As tipped by SmartHouse back in March 2007 Google is set to launch a mobile phone known as the Gphone early next year that allows users to surf services and mapping on the move. The new phone service is set to hurt Yellow Pages in Australia as it will compete head on with several of their Sensis properties.
Several phone manufacturers have held discussions with Google about a suite of phone software that also includes access to office applications, mapping and Googles extensive search software. If Google do launch a phone industry insiders are tipping that the Microsoft Phone Operating System could come under pressure.
One manufacturer believes that the phone could be launched in Europe at a 3GSM Conference early in 2008. anong the Taiwanese manufacturers Google have spoken to about the phone is BenQ who late last year quite the European phone market.
Our original story www.smarthousenews.com.au/Communication/Mobile_Phones?print=1&Article=/Communication/Mobile%20Phones/G9N4Q9A7 revealed that a key component of the phone was mapping and the ability to search for suppliers both services currently delivered by Sensis.
Despite several attempts Sensis, which has a dominant position in the Australian market has been unable to get consumers to use their www.sensis.com.au search engine up against Google, despite having direct links to both white and yellow pages in Australia. Currently Google attracts 86 percent of all internet searches in Australia.
Google hopes that the GPhone will follow in the footsteps of the popular Apple iPhone which was launched in the United States in June.
Google services, such as its search engine, email and interactive maps, will be loaded on to the phone.
The phone should make it easier for people to access the internet when they are away from their computers.
It is thought Google will derive its revenue from the lucrative mobile advertising market.
Eric Schmidt, the chief executive of Google, recently said that mobile phone adverts are “twice as profitable or more than non-mobile phone ads because they are more personal”.
Research by Informa Telecoms & Media, a telecoms analyst, forecasts that the market for mobile advertising will be worth more than A$15 billion a year by 2011.Google is believed to have signed a deal with a Taiwanese firm to design the phone.
A spokesman would only say: “Our ultimate goal is to help users access the information they want, no matter when or where they want it.
“Our users and partners want Google search and Google applications on mobile, and we are working hard to deliver that.”
Thomas Husson, an analyst at Jupiter, a research firm, was sceptical about th e GPhone.
Mr Husson said: “It’s difficult to comment as they are only rumours at this stage. If you have a look at the whole mobile market I don’t think it will have much impact.
“Even Apple needs a portfolio of handsets to really tackle the market.”
