“Google plans to begin selling its own smartphone early next year, company employees say, a move that could challenge Apple’s leadership in one of the fastest-growing and most important technologies in decades,” Miguel Helft reports for The New York Times.
“Google’s new touch-screen Android phone, which it began giving to many employees to test last week, could also shake up the fundamentals of the cellphone market in the United States, where most phones work only on the networks of the wireless carriers that sold them,” Helft reports. “The company, using the power of its brand, plans to market and sell the new phone directly to consumers over the Internet, and buyers would be able to sign up for service from any compatible provider, the employees say.”
“The introduction of a Google phone — manufactured to its hardware and software specifications by an Asian maker of handsets [HTC] — would be an important and risky departure for Google,” Helft reports. “Until now, it has made software to power cellphones that are built and marketed by partners, and it has largely avoided selling hardware.”
“But analysts say it is not clear that Google’s success on the Internet will carry over into the design, marketing and distribution of hardware,” Helft reports. “Many companies have tried to make similar shifts and stumbled… when Microsoft pushed aside its partners in the music-player business in favor of its own Zune, it failed to gain traction against Apple and its iPods. The phone’s success could also depend on how Google chooses to price it. Most Americans buy phones that are subsidized by wireless carriers, which recoup that cost by locking customers into contracts. IPhones that cost consumers $199 actually cost AT&T about $550, analysts say.”
“Google employees who spoke on the condition of anonymity because plans for the phone were supposed to be confidential said that the device, manufactured by the Taiwanese company HTC, was thinner than Apple’s iPhone, with a slightly larger touch screenHelft reports,” Helft reports. “It could be available as early as January, they said.”
Helft reports, “Analysts say that the iPhone, despite prominently featuring some Google services, makes the company nervous. ‘They don’t want to have access to Google being controlled or influenced by one player like Apple,’ said Ben Schachter, an analyst with Broadpoint AmTech, a research firm.”
More info in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Note: According to Google employees’ tweets and a Wall Street Journal report, the HTC-built device will be called “Nexus One” and feature Google’s Android 2.1 operating system, capacitive OLED touch screen, Snapdragon 1 GHz processor, GSM, and an software keyboard (no physical keyboard).
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Readers “Fred Mertz” and “James W.” for the heads up.]
Does this phone give you more than 256 MB to store apps?
If this phone can overcome that, which is the limit for app storage on every other Android phone, then perhaps the iPhone will finally have worth competition. Otherwise, this device can’t compete, just like the rest.
how ironic that the photo was taken with an iphone…
…”throughout his two years in office.”
Make that two terms
“who was “chosen” by the US Supreme Court, rather than via a democratic election,”
Predrag, you are much smarter than that.
There are viewpoints, and there are realities.
Some have the view that President Obama can’t speak without a teleprompter, some feel that President Bush can’t speak to humans.
George Bush won the popular vote in Florida, giving him the lead in the Electoral College vote.
Forgetting all the court crap, which involved recounts that were done after the election anyhow, that is all that mattered.
“Real artists ship.” -Steve Jobs
NOT
IPhones are iPhones and everyone else is a want-to-be!
And the reason is simple — Apple owns the 200+ patents, end of game!
@Predrag
There were no teleprompters near the smoking pile of rubble in NYC where GWB spoke to a gathered crowd of Firefighters and shell shocked New Yorkers. He delivered a speech there with more heartfelt passion than I have seen any politician give since.
In fact, if you really care to study GWB’s communication as president, you’ll find that he was much better when he was off the teleprompter, than when he was on.
While Google Schmoogle brings another (yawn) iPhone “killer” to market now…
apple is already putting the final touches on the next generation iPhone
bring it on
I bet Google couldn’t have designed that if it weren’t for the mole, sorry, Eric Schmidt stealing all that iPhone confidential info during board meetings…
It will never succeed because people want real keyboards, not iPhone like virtual keyboards.
The enterprise will never buy these things. Where is the security? Remote wipe? Exchange support?
This phone will be a disaster.
“In the United States…most phones work only on the networks of the wireless carriers that sold them”
My god, is that really still true? How did the world’s biggest consumer box itself into that unfortunate situation? In the countries I visit and have lived in, you can buy a phone from anyone and insert a SIM card from your carrier of choice. And the phone will work country-wide.
One of the reasons (maybe the main reason) why I have not bought an iPhone is Apple’s concept of a hard-wired SIM card. I travel. I want to use my phone in all countries. I wanna do it by inserting the SIM card I already own, that I sourced in that country. To me, it’s a no-brainer. To Apple, it’s a “fuck you.”
I wonder how many other frustrated non-buyers feel the same.
”next month”? ”next year” sounds better.
@ grh – The iPhone’s SIM card is replaceable, and has been since day one. Perhaps you and your fellow “frustrated non-buyers” should do some fact-checking first, ah?
…”There were no teleprompters near the smoking pile of rubble in NYC where GWB spoke to a gathered crowd of firefighters and shell shocked New Yorkers. He delivered a speech there with more heartfelt passion than I have seen any politician give since.”
While only two minutes long, it was a simple and effective speech, and it has been most frequently attributed to Michael Gerson (one of Bush’s main speechwriters). It appears that Bush delivered it from memory:
Apparently, he delivered short speeches from memory, and was able to put more emotion into them than when reading from the prompter.
Volumes have been written with quotes from his extemporaneous misspeak.
No, Predrag, the “chosen one” reference was to the Messiah, the Chosen One, “mmmm, mmmm, mmmm,” Barack Hussein Obama, and his total reliance on the teleprompter. Just watch ol’ Barry when he speaks off-the-cuff.
C’Mon guys… cur Predrag some slack..
He said; “former president G. W. Bush, who was “chosen” by the US Supreme Court, rather than via a democratic election”
Blah, blah, blah why is it the libtards all seem to miss that day in American History class where they teach you about the Electoral College?
I’m so sick of these pinheads… There have been 4 US Presidents who have lost the popular vote, but won the election. Do these folks harbour such vitriol for John Quincy Adams as well?
Oh, that’s right, we would have been better off w/ that liar, Al Gore, who finds himself in the swirl of one of the largest scientific hoaxes in history…
Oh, poor Al, he won’t be able to dupe anybody into buying his phoney carbon credits… that fat,hypocritical windbag…
Obama is the biggest “tool” yet, money from white guys, democrats full of white guys, and picked white guys for panel of Nazi’s–oops I mean czars to run the country, while his wife parties like is 1999 again.
It sure is funny, if GW has spent the kind of money he had you guys would be so worried about your kids and grand kids, but now that your “messiah” is in I guess its “oh well fucked the kiddies and let’m die”
@Mac-Daddio,
Do you apply those same sentiments to Apples similar monopoly on the MP3 player market?
Just wondering.
@MacMan,
I agree with you mostly, except I think there will be 3 left standing. iPhone, Android and BB. With iPhone and Android getting the lions share of the consumer and geek markets.
Though in most of Europe and Asia I think Nokia has a pretty good hold on the market. Especially the HUGE developing markets. But in the U.S. they will be dead.
…”” Barack Hussein Obama, and his total reliance on the teleprompter. Just watch ol’ Barry when he speaks off-the-cuff.”
Do you really, really, want to compare Barack Obama and George W. Bush when it comes to improvised, extemporaneous speech? As was said before, VOLUMES have been printed with Bush’s mangled English. Even after only one year in office. So far, pretty much the only argument supporting Barack Obama’s lack of ability to improvise a speech was something he had said on the campaign trail (evidently, after two months on the bus and three days without sleep).
The entire planet was incredulous when GWB was elected (by the Supreme Court, apparently); then they laughed when he was re-elected. How could a nation actually choose someone with such dim wit?
On the other hand, when one looks at other democracies, one finds many similar dim-witted choices throughout history, not to mention American own history as well… I guess you don’t exactly have to be the best and the smartest in order to become the president of any nation (although sometimes it does help, if you don’t have a rich daddy…).
Jerry T,
I’mnot sure how you feel about this. But, when a company dominates an industry, they have certain trust with their customers that is different than a non-monopoly. In Google’s case, they can terminate a customer in paid search without cause or the explanation is so vague that it is the same as a non-answer. Something like “Your website does not adhere to our guidelines” with no way to fix the issue or even know what the issue is. The webmaster forums are full of complaints about Google’s latest activities at attempting to purge the bad guys and deactivating accounts for innocent customers. I have not seen that sort of behavior with Apple. But, if they did, I would put them in the same boat.