In Search of the Google Phone

Have you heard about the cell phone that can walk your dog, do the dishes, and turn on your shower? Some are saying it might even defy the laws of gravity. No, it's not the iPhone. It's Google's gPhone, and it will do everything the Apple iPhone can't. At least according to rumor.
 
We're not sure where the juicy rumor about the gPhone originated, but with a tight muzzle on Google's mouth, there are little to no details about the reality of such a device. Still, even a hint at the existence of a Google-powered device has the mobile world talking. What would a phone from the search giant look like? Will it turn VoIP on its head? Will it have Google Earth, Google Docs and Spreadsheets, and YouTube all baked in? Will the unlimited data plan be entirely subsidized by targeted advertising? We spoke to several industry insiders to find out what we should really expect from a so-called gPhone.
 
John Jackson, a senior analyst at M:Metrics, doesn't expect Google to come out with a hardware device. Rather, he "envision[s] a clever software platform that would mimic your personal Internet connection on your PC and would provide Google services on a mobile phone in a brand new way." Chances are, you have accessed a Google application on your current cell, but Jackson thinks that this time around Google will use a different tack to enter your pocket. A Google operating system for cell phones is what Jackson is referring to, and he told us not to expect a mere Windows Mobile replica.
 
The best place to dig for clues as to what features a Google Phone might be in the company's mobile acquisitions and products. Dodgeball, the social-networking site Google acquired in May of 2005, is designed specifically for mobile phone use and is a free text-messaging service that lets users share their locations with a list of selected friends. One could easily see how such a service could tie into Google's maps and location-based information.
 
More recently, Google announced plans for a speech-recognition technology that would let consumers ask for local business information on their telephones. Dubbed Google Voice Local Search, the service lets you dial 1-800-GOOG-411 from any phone to test voice-activated directory assistance free of charge. The service hits Google's mobile mantra on the head-free unlimited information through your mobile. We've also checked out Gmail for Mobile and were impressed with how desktop-like the experience was, complete with integrated attachment support. One would assume that this service would also find a way onto a gPhone.

 

How will Google be able to distribute all of this information through a mobile device? Jennifer Simpson, a senior analyst at Yankee Group, is convinced that Google isn't working on a hardware device but is looking to give consumers constant access to the Internet for whatever information they want on their cells. "I see Google offering wide access to the Internet with a mobile device. It would be able to transfer a lot of bandwidth and would require top-level hardware," Simpson says.

 

It is for this reason that Simpson doesn't see the appearance of a Google phone in the immediate future. "The issue will be how a mobile device will have constant access to a high-speed network backbone," Simpson said. Wi-Fi, EV-DO, and WiMax are all options for mobile connections, but each of these technologies presents tradeoffs, whether it's scattered connectivity or slower speeds. Given these imperfections, many speculate that Google may introduce a new type of high-speed mobile connection.

 

Google didn't reveal any information about the phone rumors when asked. The company's online job listings, however, revealed that the company is hiring heavily on the mobile side. "Interested in taking the Web's largest video site to every mobile device worldwide?" one of the postings on the site reads. "Our goal in the wireless group is to make the world's information universally accessible and useful-at any time and in any place," it says.

 

Although that's not an official comment, it's safe to assume Google is putting a lot of its resources into a mobile solution, and there's much more to it than a rumor. 


Suggested Stories:
Apple iPhone Review
The iPhone is the ultimate iPod and delivers an amazing Internet experience, but it’s not the best smart phone.

Turn Your Cell into a VoIP Phone
We test four mobile apps that transform your regular clamshell into a low-cost Internet phone and instant-messaging center.

Laptops + Schools = Nothing But Trouble?
School districts across the nation are taking a hard look at whether notebooks belong in students' hands, particularly once they leave the classroom.