Google signs with Sprint for wireless market

BEIJING, July 27 (Xinhuanet) -- Google has signed a deal with Sprint Nextel Corp. to build services to run on Sprint's planned WiMAX high-speed wireless network, media reported Friday.

The two companies said on Thursday that Google will provide its Internet search service for a Web portal that Sprint is developing for the new WiMAX network. The gateway to various Web services will be ready in April 2008.

"This seems to be a bigger deal than what (Google's) done in the past, more comprehensive," said Pacific Crest analyst Steve Weinstein, who expects wireless services to be a "very material driver" for Google by late 2008 and early 2009.

The Sprint is expected to boost Web access over the new WiMAX network and expand use of Google's search and communications services on mobile devices.

Sprint said it would combine technology for detecting user location with Google tools including e-mail and chat.

Google has said wireless is key to growth and its strategy of selling Internet advertising.

While Google is the world's leading provider of Web search and has agreements with large mobile providers in Asia and Europe, analysts say it has lagged Yahoo Inc. in the U.S. wireless market.

Google wants big chunk of cell phone ad market

BEIJING, Aug. 2 (Xinhuanet) -- Google has developed prototype cellphones to carry its search engine and new mobile web browser and approached wireless operators including T-Mobile USA and Verizon Wireless in an attempt to make further inroads into the cellphone market.

Google's aim, according to the Wall Street Journal, is to capture a large portion of the growing market for ads on cellphones.

"We are partnering with almost all of the carriers and manufacturers to get Google search and other Google applications onto their devices and networks," a Google spokesman told the Journal.

The No. 1 Internet search engine company intends to be a participant in the January auction of 15 billion U.S. dollars worth of public airwaves being given up by television stations as they convert to digital broadcast.

Google could eventually become a phone operator with the purchase of part of the wireless spectrum. But of more pressing concern is the company's effort to forge deals with wireless operators to carry its existing products and its ads.

Worldwide spending on mobile-phone advertising totaled 1.4 billion dollars last year, but that figure is expected to grow to nearly 14 billion dollars by 2011, according to the market research company eMarketer.

The Google-ready cellphone envisioned by the company would include cameras for photos and video, Wi-Fi capability for wireless access to the Internet, and Global Positioning System technology.

(Agencies)

Google phone could be out within the year

Google is showing a prototype mobile phone to network providers

David Neal and Madeline Bennett, IT Week 03 Aug 2007

Google has developed a prototype mobile phone that could be made freely available to users who agree to receiving advertisements as part of a bundled service, according to reports.

The search specialist is reportedly showing the prototype to phone manufacturers and telecoms firms, with a view to the device hitting shelves within the year.

This is not the first set of rumours to surface about a Google-branded phone. The search giant reportedly held talks with operator Orange late last year about partnering to offer a mobile device that enables web browsing. However, Google is not expected to develop the device itself but instead looks likely to rely on a third-party handset manufacturer. Taiwanese firm HTC is rumoured to be the most likely candidate for supplying the hardware.

At an informal press event at its London Victoria offices on Wednesday, engineers were tightlipped on the rumours about a Google phone. But they passionately discussed how well the firms' applications, including Google maps and Gmail, worked on mobile platforms such as the BlackBerry.

Despite today’s flurry of new reports, Google declined to confirm any concrete details of a forthcoming mobile device.

"What our users and partners are telling us is that they want Google search and Google applications on mobile, and we are working hard every day to deliver that,” a spokeswoman said. “We're partnering with carriers, manufacturers, and content providers around the world to bring Google search and Google applications to mobile users everywhere."

If Google does go ahead with a branded mobile device, naming it could prove a challenge – or expensive. US-based carrier GlobalPhone already owns the gphone.com domain name, while googlephone.com is currently used by a site offering mobile phone downloads.

Apple faced similar difficulties with the launch of its iPhone earlier this year, as that name was already trademarked by Cisco acquisition Infogear. It reportedly paid at least $1m for the iphone.com domain last month, which now directs traffic to its apple.com/iphone web site.

Google confirms “Gphone” Cell Phone - kind of

“Google has finally come out and officially spilled the beans, proclaiming that they are, in fact, working on a GPhone. The trouble with this announcement is that it wasn’t the big extravagant event we were hoping it would be — the iPhone unveiling comes to mind — and what’s more, it was CEO Isabel Aguilera, CEO of Google Spain and Portugal, that made the announcement.

It wasn’t even an announcement by itself. As part of her talk, Aguilera mentioned 18 other projects which may or may not be related to the Google phone.”

Report Says Google Planning "GPhone" Cell Phone

Google has developed a prototype mobile phone that could be made freely available to users who agree to receiving advertisements as part of a bundled service, according to reports.