ReVan
11-05-2007, 02:37 AM
The Gphone rumors are going on overdrive. However, there seems to be a high degree of skepticism from the mobile user community on whether this phone will deliver something special. That’s understandable considering that we still have no idea of what that one KILLER feature will be.
Why would I want a Gphone (assuming that’s the final product name)? Rumors suggest it’s Java or Linux based, has the standard productivity apps, mail and browser. Not sure about the multimedia capabilities. Judging by these specs, there’s no REAL reason for anyone to drool or wait in line for a Gphone. With these suggested specs, Google can only hope for the cult status the iPhone achieved within hours of announcing it earlier this year :)
The key question is…. what’s that one KILLER feature? Killer features in rival phones in the past have been UIs (iPhone), Push Email (Blackberry), web browsers delivering a near-desktop experience (Symbian Nokia E series), High-resolution digital imaging amongst others. Here’s my point - Even if Gphone packs all these specs, it’s STILL not revolutionary by today’s standards. So what’s their game… pricing? An ultra low cost handset (I smell cheap plastic)? Free talk time and messaging for life?
Logic says that search could be a powerful feature across all elements of the phone’s UI. After all, search is Google’s forte. But how much search functionality is needed on a phone? How much data does the average mobile user store anyway on a phone or SD card which warrants super fast search and indexing? Most phones help you to quickly locate a contact in the address book by typing a few letters anyway. Same goes for quick dial, calendar entries etc.
Tight integration with all Google online properties seems to be the next logical killer feature. Out of the box support for Gmail, Gtalk, iGoogle mobile start page, notebook, Google maps/earth, web/local data search, mobile optimized Orkut and Youtube…. you get the picture. The entire Google ecosystem on the phone. That would definitely be worthwhile for a hardcore Google user to migrate to.
Another possible killer feature could be unlimited free calls and text messages for life! In exchange, Google ads would run on the UI header or would pop up while a call is connecting. Each text message would also have a text link ad at the footer. After all, advertising is what made Google rich. They know how to milk advertising in support for free services. This brings me to another point - privacy. If you are going to have ads on the phone, they need to be targeted. And for that, you need to have all the info on each user, his location, sex, age group and interests. Don’t know how many users would be comfortable with getting profiled for ads.
The killer feature could even be a hardware one like a wafer thin form factor. A phone so thin, it looks anorexic compared to Motorola’s Razr 2. But the credit for that would go to the phone manufacturing partner which finally works on the project…. not Google. Rumors have suggested this company could be HTC and Samsung.
If there’s one killer feature I really want from Gphone or any phone right now, it’s SUPER battery life. I’m talking at least 48-72 hours of heavy duty usage including wifi, phone apps, multimedia and voice calls. Now THAT.. i will gladly pay for.
Till then, let’s just enjoy the rumor mongering and await the official Google press releases!
Why would I want a Gphone (assuming that’s the final product name)? Rumors suggest it’s Java or Linux based, has the standard productivity apps, mail and browser. Not sure about the multimedia capabilities. Judging by these specs, there’s no REAL reason for anyone to drool or wait in line for a Gphone. With these suggested specs, Google can only hope for the cult status the iPhone achieved within hours of announcing it earlier this year :)
The key question is…. what’s that one KILLER feature? Killer features in rival phones in the past have been UIs (iPhone), Push Email (Blackberry), web browsers delivering a near-desktop experience (Symbian Nokia E series), High-resolution digital imaging amongst others. Here’s my point - Even if Gphone packs all these specs, it’s STILL not revolutionary by today’s standards. So what’s their game… pricing? An ultra low cost handset (I smell cheap plastic)? Free talk time and messaging for life?
Logic says that search could be a powerful feature across all elements of the phone’s UI. After all, search is Google’s forte. But how much search functionality is needed on a phone? How much data does the average mobile user store anyway on a phone or SD card which warrants super fast search and indexing? Most phones help you to quickly locate a contact in the address book by typing a few letters anyway. Same goes for quick dial, calendar entries etc.
Tight integration with all Google online properties seems to be the next logical killer feature. Out of the box support for Gmail, Gtalk, iGoogle mobile start page, notebook, Google maps/earth, web/local data search, mobile optimized Orkut and Youtube…. you get the picture. The entire Google ecosystem on the phone. That would definitely be worthwhile for a hardcore Google user to migrate to.
Another possible killer feature could be unlimited free calls and text messages for life! In exchange, Google ads would run on the UI header or would pop up while a call is connecting. Each text message would also have a text link ad at the footer. After all, advertising is what made Google rich. They know how to milk advertising in support for free services. This brings me to another point - privacy. If you are going to have ads on the phone, they need to be targeted. And for that, you need to have all the info on each user, his location, sex, age group and interests. Don’t know how many users would be comfortable with getting profiled for ads.
The killer feature could even be a hardware one like a wafer thin form factor. A phone so thin, it looks anorexic compared to Motorola’s Razr 2. But the credit for that would go to the phone manufacturing partner which finally works on the project…. not Google. Rumors have suggested this company could be HTC and Samsung.
If there’s one killer feature I really want from Gphone or any phone right now, it’s SUPER battery life. I’m talking at least 48-72 hours of heavy duty usage including wifi, phone apps, multimedia and voice calls. Now THAT.. i will gladly pay for.
Till then, let’s just enjoy the rumor mongering and await the official Google press releases!