Tech Check
More Videos
MOST SHARED
- Spain to Inject 19 Billion Euros into Bankia
- Fresh Fears as EU Finalises Reform Plans
- Beijing Faces Brussels Action on Telecoms Aid
- Zero China Growth Is ‘Probable’: Gordon Chang
- Citigroup Lost $20 Million on Facebook IPO Trades
- China Growth Risks Signal Need for Fiscal Action
- Greek Exit Could Trigger 50% Fall in Euro Stocks: Analyst
- What Would Greek Exit Mean for the US Economy?
- GM Discloses $600,000 Contract With Ad Agency Tied to CFO's Wife
- 5 High-Yield Stocks Ready to Boost Dividends
- A New Look at the ‘New Poor’
- Six Pack: Beer Buzz of the Week
- Greek Exit Could Trigger 50% Fall in Euro Stocks: Analyst
- Under Pressure, FHA Skews to Wealthier Home Buyers
- Big Stock Upside for Hudson City Deal: Analyst
- 5 High-Yield Stocks Ready to Boost Dividends
- Yoshikami: Four Things You Need to Know About Gold Now
- Steinbock: The Euro Zone Endgame Begins
- Option Bulls Take Another Shot on Idenix
- Citigroup Lost $20 Million on Facebook IPO Trades
- JPMorgan to Shake Up Risk Team After Big Loss: Report
- EU Finalizes Bank Reforms; Shifts Burden to Bondholders
- Spain's Bankia Eyes Stake Sales After Record Bailout
- EU Set to Launch Action Against China Over Telecom Aid
- JPMorgan to Shake Up Risk Team After Big Loss: Report
- Marc Faber: Chance of Global Recession Is Now 100%
- Cool Jobs: From Gold Stacker to Bed Tester
- 'Flash Sale' Sites: Gimmick, or Online Shopping Future?
RSS FEED
Google "Dream" Smart Phone Now Reality--Will It Catch Fire?
Text Size 
Silicon Valley Bureau Chief
 |
Source: google-phone.com Google Phone |
The "Dream" name disappeared this morning, in favor of T-Mobile's "G1" moniker instead, a nod to the first handset powered by Google's [GOOG
Loading...
()
]mobile operating system dubbed Android. And now the market has to weigh whether this is merely another competitor available, or everything Blackberry and iPhone aren't.
Handset maker HTC takes a big step toward the latter by offering both a touch-screen interface as well as a slide out keyboard. A big step backward though since currently there's no Exchange support. Wow.
The phone also will have access to a wireless online applications store so consumers can download and update the device on the fly, similar to the model from Apple [AAPL
Loading...
()
]and its wildly popular App Store, what Android chief developer Andy Rubin says, will make the G1 "future-proof."
Unlike the Apple store, which is open to any developer willing to adhere to Apple's strict guidelines, the G1 runs on the open source Linux operating system and is essentially open to any developer wanting to create programs, or apps, for the device. Toward that end, Google created the Open Handset Alliance late last year, working with T-Mobile, Sprint-Nextel[S
Loading...
()
], Intel [INTC
Loading...
()
]and Motorola[MOT
Loading...
()
]. Noticeably absent: AT&T[T
Loading...
()
] and Verizon[VZ
Loading...
()
], which are the main distributors of BlackBerrys and iPhone.
At the same time, the G1 will also feature a music player that links up to the increasingly popular online music download store powered by Amazon.com.
Still, while G1 carries the Google connection, it has a long way to go to foster the kind of cult, fanatic following that characterize both iPhone and BlackBerry. While that may be an issue for T-Mobile and HTC, Google doesn't seem to mind. That's because it's trying to get Android on as many handsets as possible as quickly as possible, as it tries to exploit what some experts say will be explosive growth in mobile advertising.
A year from now, if there's 50 phones like this, maybe it's got some impact potential. But for now, it's way too early to call this a success. Or even a success-in-training.
Meantime, all non-Windows based handset competitors got some good news this morning, with Microsoft notifying partners that it would delay its highly anticipated Mobile & operating system. The mobile operating system from Microsoft [MSFT
Loading...
()
]was supposed to be available no later than February of next year. Microsoft now says it'll be delayed into the second half of 2009 instead. It's a big problem for Microsoft, especially as iPhone 3G continues to gain momentum, RIM [RIMM
Loading...
()
]prepares to release new models of BlackBerry, and G1 starts to see traction in the marketplace.
T-Mobile will sell the G1 for $179 with a two-year contract, it'll be available to consumers on Oct. 22, and analysts think the company will sell about a half million units in the fourth quarter.
Remember that iPhone sold 1 million 3G iPhones in its first weekend, and about 4 million units since, so T-Mobile's got a ways to go to catch that kind of fire. Not to say it won't, but lets keep things in perspective as we assess the hype surrounding the "Dream."
Data is a real-time snapshot *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes
