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Google Mobile Phone in the Works?

MacRumors

MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
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30,727


This past week, three has been some buzz about the possibility of a Google mobile phone.

Google is developing its own mobile phone, according to industry insiders and analysts, while a Google official in Spain last week acknowledged the company is “investigating” such a project.
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Google isn't commenting on the device but it has been described as a "low-cost, Internet-connected phone with a color, wide-screen design."

The rumored phone is said to be "aimed at bringing Google to users who don't have a PC." A Google entry into the mobile phone market could cause some conflicts with Apple. Google and Apple have recently partnered to bring Google technology to users through the upcoming Apple iPhone.

TimesOnline.co.uk points out that such a product launch would require massive production capacities, which Google lacks, and that previous rumors of Google entering the low-cost PC market have not come true.
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2007/03/19/google-mobile-phone-in-the-works/
howard

howard

macrumors 68020
Nov 18, 2002
2,017
4
sounds almost like a media tablet ala nokia 770 but with phone features.
 
clevin

clevin

macrumors G3
Aug 6, 2006
9,095
1
quigleybc said:
Sounds fun

affordable, and with a powerful search function for mobile browsing

sign me up,

only after my contract has expired for an iPhone of course...and assuming Apple didn't come out with anything better in the mean time..

:'
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I will consider if the price is <$200
 
steve_hill4

steve_hill4

macrumors 68000
May 15, 2005
1,856
0
NG9, England
I think before anything, data rates need to come down first. Even on contract here in the UK, you could be paying £1-2 per MB on GPRS/3G. Coming out with a phone designed purely around phone and internet capabilities would tend to target the low end of the market, on Pay As You Go.

I know it's pure speculation at the moment anyway, but the way all phones are going, costs will have to start tumbling soon.
 
P

p0intblank

macrumors 68030
Sep 20, 2005
2,548
2
New Jersey
I can't really see this happening, especially with Google's partnership with Apple. I could be wrong, but then again we never did see the "low cost PC."

Not to nitpick, but the first sentence of the article has a typo in it. Just thought you'd like like to know... :eek:
 
Aniej

Aniej

macrumors 68000
Oct 17, 2006
1,743
0
thejadedmonkey said:
what if they Google Phone and the iPhone are one and the same?
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Damn it jaded monkey, you beat me to it by 50 seconds. That is the exact view that I have and corresponds with the previous reports of google CEO Eric Schmidt commenting that "we [google and apple] have many more things in line together." Apple and Google, you heard it hear first, or well second:rolleyes:
 
Stella

Stella

macrumors G3
Apr 21, 2003
8,837
6,334
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I wonder if this will be a rebranding of an existing phone - if it is indeed cellular? If google want to bring 'Google' to the masses, it won't be the iPhone because thats too expensive for the majority. Perhaps maybe the iPhone sans the cellular component.

Like above, it sounds like a Nokia tablet thing. However, there isn't enough wifi base stations around to yet justify such as device - if your wandering around a city and want to make a phone call etc.

It seems difficult to image Google making hardware.
 
IJ Reilly

IJ Reilly

macrumors P6
Jul 16, 2002
17,909
1,496
Palookaville
If this rumor proves to be true, Google will be at serious risk of losing their focus. They've already got a lot of projects running, many of which are far from perfected. Next they jump into a complex and highly competitive hardware market, having never made a single hardware product? Apple has been criticized by some for entering this market with the iPhone -- and they've got over 30 years of experience building hardware!
 
J

je_wallace

macrumors member
Jan 26, 2004
42
0
Budapest, Hungary
Stella said:
I wonder if this will be a rebranding of an existing phone - if it is indeed cellular? If google want to bring 'Google' to the masses, it won't be the iPhone because thats too expensive for the majority. Perhaps maybe the iPhone sans the cellular component.

Like above, it sounds like a Nokia tablet thing. However, there isn't enough wifi base stations around to yet justify such as device - if your wandering around a city and want to make a phone call etc.

It seems difficult to image Google making hardware.
Click to expand...

This is what I was thinking. Apple going the US cell phone route with the biggest network in cell phones ATT/Cingular & Apple utilizing Google to go the WiFi/WiMax route.

Since it seems Apple has provided ATT/Cingular some kind of an exclusive for 2 years, maybe the Google thingy is branded as such as to prevent breaking that Cingular/Apple deal.

While I can't really see Apple allowing clones or another company to license their OS/mini-OS, with Eric Schmidt on the Apple Board and Steve/Eric's public comments about working Apple/Google working on more things together - who knows.
 
S

SpaceJello

macrumors 6502
Dec 2, 2006
441
83
Could this possibly be the ever elusive Apple Tablet ...only with a very close relationship with Google and some possible new online applications? And the "phone" is voip?

Why would google with eric sitting on apple's board make a direct iphone competition? Isn't that conflict of somesort?
 
S

SpaceJello

macrumors 6502
Dec 2, 2006
441
83
Could this possibly be the ever elusive Apple Tablet ...only with a very close relationship with Google and some possible new online applications? And the "phone" is voip?

Why would google with eric sitting on apple's board make a direct iphone competition? Isn't that conflict of some sort?
 
EagerDragon

EagerDragon

macrumors 68020
Jun 27, 2006
2,098
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MA, USA
If this were to compete with the iPhone, there will be an opening in the board of directors of Apple (Google CEO current spot).
 
L

logandzwon

macrumors 6502a
Jan 9, 2007
574
2
I think google is working on an linksys iPhone like product. Google does not have the resources to make an apple iPhone compeditor currently. Also, remeber google is building a comunications system that includes IM, e-mail, and VOIP.
 
0007776

0007776

Suspended
Jul 11, 2006
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I don't think that google should make hardware right now, but it could be a low end version of thee iPhone, that they are working on together and just rebranding so that it won't be exclusive to cingular.
 
A

anonicon

macrumors member
Jan 11, 2006
51
0
Looking at this dispassionately, there *could* be a lot of overlay between the iPhone and a Google-rebranded iPhone. Facts:

1. Google has been buying a *ton* of dark-fiber (e.g., unused fiber) around the world, for what, no one besides Google knows.

2. One of the things (among *many*) that Google could do with that is to peer Wi-Fi hotpoints up to X miles from each peer point for Internet and voice data.

3. Apple would gain a major re-seller who would pay Apple for their iPhones and then install Google-specific widgets (a la OS X's desktop) and Wi-Fi access on the phones. The Apple iPhone, but tweaked for all of the Google mini-widgets and mini-applications (like Google Talk and Gmail) which Apple doesn't have.

4. Depending on what Google does with all the dark fiber they've been buying up, they could gut the cellphone industry since any near-peer-point calls could be made via VoIP (a la Skype or Vonage), while the iPhone could use traditional cellphone tower technology outside of Wi-Fi areas.

Just some ideas...
 
EagerDragon

EagerDragon

macrumors 68020
Jun 27, 2006
2,098
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logandzwon said:
I think google is working on an linksys iPhone like product. Google does not have the resources to make an apple iPhone compeditor currently. Also, remeber google is building a comunications system that includes IM, e-mail, and VOIP.
Click to expand...

A VOIP phone would make sense but it would need a browser and a search, otherwise it would not be coming from Google as that is how they make money. A VOIP phone would provide a cheap way to comunicate in countries where people can't afort a computer, but ....... I do not think those countries have free HotSpots all over the place. If they do, maybe some of us should move there, cause it is not happening in the USA.

However a VOIP phone is likely to compete with the iPhone, most people want that capability in the iPhone.
 
IJ Reilly

IJ Reilly

macrumors P6
Jul 16, 2002
17,909
1,496
Palookaville
EagerDragon said:
If this were to compete with the iPhone, there will be an opening in the board of directors of Apple (Google CEO current spot).
Click to expand...

If only. Bill Campbell was the CEO of Intuit and on Apple's board when the decision was made by Intuit to discontinue development of Quicken for the Mac. They finally relented, after a lot of pressure was brought to bear, but it's not like sharing executives on corporate boards automatically signals cooperation between the companies.
 
EagerDragon

EagerDragon

macrumors 68020
Jun 27, 2006
2,098
0
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IJ Reilly said:
If only. Bill Campbell was the CEO of Intuit and on Apple's board when the decision was made by Intuit to discontinue development of Quicken for the Mac. They finally relented, after a lot of pressure was brought to bear, but it's not like sharing executives on corporate boards automatically signals cooperation between the companies.
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You do not want a competitor being briefed on your future products and marketing strategies. If a board member is a competitor, either the board won't be brief-ed (making them useless) or that member will become an ex-member.
 
johnee

johnee

macrumors 6502a
Mar 12, 2007
790
1
well, i'm not from the UK, but people will like me
google... next MS?

I'm seriously questioning if Google is getting to be too big. I like google and use it all the time because it works, but it's becoming a monster.

Given the current climate at google is still similar to it's startup days, in 10 years, that could be quite different. If google is a seven headed beast when that occurs, they might dictate innovation for their benefit.

any thoughts?

Personally, I like the underdogs that create stuff that works, and does so not for money alone, but for the sake of creation.
 
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