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Big article on the front page of the NYT business section about Andrew Rubin - formerly of Apple, WebTV, Danger (creators of the Sidekick,) and now director of mobile platforms at Google. In other words, he's in charge of the Google phone, which isn't itself a phone but a mobile operating system (a modified version of Linux) that phone handset manufacturers can use to run their products. There isn't any information in the article about the phone because Google is still not talking about it, but if we believe the Wall St. Journal an announcement from them is very near. There will be a ton of press about this, so I guess the Times is just jumping to the head of the line with this background piece on the man running the show.
I have a bunch of thoughts on this, but no time to get them down. Maybe I'll leave some comments here over the next few days. But one thing that really struck me, although it's not touched on in the article, is the extent to which Google and Apple, while competing with each other, may create the perfect storm which disrupts the rather staid telecom industry.
The speculation, especially given Rubin's background, and Google's track record with open eco systems, is that the Google mobile OS will be *very* open to 3rd party development. Telecoms don't necessarily like open products because they are dinosaurs intent on bringing their own destruction with the unholy alliance of closed platforms and user hostile product designs. Apple tends towards the closed side, but is very strong on design (both physical and UI.) I think this might lead to an interesting struggle where the consumer will be the winner.
If it wasn't for Apple and the iPhone, I think the telecoms might line up against Google, and just not permit phones running the Google operating system to connect to their networks. But because of the iPhone's success I think they will be more open to it as the non AT&T operators search for a counter to AT&T's iPhone exclusive. So that's one win. But then, in the other direction, it may well be the case that the openness of the Google platform will tip Apple - which presently seems to be trying to exactly straddle the line - over into the more open camp. Another win for consumers. We get better phones, with better design, more open to outside development - and the cellular operators wind up with less control. I like.