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Rumor: Google to release its own Android phone
Jacqueline DiOrio
October 21, 2009 4:32 PM ET in Tech
Potentially upsetting the mobile phone status quo, it’s rumored that Google could be releasing their own android phone, according to Northeast Securities analyst Ashok Kumar, who has talked to Google’s design partners about the plan. The phone, which will be available this year, is going to be released through retailers and not through a cell phone carrier.
Bypassing carriers will allow Google to give consumers an open-standard mobile device, something they have pledged to accomplish. Having an unlocked phone will give users far more control over the capabilities of their phones than if bought through a carrier.
The Android phone and the upcoming Chrome netbook will use Qualcomm chips, specifically the Qualcomm Snapdragon platform. Analysts are speculating that HTC will manufacture the Android phone, and the Linux based Chrome netbook will be released next summer by computer maker Quanta.
Depending on the price of Google’s phone, it could have widespread impact upon the sales of existing Android phones. Many companies are currently releasing Android phones, banking upon the OS as being a major selling point. Motorola/Verizon, for example, are releasing a razor thin Android phone named “Droid” in the near future, which they are expecting to be a serious competitor with the iPhone.
Skeptics doubt that Google’s phone will be ready in time for the holiday season, but it could be making its way into lots of lovely presents if it is.
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