Google's new market strategy follow-up: Apple removes Google as default search engine on the iPhone?

Yup, there's a rumour out that in the future, Google's search engine wont be the default search engine on the applephone, also known as the iPhone. In my view, this is naturally proof to my beliefs that by entering the mobile phone industry (in addition to mobile app industry), Google's started to make enemies out of old compadres.

First to report was Engadget, although I imagine this is popping up all over the web. While I'm not entirely sure what 'bunging' is exactly, it's worth checking out Engadget's story here.

To me this is particularly important, because this is probably an example of what will happen in the future. Apple made a big commitment to Google by including Google's search engine as the default in the browser (and later in the OS itself with 3G S, v. 3.0 OS) and by making Google Maps the default and therefore Only mapping program on the phone. In my view, Apple probably got a bit pissed about Google Navigation as well, as it was exclusively for the Motorola DROID only, and is at the moment by far the best mapping program there was. Perhaps Nexus One was the final drop for Apple.

Whatcha' doin', Google?


(c) Christopher Peake

A take on Google's strategy: all good things come to an end.

oogle soared to everyone's consciousness with their self-titled, ground-breaking on-line search engine, that single-handedly ended the feud between AltaVista and Yahoo for search-engine dominance. Later came the acquisition of already popular on-line services such as YouTube and other social media orientated services. Then we slowly became used to free applications on basically all of our devices. There was Google Earth for our PCs and later the Chrome OS and there was Google Maps for our cellphones. Now the giant has moved on to releasing their own device the Nexus One being the latest example of this, naturally sporting Google's own software and operating system. What will Google focus on next?

In this entry I will discuss my views on Google's apparent strategies to begin selling services and the devices that use those services, instead of collaborating with other device manufacturers by providing only the software for their devices. I will envision the future, which to me looks very Googly indeed. But as suggested in the title, I have a feel that all good things will come to an end.

Whatcha doin', Google?

Google's received some due criticism over the decision to begin manufacturing devices, browsers and operating systems instead of providing only services for existing browsers and platforms. Well, not so much criticism, but some puzzled opinions about why Google is turning its former partners into enemies by starting to compete with them. Apple's iPhone made Google Maps the default mapping software on the phone and Mozilla made the Google search the default search engine in their Firefox browser. Now Google's entered the cell phone market with Nexus One and continues to release versions of Google Navigation only for phones with Google's own mobile OS, the Android. Samsung, HTC and numerous other device manufacturers have placed their trust in Google and put Android on their devices. The devices can't live without software, but the software definitely can't live without devices that use them. Google's also got its own browser entirely, leaving Mozilla in the shade in their future plans. Or so it seems, at least.

The future prophecy

Google's even been reported to show an interest in becoming an electricity company, providing 'greener energy for us all'. OK, nice idea, but you're a search engine company, are you not? Well not for long. This expansion into virtually every realm of the tech world will, of course mean that we will be seeing Google, well, everywhere. Now inherently this isn't a bad thing, because people use Google products for the reason that they are good products. Still there's no competition for Google's search engine or Google Maps, for example, because Google is also keen on upgrading its services constantly.

I think that in the future though, Google won't have anything to do with distributing it's software for free, because it won't have a partner's platform to do it on. The software itself will probably remain free, but you will need to pay Google for the platform or device the program runs on. In my view the biggest reason for Google's success in all things internet has been the reason that they've been free . Well, not entirely free, we've given our personal information out to Google (whether we realise it or not) and so that advertisers can bombard us with ads that might interest us, as we've told them our interests.

On the internet there's a constant trend of people using services that are free and once those services become something you have to pay for, they will discontinue using that service and another service provider will take its place. I think that this is what will eventually happen to Google as well. If Google continues to limit its applications to 'Google only* platforms, people will move on, although of course many people will pay the price.

So what is my prophecy exactly? Well, it is this: Google will become even more popular and widely used service provider in the future. However, I see that there's only a certain extent to which Google can, a) continue to offer its services for free, and b) expect people to stay on board once we get to the point where to get the max out of Google programs you need to pay something. So I see that Google will continue to grow for the next, well let's say 3-5 years. If Google,however decides to go ahead an attempt to provide people with the device and the software and claim most of the market to itself , it will begin to lose people using its products. This is because at this stage Google will have had divided people into two groups: customers and non-customers. Naturally only the former get to use Google products.

© Christopher Peake 2010

What exactly does the 'Nexus One' mean?

Google the search-engine giant released the 'Nexus One' as a 'Google Phone', although the device it self was manufactured by one of Google's compadres, HTC. Sporting the latest and greatest Android OS version 2.1, the sales in the first weeks of Nexus' life have been slow.

So what is the meaning of the Nexus One overall? Answering a question like this accurately so early on in the life of the device would be like having the answer to the question of the meaning of life. In this entry I will share my thoughts on the 'Nexus' and attempt to envision the phone's significance today and in the long run.

Here in the now

Even before its launch the 'Nexus' gathered noticeable attention, as the phone leaked out months before its release, catching the attention of mobile hardware bloggers around the world. It turned out that Google had given prototypes(?) of the device to its employees and what resulted was this quite natural flow of grainy, low-quality images to the world wide web for everyone to wonder and drool over.

To me this stunt of giving the phone out to employers was a hype-creating gimmick. In other words Google wanted for those images to leak out. There's nothing more exciting to a tech enthusiast than the promise of new and best of all unreleased tech to get him claiming 'first!'ies everywhere he went. This strategy from Google ensured that by the time 'Nexus' was finally released, everybody who wanted to be anybody in the mobile enthusiast world knew exactly what the 'Nexus One' was.

The device doesn't amaze with it's technological specs, as it hasn't entered the race of dumping the fastest technology on board nor has it entered the race in display size, where the other HTC devide, the HD2 is currently the winner. LG has larger displays than what's on the HD2, but since their success hasn't been anywhere near the success of the HD2, I won't mention them here (d'oh! Too late). Therefore the hardware isn't 'that something' of this device.

On the other hand, neither is the software something to go crazy over. Even though the device sports the latest Android to date (2.1), the new version of the OS doesn't bring much that is new to the table. There's a touch of Swype technology on it, the cool but US-only Google Navigation and of course the general open-endedness that is Android, but nothing whe haven't seen on other devices already. The device to notoriously introduce Google Navigation DROID was the Motorola that still succeeds in selling well and being generally a certain kind of trendsetter in most circles. So there's really nothing here to simply blow anyone away, at least not a tech enthusiast.

In the future there will be robots

So then, what is the significance of 'Nexus' when thinking of things to come? Well, obviously the 'Nexus' is currently suffering from customer reported 3G problems and Google isn't doing a very good job of running their customer service department. This whole 3G issue could scare most people away from buying the device, as bad news always spreads like wildfire. In addition, for me the lack of a physical QWERTY keyboard and somewhat plain appearance will reduce sales in my opinion.

So the 'Nexus One' won't be a great seller for Google. It doesn't mark a total failure for the megacorporation either. I believe, that the 'Nexus' has been to a big extent more a test trial for Google on releasing a phone. They tried out generating hype with the "leaking pictures" trick and obviously they didn't want to jam pack the device full of the latest technology to make it a wet dream for all the tech geeks interested in this industry. Although its always the majority market you need to win over to make any product successful, the plain and unimaginatyive Android user interface and the appearance of the physical device doesn't seem like they would attract the masses.

All this leads me to believe, that we are yet to see the real 'Google phone', as the 'Nexus' was in all honesty a rather half-assed effort to release a game changing phone, which it certainly isn't. Also, I think that even the greatest plan for this "real" Google phone might fail or be compromised, because of Google having such big friends in the industry, by having made deals with just about every manufactirer besides Nokia to put Android on their devices.

Does Google really want to get into a situation where it in essence competes with its associates?

(C) Christopher Peake 2010

Written entirely on the N900 and MaStory blogging client!