Google G1 phone: UK queues up for Google G1
Hundreds of people across the country have queued from as early as 7am today as the Google G1 phone - the internet search giant's first mobile handset - hit the shops.
The G1 is the search giant's first foray into the world of mobile phones, and will attempt to rival the iPhone.
A spokeswoman for T-Mobile, which is offering the phone, said that the first queues formed at 5am outside the T-Mobile shop on Oxford Street, London.
More than 25,000 people had already registered their interest since the phone was unveiled in New York last month, she added.
The G1 comes free with a £40-a-month contract and boasts a number of high-end features including global satellite positioning, wireless internet access and built-in support for a number of Google applications.
It represents a risky departure for Google as it attempts to move into the lucrative mobile phone market and take on rivals such as Nokia, BlackBerry and Microsoft. But the G1's major competition looks set to be Apple's iPhone.
Andy Burgess, a software programmer from Farringdon, London, was the first to emerge from the Oxford Street shop with a phone.
He said: "Being the first person in the UK to own this mobile phone is amazing - I'm going to be popular at work! I've been waiting for this phone for months and I knew I had to be the first to own it."
Despite the excitement over the launch, reaction to the G1 so far has been mixed. In the US retailers are already starting to slash the G1's price to boost sales.
Leading gadget blog Gizmodo said that it was not the finished article but represented "a good start", while technology review site CNET called it "weird"‚ and said it was "not quite there yet".
Ernest Doku, from mobile phone comparison website Omio.com, said: "Despite the popularity of the Google brand, the G1's design lacks the inherent 'cool' factor that made the iPhone 3G such a mass market success for Apple.
"The launch of the G1 is important not only because it's Google's first foray into the mobile market but because it's also the launch of an entirely new mobile phone operating system.
"Android is the equivalent of releasing an alternative to Microsoft's Windows - and equally as risky."
T-Mobile UK managing director Jim Hyde said: "It's set to revolutionise the way we use the internet on our mobiles.
"It's uniquely built for effortless online communication whether you want to email, text or blog, and with access to some groundbreaking applications on Android Market, the possibilities really are endless."
source
The G1 is the search giant's first foray into the world of mobile phones, and will attempt to rival the iPhone.
A spokeswoman for T-Mobile, which is offering the phone, said that the first queues formed at 5am outside the T-Mobile shop on Oxford Street, London.
More than 25,000 people had already registered their interest since the phone was unveiled in New York last month, she added.
The G1 comes free with a £40-a-month contract and boasts a number of high-end features including global satellite positioning, wireless internet access and built-in support for a number of Google applications.
It represents a risky departure for Google as it attempts to move into the lucrative mobile phone market and take on rivals such as Nokia, BlackBerry and Microsoft. But the G1's major competition looks set to be Apple's iPhone.
Andy Burgess, a software programmer from Farringdon, London, was the first to emerge from the Oxford Street shop with a phone.
He said: "Being the first person in the UK to own this mobile phone is amazing - I'm going to be popular at work! I've been waiting for this phone for months and I knew I had to be the first to own it."
Despite the excitement over the launch, reaction to the G1 so far has been mixed. In the US retailers are already starting to slash the G1's price to boost sales.
Leading gadget blog Gizmodo said that it was not the finished article but represented "a good start", while technology review site CNET called it "weird"‚ and said it was "not quite there yet".
Ernest Doku, from mobile phone comparison website Omio.com, said: "Despite the popularity of the Google brand, the G1's design lacks the inherent 'cool' factor that made the iPhone 3G such a mass market success for Apple.
"The launch of the G1 is important not only because it's Google's first foray into the mobile market but because it's also the launch of an entirely new mobile phone operating system.
"Android is the equivalent of releasing an alternative to Microsoft's Windows - and equally as risky."
T-Mobile UK managing director Jim Hyde said: "It's set to revolutionise the way we use the internet on our mobiles.
"It's uniquely built for effortless online communication whether you want to email, text or blog, and with access to some groundbreaking applications on Android Market, the possibilities really are endless."
source
Posts
The G1 and Android is not about Google making cash from selling phones, it's about Google taking control of the mobile advertising market ahead of it maturing in the next 3 to 4 years.
ReplyDeleteThey already control 90% of the UK internet search market giving them a virtual monopoly in pay per click search advertising and they are keen to do the same in mobile.