By The Google Phone. Or shall we call it the Nexus One? Or maybe Phone88? Regardless of name, the gPhone plot has thickened over the last 24 hours and we’re about to serve you what’s good. The latest scoop of the Google Phone soup:
First of all, Peter Kafka of AllThingsD reports Google will sell its phone from its website and also work in conjunction with T-Mobile to promote the phone. It will be unsubsidized and operate on both T-Mobile and AT&T 3G services – buy the phone and connect it where you want.
Initially Google wanted to work with Verizon Wireless on the project but the carrier rejected them, opting instead to promote the Motorola Droid, making way for a GSM Google Phone that will likely have more worldwide “reach” anyways.
But, sources say Google’s decision to use GSM came only, because Verizon Wireless (VZ), which uses the rival CDMA technology, has so far declined to help Google push the new phone.
Sources also added that Google–which is keen to change the way mobile devices are sold in the U.S. especially–would still prefer to cooperate with telecom giants in selling phones rather than fighting them.
It was only a few days ago that twitter blew up with word of Google Employees getting the Google Phone, something the Official Google Mobile Blog all but confirmed. So you figured it was only a matter of time before pictures of that phone, along with details, made their way to the interwebz. And now they have.
Take for example Cory O’Brien who tweeted a picture and some of his thoughts:
It does appear the gPhone/Google Phone/Nexus One/Phone88 are the HTC Passion/Bravo that leaked out not too long ago. The folks at Engadget do a good job exploring the details and talking about what this could mean in terms of the direction of Android, noting that technically the first two dev phones were “Google Phones”: both were made available unlocked for use on most any carrier.
Thought we were done? Not at all… although appearing to run Android 2.0.1 there are some interesting inclusions pointed out by Engadget that suggest Android is doing a few WebOS-ish things:
Just like we’ve heard before, the updated OS features new 3D elements to the app tray, as well as an extended amount of homescreens, though it looks like the lock screen / mute is the same as in Android 2.0.1. Additionally, there’s now a new grid icon at the bottom of the homescreen, which when pressed brings up a webOS card-style preview of all homescreen pages — which raises some interesting possibilities. Apparently there’s been a new software update for the device pushed tonight, and sure enough the phone is identified as the Nexus One on the system info page.
And then they had to go and make it all official by passing the Nexus One through the FCC. Three different documents (one, two, three) show details about the fabled Nexus One Google Phone but it seems that they might indicate T-Mobile as the only “real” benefactor in the USA:
The Nexus One Google Phone… wow.
Sorry about that – comments allowed now. :)
explain the WCDMA stuff in the bottom table
Doesn’t the WCDMA mean that it will be on a foreign network? That’s not the same as Sprint’s CDMA network, correct?
no 2100 bands? So does that means I couldn’t get the 3G to work in Europe? That eliminates the purpose for me to get a GSM phone again. Why can’t we get a phone that supports 3G in more than one continent?
So because Verizon mess up… Sprint will not get this phone… that is not fair… Google should work on a deal just with sprint… that way they will really punch Verizon…lol
I want this phone for sprint… is cheap…lol
Why didn’t they go to Sprint for this? The company has openly embraced Google and Android (even more so than Verizon I’d say overall) and I’m sure would have jumped on this. I love being with Sprint for their amazing plans and rates, but always being the last to receive the latest and greatest in technology is very disappointing. I won’t leave Sprint simply for a phone, but that doesn’t make the disappointment any less.
@swehes
We Europeans can get the pure HTC Bravo :-)
This really makes you wonder about the management at Verizon to turn down the iphone and now the nexus one?
This may be a stupid question but this phone is being produced by HTC, right? I know that it is supposed to be a “Google” phone and all, but if Google is not actually manufacturing it what is the difference between this and any other HTC Android device? While Google may have greater influence on the design they probably won’t be actually doing the design work or manufacturing, HTC will. Look at the FCC links above, the application was sent in by HTC, not google!
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Here is my take on this. Everyone is getting excited about nothing. I believe the “Google phone” is a marketing ploy only, albeit a really smart one. Everyone has heard of Google but not everyone has heard of HTC and Android yet.
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I don’t have anything to back that up yet, but looking at this I get the feeling that the “Google NexusOne” could have easily been called the “HTC NexusOne with Google”. Google might have a lot of say in it, just like they do in all Google branded phones. Will there be a Google branded phone in the near future? I say yes. Will Google actually build it? I say no.
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This is just my two cents and I could easily be wrong. Wheat do you all think?
no 1600 or 2100 bands for HSDPA/UMTS???
or…
NO GSM DATA at all?
Why do I not see HSDPA/UMTS any ware in there list???
I only see the GSM-Voice/EDGE network…
@TKE789
Exactly.
The only big thing about this phone is that it is unlocked and that it is being sold directly from google. Yes google probably had a very large amount of influence, but more than half the blogs I read said that google had a large amount of influence on the moto Droid as well.
Will it be a kick ass phone? probably. Will it be something that alienates all the other android phone makers? probably not.
another kick-ass device not usable on the verizon network. honestly, this is getting old.
This article almost makes it sound like there may be 2 phones, and unlocked version, and a T-Mobile only version. That might explain the FCC tests indicating lack of att frequencies.
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE5BD49220091214?type=technologyNews
@TKE789
agree completely
@Androidologist
Is Bravo out yet then? And my main issue is still the same. Why can’t the manufactures make a phone that can handle 3G in North American and Europe? Aren’t there plenty of travelers that could use that? And I for sure wouldn’t mind getting the Bravo but wouldn’t want to pay $600 for it outside of a contract. I like the price on this one if the rumors are true.
NNNNNOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!
This needs a worldwide launch, like that other popular smartphone………
To kill some misinformation I see floating around, the “cube/square” icon in the bottom of the screen is the “Apps tab”. It’s NOT for bringing up the expose/Palm pre like view of the running apps. When that icon is clicked, the app icons will move into the screen from all directions with a fade in effect. Sort of like an explosion in reverse.
@TKE789
You are completely correct. This will just be another android developer phone with a marketing twist.
Finally! GSM bands visible… Nice!
Damn just when I was going to cancel my tmobile service. If y’all have read the phone deals tmobiles offering you’d see why I want to quit.tmobile has the audacity to offer phones with a per month rate with credit check approval.wtf? I’m really really wtf??? Well I really hope verizon gets the nexus 2 because I know tmobile will mess this up royally ask the touch pro 2 customers. I just hope that it lives up the hype ands finally challange the iphone.these comapnies have been waiting in the. To dethrown the iphone now is the best chance.
@tke
yea you’re right, it’s just another htc phone with google. and they’re just using “GOOGLE” to hype it up. but instead of criticizing the hype, you should embrace it!
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the more hype we have, the more phones will sell. the more phones sold, the more interest is gained from other manufacturers/developers. hence, more quality android phones/apps are produced. us android fans need to help build the hype (even if we know it is just a “marketing ploy”), in order to perpetuate the constant improvement of android.
I agree with the other comments. Why doesn’t Sprint get a version? If Google is “keen to change the way mobile devices are sold in the U.S. especially”, then why are the following the status quo of exclusivity sans subsidization?!
I’ll be so disappointed if it is only released on T-Mobile and AT&T. This is exactly the phone model (HTC Dragon/Bravo/Passion) that I was most interested in dropping cash for a new device. Guess I’ll hold off now and stick with this piece of junk WinMo device and reevaluate the iPhone.
Google is moving down in the stack to challenge B2C opponents with an open architecture and new sets of standards. In creating a post-revenue business model, Google can only manage success if consumers accept a co-branding and outsourced manufactured device … NQ Logic recommends reading about the rest of the new Google’s mobile strategy at http://www.nqlogic.com
ha ha , the per month rate is an installment plan till you pay off the phone,its to help customers who dont want a contract to pay off the phone in time. i applaud tmo for that. you can opt to pay like that or be on a contract. someone has led you a stray my friend.
The timing of all of this is curious, though. Droid just launched, and both Verizon and Motorola have made a pretty significant bet on Android.
To have the Google phone drop smack in the middle of Christmas buying season, certainly risks customers holding off on Droid, and waiting to see what Google will come out with for Verizon. Needless to say, the risk of that scenario playing out can’t make either Verizon or Motorola too happy right now.
More to the point, when you position yourself as a platform for handset makers and carriers, and then turn tail and compete with them so early in the ecosystem seeding process, that has to be a wake up call that maybe the enemy of my enemy (Apple) is not my friend after all.
The reasoning that Google may feel that they need to put destiny into their own hands RIGHT NOW is something that I blogged about in:
Android’s ‘Inevitability’ and the Missing Leg
http://bit.ly/87URNI
Check it out, if interested.
Mark
This isn’t anything more than what Google’s already pretty much summed up: it’s merely an HTC touchscreen mobilephone that people within Google are testing new software on.
@Candace
WCDMA is part of GSM standard… have nothing related to CDMA….
When google backs something up it makes it legit. Google has a very good reputation so anything they put their name on makes it amazing, even if they didn’t actually do anything; that’s the position they’re in. Sure other phones are great, but this one should be guaranteed genius, lol
i think this same phone is going to come out on VZ, but with HTC branding and Sense UI. And if that is the case, I suppose VZ looks at this (unbranded with stock android) as no better than the droid/too similar… but I dont know anything, so, whatever…
mulda71
what would make you think that?
People are amazing.
For the people that are wondering why Google didn’t go to Sprint with this, well Sprint right now is in the bottom of the totem pole in the Wireless Industry. They are no competition for anyone, it’s T-mobile, AT&T and Verizon competing (AT&T and Verizon being #1). Sprint has the highest churn rate (customers who cancel their service to go with another carrier), and they have also lost 17% of their customers in the last year. It would be a bad and desperate business move for Google to go to Sprint.
Why go to Verizon, well Verizon has over 89 million customers (#1 wireless carrier in the U.S), has the most money (which in return can promote,advertise a product the best). Verizon Wireless spent $200,000,000 a day advertising JUST the Motorola Droid. Which brings up why Verizon rejected the Google phone, there is no way they are going to take spotlight of the Motorola Droid and cut their profits short, and they simply did not like the way the Nexus operated on CDMA, it needed lots of tweaks.
@sam
You sir are a moron 200 million a day.. Its estimated at around 100-150 million in advertising total not a day dip shit.
Sprint is the 3rd largest provider in the US with right under 50 million, and T-Mo is better with 33 million and bleeding subs just like sprint. Att is so great they are contacting I phone users asking them to slow down on the data usages because their network is failing. Learn the facts before posting stupid verizon fan boy BS.
Im just really fed up with AT&t everyone says omg they have good service and great phones…if this is true SHOW ME!!! none of this good stuff is visible with me i literally screamed when i saw the HD 2 and researched the hell out of it…now this phone comes out and its like the next great thing till an ipod and i want it and only if it comes to AT&T, im fed up with the low quality touch screen phones they have….the best being HTC Pure and Tilt 2 the Fuze was just an out ride fail and the Iphone is over played…so really what AT&t needs to do is spark up its variety with Android and get a better network and that throws us into the 4G debate
@Eric, wcdma is a wide-band version of cdma and is not part of gsm.
It looks like the HTC Hero, It has the Android system just like the HTC Hero.. Oh big deal, it’s unlocked for GSM only, so yeah – Crappy T-mobile and WAY too expensive AT&T. (Both with terrible map coverage!) Might as well just go to Sprint and get the HTC Hero for a better plan rate and CDMA towers! Yeah it’s not “Google’s Phone” but it’s the same android market, and a brand of cell phones that people know about already – HTC – vs Google, in which this is their first decent phone physically made by them.