What do AllThingsDigital's Walt Mossberg, David Pogue of The New York Times, eWEEK's own Andrew Garcia and Google co-founder Sergey Brin have in common?
They all offered reviews of the T-Mobile G1, the first smart phone based on Google's Android mobile operating system.
Brin's review came during Google's Q3 third quarter earnings call and he deftly eased into an Android phone pitch Oct. 16. Brin told financial analysts and journalists on the Q3 call:
I've been using mine for a few months now as my primary phone and
it's been very, very helpful. It really integrates Google services very
nicely on the phone. It has a really great Web browser. I'm able to
search and browse through my Gmail just as if I was at my desktop. The
G1 is just the first of a number of phones that will hopefully be
running Android. You should take note of all the partners we've built
under the Open Handset Alliance. I'd encourage you all to try it out
and if it suits your needs then please by all means get an Android
phone.
OK, so Brin's review was skimpy, particularly when you compare it
to the way Mossberg, Pogue and Garcia put the G1 gadget through the
ringer yesterday. But you have to admire Brin's sales chops, telling
people first how well the G1 suited his needs, and then promising more
phones will be on the way to meet other users' needs.
Brin also used his time to tout Google's Chrome Web browser, which
enjoyed a meteoric rise for a week or two after its Sept. 1 launch, but
has faded to only about a 1.5 percent adoption rate according to GetClicky.
Brin said Chrome is great for Web services thanks to its speedy V8
JavaScript engine and strong process model, allowing users to kill a
balky tab without degrading the browser's performance.
Brin's spiel was one of the more interesting happenings during a very
business-as-usual conference call for Google, which enjoyed a 26
percent profit hike and reported sound advertising sales even as we
slide deeper into a recession.
Google CEO Eric Schmidt stopped short of calling Google
recession-proof, but noted that Google's search ad business and immense
Web
presence bolster the search engine giant's position in a volatile
market:
We're very realistic about the macroeconomic climate, but we're
optimistic about Google's future because we're confident about the
enduring power and value of the Web. We're finding that a lot of people
are moving to the Internet, they're moving toward more targeted
advertising, they're using information in a smarter way. Google is one
of the significant beneficiaries of that. We fundamentally believe that
users will always want information and need to communicate and
advertisers will always value relevant and very measurable advertising,
which of course, these are Google's core strengths.
At least Schmidt is now acknowledging the financial crisis instead
of taking the "what, me worry?" stance. Moreover, it's hard to argue with
his logic about the Internet. People aren't going to stop using the
Internet.
Schmidt is fond of saying that cost-conscious consumers will try to
bargain shop online, availing themselves to more Google search ads,
boosting Google's core business.
I agree, but I also submit that if we begin to see a lot of layoffs,
in high-tech and other vertical markets, more people will flock online
to peruse every job site imaginable. Advertising on Monster and other
sites will skyrocket and Google will continue to profit from search
keyword ad sales.
What is less clear is how the economy will impact display
advertising, a segment Yahoo leads and an area Google is trying to
improve through its DoubleClick and YouTube acquisitions. Brin said on
the call that targeting, or reaching the right people, will be the key
for display ads going forward.
"We still see this as an area that is ripe for development and
innovation, and we think that we can continue to create great tools for
display," Brin said. This, he added, includes AdSense for games, feeds
and video.
Google needs to put all these display ad buckets together and show us how they work.
/ 14 
Enterprise Mobility News & Reviews 
