Where art thou, “Google Phone”?
When I discuss a Google phone I’m not talking about all the current smartphones which run some variant of Google’s Android operating system. What we’re discussing here is a phone that actually might be branded the “Google Phone”.
In the past few days the some technology blog sites have been totally gaga over a few non-descript photos of a candy-bar-shaped smartphone, made by HTC (they currently make a large number of Android phones for Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon).
HTC's Bravo smartphone
The now-legendary “Google Phone” handset may or may not be called the first true Google phone or maybe the HTC Nexus One.
It may or may not run a future version of the Android OS. If you’re keeping track, Verizon’s Droid is currently running 2.0.1, T-Mobile’s G-1 is running 1.6 and their CLIQ runs 1.5, etc. You get the idea – it’s all somewhat confusing not only for industry pundits but for the general buying public as well.
Here’s what we know.: According to many published reports a whole bunch of these new Google/Nexus One phones were handed out to Google employees last Friday. They are said to be manufactured by HTC and are running what is being termed Android OS 2.1.
In some of the spy photos the “Google Phone” looks like some other HTC smartphones (Bravo/Dragon/Passion) and includes a bunch of futuristic hardware (Qualcomm’s super Snapdragon processor, a 3.7-inch (diagonal) display, an on-screen QWERTY keyboard a 5 megapixel camera and lots more).
There have been all sorts of unconfirmed reports that the phone contains 3G hardware for use on T-Mobile’s network – and also 3G hardware for AT&T’s 3G networks.
There are unconfirmed reports that the phone will be sold in an unlocked form (meaning there will be no subsidies from cellular operators in return for agreeing to a monthly contract) for upwards of $500.
There are unconfirmed reports that the phone – in the sense that you’ll make standard cellular calls on cellular networks – might only allow you to make VoIP – or Internet-based calls.
Everyone seems to have an opinion on what this “Google/Nexus One” handset is all about. Here’s my educated guess:
I think this device is really a developer’s platform. Of course they handed it out to Google employees to play with. It’s a cheap way to have some very smart people test the device for problems.
Google has done this in the past. There have reportedly been at least two other “Google” phones handed to employees to play with. Both have gone on to be working Android models. I expect they’re doing the same thing to make sure everything works smoothly on the new Snapdragon hardware platform.
Using employees to troubleshoot products is not a Google-only idea. I can tell you from first-hand knowledge that every version of a Microsoft operating system and/or office suite is tested by employees company-wide. I’m sure others do it too. It makes total sense.
In that case, what we have here is a company letting employees road test a next-gen product so that problems can be ironed out before a paying customer ever has to deal with it.
That said, having seen the super-fast Snapdragon processor in action (back in February at 3GSM in Barcelona) the next generation of Android phones, Windows Mobile phones (check out AT&T’s upcoming LG eXpo smartphone with optional, snap-on pico projector) and possibly even the iPhone. If Apple is busy overhauling the design for year four they should seriously be thinking of using a Snapdragon chip.
The bottom line? Expect smartphones to get much smarter – and much faster – in the very near future.
Whether it’s real or not, this device is bound to be the hottest topic at the upcoming Consumer Electronics confab in Las Vegas, next month. We’ll see.