Google Lays (Partially) Bare Intentions For Mobile Future

Google topped $700 yesterday afternoon. (As of 10:42AM EST today, it’s still there.) What a climber, eh?

And I’m sure many of you (if not all) know just why it managed to do so. It’s all because of a successive developments the company’s revealed that are just oh so chock full o’ good news.

There was the revelation delivered yesterday of plans to infiltrate get friendly with a great many social-minded Web businesses – and vice versa. And now it’s been reported – by the Wall Street Journal, among other publications – that the company is well along with its “Gphone” project, and is currently in serious talks with a range of wireless networks, including Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile. (Hmm, wanna throw around theories as to why AT&T wasn’t mentioned? Lay ‘em out in the comments.)

Serious talks about what? Well, its suite of software, of course. It’s even more clear what Google intends to do in the mobile market. In essence, it is to deliver its own platform, upon which the company’s Web applications – Docs, Calendar, Mail, etc. – will to operate on wireless handsets, in order to influence the market as strongly as possible and, of course, capitalize immensely on its success. The mobile world is getting bigger by the minute, after all. Google’s simply making sure it’s got a place for itself reserved at the ballpark.

Which handsets? No clues have been given as to the identity of that puzzle piece, but I presume Mountain View will strike up (or may have already done so) some deal with HTC or some other manufacturer to ensure that the Google can brand compliant devices as it wishes.

Now, I know what a good number of you are likely wondering now: When will you be able to get your hands on one of those delectable items Google’s now officially slated to offer? Well, not soon. But not too far into the future, either, I suspect.

There are now predictions floating about the Web that designate summer 2008 as the window in which we’ll see something tangible, and perhaps even ready to sell. You can wait about 9 months or so, right? No? Oh well. Tough noogies.

In addition to the news of Google’s talks with American and European carriers (I didn’t mention so earlier, but Vodafone is definitely interested in partnering up), the WSJ also said that handset makers would see the Google release “within two weeks” an assortment of “new software and services that (they) could use to build customized Google-powered phones.” You know, to help them get their bearings over the project well in advance of any solid release dates.

To close this tasty little piece, I thought I’d leave you to speculate (as I undoubtedly will in the weeks ahead) about what that will come of that 700MHz auction in January that the FCC will be holding. As you’re well privy to, there are some “open access” requirements now to be maintained by the winner of a portion of the spectrum, and Google did make it known in the recent past its interest in seeing to it that that portion made it into the right hands, as it were. So now that you know what you know, what do you think is going to happen over the course of, say, the next few months?

Do let us know what you come up with in the comments. Conspiracy theories are welcome, of course.

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