Krakow says Gphone is delayed to 2009. Wait, what?

Seasoned tech pundit Gary Krakow has a real puzzler here. He's claiming that while the Android OS should be ready for launch through a couple manufacturers by the end of the year, an unnamed source has told him that the actual "Gphone" from Google has been delayed into next year. That's great and all, but we thought the whole Gphone buzz was pretty much killed dead when Android got real. Sure, there was that one-off Samsung rumor about a couple Google-branded handsets supposedly due for September, but there was never much followup there. Google itself has never done much hinting at a Google-branded handset, instead choosing to work with Open Handset Alliance in building an OS for everybody. We'll be keeping an eye on this rumor, but obviously if it proves true we won't be seeing anything out of Google until next year -- which basically puts us right where we started. Thanks, Gary.

[fred @ Jun 2nd 2008 10:41AM]

"Seasoned tech pundit Gary Krakow"

Seasoned BSer.

These guys aren't paid to be right, they are paid to make noise.

[kccboy2004 @ Jun 2nd 2008 7:57PM]

Android software is going to dominate the Cell phone market. I think it would be fair to say that you should watch the "netbook" os market too.
The iPhone is shortly gonna be dead in the water.

I should imagine that this is really the end of Apple itself. With this market drying up, with the relentless onset of Windows itself, with Linux versions becoming more friendly....

If you are holding Apple stock, sell it now.

[loosely_coupled @ Jun 3rd 2008 3:22AM]

@KccBoy2004

First of all, can anyone take you seriously with that name? Are you a god damn 13 year old?

I will agree with you that Android will dominate a good portion of the cellphone market, easily replacing windows mobile as the main 3rd party OS for smartphone manufacturers.

However, everything else you said after that point in your post is just complete and utter nonsense, and reveals your incredible lack of reasoning capacity, and pure fanboy nature.

"The iPhone is shortly gonna be dead in the water."
--- Considering the iPhone is only available on AT&T, priced at a minimum of $399 with no subsidy on a 2yr contract, and all available cell plans start at $60 and average $90-100, it is actually selling incredibly well. In fact, the 3G iPhone is probably the most anticipated cellphone in the history of mobile technology. It will finally be officially available all across the world with modern UMTS/HSDPA technology, and probably also be subsidized by the carrier to a price similar to other smartphoneI
If that's the case, I guarantee it will sell tens of millions of units in the next year or two worldwide, and that is exactly what Apple wants -- the top few percent of the market, just like their computers. The mobile OSX operating system will also become THE platform of choice for mobile software developers, and will see incredible new and innovative software applications, and will push the boundaries of existing technology,

"should imagine that this is really the end of Apple itself. With this market drying up, with the relentless onset of Windows itself, with Linux versions becoming more friendly...."

HAHAHH! The end of Apple itself? And what market are you talking about? The home computer market? Every sequential business quarter, Apple sees it's greatest profit and revenue in company history. Mac unit sales are up 50% year over year, at a time when overall PC growth is under 10%. Apple is literally shipping more macs each month then they can even keep up with. There total market share has almost doubled to 7-8%, and when you only take into account consumer PCs over $1,000, they have 50% of the ENTIRE MARKET. They are doing so well, that they are now sitting on cash reserves of over $20 BILLION. They are selling millions more computers than they ever have in history, they own the entire mp3 player and music market, and now they have the most advanced and coveted phone on the market, and you say "its the end of apple" ???? Do you know how incredibly asinine you sound?

"If you are holding Apple stock, sell it now."
This is the best one yet. Apple stock is up over 100% from just 12 month s ago to over $180 a share, and every sequential quarter they are setting new sales and profit records, yet everyone should sell their stock???
Are you a complete moron?


Oh and btw, NO, I don't even own a Mac computer, nor an iPhone.

[Patriks7 @ Jun 2nd 2008 10:41AM]

im kinda lost in this android stuff and all
will android be installed by the phone manufacturer or can u install it on ur own phone?

[SHoe @ Jun 2nd 2008 12:29PM]

Handset manufacturer. The same way it is done with Windows Mobile or Symbian phones.

[lance @ Jun 2nd 2008 10:42AM]

G this baby! hmmm.. didn't your momma tell you it's not nice to start rumors?
oh well, i guess we'll all talk about it anyway, do we really need another phone?
bigger, better, faster, more!

[johcagaorl @ Jun 2nd 2008 10:44AM]

so confusing, though someone at my verizon store claimed they were told they had contracted the google phone....

[Oh Brother @ Jun 2nd 2008 10:44AM]

> Seasoned tech pundit Gary Krakow...

HA HA HA!

HA HA HA!

HA HA HA!

Good one!

HA HA HA!

[OnlyShawn @ Jun 2nd 2008 11:58AM]

extra seasoning because he's rancid?

[Flashpoint @ Jun 2nd 2008 10:44AM]

Apple Fanboys must laugh with glee whenever they see any phone that even attempts to have an interface or icons even remotely resembling the iPhone.


{I know I'm gonna get low ranked, but I'm not sure by who - the mac fanboys or the Engadget readers who hate seeing the word Apple?}

[JJV @ Jun 2nd 2008 10:53AM]

I fail to see how the phone in the photo resembles the iPhones UI in any way at all. Everything is different and just because it says contacts doesnt mean its the same thing as every other phone that has the word contact on its menu screen.

[Dave @ Jun 2nd 2008 10:55AM]

Exactly how does this phone/UI (which btw have nothing at all to do with the eventual future product, except maybe the Google-logo) resemble iPhone in any way??

[riggs @ Jun 2nd 2008 11:00AM]

*STFUPPERCUTS*

[TareX @ Jun 2nd 2008 11:11AM]

OH MY GOD. This is NOT how Android looks, guys.

Check out this video from last week's Android launch conference:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOSk9TW7z-4

Also I made a wallpaper out of Android screenshots! :)
http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/9205/androidwallpaperbrightvp1.jpg

It's actually tons more functional and customizable than the iPhone, which yes, was revolutionary at the time.

[Vidit Bhargava @ Jun 2nd 2008 11:18AM]

then wont you say the background resembles that of vista???

[Scentedflame @ Jun 2nd 2008 11:19AM]

Now when I see a non-Apple engadget article that has nothing to do with Apple, I immediately scan the comments of the article for an Apple-related comment because I know there will be at least one. After that I smile when I see the appropriately "Low ranked" rating beside the comment.

Predictability can be funny.

[Vidit Bhargava @ Jun 2nd 2008 11:25AM]

Scentedflame...i do that too :)
those are the most entertaining of them all

[MBS @ Jun 2nd 2008 11:52AM]

Hmm, you will be low ranked by everybody because your comment just makes no sense whatsoever. Sorry.

[chezzo @ Jun 2nd 2008 12:18PM]

Even if that photo did look anything like the iPhone UI, what you said just doesn't make sense since phones with Android will be completely and utterly customisable.
Amongst the home screens which will be created, there probably will be an iPhone clone (there's no stopping some people), but there will also be many other layouts, looks and functionalities.
iPhone = how Apple wants your phone to behave.
Android = how YOU want your phone to behave.

Or that's what I frantically hope anyway...

[Jinky Williams @ Jun 2nd 2008 12:55PM]

Sounds like you knew your comment was going to cheese people off, and it had no point to it, yet you still made it.

I think perhaps those who have marked you down dislike people spouting off and being inflammatory with no purpose behind it besides wanting to get a rise out of others. It likely has little to do with any tech alliances they may have.

[horizontaleight @ Jun 2nd 2008 12:51PM]

Are there any technology blogs with no comment sections?






And who will be the voice of reason and point out the hypocrisy of this comment?

[Seth A @ Jun 2nd 2008 6:51PM]

You know, there is all this talk about the "Mac Fanboys" but the "Anti-Mac Fanboys Fanboys" are getting pretty bad.

[Technophile @ Jun 2nd 2008 10:52AM]

the OS in that photo is fugly.

[Sledger @ Jun 2nd 2008 11:22AM]

IF google was to make a Gphone, it certenly wouldn't have a pointing pen such as the one in the picture. Touch is the way to go!

[TareX @ Jun 2nd 2008 11:06AM]

Want to make some things clear:

1) This is a mockup, a terrible one too.
2) This is NOT how the OS looks. This was how the SDK looked, 7 months ago.
3) Android OS -not some "gPhone"- is the only thing that is real.

By the way, 2009 is good. This is the era of Nvidia processors, mobile HD, WM7, S60 Touch UI with native flash support.... lots of good things coming next year. Releasing ANY last-gen phone in Q4 2008 would just be poor marketing.

[FluXulF @ Jun 2nd 2008 11:08AM]

@Paul Miller

The "buzz" is naturally on again after the presentation of the HTC Dream a few days... Engadget wrote about it: http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/28/google-demos-the-htc-dream-at-i-o-conference/

Don't you guys read each other's stories?

[Steffen Jobbs @ Jun 2nd 2008 11:13AM]

Good that it's delayed in order to allow WinMo to survive a bit longer. Google might as well take it's time to do some serious development or learn how to reverse-engineer Mobile OS X.

It's obvious that Android wasn't ready for prime time. Just surface glitz and dazzle and no underlying substance. A six month pushback is a major disaster in the handset world.

[TareX @ Jun 2nd 2008 11:20AM]

The article was talking about a possible-rumored gPhone. Not Android.

Android is pretty much complete, and so is the hardware (HTC Dream). It is still scheduled for a late summer/autumn release.

[Vames @ Jun 2nd 2008 11:45AM]

You do know that it is actually the Google branded phone that will be delayed right? Just checking if you were reading the article here!

[Wwhat @ Jun 2nd 2008 12:35PM]

Correction: non-existing not planned google branded phone that is 'delayed'

[Teetdogs @ Jun 2nd 2008 1:26PM]

You posts just get dumber and dumber, all that steve jobs prick sucking must kill brain cells.

[Craig @ Jun 2nd 2008 11:17AM]

I call shenanigans.

[thatrotierkid @ Jun 2nd 2008 11:48AM]

I'm going to pistol whip the next guy who says shenanigans

[Craig @ Jun 2nd 2008 1:25PM]

On your threat I call shenanig *BOFF!* thud

[Kent Pribbernow @ Jun 2nd 2008 11:29AM]

"Seasoned tech pundit Gary Krakow"

What is he...a rotisserie chicken? I prefer my pundits slow roasted over an open pit, coated in tangy bar-b-que sauce.

[Chris @ Jun 2nd 2008 11:54AM]

Mmmm...seasoned tech pundit. My mouth is watering.

[Blacksheep @ Jun 2nd 2008 11:44AM]

It would be great if there were G-Phone. I assume, with Google's open source attitude, that it would be an unlocked phone, or come in unlocked versions, that could be easily utilized on any phone providers network.

That would be great anyway, as I'm tired of phone's I want being "exclusive" to other carriers when I'm actually happy with my service overall. It would just be nice to be able to get the new blackberry, or whatever new phone sometimes.

[PS3guy @ Jun 2nd 2008 11:59AM]

I hate phone with a stylus.

[Wwhat @ Jun 2nd 2008 12:38PM]

And I hate phones without wires, they are shifty!

(You are right though, a stylus is deemed annoying and makes you look silly to boot most often I'm told)

Of course this picture is merely an artistic article placeholder and should not be seen as anything else/

[Matt @ Jun 2nd 2008 11:51AM]

So this looks basically like a touchscreen blackjack {euro edition}

[Yakownski @ Jun 2nd 2008 11:57AM]

Another nail in Palm coffin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[t3_slider @ Jun 2nd 2008 1:30PM]

Does Palm really need another nail? It's taken them years just to port Linux to a phone. I don't think they have much of a chance anyway.

[eggothewaffle @ Jun 2nd 2008 12:42PM]

What would be awesome is a slim Android phone with all those nifty N96 features, a 3" to 3.5" screen, and comes in both touchscreen and QWERTY keyboard flavors.

Because, sometimes it's just easier to use a portable BT keyboard than struggle with a tiny on-phone physical keyboard.

[NutMac @ Jun 2nd 2008 12:53PM]

I hoped Google to show more originality than what was demonstrated. Hopefully, we'll see more dramatic transformation in coming months, but this is a bit sad given all the hype. That said, it is great to see increased competition.

[Maestro @ Jun 2nd 2008 12:53PM]

There's no H sound in wait...Just ask Stewie...