Google Phone Rumors Continue to Gain Steam

[timon]

I still think the Droid is a piece. Some kid in my graphic design class has one now, and every time he gets a text his phone yells "DROID!!" It's still a tacky phone, with a less than desireable UI and an even worse keyboard. I couldn't type on the thing. Don't even get me started on apps. I think Google will get it right eventually, but not before Apple takes a nice chunk of the market.

So some kid has not changed the default alerts, what does that have to do with anything?

When I got my Droid it was because I just couldn't see switching to AT&T to get a iPhone even though that what I really wanted. Now that I've had the Droid for almost two weeks I've found several things I like about it better than the iPhone and some that I don't. If Google can get the problems worked out Apple will have a serious competitor to the iPhone.

The "Droid" was a complete flop so they're trying to build some steam for some new POS Android phone. Big deal.

If the reports are turn that near 700,000 have sold since launch that's far from a flop.

Anyway my point is that you better believe that Apple is not ignoring the Android phones because they know if they do Google has a chance to eat their lunch. The Droid is here to stay so you better get used to it.

 

[jmadlena]

...
Nice phone on sucky network == sucky phone.

It really does depend on where you live. AT&T seems to be the better network where I live. Other places, it's the opposite. Just depends.

 

[Markov]

It really does depend on where you live. AT&T seems to be the better network where I live. Other places, it's the opposite. Just depends.

Agreed, every network has its weak and strong areas. For example, gsm/utms is horrible east of my area and verizon is the only solution. I say Verizon and not CDMA because Sprint is just horrible in this area... or everywhere says roughly 90,000 ex now network users lol. Sorry, couldn't resist =P

I personally believe that the iPhone will best best on verizon due to the large 3G coverage.

 

[iMaggot]

Competition is good, so bring it on Google.

 

[Marcusjlang]

Ok, I need to ask a few questions so I can get this straight because this seems a little too good to be true.

1. What exactly is VOIP and how does i work, how high is the quality?

2. Does this mean that with a Google Phone we wouldn't have to pay anything a month, or we just wouldn't have to pay for voice/texting? If we would have to pay for data, who would we pay?

3. If this somehow happens, wouldn't this shake up the entire cell phone game, BIG time (including all the android phones)?

4. If this VOIP thing is true does that mean there is no carrier for the phone, how the hell does that work?

5. How is google profiting from this?

6. Should we be expecting a smart phone, if so what kind of price range considering there wouldn't be a carrier?

 

[cocky jeremy]

it wasnt a complete flop, i think its a great device, if i had to choose any other cell phone other than the iphone right now, it would be the Droid

im hoping this google phone will come out soon

honestly i am bored of the iphone and i would like a change, iphone needs to change its interface in 4.0 next year

I'm not saying it's not a good phone. I'm saying no one gives a **** about it. Same as the Pre. Tons of hype, but nobody buys one.

 

[nehunte]

I'm not saying it's not a good phone. I'm saying no one gives a **** about it. Same as the Pre. Tons of hype, but nobody buys one.

Yup, you're right. Nobody bought a single Pre. Good lord, you haven't a clue. Wait till next quarter's sales numbers hit the streets. People will be in for a pleasant surprise when it comes to Web OS phone sales and Android OS phone sales.

 

[heisetax]

Apple wannbee

At first I thought that this was not good to see Google making a hardware product. But then I remember that Apple just designs its products & only build a few of the Intel Mac Pros. Google may then also have to take the extra half-step & have the 3rd party manufacturer design the hardware as well as build it.

 

[Slurpy2k8]

I agree. Google is like the new Microsoft but free haha.

They are making a lot of the same mistakes with their mobile platform that Microsoft made and it is becoming very fragmented and a game between them and 3rd party manufacturers! They may be working on future versions of Android obviously, but it will not be anything drastically different from the current. They can't even really keep up as it is.

There are a lot of parallels between them and Microsoft. The big difference is that Google isn't trying to protect an OEM lock-in monopoly with everything else they do, they are just trying to infiltrate any and everything they can to make ad money and gain data. But that is the only reason they are entering all these new areas, and guess what? They don't have experience in ANY of these areas! Also, their motivation is strictly ad and data money, not the end user, or the 3rd parties.

Google is turning into a mess!

Let them and Microsoft fight over trying to do everything to protect their monopolistic revenue while Apple begins to dominate all markets with their vastly superior products, decades of experience and knowledge, and one complete end to end package of hardware and software coupled with a seamless ecosystem!

When will Microsoft learn that their license the software and don't make the hardware model success was a fluke that they have been trying to keep from falling apart ever since. The fact that they are imitating Apple in virtually every way including their software/hardware business model is proof that they realize what is going on. And now Google is making the same mistakes. You'd think they would research or know a bit about the history of the computer industry and how things really went down.

What a pathetic, pathetic post. I almost feel pity for you. There's not a single argument or line in that post of yours that makes a least bit of sense, or isn't frothing fanboy drivel. I'm a big apple user, and I'm amazed you don't see the irony of knocking Google for having 'no experience' in industries it enters..and in the same breath applaud Apple.

No, I don't see any parallels between Google and Microsoft apart from the fact that they're both massive companies. There's no overlap in ideology. I use a ton of Google product firstly because they're extremely useful, well thought out, and well designed- and secondly because they're free. Google became massively successful by offering products people actually want to use. Yes, they are new in the mobile space. But Android is still in its infancy, and has already shown incredible promise and potential, as well as being leagues above every other mobile OS out there.. and many even prefer it to the iPhone OS. Android isn't going anywhere anytime soon, but I wonder if Google kicked your dog or something to motivate you to come up with that drivel.

 

[MacFly123]

Try constructing a sentence that does not use Microsoft.

If all you can do is use the failures of one company to justify why you think another one will fair, then your argument is very weak.

Unlike WM however, Android doesn't suck. WM was successful in the past because it was either that or RIM for smartphones. Now that there are choices, people are choosing others. Since Android is a great, solid platform it's not going to die off like WM did because Android is being used in different hardware platforms.

You should both read these articles:

http://www.appleinsider.com/article...d_and_apples_iphone_os_as_core_platforms.html

http://www.appleinsider.com/article..._and_apples_iphone_os_as_business_models.html

http://www.appleinsider.com/article...apples_iphone_os_as_advancing_technology.html

http://www.appleinsider.com/article...and_apples_iphone_os_as_software_markets.html

No they are not my only source, and yes they are from Apple insider and therefore there is some bias, but there are many solid arguments looking through history and the industry.

 

[Bonte]

The Google Béta phone.

Its hard for me to see Google as a consumer hardware company, they move to fast and pursue every opportunity or great idea they can think off. People want stability, consistency and a technology direction they can understand. Having 3-4 OS's on hundreds of devices isn't helping, Apple is -for now- the company with the best cards on hand.

 

[Millah]

Especially when you realize the iphone was released before the recession, which means unemployment was not in the double digits..

The Droid doing well in these market conditions proves that it's a very good phone. Who knows what the numbers would be like if consumer spending didn't take a huge hit.

OH no!! Reason and logic being applied!

Wow. You can't be serious...thats the absolute opposite of reason and logic. More like the epitome of ignorance I've read browsing through this entire thread.

The iPhone 3G launched in July 2008, and the iPhone 3GS launched in July 2009. The recession started MUCH earlier than November 2009. Where in Gods name did you come up with that idea. You're off by, oh I don't know, maybe 2-3 years? In fact, both of the last 2 launches of the iPhone were during much worse economic times than when the Droid released. 2008 was probably the worst year. Early in 2009 around the 3GS launch was also still bad. Despite the much worse economic times during both launches, iPhone managed incredible launch numbers. 1 million sold for both launches in the first day. The Droid is just starting to creep up to almost 1 million units, several weeks after release. Yet, the Droid launched during this time of consumer spending increasing much more so than earlier this year and drastically more so than last year in 2008.

So your logic is absolutely failed and ignorant. And your little butt-buddy Android fanboy is equally as ignorant.

 

[ChazUK]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (Linux; U; Android 1.5; en-gb; HTC Hero Build/CUPCAKE) AppleWebKit/528.5+ (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.1.2 Mobile Safari/525.20.1)

Nothing supports an argument better than calling someone a "little butt-buddy".

Maturity ftw!

 

[dpw2atox]

So your logic is absolutely failed and ignorant. And your little butt-buddy Android fanboy is equally as ignorant.

So to try and prove your point you call someone a butt-buddy and a fanboy? Real mature there dude, you need to realize that no matter how good your argument might be the moment you resort to name calling your entire post becomes garbage.

Now as a Disclaimer I have a Droid so I am partially bias, but that doesnt mean I don't have an open mind.

Is the Droid a flop? hardly, and anyone that says it is really needs to stop trying to convince themselves that it is. Is the Droid as popular as the iPhone? NO but thats ok. Both phones have their advantages and disadvantages. For me the deciding choises were Multitasking, upgradable storage/battery, the upcoming flash support, a physical keyboard and Verizon's network. In fact out of my group of close friends, 5 have purchased the Droid and 1 has an iPhone.

All of this however doesnt mean the Droid is perfect, its got plenty of issues. Every few days my Droid reboots, it has no Tethering yet, it has no Bluetooth voice dialing and there are lots of other little glitches. In addition the Droid "experience" is by no means as elegant or complete as the iPhone.

I also am very interested to see what Apples next iPhone will feature because IMO they really are leading the industry and have done tons of innovation in the Smart Phone world.

Now to get back to the topic of the start of this thread..... I could care less if Google makes a "gPhone". I greatly enjoy my Droid and since Android is Open Source, it will be easy enough to bring any of the "gPhones" features over to other Android phones. You already can use Google Voice for phone calls on Android phones if you want, and if the app is upgraded to do VoIP all the better. My only real care/concern is Google focusing on improving the feature list of Android and squashing bugs.

If Google does make a "gPhone" then I am sure it will help push Apple to make an even better next gen iPhone. Competition is always good as consumers end up with the best products as a result.

 

[MrMickS]

Will the real Andriod please stand up

How long do we have to wait for this 'real' Android?

If the current Android is not the real Android what is it?

It sounds as if someone is trying to sell vaporware to me. The current Android is the real Android. It might not contain all that Google want to put into it, but if they could put all they wanted into it they would have. Anything else is just future plans. Who knows what future plans Apple have for the iPhone. I daresay we'll see them when they arrive. In the meantime the current iPhones are the 'real' iPhone.

Google's original plan wasn't to make a phone themselves, but rather have the phone manufacturers do that. That's not worked as well as they thought. By and large the manufacturers have not bought the kool-aid and instead adopted a wait and see, toe in the water approach. As the current phones have underwhelmed, haven't caught the public imagination, Google are being forced into trying to leverage their brand to save Android.

In order to do that they've had to spin against the current version of the software, promising something better is just around the corner. This is their final play. In order for it to work they need to deliver on day one, this isn't Google's forte, they prefer to leak things out and iterate adding new features as they go. I predict that this is the beginning of the end for Android. In a couple of years people will be wondering what all the fuss was about.

 

[kdarling]

Big rumors often derive from smaller truths.

Perhaps Google simply intends to create another, higher end, developer's device.

Or show off a reference platform with every bell and whistle possible.

 

[hiimamac]

i think google is spreading themselves too thin

Yes but meanwhile. Apple won't give us the iMac power in a mid range case. Musicians, gamers, semipro and prosumers would all buy this. The silly reason apple refuses is any good gaming system means great gpu and that means you can then run pro apps. Ironically, gamers have more sales then video and music combined. And that's just one small segment that needs power, lots of ram and expansion.

On topic. If anyone can compete with the
iPhone it's google. I already have gv mobile plus 3, invites to give out.

Today i spent an hour on the phone with my
insurance but because my google number is in my attbA list, the call was free.

They have some really cool phone features which I see spreading into business. You can evesdrop on a voicemail in real time, all vm are sent to you via text and or email. You can make any phone ring and so much more. Google knows what they are doing ball they needcnow is a PC patner with something like courier and they'll be set n

peace

 

[AidenShaw]

"the city" ... haha! you east coasters are so silly.

Left-coaster, if you will.

http://www.yelp.com/topic/san-francisco-the-city-or-the-city

 

[miketcool]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (Linux; U; Android 1.5; en-gb; HTC Hero Build/CUPCAKE) AppleWebKit/528.5+ (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.1.2 Mobile Safari/525.20.1)

Nothing supports an argument better than calling someone a "little butt-buddy".

Maturity ftw!

I'm not too worried about the classy name calling. I didn't know there were politicians on here...

It's a pretty desperate sounding rant trying to boost the amazing success of iPhone by claiming it too sold in the same economic conditions. Nationwide unemployment was totally 17.5% 2-3 years ago for the first iPhone launch. There were 3 quarters of stalled handset sales before the iPhone right? If not from recession, just from the mass public's mouthwatering and ability to wait for June.

No one on here is claiming that the Motorola Droid was a fluke in sales, 4th quarter smartphone sales are predicting to be up. But to have cheesy comments like "all other phones have failed" when in reality there are a number of handset makers doing well, is really ignorant.

I am going to drop the bomb on this one, seeing as it is hard for iPhone worshippers to understand there are more Android offerings, meaning that if you combine sales of multiple handsets (Google gives you OPTIONS?!) that Android beat Apple's Mobile OS to 1 million 3 days sooner. Yes, that's right, there were 1 Million Android phones sold in 71 days while there were 1 million iPhones sold in 74 days. That was reported this January, when the economy was bailing.

My bad, sorry to speak with facts and junk. My apologies that I don't finish a weak argument with name calling. I'll just go back to using my inferior phone on my network that doesn't drop my calls, send my text messages to the wrong people, costs less, and has no issues unlocking my handset when I ask them.

 

[Digitalclips]

i think google is spreading themselves too thin

Plus without an inside person on the Apple board they don't have a free R&D department for hardware anymore. Apple will no doubt push the envelope and widen the gap fast.

 

[miketcool]

Plus without an inside person on the Apple board they don't have a free R&D department for hardware anymore. Apple will no doubt push the envelope and widen the gap fast.

Haha, what? You mean both companies are not as close anymore so neither one of them are really working toward mutual interests, just their own interests.

I am still placing my betting chips on Google taking existing hardware and modifying it for their needs...

 

[Digitalclips]

Competition is good, so bring it on Google.

True, however Apple make their progress in a vacuum IMHO. By this I mean they want to improve with or without competition. It is the 'Because we can' attitude that drives them. They just have to keep innovating, it's in their DNA.

 

[BornAgainMac]

This reminds me of "It plays for sure." I hope current users don't feel like 2nd class citizens.

 

[miketcool]

This reminds me of "It plays for sure." I hope current users don't feel like 2nd class citizens.

Remember the Moto ROKR? That was the first "iTunes phone" with the iPhone being the "real iTunes phone".

 

[Scottgfx]

As someone who has a vested interest in seeing both Apple and Google succeed, perhaps I can write something without being labeled a "fanboy".

Right now you have two smartphone ecosystems that have the highest mindshare in Apple's iPhone and RIMM's Blackberry.

Google's entry into the marketplace is still very young, and from what I'm reading has some really great features, but also some rough spots.

My perception is that currently the iPhone and Blackberry are probably not feeling much effect from the introduction of the Android platform. That's not to say that they're not taking notes. I'm sure Apple knows where Android has advantages. Those who are probably worried most are Nokia, Sony-Erricson, Microsoft and Palm.

All of the buzz right now is for Android, and more specifically the Verizon branding, "Droid". I'm not hearing much about the Pre anymore. I'm Not hearing much about WinMo 6.5. I'm also not hearing anything positive out of the other camps. I think Google's Android has the most potential to hurt these players more so than Apple and RIMM.

But I think the Android platform will be stuck in that tertiary place unless they have their own phone and can better control the environment of not only the phone itself, but also how they are sold. I walked into a Best Buy store the other day and took note that except for the iPhone, all of the Phones on display were the nonfunctional display units. I did not see a free standing kiosk for a Droid like I did for the iPhone.

I also wonder how happy Google is with Verizon branding their phone "Droid". I think it's a great name (thanks to Lucasfilm) but I see it as undermining what Google was trying to project with the "Android" brand and serves to confuse people as to what an Android phone is.

If the rumor of a Google phone is true, my feeling is that it's a reaction to how Google perceives the carriers and manufacturers now after seeing how they have used Android so far. Perhaps its a reaction similar to Steve Jobs reaction to the Motorola ROKR.