Google Sim Card Coming soon with 4.4

[Fairclough]

Lured with the headline!
Bare with me while I run you thought my logic line with this conspiracy theory.
Notes to consider:
I haven't had my mid day nanna nap and I am procrastinating exam revision.

FACTS:
- SMS is intergrated with Hangout V2
- SMS stock application is removed with Android Kitkat 4.4
- Google+ Messenger is HANGOUT
- Android is free.
- Google is developing Project Loon, global Internet coverage.
- Google in some area's is an internet provider.
- 81% of Market Share in Q3 2013

Where am I going with this?
Google Runs at at 81% market share as of this quater, meaning only 19% will not be running an android phone if a mobile was purchased today. This means in the mobile market, Android, a free system has room to manipulate the market and how a mobile is used. We see this with Google obvious recouping its costs of development of Android through the use of services deeply integrated within the OS and through the play store, but is there a new option Google can now take? Yes it is - becoming a Provider.

Train of thought
In 4.4 our SMS-ing is mainly done through hangout - provided you don't download a 3rd party app. This allows users to be familiar with messenger of Google+ (you know Google's version of facebook) and to familiarise themselves with its messenger as it is now the stock messenger. What do teens do when they don't have credit? They use messengers and Google's Hangout will now be the obvious choice as it within the messaging app itself, in plain sight. This allows users to slowly adapt away from sms-ing to using hangout chats, taking users away from the sms market to the hangout messenger of online messaging which requires an data only plan.

A lot of you have missed Google Voice - what if this was merged with the dialler and hangout, it would be a voip call - like Hangout messenger only requiring data, similar to hangout you could phase users out of the traditional calling and texting systems to voip calls and online messaging. If data was cheaper users would solely use these services over time, phasing them out would than force the remanding users to conform similar to the attempt of Skype phones previously.

Which Provider would be stupid enough to offer Data only plans?
At this rate basically none - only optus on $2 days (unlimited everything for $2 a day or unlimited data only for $1 a day), this is where Google could come in, Being an internet provider in some area's they could be a supplier of data only plans for their phones - power both Google Voice & Hangout which would take over the traditional calls and hangout.

Crazy, far stretched idea - but it would not surprise me if it occurred. Feel free to laugh at this idea - i might sleep soon

 

[gone down south]

The idea of Google as an mvno comes up from time to time. It wouldn't surprise me if they did.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using AC Forums mobile app

 

[Fairclough]

Its the only next logical step as they expand their internet provider in the US and plan to go global with loon.

I find it interesting the step to bring SMS to hangout yes it could be just for convince not having 2 apps but I think there is more to it ether phasing SMS out or pushing users to hangout away from Facebook.

- Android Central App. Remember courage is contagious.

 

[Tall Mike 2145]

One thing which concerns me is whether or not this infrastructure they're building is going to be accessible to third parties. It would be pretty "evil" of them to turn themselves into a total monopoly on all telecommunication infrastructure.

However...

I'm mainly concerned at this point that this almost certainly makes government tracking and surveillance operations much easier because it will all be that much more streamlined. Anyone here who is even remotely familiar with what the U.S. government (and others obviously) is and has been doing can see how detrimental this actually will be for pretty much every human being on the planet who in just about any way makes use of technology.

 

[Lisa Driscoll]

Well with the Google Fiber and Wifi initiatives like the Starbucks deal, it really wouldn't surprise me.

 

[tgp]

It would be pretty "evil" of them to turn themselves into a total monopoly on all telecommunication infrastructure.

Yes it would be, but if I lived in Kansas City I don't think you could convince me that it's evil!

With the rollout of Google Fiber, I'd think Google could use that somehow for phones. Maybe make WiFi only devices? Or some other kind of wireless technology? Of course, they'd have to have the country covered pretty well before that would be practical.

 

[Tall Mike 2145]

Yes it would be, but if I lived in Kansas City I don't think you could convince me that it's evil!

With the rollout of Google Fiber, I'd think Google could use that somehow for phones. Maybe make WiFi only devices? Or some other kind of wireless technology? Of course, they'd have to have the country covered pretty well before that would be practical.

Fiber can be used for anything except the transmission of electrical current. Technically, it cannot carry traditional basic telco service, but by way of modern technology that's been in use for the last couple decades, it can carry digital telco service. Clearly it can carry full digital data service. I don't object to Google deciding to improve the national infrastructure. That's great. But what I would object to is them doing so in such a way that they become the next global AT&T.