Elephantsquared. » google phone http://elephantsquared.com hypertext & software Sat, 08 Oct 2011 19:53:44 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 The Google Phone is here http://elephantsquared.com/2010/01/the-google-phone-is-here/ http://elephantsquared.com/2010/01/the-google-phone-is-here/#comments Tue, 05 Jan 2010 21:56:08 +0000 George T http://elephantsquared.com/?p=1196 Just a couple of hours ago, the Android press gathering at Google HQ ended. Thanks to Robert Scoble (@Scobleizer) we were able to see live what was going on there via ustream.tv where the viewers reached the maximum of 13000+ in less than half an hour after Robert started streaming the event (which can be found here now). It was absolutely fascinating. After a few introductory notes, the specifications of the Nexus One were revealed confirming the rumored specs.

  • Manufactured by HTC
  • Size 119 x 59,8 x 11,5 mm
  • Weight 130 grams w/battery (100g w/o battery)
  • 3.7-inch (diagonal) widescreen WVGA AMOLED touchscreen
  • 800 x 480 pixels
  • 5 megapixels camera (incl. LED flash)
  • 512MB RAM
  • Qualcomm QSD 8250 1 GHz
  • and of course the Android OS 2.1

for more detailed specs click here.

it belongs in an emerging category of devices we call ‘superphones’.

Mario Queiroz
Vice President, Product Management @ Google

At the moment, Nexus One is shipping only inside US. Shipping outside US is currently limited to UK, Singapore and Hong Kong, however these test markets are about to expand. (I hope Greece will be included in the forthcoming countries) If you are one of the lucky humans living in the countries mentioned above, all you have to do is head over to google.com/phone and place your order. There is also an option for a 2 line engraving at the back of the phone if you wish to.

Some of the most intriguing specs of the Google Phone include:

  • a new photo visualization system (Google worked with Cooliris on this)
  • voice-everything. just speak to text, search, navigate and more
  • and Google Earth for Android

Last but not least, Google decided it is time for a Google hosted web store that will provide a new way for consumers to purchase a mobile phone. The first phone that will be sold through this new web store is the Nexus One. Nexus One will be the first phone in a series of phones that will be available at the Google web store later. It is definitively a questionable action by Google, but if you ask me, I believe that the Google Web Store will thrive in the years to come. Who knows? Maybe a Google Chrome OS netbook is coming up next!? The sure thing is that mobile phone is the new P.C. (Personal Computer).

Check out the live Google Nexus One launch event coverage by gdgt.com, engadget.com, readwriteweb.com and gizmodo.com.

]]> http://elephantsquared.com/2010/01/the-google-phone-is-here/feed/ 0 Google Nexus One is almost here http://elephantsquared.com/2009/12/google-nexus-one-is-almost-here/ http://elephantsquared.com/2009/12/google-nexus-one-is-almost-here/#comments Wed, 30 Dec 2009 00:59:32 +0000 George T http://elephantsquared.com/?p=1171 Holy cow! Google Nexus One docs got leaked. According to Gizmodo, Google will sell the much desired Nexus One unlocked and unsubsidized for $530, and Google will sell it by themselves here (google.com/phone).

More information (via Gizmodo):

  • Yeah, it’s $530 unsubsidized. Google’s not going to be selling the phone at cost, like so many people considered. They’re not going to save us from the “making money off of hardware” culture we’ve got right now, so this is basically just another Android handset, albeit a really good one
  • If you want it subsidized, you’ll have to sign up for a 2 year mandatory contract and pay $180 for the phone
  • There’s only one rate plan: $39.99 Even More + Text + Web for $79.99 total
  • Existing customers cannot keep their plan if they want a subsidized phone; they have to change to the one plan, and this only applies to accounts with one single line
  • If that doesn’t fly with you, you have to buy the $530 unlocked version—this actually might save you money over two years if you already have a cheap plan
  • Family plans, Flexpay, SmartAccess and KidConnect subscribers must buy the phone unlocked and unsubsidized for $530
  • You can only buy five Nexus One phones per Google account
  • There is language in the agreement of shipping outside the US
  • Google will sell it at google.com/phone, which explains what they were doing with that page a few weeks ago
  • Google will still call it the Nexus One apparently, and not the Google Phone

Now is the time to get overexcited! :)

]]> http://elephantsquared.com/2009/12/google-nexus-one-is-almost-here/feed/ 2 The Google Phone aka Nexus One – Available on Jan 5th? http://elephantsquared.com/2009/12/the-google-phone-aka-nexus-one-available-on-jan-5th/ http://elephantsquared.com/2009/12/the-google-phone-aka-nexus-one-available-on-jan-5th/#comments Wed, 23 Dec 2009 23:43:10 +0000 George T http://elephantsquared.com/?p=1161 At last! A full spec sheet for the much desired Nexus One! Thanks to Engadget, more specs of the Google Phone surfaced. The most striking specs include a 3.7-inch widescreen, 512MB of RAM and of course the Android OS 2.1. It also has a 5-megapixel camera with LED flash. There is also a rumor about first devices shipping on January 5th available by invitation only.

I want so badly to get my hands on this device. :)

More specs here.

UPDATE: Google announced Android press conference for January 5th (via Engadget). That’s interesting.

]]> http://elephantsquared.com/2009/12/the-google-phone-aka-nexus-one-available-on-jan-5th/feed/ 0 dogfooding aka the Google Phone http://elephantsquared.com/2009/12/dogfooding-aka-the-google-phone/ http://elephantsquared.com/2009/12/dogfooding-aka-the-google-phone/#comments Sat, 12 Dec 2009 18:02:22 +0000 George T http://elephantsquared.com/?p=1062 Well, it seems the rumored GPhone over the last days is not actually a phone that you can buy. However, according to Google, they have developed a process named dogfooding (from “eating your own dogfood”) which helps them get quick feedback and suggestions for improvements directly from their employees. This “process” is carried out by Google employees across the globe using a device that runs Android. According to their sayings:

We recently came up with the concept of a mobile lab, which is a device that combines innovative hardware from a partner with software that runs on Android to experiment with new mobile features and capabilities, and we shared this device with Google employees across the globe. This means they get to test out a new technology and help improve it.

To sum up, the Google Phone is real. A true Google-branded bleeding-edge device exists and it runs one of the most advanced mobile operating systems, that is Android.

Listening to something like this really makes you wonder, what’s next?

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