Google Android a Letdown

So Google made their much-anticipated foray into the mobile phone world with their Android announcement today, and I have to agree with Om Malik that in his post that this is "one massive PR move."  You open the birthday present and see that it is only underwear and try to smile and thank Mom and Dad anyway.  So, we are getting yet another phone Operating System Platform... it's not like we don't already have a bunch of them.  Dude, are we supposed to believe that Google has some kind of secret sauce for mobile user interfaces that Apple does not?

The real scoop: Google is eyeing all of that growing screen real estate on mobile phones and is worried that the mobile carriers will create their own Adwords and Adsense and leave Google relegated to the wireline and wi-fi world only.  Google says they are "willing to share ad revenue with the carriers."  Of course they are!  The mobile carriers won't allow walled-garden party crashers who didn't pay the cover charge. Notice how most of the big US carriers weren't mentioned in Google's Android announcement.

No, the carriers aren't sure they can trust Google, not after Google's attempt to apply openness constraints on the latest FCC spectrum auction.   

We do need someone to bust open the wireless oligopoly.  Best of luck to you, Google, you'll need it!

Comments

[Ike Elliott]

How much do you think the cost of cell phone service can come down with an advertising subsidy? My gut tells me that it is not enough to make much of a difference. Maybe a topic for a future post!

Point granted, though, on promoting open systems and a competitive environment. Go Google!

[Steve Branch]

May be a let down but I wouldn't underestimate the Google machine to accelerate change. They have the money to buy wireless spectrum and promote the open software. Even though the iPhone is a big hit, it's too costly for the majority of cell users. If Google can bring the monthly recurring cost of cell phones down via their highly successful advertizing model, then they will have a winner and so will the world.

Promoting open systems and a competitive environment is liable to gain a lot of mindshare.

If anyone can pull this off, I'm betting it's Google.