Friday, December 21, 2012

Google making big waves in 2013

A few days after my prediction that Google Voice will be free for 2013, another person at CNBC put it all together.  Google will lead a phone price war in 2013. This fits well with my prediction.  That Google is after something big and Google Voice is part of its overall strategy.  Charging for Google Voice isn't worth it's time and effort.

I just find out that Republic Wireless offer $19 per month for unlimited everything!  The phone is Moto Android at $250.  It will automatically use wi-fi if available.  It is of course a Sprint reseller.

Firstly, the unlimited data is a bit suspicious.  I don't think it's 4G, but 3G.  Sprint is struggling, rolling out services like this and the landline replacement immobile cell phone at Walmart.  You can see how Google works.  It owns Moto.  Moto may not be that profitable, but with the "custom" hardware, the Republic Wireless plan cannot work, and Google cannot increase it's presence.  A guy in the same newspaper said Google have no mobile strategy.  What?  Android is staring in his face.  Window mobile OS has a long way to catch up even if it works.  And Apple have nothing.  Unless it has some secret innovations, it is just a phone maker and now the phones from China are below $199 with better specs than the iPhone 5.  (though no 4G)

Once the monthly charge drops significantly below the $30 mark and for reasonable usage like unlimited, more people will drop their landline.  Your are better off buying an extra cell phone.  The Walmart plans will only work if they give you better voice quality than cell calls, perhaps via data network.  They didn't say so.  For $99 you get an adapter.  For $250, you get an Android.

The same article said VOIP won the landline war, and VOIP via mobile data will do the same.  I sort of agree but there is no profit in it for big guys to provide VOIP for low volume residential lines.  There is no obvious winners in this market.  There is just confusion and doubt.  I totally agree that you only need data, and the mobile bill can be slashed by 2/3!

That supports my Android for landline plan.  It's mobile VOIP but I don't intend to take out, so I'm not paying a dime for service, other than my ISP.  If they have a data plan only for a few dollars a month, I'll try it.  All carriers and resellers force you to buy something you don't need.  Even Republic Wireless force you to buy their Moto sprint phone.

But Sprint (Virgin) prepaid Anodrid phones are well below the $100 mark.

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