Google, apparently has taken substantial amount of floor space at the upcoming Mobile World Congress trade show in Barcelona, Spain, leading some to speculate that the company might actually be ready to launch its Android based phones.
While there is certainly an outside chance of the Google Phone launch, the more realistic and plausible scenario will be Google showing off a few prototype handsets. HTC, is the only handset maker that has publicly said that a device will be available in late 2008.
So why the big presence in Barcelona? Well Google has to win the hearts and minds of the mobile world, find partners and show the seriousness of its mobile efforts.
I have been to Mobile World Congress for many years (also when it was called “3GSM” and when it was in France) and I would like to note that Google Android is not number one concern for Google but popularizing their services – like transcoding, mobile ads, etc. So their strong presence at Mobile World Congress 2008 not necessarily is related to Google Android …
isn’t this because the branch of Google that’s working on Android is in Spain as is Orange, whom also has a branch in Spain working with the Googster on this I believe.
Google is viewing the year 2008 as one in which it will make a major move into mobile devices. These will not only include the cellular mobile networks but also wireless networks such as XOHM post its launch in 2008.
WiMAX provides an open environement and QoS based connectivity and enables video based services such as multimedia IM, YouTube, Video Push to Talk etc. These represent a generation ahead of the present services provided via 3G portals.The 4G mobile portals being launched by Google are , for example being targeted for the full suite of Google Apps, that combine the Gmail, Google Calendar and Google Talk (VoIP) services. In the near future it should include music, video, TV and on-demand products.
Google is also bidding for 700 MHz spectrum auctions, with this very objective.
Excellent Article
Can’t wait to see the new Google’s phone. Like Youtube, Google definitely have plans for their new phones.
Google wants to take over the world!
http://www.spymac.com/details/?2322571
I bet there will be a lot of Android handsets announcements in Barcelona, and very few prototypes. Unless phone vendors have been working hard in advance of the Android announcement, it is going to be hard to see any Android phone before mid next year.
Now that Google is bringing Linux to mobile phones, wouldn’t it be good that Google brought Linux to the desktop too? Goobuntu distro? G-Linux?
http://tech-talk.biz/2007/12/27/will-it-be-google-the-one-bringing-linux-to-the-desktop/
Google getting involved on both platform side and content side will bode well for emphasizing the long neglected performance, performance, performance on mobile devices. Check out for yourself how top sites are (or are not) doing: http://blogs.keynote.com/mobility/