Google gPhone Coming Soon

They’ve been working on it for years and in less than two weeks, Google will announce their plans for the Google Phone, or gPhone.

The search engine giant plans on rolling out the mobile phone software which will include the Google applications most everyone uses including YouTube, instant messaging, maps, and of course, search.

The Google phone would not be an actual cell phone. It would be an operating system, possibly even free, and would run on a cell phone. The models and hardware are not yet known.

Unusually, the gPhone system would be open to third-party developers and anyone could create applications for it. This means competition, which means lower prices. The gPhone is expected to be much less expensive than the iPhone, for instance.

While most U.S. cellular carriers often restrict what customers can do on their cell phones and often disable the Wi-Fi networking capabilities as a way to force the use of their own expensive data plans to access the Internet, Google phone would have few, if any, such restrictions.

The gPhone system will also offer GPS tracking, Wi-Fi, high-speed "3G" cellular networking and a still and video camera, depending on the cell phone model.

Why Does a Search Engine Giant Need a Cell Phone too?

If Google plans on staying the giant it is, and as mobile advertising will rise exponentially in coming years as people spend more time using the Internet via their cell phones, it’s critical that Google replicate their PC-based online advertising success - this time using cell phones.

Google’s primary goal is to make their applications and services as easily accessible on mobile phones as PCs, so that the company can extend its advertising business to cell phones.

Which Cell Phone Providers will Google Pick?

Media reports say Google has been talking to Taiwan's HTC and South Korea's LG Electronics about making phones that will run the Google mobile OS.

T-Mobile might also be the Google phone's wireless operator of choice.

At one point it was rumored that Google might be involved in the actual manufacturing of phone hardware. The rumor’s now been discredited as Google says is plans to focus on the software.

The gPhone is rumored to hit the market in mid-2008.