— The buzz about the fabled “Google Phone” says a lot about consumers’
long-running dissatisfactions with the wireless industry, as well as
the problems some people have with
Instead, I suspect this is just the latest “Google
Experience” phone; such devices are designed and manufactured by other
companies but run
Rumors of a Google Phone have been circulating since
at least 2006. They’ve cropped up repeatedly since then, notably in the
days before the company unveiled Android and prior to the release of
several Android-powered phones.
The latest rumors popped up with recent reports that
had designed the phone’s hardware and software, and planned to sell the
device itself directly to consumers. That left many convinced that the
long-awaited Google Phone had finally arrived.
disclosed details about the device, and I haven’t yet seen it. But my
guess is that it’s less remarkable than many commentators are making it
out to be.
The Journal reported that it goes by the name Nexus One and is manufactured by
HTC. That company already has made quite a few Android phones, some of
which — such as the HTC Hero — have carried its brand and others — such
as the T-Mobile G1, the first Android phone on the market — have not.
Some analysts and pundits who have seen the Nexus
One say it looks similar to other HTC devices either already on the
market or expected to be available soon.
Regardless of whether the Nexus One is indeed the
phone or just the latest model in an evolution of Android phones, I’m
interested in why people are excited by a Google Phone. Many consumers
seem to be using the idea to project their ideal of what a smart-phone
should be or how the mobile phone industry should work.
The first comment on the Journal’s article was from
a reader declaring, “I want one,” despite the article’s sketchy details
about it. Another reader expressed hope that the phone would be a
“disruptive move in the rotten phone industry.”
Some consumers expect the Google Phone to be less
expensive to own than other smartphones. Others, including some of my
readers, hope they’ll be able to use the phone on any network they
choose. Some itch for a device on which they can run any application
they want. And some simply want an alternative to the iPhone that’s as
compelling as Apple’s device.
Criticism of the iPhone seems to be an undercurrent
to much of the desire for a Google Phone. While many consumers love the
iPhone, it has drawn complaints ranging from problems accessing
TechCrunch Web site founder
who has been touting the impending arrival of a Google Phone for weeks
now, famously dumped his iPhone over the summer in reaction to Apple’s
decision to bar the Google Voice program from its iPhone application
store.
Others complain about the cost of operating an iPhone.
Withers has resisted because of the cost of the iPhone’s data plan.
He’s also been dissatisfied with
And he says the company didn’t honor a promise to sell him the new
iPhone at a subsidized price, which is another reason he doesn’t have
one yet.
That has raised Withers’ interest in the rumored Google Phone. “I’m definitely very interested in that,” he said.
But no device is perfect. They all have trade-offs and shortcomings.
If and when the fabled Google Phone hits store shelves, we’ll find out how good a job
has done of balancing the various demands and expectations for such a
device. But one thing’s for sure: It will have a hard time meeting the
lofty expectations that are being set for it.
Via McClatchy-Tribune News Service.
