The news has been flying everywhere this weekend: Google has announced the release of its own phone, the Nexus One, early January 2010. It is also not being sold on any one carrier (like the Droid), but will be an unlocked GSM phone. More details on MobileCrunch.
The smartphone market is getting more and more exciting by the second. Every single phone company out there is being challenged with bringing something innovative to the market, and the competition will only get fiercer with the arrival of Google’s entry into the smartphone market. Companies who had gotten complacent in the past are now scrambling to catch up with the competition and boy, do we consumers have it good! The only problem is when we finally decide to get a Droid… and a newer and cooler phone comes out a couple weeks later. AND THERE’S NOTHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT, BECAUSE YOU’RE ALREADY LOCKED INTO A 2 YEAR CONTRACT!
Yes, phones are only going to get better and better. Smartphones are here to stay. In a couple years, they will just become regular phones and someone will have to come out with “geniusphones” to make a splash in the market. I’m looking at all of Asia as an example. Have you ever seen, or even heard about the features of a Japanese phone? They’re lightyears ahead of our technology… so much so that the iPhone as been doing horribly with Japanese consumers.
The problem I see with this is… having to use these phones with the U.S.’s horrible mobile carrier companies. Smartphones can get as smart as they want, but having to use them on… AT&T? A friend of mine put it quite succintly: “Too bad AT&T’s service SUCKS. 4g will be like buying a ferrari and only being able to drive it 40mph.” (He was referring to the rumors of the iPhone 4G being in the works). Verizon’s service is the best of the bunch, but lords its “great service” status over users by forcing ridiculous penalties and fees, locking down phones, and generally acting like an arrogant ass.
Before phones start getting any smarter, we need a revolution to shake up wireless carriers! Something that can shake wireless carriers out of their complacency… but what? Easier said than done, of course. But something must be done if we’re ever going to be able to use our smartphones to their fullest potential.
the wild app rumpus 