T-Mobile G1 from Google - A detailed look

So, the much awaited Google phone has been finally released. Called the T-Mobile G1, the phone looks quite dashy. Being the first phone to use Google’s Android operating system, G1 has managed to generate quite a buzz in the market.

The handset, built by HTC, looks neat. The way I see it, its shape reminds me of the iPhone. G1 has a slide-out keyboard which is very convenient to work on. The phone has a trackball and a touch screen. The device is capable of running multiple tasks at a time with relative ease. You can access Gmail, Google search, and Google Maps easily. The device also has a 3 megapixel camera, which is surprisingly good, Wi-Fi, GPS, full HTML browser, and offers five hours of talk time.

Overall, T-Mobile G1 is a very nice phone. It will be officially released on October 22nd. Customers will be asked to sign a two year contract with T-Mobile. T-Mobile has priced it at $179 and offers two different plans for customers – unlimited data and limited messaging for $25 per month and unlimited data and unlimited messaging for $35 per month.

The most attractive factor, the USP, of the G1 is the open source Linux based OS, which allows developers around the world to create different types of mobile applications for the phone. Users can simply download the applications they want through the Android market. And unlike Apple, T-Mobile has no restrictions on applications. So, users will be able to download whatever application they want, any time.

In my opinion, T-Mobile G1 will appeal to technophiles and hardcore smart phone users more than anyone else. The phone is chic, loaded with features, and runs on an open source platform which leaves lots of room for innovation – quite a nice combination, don’t you agree?

Categories: Google, All things mobile phones.

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Could Google Android come up with ad-funded “free mobile phones”?

Imagine you have a mobile phone

1. that can replace your PC

2. that costs you absolutely nothing, not even connection charges

3. that takes mobile surfing, mobile music, mobile video, and mobile connectivity to a whole new level

Does it sound like a scene from a sci-fi movie? You bet it’s not. I’m talking about the possibility of a Google Android based phone. Surprised? Don’t be. This isn’t some kind of a prediction for the New Year. This is what John Bruggeman, Chief Marketing Officer of Wind River Systems, a leading Linux software provider, has stated in his latest interview in technewsworld.com.

He says, “If I can get a lot of what I get through the PC free or low-cost through one of these mobile devices, the only real difference is the size of the monitor, keyboard and mouse. Isn’t there an opportunity in two, three, or four years that I might say, “I don’t need that PC and all that complexity, cost and so forth. I might just use my mobile device for almost all of the things I do online?“

This metamorphosis is happening right before our eyes now. I mean, gone are the days when mobile phone was meant for communication alone. Take a look around you – Nokia N95, Apple iPhone, Windows Mobile devices, and so many other phones which offer almost everything that a PC offers. Soon there will be a stage where people will prefer their mobile phone to a PC, as the mobile is always with them and they don’t have to go searching for a PC every time they go out somewhere.

He also adds, “There might be revenue that’s derived through connectivity, but increasingly we’re seeing the big money around the monetization of advertising attached to search, advertising attached to specific content, and advertising attached increasingly to mobile location and presence. I don’t think that the extreme is that improbable, that the actual connection price would go down to zero. I could have a mobile phone and pay a $0 monthly fee. The ad revenue is where the real dollars are here, as well as all the location-based value that you can do.”

This is where I see the possibility of mobile advertising turning the mobile phone industry on its head. Earlier, this thought would have been dismissed out as an improbability as there is no way you could have a “free” phone without having someone to bear the charges. Mobile advertisers are ready to bear the charges now and the idea of a “free phone” seems a possibility that can happen sooner than later.

Technically, an ad-funded phone is a win-win proposition for both the advertiser, handset maker/carrier, and the consumer. The advertiser gets what he wants – his product/service reaches his target audience, that too on a one-to-one marketing basis. The handset maker/carrier makes money from the advertiser, so he gets what he wants. And finally, the consumer is more than satisfied with what he gets – no charges for premium services or connectivity, all at the cost of getting ads on his mobile phone.

I personally think this would be the best possible way for mobile industry to go forward. It’s high time the anti-mobile phone advertising group gave it some thought. What do you say?

Categories: Google.

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Google in 2007 - A review

2007 was a great year for websites, newspapers, magazines, and blogs, thanks to Google. Simply because, Google was one of the biggest newsmakers of 2007. Everyone knew Google was working on something which could make it a top contender in the cellphone advertising market and guessed it would be the so-called Google Phone. But then, it turned out to be Google Android, a mobile platform, which made headlines all over the world.

Especially, with so much hype surrounding Apple iPhone, Google was forced to come up with something that would not just take the attention away from the iPhone, but also change the market once and for all. Google Android was the perfect answer and the announcement made big news in the market. There were so many reasons behind the market’s excitement – it was Linux based, it was open-source, and it came at a time when Google was aiming for the FCC Auction for wireless spectrum in Jan 2008.

I’ve already stated why Google Android could be the welcome change the market needed and I think it has enormous potential to become the most-used mobile platform all over the world. Especially, with the alliance Google formed with 30 plus big names in the industry, they made sure everyone took notice.

Earlier this year, Google made a proposal to Verizon Wireless to have its search application and other things incorporated into their mobile phone, but Verizon refused due to their difference of opinion with Google in terms of the advertising revenue. It was at this point of time that the market was going wild with speculations that Google might become a carrier and might come up with its own phone and all that jazz. Thankfully, Google quickly put an end to all the speculations with its Android.

Also, there were speculations in the market that Google might even bid to lose in the FCC Auction, as the winner (which could be Verizon) is required to open its network with the competitors anyway. But considering Google’s interest in 700 MHz wireless spectrum, I’m not too sure if Google would actually do such a thing.

This year, Google also came up with the beta version for Mobile AdSense which can be used in mobile sites. A lot of Google’s applications went mobile this year, including YouTube which got incorporated in Apple iPhone.

Google made news with its every move this year and I have no reason to believe that next year would be any different. We’ll have more news on Android and Google’s mobile applications, as it tries to expand its dominance further in the cellphone advertising market.

Categories: Google.

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Google’s Linux-based, Open-Source Mobile OS - Android

Finally, the much awaited secret of the Google phone has been unveiled. It’s not exactly going to be a phone from Google, but rather an OS. Google has come up with the idea of an open source operating system for mobile phones, which it thinks could revolutionize the industry of mobile phone advertising.

Google’s open source platform for mobiles is called Android and for those who have been following Google’s moves in the past couple of years, this name could ring a bell somewhere. Android is a mobile software company which Google bought way back in 2005. So, after all the speculations and assumptions, it’s finally official – Google is ready with its new OS for mobiles – Android. Google has confirmed that the OS will be available in handsets probably by the second half of 2008.

This move is considered a very important one as far as mobile phone industry is concerned, as an open source platform could mean a lot for both the users and the manufacturers. Google has stated that it has built this platform to make mobile surfing a far superior and easier experience for the users. Although a lot of handsets today support browsing and email facility, it’s not as easy as surfing in a computer due to the inherent limitations that a mobile OS has. Google says its new OS will change the way people browse through their mobile phones. In short, it is confident that the new OS will make mobile surfing as easy and as interesting as surfing the web in a PC or laptop.

Android is a Linux-based, open source OS, so experts around the world can contribute their knowledge on the product and make it better – a move which has made a lot of handset makers to join hands with Google in this open source alliance. Though a lot of handsets support Java and allow users to surf net, the experience differs from handset to handset due to the differences in the mobile platform. So, if Google can make mobile browsing experience better, users would definitely want to use Android and this would compel the handset makers to produce handsets that support Android OS.

The way I see it, this move could be even bigger than Google phone, as it can cross all boundaries and has the potential to become a global success. I was one of the many millions of people who were expecting Google to come up with its “free” phone, but Google has come up with something which could mean a lot more for us, customers. What do you think would be the implications of this move? Could it concern Apple? Most importantly, are you for or against the open source platform of Google, Android?

Categories: Google.

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