The InformationWeek -- Blogs
Over The Air

Topics:   Google : Mobile

  • Email this page E-mail this page
  • Print this page Print this page
  • Bookmark and Share
  • icon

Poll: Majority Would Buy Google Or Yahoo-Branded Mobile Device


Posted by Eric Zeman, May 11, 2007 10:33 AM

A recent study by The Equs Group shows that 55.5% of U.S. consumers would purchase a mobile device made by Google or Yahoo if such hardware existed. That's a lot of trust in brands that have no history in actually designing, engineering and manufacturing mobile devices.

The results of Equs' study shed some interesting color on the strength of certain brands. A couple of months ago, "the Google phone" was all the rage on rumor sites and blogs. Everyone thought they had an inside lead on a new mobile device from Google, and some even named intended manufacturers of the device. None of the rumors panned out, or at least Google really hasn't confirmed anything substantive. I can't say I've ever seen a rumor about a Yahoo-branded mobile phone.

What I want to know is what instills such trust among consumers in the Google and Yahoo brands that a majority said they'd buy a phone from them? Twenty-one percent of respondents said they would not buy such a device, and the remaining 23% were undecided. What has convinced 55.5% of people that Google or Yahoo could get it right?

Equs CEO Al Nazareli said, “In addition to these findings, we also found that 69% of consumers currently use mobile search tools on their mobile phones. Because search functionality is so highly utilized by mobile phone users, Google and Yahoo! are uniquely well-positioned to enter the mobile device market and may have an advantage over other consumer brands looking to enter the space.”

Is mobile search that important to people? According to Equs' numbers, yes. Nearly 69% of respondents regularly use mobile search tools on their phones. There must be a perception that Yahoo or Google branded devices would offer a superior search experience. Would that really be the case? Hard to say. Mobile search tools are widely available to many phones. What could a Google or Yahoo piece of hardware do to further improve upon what's already out in the market?

I mean, we already have mobile browser-based search, SMS-based search, and even voice-based mobile search. What's next, search engines that read your mind and answer you before you've even sent the question?

« RIM, Motorola Ready To Rumble With iPhone | Main | Will Black Be The New Green For The Web? »



Sign Up Now
For InformationWeek News Alerts




This is a public forum. United Business Media and its affiliates are not responsible for and do not control what is posted herein. United Business Media makes no warranties or guarantees concerning any advice dispensed by its staff members or readers.

Community standards in this comment area do not permit hate language, excessive profanity, or other patently offensive language. Please be aware that all information posted to this comment area becomes the property of United Business Media LLC and may be edited and republished in print or electronic format as outlined in United Business Media's Terms of Service.

Important Note: This comment area is NOT intended for commercial messages or solicitations of business.




 
Mobile Video


Sign Up For The Over The Air Newsletter
Every Friday, our experts and analysts explore the business, strategy, and management issues most important to mobile and wireless technology.

Sign up for our free, weekly newsletter today!

Newsletter Archives



  1. Actors, Messages and Low Lock Contention for Java
  2. Of Course The Transformers are Multicore with SMT technology
  3. Find John Fast!!


Join The InformationWeek Group On LinkedIn


                           


  1. Why I'm Dropping Bing For Google
  2. 3G iPhone Burns User
  3. 64-Bit Firefox: What's Your Hurry?
  4. So Long, And Thanks, Google Earth, For All The Fish
  5. Windows 7 Pricing: How Much Lower?


  1. Review: Apple's Speedy iPhone 3GS
  2. Tech Innovation USA: From Resilient Networks To Self-Scheduling Devices
  3. How Government's Driving Cloud Computing Ahead
  4. Government As Early Adopter
  5. InformationWeek Analytics: Data Loss Prevention
  6. Strategic Security: Web Single Sign-On

 

  Ars Technica
Boing Boing
Channel 9 Forums
CRN Blogs
Dr.Dobb's Portal: Blogs
Engadget
Gizmodo
GrokLaw
  Lifehacker
Schneier on Security
Slashdot
TechCrunch
Techdirt
Techmeme
Valleywag

  DECEMBER 2008
NOVEMBER 2008
OCTOBER 2008
SEPTEMBER 2008
AUGUST 2008
JULY 2008
JUNE 2008
MAY 2008
  APRIL 2008
MARCH 2008
FEBRUARY 2008
JANUARY 2008
DECEMBER 2007
NOVEMBER 2007
OCTOBER 2007
SEPTEMBER 2007