gPhone Release Almost Here?

[Ed Hardy]

There have been rumors for many months that Google is going to release a mobile phone. If a new report is correct, this is going to happen much sooner than many had been expecting.

The company with the ubiquitous search engine will launch the gPhone around the world in just two weeks, according to Rediff, a news site based in India.

It will reportedly be introduced simultaneously in the United States, Europe, and India. All that's supposed to be holding the device up is approval from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission.

There is no word on the features of model, but it will certainly be able to access some of Google's online services, like gMail and possibly even Google Maps.

Here Already?

If the Rediff article turns out to be accurate, then Google is moving far faster on this project that had been previously thought.

The most recent report on this device came from no less a source than the Wall Street Journal, who said that Google is currently showing a prototype device off to potential manufacturers and wireless carriers.

This will supposedly be a phone that can make voice calls and access the Web without requiring the user to pay a monthly service charge, but the WSJ said it isn't expected to debut until next year at the earliest.

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[Adama D. Brown]

I'm going to take this with extensive salt. True, Google has a habit of just springing things on people, but this seems a little TOO out of the blue.

[Antoine Wright]

The gPhone project has been talked about for a long time Adma. It could be that the iPhone just pushed things ahead more.

I don't know if doing a whole device, OS, and serivces fits Google's mode though. A heavily modified OS maybe, something along the lines of a Linux or Symbian deriative with a ton of Google services I could see. heck, I could see them even take something like the PalmOS and run with it with their apps/services as the forefront.

Nevertheless, it would be nearly free, and probably very well done from a integratino standpoint. Those alone will get tons of sales, and make a noticable dent in someone's pockets.

[Antoine Wright]

Well, according to those *in the know* the GPhone OS is done and OEM/ODM partners are being looked for. Also, seems like an MS like approach is being taken here. For an entity such as Google already in the web as a major services provider, this is a heck of a good spot to be in. And pending the right ODM/OEM, this could be a cheaply done and very interesting device.

[Konrad Pierce]

Rushing the "gPhone" onto the market as a response to the iPhone release wouldn't seem like a wise move. Google has enough of a presence that they don't need to ride on the momentum of Apple's iHype ... and a rushed machine will not have the "finishing touches" that could make it truly remarkable in comparison with it's peers.