Gphone Debut Complicated by Its Nonexistence
by John Paczkowski
Posted on June 2, 2008 at 11:21 AM PT
When the first phones based on Google’s Android mobile operating system arrive at market in the second half of 2008, the so-called “Gphone” won’t be among them, says TheStreet.com. Which makes perfect sense really, because Google (GOOG) has never said it was building a Gphone. If anything, it’s said the exact opposite.
During an Android demo this past April, Google’s Steve Horowitz said specifically “I’m here to tell you there is actually no GPhone,” echoing a similar point that Google CEO Eric Schmidt had been forced to make over and over and over again during a conference call held to discuss the OS.
Q: So if this is not the Gphone, when will we see the Gphone, and what will it be?
Eric Schmidt: We’re not announcing anything, but this is the platform for building a Gphone. It starts a whole wave of innovation …
Q: Does that mean there will be NO Google phone you can buy?
ES: Imagine not just one Gphone, but a thousand Gphones as a result of the partnerships … the many other people who will be joining the open initiative. We forgot to tell you that it’s available next week, and the terms are the broadest in the industry.
Q: ………..Gphone?
ES: We are not announcing a Google phone.
Q: Eric, I want to go back to the Gphone–what’s the deal?
ES: The deal is we don’t pre-announce products… if there were to be a Gphone, it would run Android…”
Comments
I registered just to tell you that this article is the funniest thing I’ve read in a long time. Q……Gphone? lol!
Posted by Alex Bains at June 2nd, 2008 at 12:30 pmGoogle apparently has some smart leaders that understand the irrational risk involved in “new shiny toy” mobile consumer electronics and the manageable risk in becoming the #1 or #2 profitable mobile software/fimrware supplier. So no unboxing story on Engadget or Gizmodo. No Gphone. But lots of fun confusing Gphone new shiny toy fanboy wannabees, yes?
Posted by Tom Stitt at June 2nd, 2008 at 7:13 pm