Will Google's Phone Change Mobile Marketing?
News broke this week that Google, the search giant, is entering the smart phone market with its own device. The phone made by HTC, has the potential to greatly impact mobile marketing in 2010. The phone is poised for wide adoption because it is back by Google, but more importantly is the fact that it is being sold without a contract to be used with the customers choice of carrier. It will also use Google Voice, a VOIP service to make and receive voice call over the web. This means that for Internet and unlimited call users would pay around $30 a month and have no contract.
This price point drastically undercuts current cell phone pricing and could see the phone and its operating system Android reach mainstream adoption. This potentially changes the way many companies and web services view Android. Until now it has been seen as niche player in the mobile software space. With this new device companies may be forced to move up development priorities for Android applications in order to meet consumer demand.
