thinkingman

What's the Point of Google's Phone ?

I think the author missed some of the potential for this phone. I'll admit that the immediate benefactors of this new phone technology are a small group, and my opinion of this article is colored by my perspective, being part of that group. But this is still the first mobile communications device that can be customized by its users. As happened with the Linux operating system and Windows Mobile phones, a community of developers and hackers will form that continually improve the phone's capabilities. If the phone's purpose as I see it is realized, this will give rise to faster paced and more consumer-driven innovations in a market that desperately needs exactly that. I've heard that "The United States is a third world country..." in regard to mobile communications from too many people to count, and 3G networks and ideas like this phone are what ewe need to fix that. Most importantly, I think that the ruthless business practices of some carriers toward their customers have to be stopped, but getting phones that do more is a good step.

I don't think that Google sees the phone itself as a money-maker. I think that it will make money for them indirectly though, in part by increasing mobile acces through their portals, and in part by increasing their visibility in the market place. The other HTC phones that run Windows Mobile are ao amazingly packed with features, and reasonably priced, that I can't believe its taken them this long to get around to something like this. Incidentally, most of the online features that I use on my Windows Mobile HTC phone are Google applications. For example, I see no purpose in purchasing a GPS receiver when I have Google Maps on my phone.

This article leaves me wondering if the author isn't perhaps a staunch iPhone supporter. The iPhone is a great phone, but an open mobile platform with even a fraction of the fashion zing sounds like a much, much better thing to me.