But What About My Google Phone?

For a while now, it has been rumored among news outlets, bloggers, and our very own Bryan Stoner, that Google would soon announce its very own equivalent to the iPhone, the gPhone. One blog article earlier this morning, even stated that Google would partner with Sprint for the carrier service just as Apple did with AT&T. Since I am a current Sprint customer, this was the highlight of my morning. Knowing that I wouldn't have to eventually cave-in and switch to AT&T to get the "oh-so cool" iPhone, but that I could instead wait for the even better gPhone. However, the official Google press release today announced the introduction of an open platform for mobile devices called Android, not an actual Google Phone. When the announcement arrived I was, needless to say, disappointed. Despite the lack of a new phone on the market, this is a good development for mobile phone technology as a whole, and one that will benefit cell phone users (the vast majority of Americans?) in the coming year. As the Google press release so eloquently explains it, "By providing developers a new level of openness that enables them to work more collaboratively, Android will accelerate the pace at which new and compelling mobile services are made available to consumers. The end result will be an unprecedented mobile platform that will enable wireless operators and manufacturers to give their customers better, more personal and more flexible mobile experiences." So basically, this open platform will be able to power many different phone models across a variety of service carriers, some that have partnered with Google, including T-Mobile. This is certainly a change from the current closed system in which the big dominate cell phone carriers control which handsets work on their networks along with which programs can run on the handsets. This will also result in less expensive phones and smartphones with more user-friendly Internet services, says CNET. This will ultimately make your cell phone the epicenter of your personal universe as it becomes more and more like a mobile PC. It will also mean more phones, no matter the carrier, will be powered by Google, so more Google ads will be seen by mobile users. Google, you are so clever. Although I was looking forward to buying the gPhone, which may have looked something like the image below, I will still look forward to a fully-functional, less expensive Google powered phone sometime in the upcoming year. Unless Santa decides to bring me an iPhone...