I just want to know who is going to buy this. I mean, who is their target audience? Fanboys? I am not sure how this will fair in the current cell phone / touch screen phone climate.

@Necromatik:

What an uneducated, reactionary response.

You make it sound as if some podunk company abruptly came up with some product that they expect to sell.

Why don't you wait and see what they're releasing before you question its validity or target audience?

@iSmote: He is just speculating. That is what people do before they know anything about a product.

It'll be like the iPhone, except it'll monitor what you do, who you call, build a psycho-social profile on your whole life so as to better target you for ads... maybe we can call it spiPhone?

@iSmote: My only issue with your reply is the personal jab, which makes you come off as a prick and a complete douche.

on the other hand though,

How many touch screen or smart phones does the human race need? and I would expect something more revolutionary than this from a global entity like google. look at those even lamer mock up phones posted after this, they are even more homogenized than the current touch screen fad is.

Boys, boys (or girls)..... Relax. This phone, if it turns out to be real, may be very different than any available today. For example, it may be subsidized by advertising. And may have open architecture. And many programs built in that are not in other units. We (the adoring gadget groupies of the world) dont have to fight amongst ourselves, at least until a real product is available to try out.

just my 2 $ (didn't keyboards used to have a cents sign)

@Necromatik:

Personal? How can it be personal if I don't even know you?

I commented on your response, not your personality or character.

But now that you've responded to me with vulgarity, I can NOW respond to you personally and say that YOU are the prick, so go fuck yourself.

Moving on to the rest of your comment, you say "I would expect something more revolutionary than this..." How do you even know what they're releasing, you moron!? (yes, that was personal).

@iSmote:

Honestly, Google has been running their chops alot lately and the market has been rewarding it.

It's time for Google to shit or get off the pot. We're all getting tired of this "Google is taking over the world" crap.

Put up or shut the hell up, GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOGLE!!!

Wait, how does this fit with Sprint's two-years-behind-everyone-else phone strategy?

@yoshi:

Agreed. I am as curious as anyone else about what they are coming up with.

It may be great, or it may be useless. All I was saying was let's sit tight and see what it is before we judge it?

Heck, we don't even know if it's hardware or software yet!

@fmccb: Actually, Apple reserved the right to monitor not just the phone, but also the computer you sync the phone to, along with the right to sell the compiled data (without your name or phone number). Couple that with AT&T, with its roll-over minutes and personal data policy and I fail to see the difference between what you describe and what the iPhone does.

Don't believe Apple/AT&T is monitoring web-usage? Ask for the paper bill. If it can document data transfer, what else do you think is being tracked.

@NECROMATIK:

"How many touch screen or smart phones does the human race need?"

More that don't run WinCE. Windows Mobile is teh suck.

Why Sprint and Verizon? Seems they're both a few light years behind technology.

And Goggle...well that's entirely another story. We continue to support them, even though they've blantntly told us they don't care.

Obvious question here...Why should we care what Google does?

@iSmote:

Thanks for not taking my response personally. If Google says it's going to do something, do it.

It's just getting old. Let's get some products out of Google Labs, let's get that FREE WIFI out in the market place, let's get the new GOOGLE CAR drivable, and let's see this PHONE you've been talking about.

@yoshi:
Actually Google hasn't said anything other than to make unavoidably public bids at spectrum. It's only been the media and us who have been wildly speculating in advance of their actual announcement.

@gogarty:

Fair enough... after seeing 95% of Google's revenue comes from ad/search last quarter, it makes you wonder if they really are a "one trick pony?"

I've seen this before where a stock runs on speculation/rumors and investors get clobbered.

Google really needs some innovative products or the market will turn on them.

Where did the WSJ get their mock-up? I like it, aside from the seemingly wasted space on the front-bottom. I'm assuming the single tactile response "button" is actually a kind of touch wheel or push navigation.
If the "announcement in two weeks" WSJ claim is actually true, looks like I'll be holding out on buying a Mogul or Touch until after the holidays, just in case.

I'll take one Sprint Blackberry 8130 with a Google OS.

Will Verizon disable the search and display functions of the GPOS to make it only a POS, like usual?

yay a possinle second reason to go to sprint.

*possible

Though sprint might not be the leader in reception,
i rather go with them.. i hate Verizon crippling restrictions and there ugly (same) menus.

sprint is the undisputed best.
this just pushes it farther. i might re-ink my contract when google announces its mobile plans, because 2 years is nothing for a discount on the REAL jesus phone.

This can be the Moses phone. It doesnt save all of us from buying sucky phones that lag when you turn it on or you use another app while listening to music.
But this phone gives us the 10 commandments for all phones to come so they can follow.
Jesus phone = iphone in this analogy
Moses phone = google phone in this analogy

A lot of Google bashing here, not sure where that's coming from. It's not like they charge any of us for any of the slick, useful services they provide. No reason to think that the Gphone, if real, won't be very slick, useful, cheap and open for developer applications. I'd buy one right now, based only on G's track record, sight unseen. Sync with GMail, GCal, GDocs, GMaps, GBox, Picasa, Google Video and GTalk (free VOIP, anyone?). Where do I sign?

Whether it's a G branded phone or just a Google mobile OS doesn't really matter, it'll probably work very well and make life simpler.