The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) is quoting “people familiar with the matter” in stating that within two weeks Google will announce plans to bring Google-powered phones to market by the middle of next year. Apparently, Google’s goal is “[T]o make applications and services as accessible on cellphones as they are on the Internet.”
But resistance from wireless carriers is still mounting, and Google won’t win this battle without a fight. Right now, most consumers are locked into using whatever phones and services are provided by their cellphone provider (which is exactly where cellphone providers want their customers). Google is hoping to change that by releasing phones that are “open.”
Google-powered phones will come already configured with a bundle of the most popular Google services, such Google search, Google Maps, YouTube and Gmail. But that would just be the beginning. The idea would be to stimulate a community of independent software developers that have the necessary tools to build additional phone features.
As the article states, “Developers could, for instance, more easily create services that take advantage of users’ Global Positioning System location, contact lists and Web-browsing habits. They would also be able to interact with Google Maps and other Google applications. The idea is that a range of new social networking, mapping and other services would emerge, just as they have on the open, mostly unfettered Web.”
Of course, the concept of “open” phones has its downside too. Just like spam and phishing are rampant on the open web, their next prey may be open phone consumers. Regardless, I’m willing to take my chances. Here’s hoping Google can pull this off.
See our previous Gphone coverage here and here.
*Update* Even More Gphone News: Google in Advanced Talks with Verizon & Sprint
*Update 2* Google to Announce Phone Plans Monday
*Update 3* Gphone Plans Announced, What the “Gphone” Means for Consumers
A gphone combined with the gpay rumors, and an open-implementation I’m sure would succeed, it would be a customizable dream.
Cheers for the info, I’ll be watching for this announcement. =)
Will this allow more control on the users side? For example iPhone you must use AT&T as your carrier, and so on. I guess with Gphone, you don’t have to stick to one carrier. The freedom to customize the combinations of applications and carrier for you cellphone is great, I definitely looking forward to see Gphone entering the arena.
Then again, if you just want freedom from a carrier, use Cellswapper.com
My 2 cents.
the solution to open and closed phones is simple but not without some cost.If Google’s phone is truly open then simply stop using the other phones. Don’t break your contract just stop using it. Have it turned off. Move on. If enough people do this then the other cellphone providers will have a noticeable drop in revenue which a) make them want to make deals and b) maybe start making better products and c) offer better service. I know this means 2 phone bills but it might be worth it to bring the cell phone companies off their high horses.
Failure to use your phone at all IS breaking your contract
Industry insiders are further confirming that little known e28 from China will be the Gphone handset manufacturer and Linux software provider. See the article here: http://www.theindiastreet.com/2007/10/chinas-e28-to-be-gphone-handset.html
The only way these phones would catch on is if they came with a CHEAP, UNLIMITED calling package *in it’s own network of towers* that eliminated surcharges, taxes and fees/unfees/franchise excise etc.
Nothing i have heard will make a big change to the cellphone industry. You can do most of this already with widely availible phones. I already have gmail,maps,calendars… on my windows mobile phone which comes with a very good development environment and community. As for having an “open” phone. There are lots of those already (they are called unlocked), if google can get the cell companies to sell an “open” phones or price there phone under $100 that would be a market change, but it would also surprise me.
The thing that google can do to change the industry is to allow their phones to seamlessly move from the celular network to a wireless internet connection without dropping the call (ala tmobile). This is the only thing that google might be able to do that will change the cell market.
Hopefully their model is easy: Just sell the phone itself, and let the person get whatever service they like. With GSM, all you really need from your carrier is the SIM card. Pop it in the phone, and voila.
I guarantee you that if they sell the phone at a good price by itself, carriers will start offering SIM-only plans, where you don’t have to get their subsidized cell phone or sign up for some long period contract.
The majority of the world uses an ‘open’ phone system and it works perfectly well – the US system is a mess.