Official Google Phone Coming in January 2010, Testing Now

[aucl]

Ive been using an iPhone since a month after the first one came out and I recently gave it to my girl and picked myself up a HTC Eris and I have to say there is a lot I like about it and just a few things I dont care that much for.

Im excited about the google phone and thanks to the holiday return period being extended Im waiting a bit to see if I can get one of these because my experience with the Eris has been fairly good.

I use google voice for all my texting and all my calling so the possible integration with this device and maybe even the Gizmo purchase intrigues me. The possibility of a phone unlocked that maybe has just a data plan and no minute plan seems interesting as well. I know I've got until January 15 for my return period so Im really hoping to see some official dates soon so that I can make my decision. Ive already pretty much decided Im not going back to the iPhone at least until they are sold unlocked and integrated well with Google voice which may never happen.

Apple Google are not that big friends that i would count of Google Voice integration.
What is it about Google Voice anyway? it is US only!? So for Apples emerging Markets it does nothing good.
To be honest each time Global companies pull out US only features I feel like spending some $ too much for their products.
So i hope Apple ATT partnership will not last till the next iPhone revision, and also that then ATT's limitation in the product design will be removed.

 

[Fluffy Bunny]

After 3 years, I am bored with my iPhones (Gen 1 & 3). Next stop Google Nexus 1.

 

[bobertoq]

tmobile? perhaps the only worse choice than at&t. good luck with that carrier.

other than that, i welcome competition to the iphone!

T-Mobile is miles better than AT&T. I'ven't gotten a dropped call with T-Mobile for a looooong time. That's the way T-Mobile is up here, anyway.

 

[AppleMojo]

Interesting the disdain for a "plasticky" phone. Last I looked, my iphone's shell is plastic.

Fanboys attack!

Wondering when people are going to stop saying "fanboy"... it's like 3rd grade name calling... it shows a total lack of creativity and invalidates everything they've just dribbled.

"I really like my phone."

"Shutup, you're such a fanboy!"

"No I'm not, you are!"

"I said it first!"

"nuh uh. You are, times infinity!"

...

 

[realeric]

This is NOT a google phone. It's another HTC's Android phone. Why do you think this is google phone? HTC is different from Foxconn, a EMS company.

 

[str1f3]

If it doesn't come to Verizon, it may as well not exist, as far as I'm concerned. The best network in the US gets the dregs when it comes to phones. C'mon Verizon, play ball with the manufacturers, you bozos!!!

There is a reason why Verizon allows a small number of smartphones on their network. Look at the iPhone's data usage stats and you'll understand why.

 

[str1f3]

If you're "bored" by your phone, it's not your phone who is the problem.

 

[FanboyE]

ya apple really needs to update the interface a little. Ive tried to look at other phones but I realize that there is nothing (in my opinion) that can replace it right now.

 

[cumanzor]

Wondering when people are going to stop saying "fanboy"... it's like 3rd grade name calling... it shows a total lack of creativity and invalidates everything they've just dribbled.

"I really like my phone."

"Shutup, you're such a fanboy!"

"No I'm not, you are!"

"I said it first!"

"nuh uh. You are, times infinity!"

...

It doesn't really goes like this. It's more like:

Normal: "I really like my phone, it's XYZ brand"

Fanboy: "Hahaha, oh wow, you don't have an iphone? XYZ sucks"
Normal: "I respect your opinion and I think the iphone is a very good phone, I just like XYZ better"

Fanboy: "WHY!? The iPhone is the best and only phone, look at the share market, the apps, <over 9000 things normal doesn't care>, if you are not using an iPhone, you are a moron*"

Normal: "You are a fanboy."

Fanboy: "<ironical rant about how using the word fanboy invalidates normal's opinion>"

*yes, I've seen it happen.

 

[IBradMac]

Like AT&T needs another data intense phone on its network.

 

[kyeblue]

customer service would be a new new territory for Google

I am not sure that google is ready for it. Apple had more than 30 years of history selling hardware and software. Google has zero. I don't think that Google is ready for this. Having the right feature on a product is one thing, provide customer service on the product is a totally different game.

 

[clydefamous]

Could you imagine?

COuld you imagine If Apple put its OS on other phones before bringing out the iphone? It would be sort of a weird move, right? Google should have cut the middle man out from the beginning. I'm just saying.

 

[kyeblue]

COuld you imagine If Apple put its OS on other phones before bringing out the iphone? It would be sort of a weird move, right? Google should have cut the middle man out from the beginning. I'm just saying.

Apple is in a very unique position of the consumer electronic world. It produces and controls both its consumer hardware and consumer software for 30 years, no consumer electronic company can match this. Google has little experience in desktop software and new in OS, zero experience in hardware, yes it has a deep pocket, but it does not mean that it can succeed on anything they want to do.

 

[tzeshan]

Google employees probably just testing for HTC

This is the most likely answer. According to Digitimes
"HTC is working to further advance the software attached to the Passion, explained the sources, who are familiar with the Passion roadmap. "

http://74.125.155.132/search?q=cach...tc+passion+digitimes&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

 

[AppleMojo]

It doesn't really goes like this. It's more like:

Normal: "I really like my phone, it's XYZ brand"

Fanboy: "Hahaha, oh wow, you don't have an iphone? XYZ sucks"
Normal: "I respect your opinion and I think the iphone is a very good phone, I just like XYZ better"

Fanboy: "WHY!? The iPhone is the best and only phone, look at the share market, the apps, <over 9000 things normal doesn't care>, if you are not using an iPhone, you are a moron*"

Normal: "You are a fanboy."

Fanboy: "<ironical rant about how using the word fanboy invalidates normal's opinion>"

*yes, I've seen it happen.

Ha! I like how you make it look like "Normal" is so polite and respectful of differing opinion, while "Fanboy" is the one with issues.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with being opinionated... I'd rather have a strong opinion of something, than have nothing better than 3rd grade name calling to resort to.

I'm a highly opinionated individual and there are of course plenty of things I disagree with in this world, but you won't find me hanging out on their (related) websites calling them all fanboys.

Just calling it as I see it.

... now back on topic. There is no doubt that the iPhone is king of the hill at the moment, but it will take more than just releasing a new touch phone every few months to knock it down. I would guess that sooner or later, enough time will have passed that a company will have actually put some real research and development in and the iPhone will have a pretty healthy challenger.

I do also think it's interesting for people to think that Apple has been drifting on success with the iPhone and not making changes... Yet, these might be the same people complaining that there has been a new iPhone released every year since its debut.

Apple innovates, it's what they do best. What they don't do is mass produce product after product that has a shelf-life shorter than the previous. If the iPhone was in fact a nothing-phone, then there would be no reason to be trying so hard to discredit it.

 

[bobertoq]

True, but there is only one official iPhone. How many official Google phones have we heard about?

This is the first one, isn't it? All those others are phones running the Android (Google) OS.

 

[MattBaker]

Google already has data-only mobile technology

I've read elsewhere that this phone would only come with a data plan and it would use VOIP for all calls. (...)

What is a data-only plan these days? AT&T offers data-only plans from $28 to $54 or so per month. That could be quite a bit less than you'd pay per month for an iPhone. It would be an extremely different experience, but it is an intriguing choice.

Google bought a little company a couple months ago that was selling a mobile service that worked like Google Voice does on landline phones. That company was selling data-only plans for some trivial amount, like $20/month.

With zero cost for the voice side.

Total cost for a Google phone for two years: <$1000 including purchase of an unlocked phone. Nearly a third of an iphone.

And why would Google release this thing on t-mobile? Because t-mobile is desperate. t-mobile doesn't have the iphone like ATT, and t-mobile doesn't have the network that Verizon has.

t-mobile sees this as a way to jump to the front of the next round of competition between mobile carriers. t-mobile will let ATT & Verizon milk the old business models, while t-mobile suddenly establishes itself as the carrier of choice for the new business model.

 

[Nudist]

I am definitely interested in this phone, especially the part about it being sold unlocked from the start!

Maybe that'll get Apple to start pushing their weight around to getting the iphone unlocked from the get go.

From memory in some markets, France and Australia for two you can buy unlocked phone from the start and you pay for the privilege. Others prefer a subsidised phone on 12 or 24 month plans? Over in the US you'll need to wait a little longer for the market to open up multiple iphone carriers and *competition*

 

[Donz0r]

This sentence contradicts itself. Its like saying "I should have to pay for stuff I need money for."

...seriously?
I think his sentence made perfect sense.

 

[Donz0r]

Yeah, except the HTC is clearly visible on the front of the phone. So much for Google only branding.

That's not an actual picture of the google phone

 

[inkswamp]

Because that's the way the market works. As unfortunate as it may be, that is the reality. If you think Apple does it all on it's own (like LTD seems to believe), you are mistaken. As in any other system, you need feedback. A small group of people seems to believe that Apple's feedback is what the customer wants. This is obviously not the case since there are quite some things that the iPhone could have that would actually make it a 'perfect' phone. There are many things people want that Apple is not doing.

Okay, we're dealing in different scales here. I'm talking on the micro level and you're talking macro. Yes, Apple follows the big picture obviously. They saw that mp3 players were going to be big and went with that. They saw that smartphones were going to be the future and went there. But on a feature level, they don't follow anyone (for evidence, see my previous post with the list of things they've refused to do despite trends in the market.) The best example is the iTunes subscription one, if only because every tech pundit and Apple competitor has advocated that route and Apple has stood its ground even to this day.

What you, LTD and LagunaSol need to understand, what you guys NEED to get through your head, is that a company releasing a new product is NOT a direct attack against YOU, your beliefs or opinion. What you need to understand is that choice is actually a good thing because the world doesn't revolve around you or the things you like.

Whoa... hold on. You seem to be mistaking my opinion as a fanboy kind of thing and it's not. I have a definite love/hate relationship with Apple's products and their users. Here's something I wrote about a year ago that might give you a better sense of that.

What would be your opinion on handheld gaming?

In what sense? Do you mean how Apple seems to have followed the trend in handheld gaming? Read some of the comments from Apple execs and you'll discover that was unintentional. They didn't foresee that but developers have made it so ridiculously obvious to them. I'm betting if Apple hadn't let third parties in to the App Store, you'd see almost no games in the App Store to this day.

 

[miketcool]

Unlocked? It'll be interesting to see the price on this.

I paid $189.99 for my G1. I asked, and T-Mo unlocked it for me. I imagine, it will cost $189.99 or $199.99 if being sold through T-Mo.

 

[tonyeck]

That's not an actual picture of the google phone

It looks identical though, just an FYI

 

[TMay]

Wise move on your part to hold on to your 3G as I did. Next year's version is going to be the game-changer. ARM and Apple have been incredibly close for years and you can bet that they have long had early prototypes of the A9 for PA Semi to play with. The new ARM chips won't be available until Google shows off their phone. This upcoming iPhone will represent the true break from the others and represent a new generation of hardware. Google, at that point, will have a dated processor.

I agree with your analysis that Apple is going with a customized die based on the A9. Until and if Google does the same, I don't see Android as being a game changer, albeit it will snuff the life out of WinMobile 7 and provide some real competition to Apple.

People here seem to forget that Apple has the iPod Touch, which is especially popular with kids deemed too young for an iPhone. When the time comes for moving up to a phone, I would suspect that the bulk of them will choose an iPhone. Good strategy and branding by Apple.

Google or its partners could certainly pursue this, but I just don't see a business model where there would be much revenue due to the fragmentation of hardware sales.

 

[KurtangleTN]

I want to believe it, mainly because if it were true I'd imagine it would be fairly affordable unlocked (pity both GSM providers are awful in my area) and it would be one that could potentially spur Android development.

Then on the other hand there are holes, HTC is pushing it's Sense UI and Google branded phones can't get different UI's (or something like this) it just seems odd that HTC who is now trying to push itself as a well known phone maker instead of just letting their phones be re branded by the carriers to go to Google and ditch their UI, ditch their plans for the future.

Secondly there is almost no tangible rumors out there.. every article I read is second hand reports of some buddy they have that works with Google or some other kind of crap. I mean really, this is handed out to tons of people and not a single picture?

Third there are so many seemingly crazy reports.. VOIP only yet it's GSM unlocked? I highly doubt AT&T will allow a phone to just use a data plan at $30 a month and bring their network down more without getting the $40+ a month for voice. T-Mobile might because let's face it they have to offer fast or they might as well just fade away. Then we have "Real" Android.. I mean really? So Google has been sitting there holding back for the hell of it just waiting, releasing phones with their name behind them (G1, Droid, Hero, etc) only to say "Well here's the real deal suckers!". What consumer would trust them, especially when Apple has so far given every software update to iPhone users free and timely.

Not to mention do you know really think Google will burn every bridge they built with companies like Motorola who have put all their chips in with Android only for them to turn around and give them a stone cold stunner?

I honestly believe that HTC gave them one of their new phones (all descriptions read the Bravo which is coming to T-Mobile in 2010) to test out, maybe optimize software, give feedback, and as it might be the next flagship Android smartphone and Google might want to put it's 2cents in on it.