Google Phone. Again.

[Nurhisham Hussein]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.smartphonethoughts.com/news/show/22949/google-phone-just-two-weeks-away.html' target='_blank'>http://www.smartphonethoughts.com/n...weeks-away.html</a><br /><br /></div><i>"If these rumors are true then 2007 will turn out be the best year for mobility. Though most of the action seems to be happening in the competition's arena; we saw the launch of the feature packed Nokia N95, and then the user friendly iPhone. Windows Mobile platform has seen some new devices, some like the HTC Tilt-Kaiser are definitely interesting but nothing has come close to generating a buzz. The only thing that comes close to generating a buzz for Windows Mobile is the picture above, if you look closely you will see the Windows Mobile home screen. The photo is obviously a mock-up, but if it turns out to be true then that would be best endorsement the Windows Mobile platform can get."</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/hisham-20070831-smartphonethoughts_googlephone.jpg" /><br /><br />Kris over at Smartphonethoughts.com has some info on the Google Phone rumours that have been making the rounds lately. If true, I honestly don't know what to make of it - as a search/software company, it doesn't make much business sense for Google to get into the hardware side of things - though I wouldn't complain having another rogue outsider shaking up the mobile phone industry. Using their own device as a platform for Google applications doesn't make much more sense either, since they're on virtually everyone else's already. Anyone have a better explanation for the rumoured release of the alleged Google Phone?

[sesummers]

I honestly don't know what to make of it - as a search/software company, it doesn't make much business sense for Google to get into the hardware side of things... Anyone have a better explanation for the rumoured release of the alleged Google Phone?
Google is NOT a "search/software company". They're a targeted advertising company. They don't sell their search service, and they don't charge for their software. It's all provided for free as a way to draw eyeballs to their avertising (and "sponsored links", which are a really powerful form of advertising). THAT's where their revenue comes from.

In that context, providing a mobile phone could be very much in line with their business model. They might even provide the phone service for free, if every call starts with an ad on the screen that you have to sit through before the call completes.

What would NOT make sense is spending tens of millions of dollars to develop a WinCE competetor, when they can license MS's for next to nothing (I believe I read that it costs around $2 per unit in royalties?)

[RogueSpear]

What would NOT make sense is spending tens of millions of dollars to develop a WinCE competetor, when they can license MS's for next to nothing (I believe I read that it costs around $2 per unit in royalties?)
Since so little is known about this it would be impossible to rule out a Google - Ubuntu combined effort here. The timing seems right and I believe Intel is squarely behind the Ubuntu effort as well.

[Brad Adrian]

I think this makes perfect sense, the financial details notwithstanding. Unlike other phone/service providers, Google wouldn't be in this for the wireless revenues. A branded, and probably pretty heavily locked, phone would give them advertising access to consumers beyond the PC screen.

Now, Google has also been trying to make some pretty heavy demands of the governing bodies that competitors claim are unfair. THAT may have the greatest impact on whether they go ahead with this or not.

[Take1]

If Google made this phone with WM 6.0, I'd most likely get one (if service were available in my area). Google has some very interesting strategies in the mobile connectivity arena as of late! If it's some lame Linux distro with little software support forget it. 8)

[RogueSpear]

If it's some lame Linux distro with little software support forget it. 8)
Seems somewhat difficult for me to consider any other mobile solution "lame" when you look at what Microsoft has been able to eek out since WM2003. If you are a fan of Microsoft's mobile solutions then I would think a little healthy competition would be exactly what you're looking for. I think it may be the only thing to get them off their butts. While I'm not overly impressed with the iPhone, I was pleased to see something come out that was a little different and with a ton of hype behind it. Somewhere deep down inside I still want to believe in WM, but it's getting more difficult as the years pass by.