Your dreams crushed, no Google phone

ChrisS · #1 10-08-2007, 01:28 PM

Although there are many rumors, it may just be wishful thinking. The New York Times says there no Google phone coming. Googles true objective is to create software to challenge Windows dominance, not to fight with Apple.

Miguel Helft, the reporter of the NYT story says “In short, Google is not creating a gadget to rival the iPhone, but rather creating software that will be an alternative to Windows Mobile from Microsoft and other operating systems, which are built into phones sold by many manufacturers. And unlike Microsoft, Google is not expected to charge phone makers a licensing fee for the software.”

Don’t know how to feel about this one? Well Google is still trying to figure how to best enter the mobile market.

[Via gizmodo]

nateshuntsvegas · #2 10-08-2007, 05:53 PM

Yeah they never were going to compete with the iphone. The iphone is not anything anyone is really worried about. In the business market anyway. Google is trying to get into the ppc world not into competing with a "featured phone" which is what the iphone is.
Google is working with HTC to build a linux based phone to compete directly with ppc or M$ but we have been down this road and we know who is going to win the war but google is just trying to do something over this monopoly that M$ has. Where Apple doesnt care at this point to try to make a ppc, they are just trying to make money which i dont blame them there computers suck so they have to make up profit somewhere and the ipod and iphone are what is keeping them a float. Now I am sortof downing apple computers but thats just because there not very versital. Dont get me wrong my first computer was an apple but they are just very limited. Not very customizable, but are real good for what they do, like video editing and other specific things. But thats about where they stop. PC is just a better platform obviously or they wouldnt be dominating. On a side note I hate Vista so its not that I think PC are way better just easier to build and maintain and the software doest start off at $500. And pc's are much easier to program and right code for. Even if they give up some stability.
Well my 2 cents
nate

JoshuaRL · #3 02-03-2008, 10:39 PM

I'm not sure that the iPhone can only be called a "featured phone." Now to be fair, I don't have one. But it does internet both through wifi and cell network, email, and all the phone apps. And it's made everyone want a smart phone, something that even WM couldn't do. And to say that only the iPod and iPhone are keeping Apple afloat is, to say the least, a little misinformed.

But the real thing I would like to take issue with (in a purely civilized manner) is where you claimed Google is only bringing out Android to throw a futile swipe at Microoft's "monopoly". I'll assume you meant the monopoly over the desktop, since WM has no such stranglehold on the mobile market. I believe that Symbian has the majority of the smartphone market. Although I love my WM5 6700 with the fire of a thousand suns, I agree with Google that there needs to be a solution to the problems with cell networks in the US. Too much locked down, not enough choice and configurability. Amazing that those are the exact things that open source excells at.

We're at the confluence of several powerful forces. Cell networks want it how it is now: legacy OSs on underpowered and hamstrung devices. But they also want their customers to be happy, since the rapid growth has started to level off and they're trying to scavenge off of the others. Customers are opening their eyes to the fact that the things in their hands are more like computers than traditional phones, and so they want the configurability and openness of a desktop system. They may not know it yet, but F/OSS excells at that. Open source, and specifically the Linux kernal, is very mature and is ready for a serious mobile/lightweight deployment. Then we also have Google. That has enough money, skilled people, and goodwill to do whatever they want. And we know from history that they love to open up new areas of dominance. And last, but not least we have the companies already in the sector. Windows for some reason doesn't want to clone their unbelievably successful desktop regime to the handheld market. For the most part, all they offer currently is a few more supported abilities and syncing. But most legacy-type handset OSs are quickly catching up, and for some reason Microsoft hasn't yet molded WM to be able to upgrade to for money. Doesn't make much sense, except that they may be missing the boat to make the networks happy.

Almost everyone involved agrees that handheld internet-ready devices will open up into a huge and profitable market, possibly in the billions annually. So I believe, and I don't think I'm alone in this, that Google is trying to get their foot in the door, not try to challenge Microsoft directly on the desktop by way of the handheld. It makes sense too, since the opportunity to capitalize on the ad-revenue from the mobile market rivals anything the desktop could do. So I think it's both that they want to be successful in the next big show, and they want to mold the market to their vision. It would probably only be a side-benefit to them if they could embarrass Microsoft.