Edge is represented by an 'E' isn't it? I've never seen that on my iPhone, I only had 3g or the little circle which means I'll have to wait a matter of minutes for a web page to load. I'm in Australia so my experience likely varies a lot and this device probably wouldn't likely come down here as we are a small market.

The same dinosaur mentality that killed GM by scuttling their EV1 technological advantage is at work in the carriers.

I wouldn’t see it as a replacement to a phone though, unless networks provide excellent 3g blanket coverage. Too often my iPhone loses 3g reception,

Edge is plenty adequate for two way voice. You don't need 3G for that.

I don't believe Google have any incentive to jeopardize the Android platform of its own.

That been said, Android hardware manufacturers should notice they have successfully put google in their own companies' driver's seat. Open source or not, without Google's marketing pull and net applications, Android is just another linux distro for ARM, it is not even a particularly excellent one.

Then, with Google's own phone in the picture, one have to wander if the partnership will still be needed. As you said, Google want the Telcos to be just dumb pipes, one step further, the phone manufacturers can also be just dumb pipes popping out whatever hardware Google dictates.

HTC Moto have little to bargain with google as it is, I imagine they'd really hate a future of mindless slaves of the lord Google.

I’m still thinking it will use a data-card, and no voice plan.

I completely agree. Now let's just hope they're creative enough to properly market the thing.

Open Source OS.

Nuf said.

As for the applications, anyone can develop their own. But they won't need to, because Google is not going to cut them off, they make money with each application.

The manufacturers using Android knew that Google HAD TO HAVE an ulterior motive. It wasn't developing a OS just for them, free of charge, on a silver platter.

Still, as you mention, and as mentioned above by others, Google would be silly to go directly after their customer's business.

Thats why I'm betting the Google phone doesn't even directly compete with the Droid or HTC or any carrier based smartphone. I'm still thinking it will use a data-card, and no voice plan.

Google will make the carriers dumb pipes, and make them like it.

The problem Htc Moto etc are facing is what happens when google starting to favor it's own hardware, denying key feature access from partner's phones.

Android is partly open source: the OS is free for anyone to grab but a lot of applications are not, for example the map is a google property.

The partners should be worried in case Google leave them hanging high and dry. Not to mention none of them can compete with google's brand.

But all I wanna for Xmas is a phone can really compete with the iPhone, so I could not care less about HTC's feeling.

This is very interesting…What about their current partners? Will they get left in the dark as far as features are concerned?

If they feel left in the dark, its their own damned fault.

Android is an open system. They had access to EVERY part of it and chose to cherry pick certain features, and limit others. They did this knowing they were dealing with an open system and (I speculate) colluded with carriers and other manufacturers to hold some features back and charge ridiculous prices for others in an attempt to preserve carrier profits.

I'm betting this phone is a data-only model (no calling plan) that bypasses the whole carrier minute rat race all together.

But I am guessing... Of course.

I'm sure there are bugs and glitches, but nothing game-stopping yet.

what does this mean for current carriers...

Its hard to say since it hasn't been released.

Some speculation is that it will simply be a voip phone that will tie into your router, others suggest it will be a DATA-ONLY phone which would be like buying an air-card for your computer, and all calls would go to your google number across your dataplan. Yet still others say its like an any other Android without the limitations insisted upon by the carriers or manufacturers.

It will be interesting to see. And Google right now is the only company that has the global reach to pull this off on a grand scale. It might be why they tucked tail and went away so quietly when Apple banned them from the iPhone. If so, revenge is sweet, and Apple will rue the day they made that decision.

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@Dexter – but you can already get Wave on the iPhone, Android and Windows Phones…

Ah, no. Wave is NOT supported on the iphone. I have a wave account, and I can tell you even if it did work on the phone it would be a nightmare to use on the iPhone.

What does this mean for phone carriers like ATT & VZW? Would gphone be on one of those or its' own network?

Let's see google's vision for a phone. If the gPhone really is more googlely and awesome, screw the partners.