Google-branded Android smartphone inbound?
An analyst writes...
Google is poised to make the jump from smartphone OS developer to smartphone supplier, an industry analyst has claimed.
Ashok Kumar, an analyst at Northeast Securities, claims to have spoken to Google's design partners about the online advertising giant’s plans to pair up with a smartphone manufacturer and develop a Googlephone.
The Android-based handset will be launched through retailers – rather than network providers – later this year, Kumar also told website The Street.
Precious few details have emerged about the rumoured handset’s technical specifications, although Kumar claimed to know that the phone will use a Qualcomm processor.
We’ve no reason to believe that what Kumar claims to have learned from Google design partners isn’t true. However, it’s worth noting that today – 21 October – marks exactly one year since Google opened Android’s entire source code. ®
COMMENTS
I have been throughly impressed
With my HTC Magic... It survied a plunk in the toilet, (after pulling the battery, sim card, and sd card, a nice sunny day in a bag of rice) to only have it soaked again in an absolute torrential down pour while on my hip (not nearly as wet but a little steamy in the screen), to only have it die when doughnut update was applied... I am sure the latter was not the cause but rather the former two events. The volume down key was perminantly shorted / broken causing it to not boot properly... After a month of living on an old hand set I decided to pay the $130 insurrance decutable and my new on is on its way it will be here today...
But seriously... how often is it you find a phone which can stand so much abuse...
I just hope google makes then with a good of quality.
Did I miss something?
I can already buy an unlocked, Google branded, Android device. It even has a Qualcomm chipset, and was indeed manufactured by HTC.
Got one right here as it happens... Did someone misread a date on a press release or something?
SIM free
People in the UK where the mobile market is more open won't get this. But here in the US nearly every handset is exclusive to one carrier. Google has been a champion of open access networks. A readily available, decent smartphone handset offered SIM-free could help to open up the market. Although at present, a SIM-only deal is no cheaper than getting a subsidised handset, possibly more expensive even. If this helps to open up the market (SIM-fee iPhone anyone?) it's good by me.
Deja vu
So just like the G1 but with T-Mobile's logo removed then?
Isn't this just the new Motorola/Verizon "Droid" phone?
I may be barking up the wrong tree but could he have got confused ? My guess is the mystery device is the new Android 2.0 Droid device coming from Motorola/Verizon
Droid doesn't have MotoBlur UI and is more of a Google designed device by all accounts than a Motorola one. This maybe why people are getting confused this is a "Google phone"
