Gizmodo
Although rumors of a possible Google Phone have been making the rounds really hard lately, any such phone will have to be amazing to grab enough end-user and media attention. Expectations are high, but since we're dreaming, here's our wishlist:
Tight integration with Google Apps:
• Picasa: A 2MP camera with decent color and low light performance should take a shot, and upload it directly to your Picasa web storage as a mirror. Likewise for YouTube uploads.
• Google Talk: Both IM and VoIP makes this a fancy web communicator. The carriers may not like this, but we've got a feeling Google will sell this sans carrier. Oh, and other IM client support.
• Google Video and YouTube: To at least match the iPhone, they have to have their video sites ready for mobile usage. Uploading
• Google Earth: Google Earth for 3D maps, with GPS and app integration.
• Google Docs support with full read like the ones for iPhones, Windows Mobiles and BlackBerries, but real with full editing right on the phone, and support for multiuser editing.
• Google reader for RSS.
• Product Search, including camera phone barcode reading for quick price comparisons.
• Google Transit, Google Ride finder (taxis, limos and shuttles) integrated into maps.
• Third-party Support: Allow an open platform for other people to develop for. Even a company as big as Goog can't do everything by itself, and with niche apps developed by end-users, you can service minor target segments that wouldn't otherwise be cost-effective for you to cover.
• Those apps should be native, or at least widgetized for performance reasons. Native apps just run faster. We don't mean Java apps either, because those are even worse in terms of battery usage.
• This thing is going to be a data transfer hog while it swaps info with all Google's online services. A 3G connection that toggles on for heavy downloads and uploads, but reverts to Wi-Fi or 2G for background email checking, etc. (To save battery.)
• Push GMail and exchange server support.
• A music player that doesn't suck: It's not going to be an iPod, but it's gotta have something in terms of media features that can top Windows Mobile phones. Try Rhapsody support. Stay away from WMPlayer as a load program, please.
• Search from the home screen: Bring Google's search-centric features to your phone, letting you search contacts, the web, your emails, and every other bit of data right from your home screen, much like the Helio Ocean does.
• Hardware Keyboard: The iPhone's virtual keyboard is passable, but we still love the solid feel of a key clicking. Our favorite is HTC's slide-out QWERTY keyboard, which is great because HTC is the rumored contractor for the Google Phone's hardware.
• Touchscreen: Since it's probably going to be an HTC-made phone, a 3-inch touchscreen on par with Windows Mobile phones is the least they can do. While it would be nice to have multi-touch gestures, it's not completely necessary.
• Long Battery life: We don't mind sacrificing some portability for a battery that can last an entire day, even with heavy screen and 3G usage. Nokia's are known for optimizing battery life without sacrificing too many features, but the Google apps may be too processor intensive—especially when combined with 3G.
• Form-factor: We love the slide-out form factor that HTC usually uses, which gives us a spacious keyboard as well as a big screen on top. A Treo-like shape with keys on the front wouldn't be too bad either, but would sacrifice screen space.
Funny thing is, Helio's Ocean and Nokia's N series phones do a lot of this. The UI needs to be slicker than what either of those companies have done so far, though. (Maybe they should hire some ex-Apple software people.) Anyhow, we don't even know if this phone is real, for certain, so I'm not sweating it.
Photo Credit: T3
Comments
I think the gPhone won't compete with the iPhone. I'm sure it will be cool, but I have the feeling Google is thinking about giving them out for free to satisfy it's advertising market.
Here is a great site which aggregates all iPhone news (rumours at this point) into one place:
[gphone.corank.com]
Hey guys, I just got off the phone with the Google. They said they're gonna have black Friday deals outside all their stores this November so keep your ears peeled!
And WHITE! To suck in all the Apple Fanboys that Apple has kicked to the gutter, it HAS to come (sic) in WHITE!
With 3rd party support coming next year, who's to say that much, if not all of this stuff isn't coming to the iPhone anyway? Google's going to want some nifty stuff on that device anyway, so I see lots of Google shenanigans happening on the Jesusphone.
...ship date?
@Skeptical_Geezer: A little late though, since almost no Apple hardware, save for a few peripherals and cables, come in white. The macbook is the final enclave of shiny white macs, and the white iPod is dead.
How about just a gmail client that doesn't TOTALLY suck like the one on iPhone? It's so bad, I've gone back to using yahoo mail.
The fact that you chose Windows Mobile OS in this Google phone mock up is hilarious.
:)
...a network?
another suggestion for google and im VERY serious... use that exact mockup int he image above because thats wicked i'd buy it in a second ok the screen maybe alittle longer towards hte bottom but thats it then it'll be 100% perfect lol
Don't forget Google Calendar! It's still the best free group time manager out there, IMHO.
Don't you think that what will really win the iCrowd over is fancy animations combined withe below average applications? Sadly that's not Google for you ... bland look and feel with lots of functionality.
Its a totally different market segment.
Step One in the Google Phone beating the iPhone:
gPhone vs. iPhone is the equivalent of asking who wins in a fight between Superman and Mighty Mouse. Sure, Superman is a real guy but Mighty Mouse can carry ten elephants. It's mental masturbation.
Call me when the Google Phone actually ships.
A Google phone and an iPhone competing? Something tells me that wireless stores are going to need some serious air-freshener for all the unwashed fanboys that are going to come streaming out of their homes for this stuff. As for us blog readers, I'm thinking firefox needs an extension to block the post- and commentary-gasms that are sure to follow any announcement.
i hope its good looking, google designs sometimes looks like for kindergardens. ill not buy a yellow, red and green phone. also i hope it has a iphonish home button that works more like a search button. with some direct acces to apps.
@omg-ponies:
You win the daily "pointless corporate fanboyism" award. How about comparing features, cost, performance, and support before declaring a hypothetical piece of hardware the dominant mobile phone?
I still don't believ in a gPhone, all any one has ever said is that it's an OS.
the best feature would be not bricking during updates
add in a corkscrew bottle opener and I'm sold!!
"What the Google Phone Needs to Beat the iPhone"
MOXY!!!
GPS
3G
16GB
Push Email
The only features it would need to include to beat the iphone is all of the normal features that the iphone is apparently incapable of performing, ie. taking video, picture messaging, 3g etc.
@axiomatic: Don't forget PEP!
I know you guys don't think about this stuff, but one good thing that Google could do to beat the iPhone is to make it available worldwide from the begining. I'm sure lots of people here in Latin America would love to have one of those toys. Apple doesn't seem to be paying a lot of attention to it's Latin American customer base: no iTunes Store, no online store, nothing... Considering Apple resellers here like to charge a bit too much for the products, I don't want to imagine the price tag the iPhone will get. Google should be taking notes about this...
As long as it has all these features, why don't they also add a feature that let's us CALL PEOPLE??
@axiomatic:
Fool, moxy may help with Q4 sales, but the only proven method of increasing sales across the entire fiscal year is a healthy amount of razzmatazz. And blinking 120 Watt light-bulbs spelling out the word "GPHONE". This would effectively render the Jesus Phone crucified and (depending the Israelis getting that temple up) bring about The Rapture.
How about Wifi access when available?
And some indicator if you are pulling data wifi or cellular?
All I can say is that gPhone looks way sexier than the iPhone in that mockup! Someone tell Google to at least hire the artist who did that so their phone doesn't look like a StarTAC :D
@SlightlyLessDeliciousNoise: And you win the "I got an 'F' in Reading Comprehension" award.
When I said that the first step to beating the iPhone was existing, I meant that a product that does not exist cannot compete. I did not say that all the gPhone has to do is exist.
If you had actually read, you'd know that I said that the whole exercise is pointless because the gPhone doesn't even exist.
@Gatonegro: Fully agree..here in the Caribbean (which usually gets bunched with Latin America ...why i don't know?!) we have no Apple stores on- or off-line either - just resellers who markup 100%... if Google does bring out a device I hope it'll be more available than the iphone.
It should encapsulate 2 ideas:
1) not to be evil
2) should not suck
compatible with CDMA so it will work in my area.
@mmfy: Well, sometimes Latin America includes the Caribbean, some others it's specified as "Latin America & the Caribbean"... There are times when I find Mexico (where I live) listed as part of South America or Central America, when as far as I know, geographically we're part of North America... The reason for all this mess is way beyond my comprehension...
VGA Screen, 3.5mm Jack...please?
I was pretty sure the gPhone thing was basically settled, in that it won't be a phone.. but a Phone OS.. so some of the things on this wishlist like form-factor, some aspects of battery life, and camera would be up to the hardware companies.
This makes sense in terms of Google taking on Microsoft (software) and not Apple (hardware + software), where one of its founders has a seat on the board.
[i] • Product Search, including camera phone barcode reading for quick price comparisons. [i/]
That's a fucking good idea.
And use google maps to show you stores near by which are cheaper. I'd fucking vote for it!
@Townie: Why limit that to the gPhone ... if they could do that, they should sell it to everyone ... sweet idea though.
Its got to have some sort of proper QWERTY kb. Also, a REAL GPS. If google can manage to cram all or most of their offerings into mobile apps weather native or not, that could be a defining factor for many of us.
@Skeptical_Geezer: You should realize that "sic" is really only appropriate when you're quoting someone or something else, and not when you're simply trying to draw attention to the fact that you're making a very, very weak pun.
See the Wikipedia entry: [en.wikipedia.org]
Maybe something with Jaiku, as they just bought it?
Based on previous experience with Google - I don't think they are very interested in giving us a lot of control over their phone/os.
Two cases bring me to this point:
1. The google calendar webapp probably (still) has the highest potential to fill a gap in the market but the single feature that is killing it is lack of decent synchronization support with either cell phones or desktop calendering. Most people are not gonig to totally skip desktop calendars for a pure 'one-way' online version. This rules PDA users completely out.
2. Google Talk. Google had a good idea and strategy to steal market share with a great lightweight application that was going to use open protocols and so on. Beyond that - all development seems to have gone mute. Even the most basic feature no longer exist. Blackberry has a google app version of GTalk - but what about the rest?
The cell phone business is a lot more dependent upon support - one thing that Google has a very bad reputation of. The habit of leading applications into infinite timelines while user support a blackhole will not help either.
Like everything else they have put forth, I would expect a mediocre development and attitude towards openess behind the phone.
3. Google Desktop is great. When there was not Sidebar. Unfortunately, Windows sidebar has progressed farther along that Google desktop when it comes to simple searching - such as an easy way to limit searches to filename/current folder. The widgets for GD still look very amateurish and not something people will adopt right out of the box. Where they are taking it is great - but in terms of basic functionality and interface it can still go a long way.
Just my 2c.
Um, has anybody else noticed that Google doesn't make cell phones, media players, operating systems, much software to speak of or screens at all let alone touch screens. Unless they have a secret magical factory staffed by umpa lumpas somewhere this gPhone is going to be made up of stuff culled from other companies, almost all of which is inferior to what is on the iPhone.
Let's be honest. Google gets 95% of its revenue from "search."
They are doing very well in "search."
They need a new product or service that "makes money."
The phone in that pic looks hot, if the google phone looks like that and has the majority of the features u mentioned....looks like ill be paying out the remaining contract on my nokia N95 to get 1 of these when they release :P
2 megapixel camera? Boy, that iPhone has really lowered expectations hasn't it?
Then again, HTC (the people google chose to make the hardware) hasn't been keeping up with SE or Nokia in terms of camera either.
At least it'll have GPS and triband HSDPA, maybe even quadband.
An amazingly cool thing would be to integrate the google phone with a p2p TV service that would allow you to watch your TV anywhere... I would seriously focus on making a really cool user interface and if they add the new projection technology for having quick casual business presentations anywhere... Multitouch screen definitely and if they can put something to control external devices in your home... that's basically what I am asking plus what Gizmodo is asking for...
so you want all these features so when they charge $700+ for it you can start bitching
@yoshi: With a big ol' slab of 1997 pasted in the middle.
If women get Call Me Panties, I want a fellatio button on my gPhone.
@phi: lol, literally
it should have voice recognition. imagine using the quick add feature in google calendar. if you wanted to set up a todo with a reminder, you could just say something, then the phone would remind you later.
I heard it'll have a "porn" button...
Skype client.
Voice recognition. We don't need no stinkin keyboards.
The google phone is going to be some crappy motorola-esque flip phone with a half-assed operating system that ties in a bunch of google services.
At least that's what it was originally.
If Google is smart, they're reworking it to make it more in line with people's expectations.
This should be an interesting battle... There are google fans out there and Apple fans out there... and now they will have to decide. Its not like the classic Microsoft vs. Apple... its perceived good vs. good (add some sarcasm there please). I don't Google will win this one though, as I believe Apple excels in hardware whereas Google will rely on a 3rd party. Should be fun to watch (we all win when big companies battle for our wallet).
-sammy / still loving my iPhone
This article completely misses the point.
It is not about features, there are plenty of phones out there with features that the iPhone doesn't have. The reason that the iPhone kills is USABILITY and INTERACTION DESIGN. All of the features mentioned in this article would be great, but if they are not implemented in a way that makes them a joy to use then it will fall far short of the mark that the iPhone has made.
The iPhone is about magic and seamless interface design -- these "features" are the ones we need to think about and are also sadly the ones most under-appreciated by pundits.
I seriously hope someone at Google is paying attention to this thread.