Google Phone Is a Collection of Apps

After having a dedicated application on Apple's iPhone, YouTube made a deal with LG and, by the end of this year, we'll see LG phones that let you upload, view and share YouTube videos. "LG Electronics will unveil a mobile handset that fully supports the YouTube service for the first time in Europe in the second half of this year," said an LG representative.

LG has already launched LG-KU580, a phone preloaded with Google mobile apps (Gmail, Google Maps) and shortcuts to Google's sites. "We know Google services are not good for all cell phones due to screens being too small in comparison to a PC monitor, and mobile data transmission is too expensive. However, Google provides a mobile-specific service lineup. As a result, handset users will be able to enjoy a decent service," was honest to admit an LG official.

As phones start to feel more like real computers and mobile browsers like iPhone's Safari, Opera Mini or Nokia S60 Browser render the web pages closer to a desktop browser, the Java applications that emulate web sites will become unnecessary. So maybe Google should focus on creating a smart mobile browser instead of service-specific applications.

"Becoming an equipment manufacturer is pretty far from our business model On the other hand, we're very interested in the platforms that other people are building. We are quite eager to be part of the mobile revolution," said Vinton Cerf, Google's chief internet evangelist, in March. And Google's list of mobile-optimized services grows every day, but there's nothing revolutionary in the lite version of a site.