We've been hearing talk of thoroughly Google-branded phones since before Android was announced -- and if you want to get really technical about it, you could argue that it's already happened twice in the form of the
Dev Phone 1 and the
Ion. Thing is, those are strictly developer-oriented one-offs based on existing models, and
TechCrunch is reporting in a rather authoritative tone today that Google's just about to launch a consumer phone all its own designed to in-house, no-compromise specifications with signs suggesting that either Samsung or LG would be responsible for OEM duties. Allegedly, the device was supposed to be at retail in time for the holidays but ended up getting pushed back into early 2010, at which point we can expect a big marketing push -- but the question is, why? Google had a heavy hand in the design and development of the chunky, geeky HTC
Dream, so we already know they're probably better off leaving the details of the industrial design to the guys who've been doing this for a while -- and with strong new partnerships with Verizon and Motorola just now bearing fruit, it's safe to say that Big Red wouldn't be a launch partner. Our most interesting theory here is that AT&T -- which has gone totally radio-silent for all things Android in the past six months -- is responding to the probable impending loss of its iPhone exclusivity by scoring a coup on a gorgeous, aspirational device with the Google logo all over it. Given the time frame that TC's suggesting, it sounds like we wouldn't have to wait long to find out what's what.
posted Nov 18th 2009 4:47AM
I didn't like this idea when it came up a month or so back, and was very thankful when it was from a source with a lousy track record, and I don't like it any better now. It could really undermine the entire Android market, so I am holding out hopes that the conventional wisdom of "Google doesn't do hardware" stays true.
Already with the release of the Droid there was some moaning in the Android forums about Google not releasing the source for 2.0 fast enough for their liking and complaining that Android isn't *really* open source. Now have Google *hold back* some features (which they would argue is proprietary to them) to make their phone better than the rest of the Android line, and some feathers are going to be ruffled, from developers, the open source community, to other manufacturers that may feel sandbagged by getting an "inferior" version.
If they depart from the base Android "look and feel" then the term "Google Experience" then means nothing. If they don't add *something* to the phone to make it better than what already exists, then what makes it worthwhile to them to launch their own product? Right now Google is building an army of manufacturers launching devices that all "force" people to have Gmail/Google Accounts, and all those eyeballs are ad $$. To essentially risk giving that up in order to have one "killer" device seems counterproductive on a whole. Growing now is a garden of devices that covers the ground of "something for everyone," the Droid for the power hungry, the Eris/Hero for the midrange keyboard-less group, the Samsung Moment that don't want the level of the Droid but still want a keyboard, and the Cliq for the Social Networking type crowd. Why would you damage that ecosystem for a single device. *No* single device is perfect, and no single device is loved by everybody (not even the iPhone).
I seriously hope that something is being "misunderstood" and that Google isn't going to potentially implode Android just when it seems to be taking off.
@JayMonster...
Perfectly said.... dont think anyone could sum it up any better.
Given that the Google Phone is something of a Holy Grail in certain quarters, color me skeptical. If it does come to fruition, though, it seems that, rather than partnering with a carrier, it would be more logical that a true Google Phone would focus on Google Voice. A phone that routed voice over the 3G signal, and which could hop from carrier to carrier using an overall Google data contract instead of individual contacts, would be a game changer.
Extremely unlikely, though.
@jaymonster
Doesnt every android phone offer something different? The cliq offers a number of pre loaded apps, some premium for free. The droid offers a killer processor and great design. The hero the sense ui. I mean this is the definition of open. Why can't google release a phone that they feel is great and brand it with their name? Motorola, Samsung, HTC all do this so why cant Google? Granted they don't make hardware, but if you read Engadget at all you know they are going to start branding computers to. And why shouldn't they? They have built up one of the best brands in tech and of course Android was just the stepping stone. With branded phones and computers, they don't have to rely on ads and liscensing to make money.
You reiterated my points about there being variety in the phones available now, but seem to miss the point that Google by issuing their own phone run the risk (I believe) of alienating manufacturers and many open source people.
If they release a phone with some "cool new features" (which would only be logical), then the Open Source people and the manufacturers are going to want to know why they are being "stiffed" and not getting the "good version" that Google has, after all they are supposed to be putting it all in the Open Source repository right?
Remember when Microsoft released the Zune? What happened to all those vendors that were supporting Microsoft's PlaysForSure? The Zune, while a better player than most (if not all) PlaysForSure devices, it has yet to come close to the marketshare that PlaysForSure had before it imploded. It is that sort of event that I fear may happen if Google decides to go the hardware route. They can have one awesome uber phone... and everybody else will walk away, pissed at Google for stabbing them in the back.
As for the Chrome OS based machines... well... I would be surprised if they didn't have a similar plan in mind. Let (for sake of argument) Asus build an Eee PC with the Chrome OS and call it a "Google Experience" Netbook which will require a Google/Gmail account. Eee wins becuase they can sell a "Google Netbook" and of course Google adds eyeballs for selling ads. Even if they do start out right away with a "Google Notebook/Netbook" doing so right away would prevent confusion since they wouldn't be changing (or appear to be changing) their gameplan mid-stream.
This is a definite.
Google tested the waters with Google Voice, and showed that with functionality to distinguish it from traditional carriers, created demand.
A desire to not be Apple, means that a partnership with Apple would dilute the Google brand, hence the roll their own strategy.
Learning from Apple. If Google saw what Apple did with the iPhone, it can beat them at their own game. Why not create a device with as much if not more functionality than the iPhone, then make the entire thing open source, and tap into the cloud of information that is Google.
Not a question of if, but a question of WHEN.
This will definitely be a great time to be a mobile consumer, selection, carrier choice, and who know what else.
We have seen that Microsoft has been less than a fully trustworthy partner in the mobile space first by the existance of the Pink effort, which effectively betrayed more or less every ally and friend they had amongst the handset makers, timed when faith in WinMo to deliver with 6.5 being a somewhat lame partial reskin and 7.0 delayed until late next year (perhaps far enough in the future to no longer matter, much like the post comet-strike plans of a diplodocus on the Yucatan Peninsula). Then the whole thing was topped off by the final betrayal of their last friend, Sharp, who was going to make the Pink device. An amazing display of self-immolation unlikely to be matched again any time soon.
It would be unfortunate to see Google emulate this rather spectacular augering in.
I found at http://www.handy-faq.de/forum/samsung_i5700_galaxy_spica_forum/ the new i5700 galaxy spica from Samsung. It works with Android 1.5 an not 2.0.
Eh, I'd still want HTC Sense on it. But I'm buying an HD2 anyway.