The Washington Post took a look at this Wall Street Journal (paid sub. req.) piece on Google’s move into cellular communications and decided to write its own article on the development.
Google has developed a prototype cell phone that could reach markets within a year, and plans to offer consumers free subscriptions by bundling advertisements with its search engine, e-mail and Web browser software applications.
The move would echo another recent product launched by a phone industry outsider, Apple Inc.’s iPhone. But Google’s product would draw its revenue from a sharply different source, relying on commercial advertising dollars instead of the sticker price of at least $499 for an iPhone and $60 per month for the AT&T service plan.
The Post story goes on to speculate that this new gPhone is for people who can’t afford a cell phone. I’m not so sure. It costs a lot of money to lug around a device that works so-so half the time. Make it free and that changes the game, not just the score.
