrong with that?
+1 bro
True, but you underestimate the impotance to establish the brand(Andoid) through multiple manufacturers and the future impact of the exclusive Google labeling of just one phone!
If you check Gadget Blogs, people are already questioning their Droid purchase – because they want the real deal – the Google Phone.
What i´m trying to say – the other manufacturers, although they hesitated in the beginning, put effort in spreading Android and are now left in the rain. Motorola is totally betting on Android.
Imho it´s a stupid move from Google and some manufacurers will maybe move back to WinMo. Because M$ maybe greedy, but the don´t slap their partners in the face. (at least not in this case :p)
Another view is that both Apple and Google got sick and tired of the Phone Companies crippling their phones to a point that it’s unusable or not what they (or the consumer) wanted. I think Google hoped that Verizon wouldn’t mess with the phone, but Verizon’s got greedy. Same goes with AT&T with Apple (Picture text messaging, tethering). I’m sure some of it has to do with testing the waters, but I think the big thing is everyone is sick and tired of the way the teleco’s mess with stuff.
“but I think the big thing is everyone is sick and tired of the way the teleco’s mess with stuff.”
+1
thank you
Yeah, but I also think this means the phone is going in a whole ‘nuther direction. A couple years ago Google posited a vision of a free communication device supported with nothing by Google ads. Moreover, they’ve also got an approved white space device as well as having invested heavily in WiMax and, of course, Google Voice .
Holding to their egalitarian values as well as information and communication being the best tools for supporting that philosophy, a GSM or “world” phone that’s cheap and can also operate in remote areas via WiMax or white space and is also subsidized via an ad-based platform whose profits are split with local carriers in order to make their phone dirt-cheap and allow for VoIP is not far-fetched. (How’s that for the best run-on sentence ever?) :)
Nor would such a phone be exactly the same as competing with other Android based phones. If, indeed, it has Android 2.1, there’s no reason that the reported upcoming January update to Droid wouldn’t also be 2.1, and later in the year HTC’s and Samsung’s updates as well (after upgrading to 2.0), as the newer OS would only be a piece of what the supposed “Google Phone” is rather than the entire concept.
I’m thinking along the lines of the “one per child $100 PC” project..sorta like, but with better, albeit easier to use “ala voice” technology .
Hahahaha… when WiMAX has ‘remote area’ coverage, Google (and probably the entire planet) will have shut up and gone home.
I will be not surprised to learn that Google Netbook is coming to the market about end of 2010…
It is all looks as their platform promotion, I really doubt about hardware business being all that important.
“Next one to bend over for Google is Ubuntu – helping to develope Chrome OS and when that is done, Google will release a full Desktop OS and Ubuntu will be left in the rain crying: “But hey wait, you promised to just make a Web OS?!?”
Yeah, how dare Google take open source software and change it! And then release the code! And try and build a development community! I mean who do they think are?!?
Potentially this HTC>Google deal sounds like Fusion Garage > TechCrunch Deal
HTC might walk away with the accolades later :)
Much Like FG with TC, HTC would be done for after that move.
Yeah I would have to disagree with you there. HTC for awhile was THE manufacture of smartphones for awhile and still make a good number of them. Google may be dictating every aspect of the phone, but I think they are doing it with strong help from HTC who know what they are doing.
could not agree more on this comment
Something tells me google would have written agreements over something this big.
We’ll have to wait and see if HTC cuts Google off at the last second and launches it as their own “GooGoo.”
Nice. :)
BTW Goo means poo in Hindi! :P
Uhh…no it doesn’t :|.
For some reason I suspect Google has an iron-clad contract in place with HTC…unlike what TC did with Fusion Garage.
Not a chance because it’s meaningless without google’s name and support :)
Same with the Crunchpad. If TC were involved, if you had issue, you would have called TC and have Mike pick up the support line with an Indian accent.
Google may be testing HTC’s performance with this dogfood release of an HTC manufactured phone with Google’s Android OS incorporated.
Specifically, as owner of the Android IP, Google has a great interest in the faithfullness and reliability of execution of the ANDROID OS by HTC in its hardware implementation.
I own a Sprint HTC Android phone. Sprint’s imprint on the OS appears to be minimal, and virtually invisible; what software & features are identified with Sprint seem to work very well and reliably.
However, some of the basic features of the ANDROID OS as implemented by HTC on this phone are less than satisfactory. The imperfections are significant enough that they might have potential to damage the reputation and value of Google’s IP interest in Android itself. I would suggest that the reason for an early and exhaustive testing of the Google Android OS interface on a phone on which HTC implements Android with no other limits or requirements (from phone company etc.) is to validate HTC’s implementation on its hardware of Google’s vision for Android.
Due diligence, admirable prudential action on Google’s part; necessary to assure that the Android interface presented to the customer is the one Google intended to be delivered, and does not have weaknesses which could damage long term viability of the OS in the marketplace.
Hehe, I’ve saw this one about nearly 6 months ago and I’ll let you know that there’s another one coming, one with a ball in it similar to the curve.
This particular one has a soft-touch feel similar to the T-Mobile Dash and a big etched in Android Logo on the back. Overall the feel was smooth, and depending on your preference it was pretty weighty, I don’t know I like weighty which is why I liked the original iPhone over the 3Gs in terms of weight. The soft touch is great because I used to own a Dash myself and that was a factor in my purchase.
All iPhone models weighed the same (133 to 135g). You are probably thinking about the harder metal surface of the original compared to the later plastic shells.
How exactly will this phone work worth a flying f*ck with 2 different GSM carriers using different frequencies in the US?
Unlocked means EDGE speeds on one or the other network.
Google will open up a huge division to provide tech support and all the other crap you need to support hardware?
Yeah, and where the are the pics? Tech Crunch is fast becoming a joke to the whole industry of moronic tech bloggers and that’s saying something, I like a good story as much as anyone else.
Does anyone at Tech Crunch have any TECH background or all of you discredited and naive lawyers?
Chandra, is that you?
+1
GSM phones usually work on several frequencies, typically they cover 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz… and they did it for almost 10 years now, so nothing new here.
This is one of the big advantage of GSM, you can travel all around the world, it will just work with any carrier (except in US where there are still some CDMA).
Same with UMTS (aka 3G) they usually cover 850, 900, 1700, 1900, 2100 MGz frequencies.
FYI, some carriers use different frequencies (at least in Europe) to improve the coverage, since some frequencies cover larger areas, but don’t go deep in buildings, while some other frequencies cover smaller areas but deeper in buildings.
This is gonna be an issue potentially with the 3G, just as the iPhone is with T-Mobile. The 3G frequencies don’t match up so it only works with EDGE speed.
Please tell me which phone you’ve seen that has both AT&T 3G (1900Mhz) and T-Mobile 3G (1700Mhz & 2100Mhz) because I don’t know of one that exists. Just about all phones have the European band of 3G (2100Mhz), which makes me wonder why no cell phone manufacturer has bothered to make such a phone yet
And then it hit me. Even though SIM cards make it possible to hop from one carrier to another, they want to lock you into their network any way possible.
Maybe Google will break this vicious cycle.
Nokia N900 has both AT&T and T-mobile 3G.
Thanks for playing, but no it does not.
There are chips that have all 4 radio frequencies in it.
You’d need 5, not 4.
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I should know this, but what network does Verizon run? GSM or CDMA? Does this being a GSM targeted device mean we won’t be seeing it on Verizon anytime soon? Heck, does Verizon even have sim cards or anything? I don’t think they do. :(
I don’t think its Verizon, not because I know but when I saw these along with the Droid half a year ago, only the droid was Verizon which leads me to believe this one wasn’t.
That’s unfortunate, but it does make sense if they’re trying to go after iPhone directly that they’d concentrate on GSM (AT&T) first. That’s pure speculation of course.
Verizon is CDMA. And according to T-mobile news the Phone will be sold by Google with a T-mobile contract or with flexpay. Call support is handled by T-mobile and advance tech support by Google/Call-Centers.
Verizon is CDMA, which means no sim cards.
GMS = sim cards = you can bring your phone to Europe and use it there, unlock it and stick a SIM card from another carrier in it
Verizon has Sim cards. There’s one in the storm 9530.
There are phones with both CDMA and GSM radios. The HTC Touch Pro 2 on Sprint is an example. In the US you use the CDMA radio, when you roam to other countries you use a Sprint SIM card and roam to the local network.
Only for world roaming purposes though.
Okay, I thought so, but I wasn’t entirely sure. Thanks for the info.
Hmmm, Google is always the best!
Can you walk and breathe at the same time?
There’s also sex.
The unlockr shots clearly show the HTC branding
Because that’s a shot of the HTC phone they think it looks like, not of the actual Google Phone.
Man I hope they focus on making the phone features work better. The actual PHONE features
I hope they dont. the actual NON PHONE features. phones will be gone in 10 years
Wha?! Are you on crack? As long as there is a need for humans to communicate vocally, there will always be phones. Unless direct mental communication is in full swing in a decade, this isn’t gonna happen.
Maybe humans won’t need to communicate vocally. We once communicated by telegraph, we don’t do that anymore.
Except for those things we like to call mouths. Humans are basically built to communicate through speech, dude, therefore it will take a LOT to eliminate the need for the phone (as a concept).
I hope each user has nothing to hide with the people they communicate with using such a device. Or when and where they take a shit, or have kinky sex, or sing in the shower, or write a love letter, or make a sarcastic joke about TSA, or criticize a politician, or plan a surprise party, or make an investment, or buy a CD, or any of the multitude of legal, normal actions people do.
Schmidt’s comment on privacy, “maybe you shouldn’t be doing it in the first place…” means Google is no longer trusted with my personal communication. I have yet to see the mea culpa correction and remarkable redress for this unacceptable position (IMHO) on user privacy from the Google CEO.
Sadly, I’m still looking to buy a smartphone. Not this one…
see also
http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2009/12/my_reaction_to.html
“I have yet to see the mea culpa correction and remarkable redress for this unacceptable position (IMHO) on user privacy from the Google CEO.”
Jonathan, here you go: http://www.informationweek.com/news/software/web_services/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=222001777&pgno=2 From the article: “The context in which Eric answered this question was clear,” said a Google spokesperson in an e-mailed statement. “He was talking about the US Patriot Act. The [CNBC] documentary later made clear the lengths to which Google goes to inform and empower users about privacy-related concerns, including creating a dashboard in which users can review and control data in their Google accounts.”
…a dashboard to silence critical consumers like Jonathan. Their standard procedure remains. Unless you’re really careful (and stay away from non-essential Google products), they will invade your privacy and they will hand everything over to the authorities.
Can’t wait for another marvelous piece of engineering by HTC. Google will certainly do its very best to make sure this phone will be amazing. Here’s hoping it cost less than $ 500…. :)
No keyboard? That is one of the major drawbacks of the iPhone.
It has a keyboard, you just touch the screen and it appears lol
ROFL
I don’t get it. I thought the big thing about the Google phone is that it was made by Google. What makes this different than any other HTC Android phone?
It IS made by Google, as much as the iPhone is made by Apple. What is so hard to understand?
No, John’s got a point. Exactly what features or enhancements are Google going to bring to the Android table to differentiate this device from all the others that have come before it? Branding means nothing to hardcore geeks like myself.
Apple has a 35 year reputation in making solid hardware. The Crunchpad should have taught us that you cannot just relie on subcontractors and hope to reach the same level of quality.
What? Apple fully relies on subcontractors. They provide the design and subcontractors build it. That is not unlike what Google just did with HTC regarding this phone.
Only Google branding with no other company’s logo on the device. Just like Foxconn’s logo isn’t on the iPhone (they actually manufacture the iPhone for Apple).
Notice how on all previous Android devices, Google’s logo has never been on the front, but on the back. People look at the front of their phone more often than the back.
But people who see someone with their phone see the back. Makes more sense for the logo to be on the back to advertise the phone to those who see someone using it. Apple has done the same thing with the iPhone, the logo is on the back. The owner knows what they have, they don’t need to see a logo every time they look at the front of their phone.
Can you sync this with iTunes ?
With Apple’s tight leash definitely not but I would put my money down that you could sync with Doubletwist
Funny, Blackberries sync with iTunes just fine.
Why the hell would you want to? Itunes is just another way for apple to have you by the balls. The android OS works like the Iphone should….
Plug it in, mount, and boom It becomes a drive on your PC. No signing up, no big brother (apple) knowing your everymove with your media.
Sounds great but all my stuff is in iTunes, would be nice to be able to change over with no hassles.
“Plug it in, mount, and boom It becomes a drive on your PC”
pure unix behavior, love it. foss ftw!
It has to be better than my G1….that thing is getting slower and slower by the day.
I heard Arrington’s got a new phone coming out called the iGotTheShaft.
Why not use below concept.
http://blogs.pcworld.com/staffblog/archives/google-phone-concept.jpg
I think this concept is very cool!
No LED/krypton flash? No thanks.
Google owns GooglePhone.com:
http://who.godaddy.com/WhoIs.aspx?domain=googlephone.com&prog_id=godaddy
Hello Google…
I believe Google Android will eventually beat Apple OS, and we will have more Android apps than Apple apps.
Thanks
http://www.OnlyJust.net
Its not about the number, its about the quality. Android will have more quality apps since developers won’t be afraid of them like we are with Apple. Once more carriers adopt carrier billing, you will see developers switch in droves, or at least dual develop.
I don’t think so….http://ipodxpert.wordpress.com/2009/11/25/ipod-touch-vs-ipod-touch/
Needs AT&T 3G.
“AT&T needs AT&T 3G”
Fixed it for ya!
That was a neat reply. Pretty neat indeed :-)
I have AT&T in San Jose…….the connection is real bad.
AT&T has 3G? Those Verizon commercials seem to show a map with a big red splotch centered on Silicon Valley and New York, and a lot of emptiness over the middle of the country.
I’d much rather use this phone on T-mobile or Sprint, though it seems Sprint won’t be an option.
Looks just like a HTC Droid Eris to me??
Am I missing something??
fairly sure Droid is locked
we were going to give away a droid and an iphone for one of our Christmas promotions on http://styleguidance.com but the whole contract thing just made it a bad idea.
There’s no keyboard?
Lol! I wonder what all the Google fanatics will say when one of their primary arguments against the iPhone was that it lacked a keyboard.
I look forward to seeing this phone. :)
You seem to be seriously confused. Android is available for many different handsets, some with keyboards, some without. I know “choice” is something that you Apple zealots have trouble understanding, but the rest of us kind of like that thing.
But this refers to “the Google Phone” not to “many different handsets”, just to this specific handset which “has no keyboard.”
PC’s argument was based on a false premise. “Google fanatics” do not have generally have a beef with the presence or lack thereof a physical keyboard. The fact that Android has had a on-screen keyboard since Cupcake should testify to Google’s agnostic stance on the subject.
hey there, where would you like this strawman?
where is the pic? and who made iphone by the way
HTC made the iPhone
Foxconn did, that’s my understanding…
Ifineon makes the IC and Samsung makes the processor for the Iphone. there is no htc in the iphone.
Does anyone know how this affects the supposed launch of the HTC Passion on VZW? The facts seem to say that this Google phone will launch before the Passion (especially if this ties in to Google’s mysterious countdown Easter egg). Hopefully there will still be a Snapdragon phone on Verizon’s network too. Can anyone confirm the Dragon / Passion is still headed to Verizon?
I’m questioning that now myself. A few weeks ago there was http://www.vzwpassion.com with a Verizon logo on it and a promised availability of “holidays ’09″. Now the site’s gone. I don’t know if that’s just because of hardware delay or a different carrier destination.
I think you meant http://htcpassion.com and that is still up and posting for the holidays.
Sounds promising. Let’s see if it can shine :)
this is an HTC phone right? ie. made by HTC. doesn’t seem like google is directly competing with other manufactures, seems like HTC is. i must be missing something, because i don’t see how this is that much different than other ‘google phones’, besides being unlocked, that is.
It’s not the hardware that matters. HTC or anyone else, it’s the software. That was what Apple defined. Whe’ve grown beyound hardware now, as it is mostly mature, now it is the software. Google is completely on the spot here, I wish them luck because otherwise we could soon be living in an Iphone-only world ;)
I like this. I like Google Voice. I can’t wait to see what they’re up to with this.
Agreed. Google Voice is a fantastic product.
I started using google voice. Love it. Hoping to get my hands on an Android phone soon.
A camera also needs to be in the front. I know you’re waiting until 2011 so people will upgrade but I’m just say’n.
I totally agree, but I doubt AT&T will agree with the increase in data traffic that would generate. I mean, they’re already freaking out about stuff like YouTube, Qik, etc.
What happens to Motorola Droid now?. What’s the motivation of any other company to make a Android based phone when Google itself comes out with one!.
Google is setting up a very bad example here.
eh, not really. the market has no choice. what, are you gonna build a phone and give it the kiss of death with palm os or windows mobile. this is a great move by google. amazing. they are ruthless.
The Droid still has a physical keyboard, testosterone advertising/image, and seems to be getting the latest Android updates. The motivation(s) for other manufacturers to continue using Android are:
1. It’s free
2. Different form factors for different consumers
3. People on family or corporate plans want to stay with their carrier/radio, but may want Android.
4. It’s attracting intense development for apps and the market’s a lot friendlier to devs.
5. Apple (closed/smug) sickens some and represents no opportunity for manufacturers other than Foxconn.
6. AT&T is having trouble satisfying smartphone users in some major markets, so those users are looking for a better experience.
As far as Google setting a bad example, I don’t see how, since the phone this article is reporting on is only a testbed for features and technology that Google wants to bring to consumers, as opposed to a finalized device that will have no carrier exclusivity (though that is one outcome I’d welcome).
The ecosystem is changing. The best thing manufacturers can offer is the most innovative hardware running on the most innovative OS while letting consumers decide which service providers offer the best bang for the buck as a dumb (fat) pipe.
Not really, if it’s manufactured by HTC, it’s realy no different than say the G1. Their just slapping the google name on it.
This may help android as a whole in 2 ways.
1) it will widen the android name and brand to the masses
2) Serve as an example of how a “google Phones” should be made and set great standard.
VERY different. Remember that branding is everything in this advertising driven economy. If you took the Apple logo off the iPhone, and stuck on “Hon Hai Industries (Foxconn)”, do you think it would sell as well? Of course not, because people associate Chinese-branded electronics as something cheap (despite the fact that nearly ALL electronics are produced in China, same factories and all).
So yes, branding matters.
I’m still betting that this is just another developer device, like the Android Dev Phone 1 and Android Dev Phone 2: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Android_Dev_Phone
Just like the current mystery device, both of those handsets:
- are made by HTC,
- are unlocked GSM handsets,
- are sold directly to individuals by Google,
- and have been given out to Google employees at all-hands meetings.
And Google was directly involved in the design of the HTC Dream (T-Mobile G1 / Android Dev Phone 1). For example, they pushed for the debut Android phone to have a five-row keyboard: http://news.cnet.com/8301-30684_3-10387677-265.html
So none of the concrete facts here are really unprecedented. I don’t see how Google selling a yet another unlocked handset is a big deal. It certainly won’t have a huge impact on the US market, where it will have to compete with subsidized hardware sold by carriers. Just like the ADP1 (T-Mobile G1) and ADP2 (T-Mobile myTouch 3G), carriers will probably have their own version of the exact same handset but at a subsidized price. (I’m use an ADP1, but for most mainstream US consumers it doesn’t make sense to pay for an unlocked phone.)
I completely agree. I think we’ll see a device like this every time android hits a new version. I think the Droid slipped through early with android 2.0 early most likely due apparent delays with this phone (nexus 1?) plus all the pre-holiday marketing $$ Verizon was willing to spend on it.