Tuesday, January 5th, 2010
The Mobile Future : The Google “Nexus One”
Today, the mobile landscape changed. And it changed in a good way. Today, Google took a bold new step (as they always seem to) by releasing their first mobile device, the Nexus One (manufactured by HTC). So its another Android device, right? Wrong… Its not only the newest Android 2.1 operating system, running on a 1gHz processor (that’s right, its almost as powerful as a small desktop computer), 4gb storage (through Micro SD, expandable to 32gb), 5MP Camera… UNLOCKED. There it is… the first major phone release to come carrier free. You can still get your device through T-Mobile subsidized by a 2 year term contract to lower the price, with Verizon and Vodaphone hot on their heels to release shortly, but their primary focus is on selling the device unlocked, carrier free, thus expanding the reach of the android platform to virtually ANY carrier.
So what does this all mean. Well, here’s how we’re thinking. All things start proprietary. Its a great way for invested parties to make a buck on an exclusive service or product (or combo in the case of cell phones/data networks, like the iPhone and the AT&T 3G network prior to anyone else effectively releasing any 3G smartphones). That’s how it always starts. Lots of people buy in and someone makes a ton of money. But things get stagnant as there’s no real incentive to push the limits because you’ve got your audience locked in. In this story, we’re at that breaking point. The cell phone industry is changing as technology moves forward. The concept of device exclusivity to a network is becoming a thing of the past. People have been unlocking devices for a few years now and Google is the first to genuinely embrace that concept and say “No Carrier Required.” We now have the ability to have the device we want, and pick the service we want. No more being stuck with a sub-par network to get the hottest new device.
So 2010 is off to a big bang with the unleashing of a new mobile standard. If we had to take a guess, we’ll see much more of this happening throughout the year as more and more device manufacturers begin to compete for that top slot.
Google Nexus One : http://svns.in/5m
Android : http://android.com
UPDATE:
Got our first of two today. Pretty amazing so far. Little Video Walkthrough showing the live backgrounds and a bit of the new OS look/feel.
Micah on January 5th, 2010 at 4:40 pm
What’s interesting is that while the exclusive iPhone service has stifled AT&T’s innovation, but not Apple’s. It’s nice to see an innovative cell-phone (especially from HTC) released contract free, but it’s not the first (I’m pretty sure Nokia’s been doing it for a while, etc). And while this is exciting and everything, it’s at a staggering price (almost $600?) Consumers are used to paying (at max) $200 for their smart phones – so until this price point comes down, I don’t expect it to change the game much. You can buy an unlocked iPhone for $600 dollars, and outside of TMobile, the Nexus One is expected to only run on EDGE. One small step for man? One giant leap for Google.
Dan on January 5th, 2010 at 11:08 pm
It should also be noted that the Nexus One will have Flash 10.1 on it (reported by Gizmodo) which will open it up to many more apps and media content. The potential is enough to make one salivate. Keep up the great work Jamey!