What Should Google Mobile Do Next?
December 20th, 2007 (6:00am) Judi Sohn 19 Comments
For me as a Blackberry user, it has been nice to see how well Google has embraced mobility with their applications. More than simply adapting their web applications for a variety of mobile browsers, they’ve managed to create a strong presence on every corner of my device. Personally, I don’t use all these services because they’re from Google. I use them because I’m more productive on the go with them than I was without them.
The new Maps application with My Location is outstanding. The Gmail client is faster than the previous version and very usable. I can get search results via SMS. An event I add on a Google calendar shows up in my Blackberry’s native calendar a minute later, thanks to the new sync capability that Om likes as much as I do. I kill time on long holiday lines by catching up on Reader feeds.
And this is well before Google’s own phone initiative is anything but a concept for developers.
As Google expands their supported platforms and applications in the mobile space, what do you want them to tackle next? Sync for Windows Mobile calendar? Gmail contact syncing? Stand-alone Reader or Docs? More iPhone-friendly browser applications?
19 Comments Post your own comment
Rick O says: December 20th, 2007 6:14am
I’d kill to have the Gmail app integrate with my cellphone’s camera. Opera Mini is supposed to be able to do it, but it isn’t quite there yet. I can, in theory, email myself a pic using the phone’s client and then forward it on with the Gmail client … but that just seems so kludgy.
Josh says: December 20th, 2007 6:18am
It’d be sweet if they fixed the issue of blank messages coming through IMAP on WM5 and 6 devices.
Other than that I’d second syncing google calender.
MSfromtheOC says: December 20th, 2007 7:01am
Google – PLEASE sync contacts. I want off Outlook as soon as possible.
Stephen says: December 20th, 2007 7:16am
I would like to see Google sync the contact list and task from my device.
Gerrit says: December 20th, 2007 7:49am
The first thing they should do is fix it so that Google Aps users can use Mobile without a Blackberry. I know that there anren’t many of us left without them, but still, it would be nice….
Fred says: December 20th, 2007 7:52am
They should fix their existing offerings before they introduce new ones. Make Gmail IMAP work with WM devices. Fix Maps’ Find My Location for devices that don’t report tower information the way Google likes (i.e. Blackjack, Q). Create a signed Gmail app so AT&T users can install it, or release a WM version the way they did for Maps. Fix the Mobile Reader page so it doesn’t make Pocket IE crash when marking all items as read. Google is great if you have an iPhone and maddeningly frustrating if you don’t.
Jason Berberich says: December 20th, 2007 8:36am
Like MSfromtheOC and Stephen, contact sync is the biggest and most obvious gap to fill.
I’d also like to see a real Google Reader app instead of relying on the mobile browser version. It’s a pain to use with my Pearl, since you can’t navigate the screen by using numeric keypad. With a standalone app, maybe they could stream the feeds continuously to the screen while making it easier to read full length posts.
Devin Reams says: December 20th, 2007 9:08am
I’ve always thought Google needs to work on a to-do list solution. Synchronizing it to my Blackberry would be brilliant.
Pete says: December 20th, 2007 10:24am
Sync-ML capabilities would be great for calendar, tasks, contacts, etc.
Plus I would love to be able to manage tasks on my phone for when I don’t have computer access. Let me enter my to-do’s/grocery store items on a Google website through my computer and then through sync-ML, have it sync with my phone’s integrated task functionality to reference when I am out and about.
BrilliantExpos says: December 20th, 2007 10:47am
How about syncing to my Nokia Symbian device? Also syncing with Mail.app for Macs.
Jamie says: December 20th, 2007 11:20am
As others have said, Google would make a lot of us very happy if it were to develop a mobile app to sync mobile phone calendars with Google Calendar. Most desktop apps that support iCal (which rules out Outlook) can probably already do this but there’s not much available for smartphones.
What Should Google Mobile Do Next? Fix the Broken Stuff. « Short Nerd Chief says: December 20th, 2007 11:55am
[...] Google Maps, Google Reader, Opera Mini, Windows Mobile Judi Sohn at Web Worker Daily wants to know What Should Google Mobile Do Next? As Google expands their supported platforms and applications in the mobile space, what do you [...]
AlexC says: December 20th, 2007 12:19pm
Ditto on the contact sync.
It would really be nice if Google Calendar offered CalDAV support, in place of the one-way iCal/XML support. It would help in a big way to remove businesses’ reliance on MS Exchange Servers.
Having a 3rd party app on the iPhone to sync its useless calendar would be nice too.
Rick says: December 20th, 2007 12:32pm
Make it work with more carriers. Since Google won’t sign the Gmail app and t-Mobile won’t allow an unsigned app to run, I’m screwed. Yes, I want contact syncing etc… but I can’t really care about that until I can use it in the first place. Signing an app seems so basic that it’s frustrating I *still* cannot even run Gmail on my T-Mobile phone. Even if this is partially a T-Mobile issue, I’d like to see Google work with them to resolve the issue.
Robert says: December 20th, 2007 3:36pm
As others have said, contact syncing is the BIG one that’s missing. Notebook would be nice, too. I mean, Yahoo can do it, so really, Google is playing catch-up here.
…then again, Yahoo’s calendar and notes interface are just plain yucky.
HeavyLight says: December 20th, 2007 5:01pm
Has anybody noticed how many Symbian users there are outside of the US?
– The numbers make Crackberry and iPhone usage look plain silly.
If Google don’t pull their proverbial finger out and release Symbian apps for Gmail, Gcal (or GSync) and GTalk, current users will head to the growing “independent” producers.
And why does GMail IMAP still take soooooo long to get any data from the servers?
rowanrook says: December 22nd, 2007 2:00pm
I am guessing that when an Android phone comes out, it will address most of these issues. After all, why would Google make other phone OS’s work better with their services when they can roll their own. It’s not Goog that needs to get the proverbial finger out: it’s carriers and phone manufacturers with their kludgy designs and walled gardens. That said, I echo the votes for contact sync. And oververall tighter integration of services. It’s ridiculous to have to sign in more than once.
The Law of Mobility » Blog Archive » Business Models: December 2007 says: December 28th, 2007 1:57am
[...] What Should Google Mobile Do Next? [...]
rick says: January 3rd, 2008 9:32am
It’s just a matter of time before Google adds contact sync!!!! Add Yahoo! Go, to your list of applications and it will sync your contact, calendar, email upload pictures all OTA. I’m not a fan of Yahoo until now because this app Rocks and is very smooth. Lastly, T-Mobile users unable to use unsigned app? I’m with T-Mobile and run them all the time on my pearl 8100 unsigned. You have to fork out $19.99 per month for t-mobile bis, which put you on blackberry servers.