Google's GPhone

A report filed by the analyst from Singapore claims to spill the dirt on Google's rumored GPhone. It will run Linux and be available in Spring 2008. The hardware will be outsourced to HTC and it will have a QWERTY keypad. The phone will have new a killer app: mobile advertising that pays for your phone calls.

Don't know if these details are accurate or final: but the phone specs don't live up to Google's reputation for creating revolutionary applications and services. HTC makes many phones for the asian market with QWERTY keypads and many have a surprisingly poor tactile response. The original GPhone will not be 3G, which will be a disappointment given that people will be buying the phone for Google's browser and web services.

However if Google figures out a new way of writing apps for the phone they could disrupt the exisitng market. Java or J2ME is standard for most phones but its not useful for writing anything other than poky games. Sun is now touting their new JavaFX mobile at JavaOne, but Google could steal the market from Sun by doing it right the first time.