Source: Tom's Guide US | Keywords: google, phone, certainty, android, flan | Themes: Smartphones, 3GSM
Is it or isn't it?
There's been a ton of back and forth regarding the Google phone. Sources close to Google say the search giant is working on a Google-brand smartphone while the company itself is denying it all down to the ground. The latest round of rumors say the phone is a sure thing.
Gizmodo cites a trusted source close to Google who says Google-branded hardware running an unseen version of Android is a "certainty." The source claims to have seen the device firsthand.
"Over the next few weeks, Google Phones (most probably in early, prototype form) will flood the Mountain View campus. They'll don large LCDs while running a new version of Android—either Flan or the version of Android beyond it—which our source spotted running on Google's handset as well as a laptop. (Whatever the software was, it most certainly wasn't Chrome OS, we were assured.)"
So there you have it. Now we just need to Google to refute these statements to keep the ol' merry-go-round spinning.
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umm? Ok I guess my HTC is a prototype
umm? Ok I guess my HTC is a prototype
no, your HTC is a Android OS phone... this is a Google branded phone also running android... Would be like Microsoft comming out with a Microsoft branded computer to compete with Dell ext...
If I were Google I'd stay out of the market. They're doing well enough with just the advertising revenues from android. Google is a software company, and should remain so.
Thats it you should tell Google what to do, put them in their place!!! PHHHHT HAHAHAHAHAHA!!! oh gosh it hurts.
no, your HTC is a Android OS phone... this is a Google branded phone also running android... Would be like Microsoft comming out with a Microsoft branded computer to compete with Dell ext...
It may well be designed by HTC according to Google's specs.
N1 Google, get other manufacturers to produce hardware based on Android platforms, once all the bugs have been ironed out and you have user feedback, from both end users and the manufacturers, make your own device, which will ofcourse be far superior to those already on the market.
Great idea, cant wait.
Although i love all these high end gadgets, I stick with Nokia, for its ease of use and world wide recognition - easy to sell when I get bored of it.
Probably just an effort to get more phone manufacturers to use android.
Hah, a phone is the only device I would even consider using chrome OS on...
If I were Google I'd stay out of the market. They're doing well enough with just the advertising revenues from android. Google is a software company, and should remain so.
I disagree, I think this would be a perfect market for Google. Being able to control how exactly the phone should operate, look, and feel will greatly help them to make a better phone OS as well as applications. However phones that motorola and HTC build do have guidelines.
As much as I like HTC I can say that I would buy a phone from a first party. (fingers crossed for a Zune phone)
I predict that Google is going to send geographically-contextual ads to their cell phones, just as they now serve up site-contextual ads to web surfers.
Using GPS coordinates from the phone, Google servers will send to your phone, in real time, ads and promos for stores that you are physically close to.
The phone will be free to consumers (albeit you will have to wait for ads to play). The cost of the phone is basically subsidized by the advertisers. Google will charge advertisers to show ads. Ads can include coupon barcodes, which are displayed on the phones LCD panel which can be scanned by any standard barcode scanner. When such ads are used, Google gets another cut (much like a click through on the web).
Sprint has a patent on such services, so Google either has licensed this from Sprint or will contest the patent. My guess is the prior.
Google is going to make a stunning fortune with this new service. Sprint, as patent holder, may make some very hefty revenues as well.
Regards,
N. Bushman
Google is lining up to release a phone to dethrone the i-phone. They will use Sprint's new 4G wireless data network to do it which is capable of streaming data at 3MBps - 10MBps.
I know that if I can get a cool enough looking google phone that can stream live television or movies I will swear off my poky i-phone on the AT&T network forever.
You can get the google phone for free with free coverage if you accept the ad space at the bottom of the screen and do not put your number on the do not call list.
Gmail+Google Voice+Wave+ a dedicated Google branded handset + cell/wireless service+ chrome netbook + "the cloud" = my entire web based life sold in aggregate and more ads revenue to Google than Microsoft ever dreamed of.
Could all of this be a new dev phone? The current dev phone is a little older and doesn't have the new high resolution screen that will quickly become standard.
so what's a G1? It's physically branded as Google, has plenty of Google apps on it. http://www.t-mobileg1.com/ I have had it since last year..
If some of the commenters here are well informed a free phone or free service would be an interesting game changer. Not sure I'd personally go for giving up much of privacy or screen space or allow even more people to call me with "special offers if I act now". I might just prefer to pay for my privacy, after all I have a job.
so what's a G1? It's physically branded as Google, has plenty of Google apps on it.
If I'm not mistaked, the G1 is actually an HTC dream.
If some of the commenters here are well informed a free phone or free service would be an interesting game changer. Not sure I'd personally go for giving up much of privacy or screen space or allow even more people to call me with "special offers if I act now". I might just prefer to pay for my privacy, after all I have a job.
4 hours after release and a quick install later, and you can thank hackers for disabling this feature. Look what people do to phones now, it's bound to happen. *goes back to flashing Omnia*
If I'm not mistaked, the G1 is actually an HTC dream.
Fair enough, strange though how it has never been advertised as such - in the UK at least. In fact when most people describe it, they just call it 'the google phone'.