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iPhone is so 2006... Looking forward to the gPhone. No- gPhoneS

carfac

carfac

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Feb 18, 2006
1,242
30
With Google ponying up the major Washingtons to play with the big boys on the auction of the old analogue TV spectrum.... and their desire to wifi anywhere they can up.... you have to think that they are going to come up with a phone, too.... especially if the win the auction.

My guess, Google will do it right- has to be 3G on their own network... the system would have GMaps, gMail, all the Gthings and GPS, too.

Might- no WILL give the iPhone a run for it's money! At 1/2the cost of an iPhone and no long term commitment, it's actually a no brainer.

More here: http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070802-not-one-gphone-but-many-in-the-works-report.html
 
It's simply not that easy. Google has done nothing to suggest that it knows how to build a device like the iPhone (or any device, for that matter). As far as I can see, they have no real core competency with industrial design, user interface design, and mechanical engineering and the other skills that really set the iPhone apart from other devices in the marketplace. To assume that "well, it's Google, how hard can it be?", um, go ask Microsoft how hard it can be.

Zune, anyone?
 
sunday888 said:
It's simply not that easy. Google has done nothing to suggest that it knows how to build a device like the iPhone (or any device, for that matter). As far as I can see, they have no real core competency with industrial design, user interface design, and mechanical engineering and the other skills that really set the iPhone apart from other devices in the marketplace. To assume that "well, it's Google, how hard can it be?", um, go ask Microsoft how hard it can be.

Zune, anyone?
Click to expand...

agree 100%.
 
gPhone gives iPhone run for money....Whatever...

Look, from what i've read thru various places, slashdot, etc., it looks like the gPhone would be supported by ad revenue, hence a cheaply priced handset... Who in their right mind would want to have to listen to an advertisment before they place-recieve an call, browse the web, etc.

It reminds me of those things like people pc, the free computers, but you had ads all over the place on them. I just don't see that working out too well for them....

Don't get me wrong, I like google and gMail and all, but I just don't think this will be anything as great as my iPhone.

eh, for what it worth, thats my opinion..........
 
it'll be big at first .. but like everyone said, if you have to listen to ads all the time, i'd rather pay monthly.

also, is google building their own cell network? that, in itself, will take years to do.
 
AHDuke99 said:
it'll be big at first .. but like everyone said, if you have to listen to ads all the time, i'd rather pay monthly.

also, is google building their own cell network? that, in itself, will take years to do.
Click to expand...

I think a strategic partnership between Apple and Google is much more likely. Google likes Apple's hardware/software integration strategy which significantly reduces it's risk in bringing new apps to the phone market. JMO
 
carfac said:
With Google ponying up the major Washingtons to play with the big boys on the auction of the old analogue TV spectrum.... and their desire to wifi anywhere they can up.... you have to think that they are going to come up with a phone, too.... especially if the win the auction.

My guess, Google will do it right- has to be 3G on their own network... the system would have GMaps, gMail, all the Gthings and GPS, too.

Might- no WILL give the iPhone a run for it's money! At 1/2the cost of an iPhone and no long term commitment, it's actually a no brainer.

More here: http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070802-not-one-gphone-but-many-in-the-works-report.html
Click to expand...

Yes, Vaporware will no doubt beat the iPhone to a pulp.

Well spotted.
 
What's next, HBO or Cinemax developing their own brands of TVs and a new way to beam their content to them?
 
thomasfxlt said:
I think a strategic partnership between Apple and Google is much more likely. Google likes Apple's hardware/software integration strategy which significantly reduces it's risk in bringing new apps to the phone market. JMO
Click to expand...

i can only hope. at this point, push GMAIL would be Godly. Google building their own cell network would take years and billions of dollars to construct, support, and maintain. verizon and at&t didnt build their networks overnight.
 
The way they're going google will post ads on our toilet paper too soon :D
Yep, I'll buy a cell so I can check out commercials on it while I try to make calls :D
 
As a google fan boy, I am very interested in their upcoming product. I like my iphone too much to give it up (of course by the time the gphone comes out, this damn phone will still be 1.01.
 
This is entirely possible if google manages to purchase to 700mhz band after the digital tv switch in 2009 this would allow them to use an old but powerful network (think way faster than 3g) that can provide decent signals in most places. This all would allow for cheap voip mobile phones, streaming mobile hd content, and cable speed web access. All wirelessly and more importanly, at a low cost. My guess is that equipment will be pricey but service would be cheap

There will easily be a few years before any kind of this technology rises to consumer markets
 
carfac said:
My guess, Google will do it right- has to be 3G on their own network...
Click to expand...

It would take Google years to build their own "network". It took Cingular/AT&T, verizon, t-mobile and sprint years to build up their own networks. If they want to enter the cell phone market within the near future they will probably have to design their phones to work with an existing network.

Even if the gPhone is going to be 3G I don't see it doing as well as the iPhone. Currently, there are many 3G phones available that have GPS and all the bells and whistles that are not nearly as popular as the iPhone.

Also, by the time google creates this "gPhone" Apple will have released their second generation iPhone that will also have 3G and many more new features.
 
javaGuru said:
It would take Google years to build their own "network". It took Cingular/AT&T, verizon, t-mobile and sprint years to build up their own networks. If they want to enter the cell phone market within the near future they will probably have to design their phones to work with an existing network.

Even if the gPhone is going to be 3G I don't see it doing as well as the iPhone. Currently, there are many 3G phones available that have GPS and all the bells and whistles that are not nearly as popular as the iPhone.

Also, by the time google creates this "gPhone" Apple will have released their second generation iPhone that will also have 3G and many more new features.
Click to expand...

The "network" is already built. They are just trying to buy it (700 MHz auction). They also already have TONS of dark fiber in the ground.
 
I just can't see Google creating a phone rivaling other phones on the market now. What features could they possibly implement that other phones don't have? What OS will run on it that will make it better than other phones?
 
I have never trusted Google with my information and never will. To many loopholes in their EULA. Poster can enjoy having his information shared with the world on his gPhone all he wants!
 
Besides the fact that I'm becoming more and more wary of Google's potential for privacy invasion, I don't think they're any good at UI design. They're good at search. Google Maps is pretty good. Google Earth is cool (although not Google original; they bought it). Other than that, I really don't think Google does that good of a job. Their UI's are plain ugly, and in some cases hard to use. Besides that, I don't think they have any track record at all with hardware. Their innovations have been in using the internet in (somewhat) interesting ways.

When Apple announced the iPhone, people were excited because clearly Apple knows how to make the best UIs in the world, have the best industrial design team in the world, and have tons of experience making hardware people love. Google has none of those things.
 
mduser63 said:
Besides the fact that I'm becoming more and more wary of Google's potential for privacy invasion, I don't think they're any good at UI design. They're good at search. Google Maps is pretty good. Google Earth is cool (although not Google original; they bought it). Other than that, I really don't think Google does that good of a job. Their UI's are plain ugly, and in some cases hard to use. Besides that, I don't think they have any track record at all with hardware. Their innovations have been in using the internet in (somewhat) interesting ways.

When Apple announced the iPhone, people were excited because clearly Apple knows how to make the best UIs in the world, have the best industrial design team in the world, and have tons of experience making hardware people love. Google has none of those things.
Click to expand...
Google Search Appliance. Small track record. They get Dell to build them. But then again very few places actually make there own hardware. Most of it is contracted out to other places (Apple has Intel for CPU+Logic Board, MS has IBM for the 360, etc).
 
diamond.g said:
Google Search Appliance. Small track record. They get Dell to build them. But then again very few places actually make there own hardware. Most of it is contracted out to other places (Apple has Intel for CPU+Logic Board, MS has IBM for the 360, etc).
Click to expand...

Apple designs their own hardware. Manufacturing doesn't matter much. Google Search Appliance is hardly a consumer product.
 
mduser63 said:
Apple designs their own hardware. Manufacturing doesn't matter much. Google Search Appliance is hardly a consumer product.
Click to expand...

I never said the GSA was a consumer product. I understand Apple designs their own products, but they still use off the shelf parts to build them. I believe manufacturing matters a ton otherwise Apple would have never moved from IBM to Intel. Cell is looking mighty sweet nowadays..
 
diamond.g said:
I never said the GSA was a consumer product. I understand Apple designs their own products, but they still use off the shelf parts to build them. I believe manufacturing matters a ton otherwise Apple would have never moved from IBM to Intel. Cell is looking mighty sweet nowadays..
Click to expand...

Of course they use off the shelf parts. Everyone does. Even companies like IBM that design their own CPUs use other off the shelf parts in their final products. That's just the way the world works and always has. I'm an electrical engineer myself which means I design hardware all day. I use off the shelf parts to do that. That doesn't detract from the design process at all. When I said manufacturing, I was referring to contract manufacturing/assembly. IBM and Intel are not manufacturers for Apple, they're parts suppliers. There is a huge difference. It's like the difference between a construction contractor and a lumber company. The architect designs with the lumber company's material in mind, and hires a construction company to put the house together. The house is still fully the architect's design though. As long as he chooses a competent contractor and makes sure they use high quality lumber, it doesn't really matter at all who they are, they just need to follow instructions. That's all I mean.

In this case, Apple and Google are the architects. The difference is, Apple has been designing excellent hardware and user interface software for 30 years. Google has been designing excellent data management software, mediocre interface software and non-existant (consumer) hardware for <10 years. They've got a long ways to go before they can match Apple, in my opinion anyway. I sincerely hope they do release a phone and that it's excellent if for no other reason than that it will spur Apple on to make the iPhone even better. I'm just not optimistic that they'll be able to, at least not for a while.

Note: Before someone picks apart my metaphor, I realize that it's not perfect. No metaphor is. I think it gets the idea across.
 
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