Mobile applications for Google Android phone a hit among users - says Google

Here is some happy news from the Google camp. The mobile applications for the recently released Android phone – T-Mobile G1 – are a hit among consumers.

Google executives have stated that on an average, a T-Mobile G1 user downloads 14 mobile applications. There are around 200 mobile apps available in the Android Marketplace right now and almost all of them have been well received by mobile users. Google is very happy with how things have gone with the Android phone.

As of now, the mobile apps in Android Marketplace are free. However, Google is planning to let developers charge for their apps soon. Once it happens, 70% of the revenue generated will to go the developers, a small percentage of the revenue will be used to cover the transaction charges, and the rest of the amount will go to the mobile operators. None of the mobile operators has raised any questions about this revenue sharing model so far, so we can safely assume that they are fine with this arrangement.

Google is also happy about the use of mobile data on the T-Mobile G1. Consumers have been very active so far and use various Google services like the search facility and Google Maps and a variety of third party services as well. Google has stated, without revealing the actual numbers, that there has been a ‘huge spike’ in consumer activity in the last month or so.

So, things are hunky-dory at the moment for Google. It will be interesting to see how consumers react once developers start charging for the software. What do you say?

Categories: Google, All things mobile phones.

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Google Android vs. Apple iPhone - Who is the real winner?

So, the widely anticipated Google Android phone, T-Mobile G1, has been released. Before its release, there were a lot of speculations and questions due to two reasons. First, it was from Google. As we now live in the Google era, anything Google does is big news. Second, a lot of people compared Android to Apple iPhone and expected it to create a huge buzz in the market like the iPhone did. So, now that the phone has been released, did it manage to create a huge buzz like Apple iPhone? The answer to that question would be ‘no’.

First of all, you need to understand why and how Apple iPhone managed to create such a huge buzz in the market. There are two main reasons behind it.

1. Apple iPhone was the first of its kind. The unbelievably smooth touch screen, the built-in YouTube player, built-in iPod, and other features made iPhone a stand-out choice for both technophiles and laymen. Also, it made mobile web surfing easier than before. This was a major breakthrough, as an overwhelming majority of iPhone users use the mobile search facility extensively, making the iPhone the leader of mobile searches.

The T-Mobile G1, on the other hand, is in the ‘oh; so what’s new now?’ category.

2. Apple iPhone had a huge, loyal subscriber base way before its release. Most of the iPod-worshipping crowd was excited about the arrival of iPhone and these were the people that rushed to buy the iPhone on the very first day of its release, without even knowing how it was.

The T-Mobile G1, on the other hand, does not have such a loyal following. Though Google is probably the most popular brand today, it is not so in the mobile world. So, we can safely assume that G1 will not rock the sales charts like iPhone did.

However, there is one important thing which sets Android apart from iPhone - its open source platform which allows any developer from anywhere in the world to create mobile applications. Apple, on the other hand, has a tight grip on both the hardware and software of the iPhone. So, though Apple offers plenty of mobile applications through its App Store, it retains a lot of control.

Google has announced that it will license Android to any company in the world, which gives handset makers and wireless carriers around the world to tweak the software according to their needs. This is a major plus point.

Just imagine – If any handset maker can come up with a device for Android and any wireless carrier can support it, Google Android can become a household name around the world in a few years from now. Apple iPhone, on the other hand, is locked with AT&T for five years.

So, while T-Mobile G1 phone has not managed to create a huge buzz like the iPhone did, there is every possibility of Android becoming widespread around the world. So, who could be the real winner in the long term? My money is on Google. What say you?

Categories: Google, Apple iPhone, All things mobile phones.

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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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