How is the rumored 'Google Phone' different?

[johnatthebar]

I don't get it. We've all seen the posts by the blogs now about Google employees getting the 'Google Phone.' Why is it THE Google Phone? It's made by HTC and it is apparently on ATT so were not talking VOIP here (I really don't think ATT could handle that traffic right now) so why is this different than any other new Android? Awesome, don't get me wrong. What's the deal though?

I am compiling links to all the mentions of it on my blog to find a reason this is any different than Google giving their employees ATT Passions as a gift.

Am I lost?

 

[johnatthebar]

btw, I do get the whole Open Handset Alliance deal, I was really hoping for a VOIP type deal here...or lasers.

 

[TreyDaPrince]

If I had to take a guess, and that is what this is a guess, its because apple has the dubbed "iPhone" on AT&T. When you think i...anything you associate it with apple. Google wants to dub their best phone on AT&T the "Google Phone" so shoppers know this is an Android device.

So basically just another shot at the iPhone and try to take sales from them on AT&T.

And again, this is just a guess. Not even an educated guess, just a guess.

 

[johnatthebar]

Being G I would think they would have some level of 'wow' or 'oomph' but your idea is reasonable and your candor priceless.

 

[ridavid81]

i agree, how will this phone made by HTC be any different than any other android device? They will be running the same Android OS on HTC hardware. How is this an official google phone. Isn't any android phone an official google phone?

 

[gsontag]

The real difference? It it the GOOGLE phone. The google name will sell it.

Although i must say a google phone that is VOIP/google voice only would be very cool! if it was on verizon that is.

 

[gsontag]

Gizmodo just put up a little article about the google phone. They are saying that it will be sold directly from google and be on T-mobile and NOT AT&T, at least not at initial launch.

 

[largeselection]

I thought I read that it was going to be unlocked.

 

[mrd#AC]

unlocked or not, it's a t-mob

Based on what I've read on the tubes, from people who popped att sims into the Nexus One, it can only utilize their Edge network. Indicating that we've got a T-mob device on our hands.

Att and Tmob utilize different 3g wireless bands, so unless it's quad band it'll really be a tmob device.

Doesn't mean it won't be unlocked. Obviously the ones passed out to Goog employees were, but that doesn't say much about how the release devices will be.

If it's true that Goog sells them direct I'm curious to see what the price will be with no carrier subsidy. As for rate plans, does anyone allow for data only sims? Specifically does tmob? I guess you can get one for a laptop data card.

That's my best guess if this is to be the Voip / Data only device we've heard rumors about. 5gb of data per month for $50, and ability to use Voip over the 3g.

 

[TreyDaPrince]

Based on what I've read on the tubes, from people who popped att sims into the Nexus One, it can only utilize their Edge network. Indicating that we've got a T-mob device on our hands.

Att and Tmob utilize different 3g wireless bands, so unless it's quad band it'll really be a tmob device.

Doesn't mean it won't be unlocked. Obviously the ones passed out to Goog employees were, but that doesn't say much about how the release devices will be.

If it's true that Goog sells them direct I'm curious to see what the price will be with no carrier subsidy. As for rate plans, does anyone allow for data only sims? Specifically does tmob? I guess you can get one for a laptop data card.

That's my best guess if this is to be the Voip / Data only device we've heard rumors about. 5gb of data per month for $50, and ability to use Voip over the 3g.

Which means it will BOMB and not sell. AC do us a favor and cut back on the Google Phone anticipation. Its going to be a dud!

 

[johnatthebar]

Lets say the device is available for 3G use on TMO, and lets say its part of the Open Handset Alliance deal (certainly appears that way at this point) so you can buy it for a 'reasonable' price through Google... Would TMO still allow you to purchase it through them so you can pay for the phone over 20 months interest free with an Even More Plus plan? For that matter, since TMO is going to be the first carrier to allow 'plan billing' of purchases in the Android Market perhaps they have enough of a rapport established to allow this to happen while still making the purchase though Google.

I'd think it would behoove TMO to do this so that even if the unsubsidized price is only $300 they would be able to ensure plenty of happy Android customers paying $30 a month for data.

 

[gsontag]

i dont see what all the hype is if the phone is just going to be a HTC built android device on T-mobile. Now an unlocked phone, available on all carriers, with a data only plan, using google voice for talk and messaging would be amazing, but not very realistic.

 

[froboebel]

I HOPE that the Google phone is not the HTC Bravo that we saw in the rendering of the leaked HTC lineup a couple days ago. Not only do the recent pictures of the Google phone look nothing like the Bravo, but they look just like the Passion. I therefore hope that the Google phone is the passion, and the Bravo is an entirely different phone. Also, howbout we get the Bravo on Verizon if at all possible. Please?

 

[johnatthebar]

Im really interested to see how pricing will work. Hardware is expensive, no two ways about it, but I can't help but wonder how much Google looks at selling phones as an investment in Android. The more Android users there are the more use of Google services, the more app market purchases, the more desirable the platform becomes and the cycle continues.

I hope I am not just letting my imagination run wild but I can't help but feel that there is some other piece of this puzzle that we are missing. If not, Google has managed to, purposely or not, created a marketing monster. I guess they have done that either way really.

 

[barkerja]

The reason this phone is different than any other HTC Android built phone is because it was entirely designed by Google to include the new 2.1 UI. Google had to have someone make the device for them, they're in the business of software, not hardware and who better than HTC who have proven themselves in the Android market space.

Google knows that if they're going to sell this unlocked unsubsidized it will have to be competitive in price with other phones in the market (ahem - iPhone) ... I expect it at $99.

T-Mobile does have a data-only plan, unlimited for $39.99/mo I believe.

For more details, check out the pics that just dropped on Engadget:
Exclusive: first Google Phone / Nexus One photos, Android 2.1 on-board -- Engadget

 

[tallbruva]

Two words: developer phone.

Recall about a year ago when Google passed out phones among it's employees? Turns out it was a developer phone. The only dev phones out there are versions of the G1 and myTouch. Neither match the power of the DROID which means they need a dev phone that can handle future updates. Which means they needed a new phone.

Because it looks so much like the Bravo, I expect to see a version of it released as such. But all this hype about a "Google phone" is nothing more than the newest developer phone.

 

[Anticitizen]

The reason this phone is different than any other HTC Android built phone is because it was entirely designed by Google to include the new 2.1 UI. Google had to have someone make the device for them, they're in the business of software, not hardware and who better than HTC who have proven themselves in the Android market space.

Google knows that if they're going to sell this unlocked unsubsidized it will have to be competitive in price with other phones in the market (ahem - iPhone) ... I expect it at $99.

T-Mobile does have a data-only plan, unlimited for $39.99/mo I believe.

For more details, check out the pics that just dropped on Engadget:
Exclusive: first Google Phone / Nexus One photos, Android 2.1 on-board -- Engadget

$99.99 for an unlocked, unsubsidized PDA? Not bloody likely.

 

[kennyidaho]

The reason this phone is different than any other HTC Android built phone is because it was entirely designed by Google to include the new 2.1 UI. Google had to have someone make the device for them, they're in the business of software, not hardware and who better than HTC who have proven themselves in the Android market space.
--

The hardware looks entirely like HTC design. Google worked closely with HTC on the G1, Google worked closely with Motorola for the droid. It's just in Google's best interest to get as many Android devices on the market.

 

[VoltaicShock]

I don't really see how this phone is better then the Motorola Droid. I figure the OTA for the Droid in January will be OS 2.1 anyway?

 

[dagostin]

To me the main differences will be that google will have a much bigger hand and influence in the stock setup. They will possibly better integrate all of google's services (yes i know this sounds hard as most are fairly well integrated even on the droid or other android devices). The possibilities of a total data phone, using voip, is also more in reach in light of google voice. While that may be some time away since google would have to piggyback on one of hte cellular networks, basically reducing the ceullar carrier to a data pipe service, this is a longer term goal.