Big picture: Motorola joins Kodak, Google

The Chicago Tribune reports that Motorola is partnering with Kodak and Google, "moves that underscore the growing fusion of mobile phones with consumer electronics and the Internet."

The 10-year Kodak deal "will allow Motorola to use Kodak's imaging technology in its camera phones." The Google deal will put the ubiquitous Google search engine on Motorola handsets.

Matt Hoffman at Moors & Cabot said, "Motorola is definitely behind in imaging right now, behind Nokia and Sony Ericsson. They have some ground to make up."

Motorola cellphones with Google on board will be available in Q1 2006. John Jackson at Yankee Group said the Google phone was "an inevitability. If the phone is going to be data-centric, it has to let you do Internet search like you do with a desktop [computer]."

While many think easier access to Google means more data usage and possible higher revenue for network operators, Ed Snyder at Charter Equity Research countered that "customers could be effectively paying for Google by paying the carrier for air time." He said, some customers might ask themselves, "I'll be at the computer in 20 minutes, do I have to search now?"

I'm not sure where this quote is coming from and whether it was taken out of context. I tend to use Google quite often on my smartphone when I'm out and about. In fact, one of my most used apps is the Google Local for Mobile Java app. If I need to find info right away (i.e. phone numbers, directions, etc) then it's the only way to go...