No Gphone for You! Have an Android Instead

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2007/11/wheres-my-gphone.html' target='_blank'>http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2007...-my-gphone.html</a><br /><br /></div><i>"Despite all of the very interesting speculation over the last few months, we're not announcing a Gphone. However, we think what we are announcing -- the Open Handset Alliance and Android -- is more significant and ambitious than a single phone. In fact, through the joint efforts of the members of the Open Handset Alliance, we hope Android will be the foundation for many new phones and will create an entirely new mobile experience for users, with new applications and new capabilities we can’t imagine today. Android is the first truly open and comprehensive platform for mobile devices. It includes an operating system, user-interface and applications -- all of the software to run a mobile phone, but without the proprietary obstacles that have hindered mobile innovation. We have developed Android in cooperation with the Open Handset Alliance, which consists of more than 30 technology and mobile leaders including Motorola, Qualcomm, HTC and T-Mobile. Through deep partnerships with carriers, device manufacturers, developers, and others, we hope to enable an open ecosystem for the mobile world by creating a standard, open mobile software platform. We think the result will ultimately be a better and faster pace for innovation that will give mobile customers unforeseen applications and capabilities."</i><br /><br />[Yup, we're a bit late covering this, it's been a hectic week...]<br /><br />My first impression is "So...that's it?". I had thought the announcement was going to be about a baked project, something coming to market soon...but this seems to be more about Google announcing their intentions to enter the market. It's hard to build a mobile OS. It's hard to get consensus amongst multiple partners. I think one reason the iPhone turned out pretty well is that it was one company working with one carrier on one vision. Windows Mobile has gotten to where it is through revision after revision, working with multiple carriers around the world. Will Google be able to do the same, only with a much bigger group of partners?<br /><br />I'm also not convinced that Google can create an OS, or the applications needed to sit on top of the OS, and have it be as good as it needs to be. Google excels at Web-based services, but their applications (with the exception of perhaps the toolbar) tend to be much less impressive. I guess we'll see - one things for sure, Microsoft does best when they feel threatened, so I welcome Google's entry into this market for the way it will motivate Microsoft on one side, with Apple on the other.<br /><br />More information can be found <a href="http://www.google.com/intl/en/press/pressrel/20071105_mobile_open.html">in the official press release</a>. And <a href="http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2007/11/06/htc-omni-google-dream/">perhaps the HTC Omni</a> is the type of phone we'll see Android running on?

[burtcom]

Open Source? Yay!

I'd love to try this on my ETEN phone.

[alese]

I think that Android and the alliance is a very good thing for customers and for the industry.
Just look at what iPhone did - everyone is trying to copy either the design or the user interface, and iPhone is just one product with a limited market.
IPhone is not really a threat to the Nokia, Symbian or Windows Mobile - it's a wake up call, but not really a threat, just yet.

Now imagine what can happen if Android delivers what it promises, an open mobile platform (not just one fairly closed and restricted product), that is backed up by one company that is, in my opinion, the only one capable at competing with Microsoft in building and supporting a platform.
Yes we have Symbian - but I think that, like Palm OS it's not going to be able to compete and develop fast enough to stay competitive, an the rest, Blackbery, various Palm OS and Linux are allready falling behind

If (and yes it's a big IF) Google can deliver and then keep up, this is only going to be good, we should (I hope) get a competitive platform, a lot of fresh competition and I'm pretty sure lower prices.
And since I agree with Jason - Microsoft functions best when threathened, WM will only benefit with this new competition.

[Sven Johannsen]

Open Source? Yay!

Open Source? Oh yea, that's something all the big phone OEMs and Carriers have been clamoring for. :roll:

Nokia: I just want to build hardware, IBM proved years ago that's where the money is. Who cares what softwware is in it.

Verizon: Sure, folks can install whatever they want. I don't care if they use VoIP, or tether their phones. If we didn't think of it, it is great that customers can just go get it for free.

[eagle63]

I'm also not convinced that Google can create an OS, or the applications needed to sit on top of the OS, and have it be as good as it needs to be.

On what grounds exactly? I'm fairly certain they have enough talent over there to do pretty much whatever they want - not to mention money and resources.

Besides, they're not starting from scratch or anything - the kernel is already there. Granted they will no doubt tweak it, but they're not building it from the ground up.

The question is, how many iterations would it take Microsoft to build something as good as what they will build on their first attempt? ;)

[Yata]

Microsoft must be DELIGHTED that all of their biggest partners (HTC, Samsung, Motorola...) are involved with this.

[techNeuron]

Interesting. The web site for this mentions it is Linux based. It also mentions the SDK will be available on Nov 12th. I guess we will find out more then.

[Jason Dunn]

On what grounds exactly? I'm fairly certain they have enough talent over there to do pretty much whatever they want - not to mention money and resources.

I've yet to see a Google desktop application that I've been impressed with - it all looks like it was designed by software engineers rather than UI designers who care about how users really work. I've also watched Google slowly muck with Picasa, making it more ugly than before. I just don't think they can design applications worth a hoot.

[Deslock]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FJHYqE0RDg

It looks pretty sweet to me. Frankly, I've given up on Microsoft and Palm fixing their PDA/smartphone OSes. WinCE is unreliable and cumbersome on anything other than dedicated devices (GPSs, etc). It took years just for the hardware to advance to the point that CE could run with reasonable performance and it's still sluggish compared to other OSes. More to the point, it still has many long standing issues. PalmOS is just as bad once you try to browse the web and play media and with their new OS not coming out until 2009, they're out of the picture. Symbian has its own problems as well.

The iPhone is very slick and reliable; the usability of its interface blows away the competition. However, Apple's OSX-mobile is still closed and we won't know until February what their SDK will allow for. So at this point their platform is severely handicapped (though it's still an effective tool for most things while being a lot of fun to use... it really calls attention to just how crappy the interfaces on other PMP/web/cell-phones are).

Open Moko never struck me as something that had legs. Nokia's N770/800/810 are quite interesting, but without decent video playback or cell access, they're not suitable as an all-in-one device.

It's too early to tell if Google's Android will take off, but my impression of what I've seen so far is very positive. If HTC (or someone else) builds an one with a capacitance touch screen, it could offer the main advantages of the iPhone without its weaknesses. I know this is a Microsoft cheerleading site, but it seems a little silly to be so dismissive of Android.

P.S. Just so I'm not accused of being anti-Microsoft, the touch-pad and interfaces on the new Zunes are quite nice.