Google’s G1 Mobile Phone – The Future of the Mobile Internet?
Last week Google launched their first mobile phone. Named the Google G1, it is positioned to compete with Apple’s iPhone and RIM’s BlackBerry. It will be available exclusively from T-Mobile during the initial phase. The handset is the first of several expected to use Google’s phone operating system, called Android. It is thought that Android may also be part of a future project which is aiming to create a new PC operating system to rival Microsoft’s Windows and the open source Linux distributions, which are growing in popularity.
The G1 will allow users to access webmail (Google’s Gmail) and surf the net. This will allow Google to increase advertising revenues, as it could potentially start to dominate the mobile advertising market in the same way that its Adwords program dominates internet advertising.
Unlike the iPhone, Google has allowed developers to create free software for the handset. Although Apple does let consumers download extra software, it is tightly controlled and many applications must be paid for.
The Gl will be available free to customers signing up for T-Mobile’s £40 plus tariffs, which include unlimited data for web surfing.
Some mobile phone experts think that the G1 will struggle to compete with the iPhone. Ernest Doku, of mobile phone comparison site, Omio.com said: “Despite the popularity of the Google brand, the Gl’s design lacks the inherent cool factor that made the iPhone 3G such a mass market success.”
Ernest Doku believes Google could tarnish its brand if the phone fails: “The launch of the Gl is important not only because it is Google’s first foray into the mobile market, but because it’s also the launch of an entirely new mobile phone operating system. Android is the equivalent of releasing an alternative to Microsoft’s Windows — and equally as risky.”
We do not agree with this. In the last few years, Linux distributions have become more popular, by proving to be more accessible to mainstream web users. The Ubuntu distribution of Linux is the most popular version, with an estimated 8 million users. PC manufacturers such as Dell and Asus, makers of the Eee PC, are now supplying their computers with Linux pre-installed.
Google recently launched its own web browser, Chrome. It is not aiming to rival Microsoft’s Internet Explorer and Mozilla’s Firefox initially, which is why some people predict that Google is looking at the bigger picture with respect to the evolving internet. Current browser platforms such as Firefox and IE may not be able to display and manage the next generation of the internet. Google appears to be positioning itself to ensure that it is the market leader once the “Web3.0″ revolution hits.
T-mobile are now offering a £20 per month contract for the G1 if you purchase the phone for £100. This works out cheaper over the 18 month contract.