Google Phone: Whenever It Comes, It Will Be Great For Developing Countries

Posted by Andrew Meyer on August 31, 2007

Man, it seems like every blog I’ve read over the past week or so has been buzzing about the ever-elusive Google Phone a.k.a. Gphone. Engadget says Google is talking with Indian telcos. Michael Arrington says the GPhone will be much different than the iPhone. CrunchGear said it has an exclusive source tipping it that the Gphone is coming out of Taiwan. And, Om Malik thinks the Gphone will take on the $100 PC.

Maybe it will never rear its Google head and stay hidden like the Red October or Sasquatch. But, if it ever surfaces its going to be instrumental in bringing a lot of developing countries online (where they will use Google services).

Om Malik hits a very strong point in saying the Gphone will take on the $100 PC. This should be a no-brainer as personal computers are expensive, bulky and mostly impractical to third-world users. A Gphone with a connection to Internet would provide a low-income user with plenty of useful apps and services like Google Maps, Skype and search.

I think that Google really wants to bring information to everyone. And, I think that they would work really hard to put their mobile device in as many hands as possible so that those people could use their information-accessing services (which they would monetize).

People in extremely poor, rural areas are at a severe disadvantage, among other reasons, right off the bat by not having access to the Internet. I like to think that access to the Internet provides true leverage to people. When you have access to information and are given a voice you are empowered in strong ways. The Gphone would help to bring this leveraging access to developing nations.

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