Nothing will be an iPhone killer, but you can offer consumers choice and that's what the Nexus One will do.

One thing that never seems to be taken into account in these reports is that fact that Apple is not only a proprietary system but that it runs on only one carrier in the US.

The Nexus One isn't alone in the market, there are many Android phones out with more to come. Apple can't say that. The Nexus One doesn't need to take all of Apples market share, just the portion that the other Android phones leave behind. Considering the fact that you can choose a provider and still have Android, more and more people will be switching in the future.

There's not just one iPhone killer, there are 9 with more on the way.

The Google-phone looks good to me.
YourNexusOne.com

What a dumb article with equally dumb arguments ! My 2 mins of life that I am not getting back. Urggghh

Your use of hegemony in relation to the iPhone is really quite a stretch (incorrect use, more likely.) The iPhone use is not dominant in world markets. And the fact the iphone apps may total thousands does not obligate folks to use more than 3 or 5. Hardly a strong number to claim hegemony. Though, if you were to HEDGE MONEY on future income from web searchs, I'd definitely go with Google.
Who really cares about streaming sports games to their cellphone while driving their car?

haha, this Michael guy either has no f#!%ing clue or has a shit load of appl stocks.

Lol, you and Malone are far too fond of apple, and highly underestimate google's capabilities. Apple is good at making money, but google's open source developments are going to continue to wear away at Apple. Even if the Nexus One doesnt "dethrone" apple's iPhone, it's still the first step in a direction that's going to prove to be a major threat to apple's spot in the phone industry.

if only there were a was a way to get an internet connection on your phone without a telecom company ;) since there is not, there is no way to do something about their power. but truth be told, i have no complaints about them.

to say that "the iPhone dominates the smartphone world" is innacurate, it dominates only America. I can only give Apple a + for waking up other mobile software developers.

on another note just see that the phone will be sold unlocked, this means that it will be available worldwide, used by any GSM network with 3G or without 3G.

I wonder how many sales Motorola's Droid lost due to people now waiting for this phone. I for one am really looking forward to something like "Motorola's Droid" but with the CPU power and design to make it next Gen.

I can remember when the first iphone was released. There was plenty of negativity about it then as well.

If you think that the Motorola Droid is just 'passable', you might want to check out all the iPhone vs Droid videos and reviews online. Everyone of them shows that the Droid is way more capable as a smartphone than the icandy of iPhone. Combined with the awful ATT network, there is no competition which phone is better.

To bad Google could have made a real impact with this phone..now it's just another high priced smart phone. I'll stick with my no contract phone till something better comes along.

Malone is a classic know-nothing pundit, paid to hold forth on the latest headlines for no reason beyond a modest proficiency in English composition. Bad enough that he lacks any serious grasp of the facts or the substance of Apple's recent history, but what's worse is the smug self-assurance with which he disseminates his ignorance as putative acumen. Lacking counterpoint, most readers equate a confident tone with informed authority; they'll take his absurdist dreck for gospel.

Just a few examples.:

> Apple understands, better perhaps than any
> company on the planet, the importance of being
> not only perpetually innovative [...] to
> regularly take category-busting risks.

'Category-busting risks'? Really? And Apple does this 'better perhaps than any [other] company'? Oh, OK. So, then, that explains why they are now the undisputed leader in the hottest computing category, netbooks. Oh, hang on - that's not Apple. I meant Asus (!). Yep, in a year when Apple sold more Macs than ever before, they gained only one third so much market-share as they had in the year previous. And why is that? Because Asus came out of nowhere, to eat their lunch in netbooks.

> [...] serendipity has been Apple's friend:
> economic downturns are always times for a burst
> of entrepreneurial energy [...]

...and, in hindsight, a time for selling sub-$500 netbooks.

Meanwhile, Mr. Malone would have us believe that Apple's innovative geniuses were beavering away to exploit this serendipity. Like, maybe intro their new, sub-$800 iSlate tablet computer at the '09 WWDC? Seems they missed the curve on that one. Ok, so how about offering a one-off laptop, at a special price? Not a chance, Apple fans. No, Cupertino's least costly laptop was the same old 13" number - clad in the kind of flimsy, heavily textured white plastic that American males found so appealing in AMC Pacers - priced at $1000.

> [...] in one of the most brilliant strategic
> moves in its history, the company opened the
> door more than a year ago to outside developers ...

'Brilliant'? Straight from the mythos of over-eager Apple groupies. 'Strategic'? That's classic revisionist baloney. Anybody who cares to already knows that Steve Jobs neither sought nor saw any need for local (on-phone) applications much less for outside developers. And Mr. Jobs, along with everyone else at Apple, was - and, to some degree, is yet - stunned by the App Store's popularity. Moreover, he continues to be deeply dismayed by the heavy preponderance of games among their iPhone app sales.

With talking heads like Mr. Malone on-board, it's no wonder ABC - and Old Media, in general - are an endangered species. I say good riddance.

Look dude i'm no fanboy of anything but before you compare iPhone to the Android operation system understand one has been out longer than the other.... why isn't anyone comparing Nokia base to iPhone?.... stupid articles

That guy is a IPhone idol worshpper. Guess smartphones only for the smart and hes too dumb for one. He wants to live in the phone as a toy world. Let him have his IPhone kiddy toy.

I doubt that it will be an iPhone killer either. The iPhone is an entertainment device that happens to make phone calls. That is why people love it. Can you imagine having a Nintendo DS, a PSP, an iPod and a netbook all rolled up into one device. To compare an iPhone to a smartphone is laughable and an insult all at once. A smartphone is what business users use for business. A blackberry is not fun. The original iPhone was the dumbest smartphone ever. What makes the iPhone successful is that it is an iPod that surfs the net and plays games. The phone part is secondary. Microsoft knows it, that's why it's building the Zune HD infrastructure before the make a phone that works with the Zune service. This is why google nexus will fail.

Malone keesters his Eye Phone everytime somebody calls him, and then starts typing out his moronic views on how Apple is out competing Google and Microsoft. Sorry you Apple Lameboy, but Apple still sucks, Eye Phone and all.

Don't get me wrong, I like using Apple computers, but Steve Jobs petty vice grip on everything Apple is about as appealing as wearing identical school uniforms in high school. And his tyrannical, religulous control of the Eye Phone app store should be illegal. We live in a frickin democracy for Christ's sake; his ridiculous rejections have guaranteed I will never purchase an Apple product again.

I don't want Steve Jobs or that douche bag Malone's version of the web and all of it's access technologies, I want the freedom that Microsoft delivers to my .NET programming, and freedom to find any type of information with a thank you to Google for that. But what do I thank Apple for? I thank them for keeping their douche bag fanboys working in their monotonously identical stores!

This article talks about VOIP on the droid. Everybody keeps talking about enabling WAP and VIOP on smart phones. Not gonna happen: carriers wont allow it.

Wanna beat the iphone with a better mouse trap: Make something as human friendly as the iPhone (droid comes close but still a little clunky) and set up an app store, but allow direct access (app store not required if developer does not want to sell through it).

I didn't know Google and Apple were direct competitors. If so, Apple has a lot of work to do on their search engine. Also, isn't Blackberry the leading smartphone (by miles).

Okay - first of all Michael Malone never misses an opportunity to praise Apple. I had to check to make sure he wasn't on the board over there. Why else would an article on a Google phone somehow work in beauty of the new Apple Tablet? Are you joking? How much is Jobs paying this guy?

nicely written.

however, i agree that google could come out as a "loser" here, even if they do create a "winner". the problem is a combination of apple's dominance and the expectations that always accompany a google release. people want google to be a clear winner and by viewing the specifications of the phone along with the videos out there we can agree that the phone looks pretty nice, but i don't know if it's the "iphone killer". how many google/android phones have been released already each declaring that same title? what's the difference here? look at the nexus one, it's not as sexy as the iphone and it doesn't have that brand image that the iphone has. the only way this can be a "winner" is if google has something up their sleeve because the hardware, although nice, doesn't stack up. at least in my opinion.

for google to be a winner they have to not only clearly beat apple with the hardware but also with the software and the service.

and in case anyone is wondering, i love google and will definitely try to get this phone (unless a better "iphone killer" comes out).

The biggest problem with Android phones is the lack of internal memory for storage. Why the iPhone 3G/3GS has 8-32GB, the Android phones I've seem have about ~512MB. The Android phones have SD card expansion slots, but you can't install Apps on them. 512MB might be enough for basic apps, but isn't enough for games. Games are probably one of the best part of the iPhone and may of the good ones are 80MB+.

It seems like all the Apple fanboys and Google haters are totally missing the point. While Google would probably love to magically come out on top right now they don't need it for success. The true measure of success is the number of handsets running android, currently 18. As this number grows I believe we will see all sorts of android devices at all sorts of price points. The number of applications will skyrocket, and people will have a choice of dozens of different android phones or an iphone.

I currently own a droid, while it isn't as refined as an iphone it does everything i needed or wanted it to and more. I also really like the option of using a physical keyboard. And thats really the point, some people want a physical keyboard and some dont. Some want to spend 200 on a very nice phone, some want one for free. The number of phone options, the freedom to choose different networks, the fact that i can easily install non google approved apps, these are the weeknesses of the iphone. I believe that by the end of 2010 android devices will have 10% of the market and be steadily growing.

With the world going ga-ga over the Nexus One, I don't blame the ABC Correspondent to try to be unique..

All that he's said is second-hand knowledge..Let's wait for 'The One' to arrive and then decide..

Excellent analysis... I read the ABC article earlier today and I was a little pissed having had high hopes for the Nexus One... We'll see what happens on Tuesday!

Agreed, with the exception that Malone knows what the hell he's talking about. Conjecture is is free just like opinions... every one has them and sometimes they stink. Nice try but the proof is in the pudding, apple has a rabid fan-base trying to strike it rich with an app for that... till they figure out that the app is gonna run on an exclusive ATT suck-ass service. That's gonna change.... the developers who have half a brain develop for both platforms so guess who wins ... the people and ultimately, and Google, if Apple keeps being restrictive with service providers and app screening. Just remember that betamax lost to VHS, so you really wanna predict apple staying on top here? it is a total crap-shoot and my bet is on Google being perserverant when it comes to challenging the hegemony that is cellular service *period*

May I see and touch the f****** device. Why somebody as to tell me what to think or choose?

any useful info on this article.? it doesn't say why nexus one failed to challenge iPhone.

What Malone's piece is is a tribute to history. The Droid broke ground, it's a true threat to the iPhone because it works great.

I haven't heard one Droid owner say it doesn't perform as advertised or better.

And why is Malone screaming iPhone superiority? Could it be simply every single wall street analyst says Google's Android phone system will be the dominant smartphone OS by 2012. Far outpacing iPhone, and once again, leaving the Apple zealots right where they always are, paying way too much for yesterday's best idea.

Just one line for the writer.
Do you know what you are writing or it is just the night nightmare written on the paper?

Who the frak is Michael S. Malone, TV news is so boring and has so little credibility. What the heck does he know about the technical matters regarding Smart phones anyway?
I don't love google especially after they bought double click but hey if they can come up with a Droid Nexus phone that is better than the Motorola droid and sell it unlocked for less than $500, I'll be very happy to trash my useless Nokia E62, well supposedly it's a smart phone but it can't even play music.
Malone is missing the point here, the Iphone is like the high priced luxury item for rich people and it has it's loyal market, but I don't care about keeping up with the joneses and I avoid apple products like the Plague because they are all propreitary, meaning you can only get it from them and they can dictate the price for any problems you might encounter like replacing a broken screen.
I haven't bought a desktop since my 1st PC in 1983, just build my own with the specs required for my needs, no more no less.
- Most people don't like dealing with monopolistic companies like Apple and the big telephone companies, we want to be free to choose a phone without 2 year contracts, early termination fees and costly mandatory plans costing $80+ a month.
- I'm not going to use my smart phone for surfing the web, I've got a 3ghz quad core at home with 8GB RAM, 3- 23 inch LCD screens, dual 10,000 RPM drives and 64bit versions of Windows and comcast internet with download speeds between 10-20 megabytes per second.
- Surfing the web is not my reason for buying a smart phone.

take a hike Malone

Your a dumb$#@ for spreading the sh&* the guy from ABC wrote. Both of you need to take each others d&%$@ out of your mouths.

I tested a Droid for two months and enjoyed it, but when I heard of the Nexus One I immediately decided to hold off.

I am a google fan. I'll state that up front. Malone's article wasn't as much about Android as it is about how awesome Apple is, then he goes on to justify the conclusion he reached before he actually looked at the data. Which is, Apple is awesome.

The app count. As a developer I can say this with confidence. Most of the work in developing a phone app is the visual design and app functionality. Converting it from one platform to an equivalent platform (Android arguably has more features than the IPhone SDK, services, etc) is relatively minor. Expect any app that makes money on the IPhone to be ported or copied in a month when there are sufficient Android phones in the wild. The 90k+ apps for the IPhone that are garbage written by fanboys won't be ported.

The idea that the tablet is going to leave everybody in the dust seems to me a little crazy. Yeah, IPod and IPhone really dinged everybody. Just like Apple TV. Oh, wait. And they have a lot of experience with the Newton. Oh yeah. The tablet might be huge, but even if it is, it doesn't mean Google should chuck their phone platform in shame, which is what the "article" implies.

Apple is repeating history. They hold onto their platform with a firm grip and nobody else gets to play. There are many other good companies out there, and there are many other smart people. To assume they can't replicate good ideas, and add in a few of their own, is foolish.

Its a crazy piece. I'd like to see his portfolio. I'm guessing there's a little fruit in there.

Oh yeah. Apparently Chrome has edged ahead of Safari. To be fair, Google has been pressing that button pretty hard lately, but Google also doesn't market their own OS and hardware (yet).

Ouch! Vent much? Nice post. :)

As i responded earlier to someone, ouch!

He does, but it's also very easy to defend the iPhone against anything. You might as well say people like ice cream. There are too many Apple iPhone lovers. The Cult of Mac has become the Cult of iPhone, with sycophants constantly having to assure themselves the iPhone is superior. I keep hoping for something superior, but as Malone said, the tablet could be the next consumer computing device to reign.

You didn't know? Everything I write is borne of nightmares. In fact, all writers write to exorcise fear... or is it to exercise fear? :)

So you can have a GSM only Nexus One to use on T-Mobile or AT&T or an handful of regional GSM carriers. Wasn't the biggest iPhone gripe AT&T? If this phone was CDMA and GSM unlocked it may be worth the $.

As a huge fan of open source software I cannot see why anyone cares if there phone is "open". I can't see the Nexus One coming with a warranty / tos that says mod however you want and we'll cover it. A quick search and I can not find Android source code. Have a link? Open???

Let's recall the two stories from the past;

1) Sony Betamax vs Matsushita VHS
2) DEC Rainbow, Apple Mac, Commodore Amiga vs the kludge known as "MS-DOS/Windows"

Who won? Public Licensing! (in the case of VHS) Open Systems! (e.g. PC Architecture). That is who won. And it will probably happen again! And again.

Linux did not work out as well because the user interface is daunting for the typical tech-challenged user who does not use the PC much anyway and is wedded to the apps that come with the system.

Just some simple ads from Verizon for a month put a dent already.

I agree with Clint on many points. I think Google has a golden opportunity here and if it doesn't push the cell phone world to new heights then it is a bust. Or let's call it just another day. Take your pick. Either way it will be nothing earth or ground breaking if it doesn't flip the way cell phone companies already do business.

I am a current T-M customer and like many waiting to see what the details are. Again if it's the usual subsidized phone with 2 year contract, $80 a month for limited minutes or spending half a grand on the unit then iPhone here I come. Why you ask? It's simple; although Android apps are on the rise they are not yet proven not only by the sheer number of available apps, but the quantity of users with-in the app development community. That alone will give it more function and longevity.

So I wait and pray Google takes that step and blazes new ground, but if not we're watching.

What are Google, a company that will always be looked at as chasing Apple's coat tails or will you finally stand up and fire a shot across their path? For all consumers out there I hope it's the later.

> A quick search and I can not find Android source
> code. Have a link? Open???

Um... Go to google.com and type in "android source code download". The first link is, predictably, the Android Open Source project!

Was that really so hard?

Why should people care about having more control over their device? How well does Google Voice run on your iPhone?

-db

I have been a system administrator for 30 years and once we bought a Mac. We set it up and plugged it into the network and voila it crashed the entire network. Needless to say with the busy schedules involved in real world business never allowed us the time to fix the problem. We delegated the machine to the advertising department and I believe they used it for something other than a paperweight.
As to the iPhone I will never buy a proprietary system again. You can't change it and you only own it as long as you pay the subscriber / AT&T nut. Both companies need to be stayed away from. AT&T has proven over and over that we can't trust them. They sell our information and allow Homeland Security to monitor our calls. If you can get into the 7th floor of the AT&T building in New York you will meet Homeland Security people rather than AT&T employees. Both of these companies want no less than absolute control over the airwaves.
As for Apple (ha ha) it has always been nothing but a fad setter. It has no real computing power and they ripped off the core of their OS from Unix (remember the Next). They got the mouse and the graphics interface from Zerox. So where is the innovation?

This is such a dumb-ass recitation of the other dumb-ass article. Nothing is a iPhone killer just like nothing is any something killer. Did iPhone kill Pre or Storm? No, they are still selling pretty well.

Pretty dumb article.

Don't really understand why if you use an Apple product, enjoy how the product works, and buy more of their product that somehow you are narrow and less enlightened. Some people just like to drive a Honda because the products are solid, reliable, and fun to drive. I don't get bent when the warranty is voided if I modify the engine, because the reality is that there is plenty of choice in the market place. If I want a HEMI I know that Honda isn't the right choice. It amazes me how upset people get because people are devoted to a product that works for them.

Kind of ironic that the same people who are down on Apple sound, well, close minded and narrow.

So many Google Fanboys and Apple Haters here it is funny. Google still has one serious issue (and I say this as a developer). It is much harder to monetize Android development compared to iPhone OS development.

The Nexus One rumors have taught us why. Google will add subsidize the phone for free. It will be available for $200 unlocked. It won't require a voice plan. etc...

One of the problems that people are missing is Android is good for Google. It has not been good for developers. Repeat, Google is concerned on what makes Google money and really does not care about how others will make money. This is clear on looking at the Market Place.

Only 4 months younger than the Apple's Apps Store, it feels much much younger and significantly less mature. Users are 75% less likely to pay for an application and, instead, expect everything to be free. Google wants EVERYTHING to be add based but not many apps fit within that model.

So as a developer, I can develop for the iPhone OS with over 10X the number of units (don't forget to count the iPod Touch) and people 4X more likely to actually PAY for what I do or I can develop for Android and make 1/40 the money. Even if i develop for both, I put forth much extra effort to maintain two code bases (No Objective-C on the "open" device) and only add 2% to the gross profits. Ouch.

And here is the rub. Google will have to have 4X the market share to make it equally profitably to develop for Android compared to iPhone OS. With the heavy fragmentation issues, it might actually be more because it will take more man hours in development and regression testing.

Google still has a beta product that is not quiet ready (but it is getting darn close) for prime time.

EWeek must be deserate. Is this a Apple funded commercial disquised as a article about an article? Why not add some value and do a competative matrix or at least a use based evaluation. This is nothing but noise.

It amazes me that so much of the media is disappointed in this phone because it is not some "game changer" in the mobile market.

All the speculation that made people think this phone was a game changer (subsidized by goog, VOIP, sold with out a contract) was all BS stirred up by bloggers. Now that it is clear none of that crap was true, people are disappointed... WTF...

It is just another android phone.

you really re-quoted this piece of trash? do you agree with his arguments? Google watch, my arse. please work on your integrity and critical thinking.

I have no issue with people who enjoy their products, whatever they may be. I'm a fervent supporter of most Google Apps. But Apple has cultivated a cult for its products, which I don't care for because these misguided members have come to view Apple as incapable of doing wrong; these same people eschew logic for heightened emotions. They're like Stockholm syndrome sufferers.

Why are people talking like you can't do voip on a phone? Skype is on many and I use it often to call across the Atlantic. Yes I need to be home or on wireless but if your expecting a carrier to give you cheap 3g and no standard phone services then you can expect to be paying by byte for it. AT&T are having a hard enough time with all the data as it is (and they have a big network) move calls onto the 3g band and any carrier will fold.
And why all the partisanship? I use an iPhone and Google, best tech for each purpose.

Totally agree.

No, it was funded by Google. And noise is fun.

Yup, Apple's unannounced tablet, with unannounced features, selling at an unannouced price "obsoletes an entire multibillion-dollar industry". What a bunch of crap.

BTW, According to Gartner, Nokia is the world's #1 seller of smartphones, with a 39.3% smartphone share. Apple/iPhone is #3 with a 17.1% smartphone share.

To capture market share Google will have to offer a product that are far better than existing Droid solutions. One possibility is an Ad based phone. i.e. Pay full price for the hardware and Goggle funds some or all of the cellular bill. This will attract a cash strapped younger crowd into the market, but is risky to Google if the phone is successful. Ad agencies would have to cover up to $100/mo per user; multiply that by 30 million potential users per month, the number is staggering! Okay, maybe not who knows.

So let's say the ground shaking move is Google Voice. For this application to work you really need WIFI. SIP/VOIP works well in a controlled environment, Like your home ( where you can choose your band width), or maybe your business, where most likely there is a big pipe. Outside of that your are at the mercy of what ever network you hop on. Most of those networks were designed for web browsing not Voice and none are designed for mobility (you can't hop from one WIFI connection to a different one and not lose the call) like the cellular system. On top this feature is available on the iPhone. Not Google Voice, but any other SIP/VOIP carrier (Skype yup). I know this because I have the application on my phone and it works as described above..

My bet is some combination of Ad based cost reduction and Google Voice for when you really want to save on your minutes.

The 5th should be an exciting day either way, unless Nexus One is just another Droid phone added to existing market. In that case the stock well sell off. I don't think Google is that dumb, they have already damaged their relations with the likes of Motorola by jumping in the market and competing with them so soon after they partnered. They have to be offering something traditional companies won't offer or it's a bust.

Malone makes some good points, but I think it's clear I don't agree with him so much as I think he's a little too zealous about Apple. He sounds a little spoiled, like people who root for the Yankees.

Great points Greg. When it comes to placing ads online, I wouldn't bet against Google either.

@Clint

"They're like Stockholm syndrome sufferers."

Do you really believe that? Do you actually think that people that use products that simply work for them, are reliable and are easy to use suffer from "Stockholm syndrome"?

Could a much simpler explanation be that Apple's products really do work very well for most people most of the time. That Apple provides a good design from an industrial stand-point and user stand point.

Could you say that people that are willing to put-up with sub-par web-based apps (when compared to native alternatives) like GMail and Google Docs because they suffer from "Stockholm syndrome"?

I think an easier answer is Google is providing applications that meet their needs.

Steven:

Not a fan of hyperbole are you? :) Fair enough.

Seriously? Stop comparing to every new phone that comes out with the iPhone. The iPhone isnt the all-powerful phone, why is everyone taking these "iPhone Killer" phrases and, "Well its still not as good as the iPhone" Im pretty sure the Apple Fan-boys are worse than the Google-fan boys. Google is an information comany, good for them for having their hands in making a phone, if it makes a computer company who made a phone feel like they need to up their game, go for it. Every great product isnt great until it has competition,

I am a big Google fan (and stock holder), but I agree with ABC that this phone will be a big disappointment if there it is just another phone. What's the point? There can't be much profit for Google in selling just another phone.

Google does have a huge opportunity to shake up the marketplace now, as they have done with many of their other products.

Apple has shown us that a corporate vision of developing exciting and innovative products can be very profitable.

Just another phone, for a high upfront price and a high monthly fee, sounds like a big sellout. If Google is turning into just another big corporation, they are going to lose a lot of customer good will.

Spud,

What if you bought and paid for BMW quality. Once you got it home you found out the hood was welded shut, and it voided your warranty to open the hood in any way? The car, you find out, had a build quality no better than a Honda Civic, and in fact has as Honda engine in it. The only place you can get your oil changed, and keep the warranty in tact is at the BMW dealer. The car uses a new standard of hardware called menglish, which is neither english, nor metric in size. Even the tires, rims and bolt patterns are unique to the car, as are the wiper blades, paint color, shocks, starter, battery, stereo etc. The car company patents every odd-ball size of the car and aggressively sues any after-market manufacturer of parts for the vehicle in question. If you were to remove the engine from the car and try to use it for another purpose, after the car was damaged in a collision, you find yourself in a law-suit by the car manufacturer stating that you are not using the parts from the car in a authorized manner.

This is a little closer to the truth of Apple vs. open standards, than a person's decision to buy a Honda or another brand of vehicle.

TechKillz2,

Google doesn't have to have a major break-through on launch, for the phone to be a success. Google is not trying to "kill" the iphone, Google is trying to gain market share in the mobile market and change the "business as usual" model that cell phone manufacturer's have been following ever since cell phones began selling in the U.S.

Google needs to set an example that consumers should not be expected to pay the full production price of a phone, and yet still be locked to a carrier. If one is purchasing a phone in this age, that is in the $550 unsubsidized/$180 subsidized price range, they should not put up with 2 year old technology, and designs that have been sitting on the back-shelf for the past 18 months. Google is showing that in this price range you should expect the latest CPU speeds, performance, display technology, sizes.

It is also, over the course of the next few months going to show that the operating system on that same $550 phone should be extensible to the newest technologies and developments. In the past, with few exceptions, when you have purchased a phone, you knew you were getting winmo 6.0, or 6.1 and didn't really have any expectations that the next version of the OS would be released for your hardware. Phone manufacturer's, especially those like Samsung, LG, have pretty much enjoyed producing a phone, releasing it, and going on to the next model, next carrier with their efforts. Google will show that a consumer should expect a phone that will be updated in a timely fashion to take advantage of the latest in web/cloud based technologies, and that a consumer should come to *expect* their phone to be updated to newer, faster, more functional versions of the operating system.

It will also probably put a damper on the phone manufacturer's constantly using the excuse "well, we are working onit, bu we have to develop our custom interface for the new version of the operating system." (HTC) or wait for the phone companies to get around to adding their custom software (Sprint) to the phone. It's going to show the value of either staying with the main development branch of Android, or at least having the functionality of 3rd party interfaces integrated into the OS in higher-level manner, such as ahome, panda home, etc. have done, where the interface requires only slight, easy re-write/re-compile to move to the next generation of the OS.

Google will challenge the idea that a new and functionally-enhanced version of the operating system should only be expected once a year along with the introduction of a new version of the phone (Apple) (Although Apple has done a decent job trying to keep the updated OS running even on older models, as much as possible, its still a slow "upgrade" cycle as compared to Android's Open nature, where in the past 6 months we have seen 1.5, 1.6, 2.0, and now 2.1 released, each with increased functionality, features, speed.)

Google can take it's time with it's VOIP integration to Google Voice if it needs to, releasing it in Android 2.2 as a feature, just as it introduced Google Navigation in 2.0 as an enticement to upgrade. It will show that one doesn't need, nor should they expect, to have to wait for the "next phone" to get a new and useful feature added.

Google will use the Nexus One platform to show consumers, and phone manufacturer's how Google envisioned Android to be, and the next year will show which manufacturer's and phone companies are up to the task of changing their business model, and which ones are still stuck in the rut that is Business As Usual.

There is no single device that can kill the iPhone, however, an entire industry running Android will have an enormous impact on the iPhone market share. You will know this has happened when Apple fanboys start to compare the iPhone market share to individual versions of Android, and not to the overall Android market share itself.

The iPhone had two things going for it that set it apart. 1) it was the only choice for an advanced device, and 2) it was the only choice for Apps. This is absolutely no longer the case, and Apple would be wise to take note of this.

Soon the iPhone will be just another choice in a market that has 100's of comparable smart phones, in an industry that has 100,000's of Apps for every device, and you will see Apple in the same place they are in now with the Mac. Only the fan boys will by them, because no one else has to.

Android devices are looking to be the PC of the smart phone industry, with Android itself taking on the role of Windows. This will leave Apple in the same place it is now with their Mac share, unless they open that platform up and rethink there walled garden approach to everything.

The Android market place it looking to repeat the success of windows in that there will be an endless amount of potential. Potential for thing like Apps, custom devices ranging from Robots & Vending Machines to Smart Phones, Netbooks and Laptops and Home Phone Systems. Thrown into the mix will be customized App Market places, and Android Development platforms designed by third parties.

Google is creating an entire industry around Android where everyone is able to profit from it. Unlike Apple where they are looking to get a bog chunk of everything that has anything to do with iPhone.

It should be an interesting next few years.