Google Phone 3G Only? Simulate with iPod touch & MiFi Today :-)

Interesting pair of “Google Phone” items from TechCrunch over the past two days…

The Google Phone Is Very Real. And It’s Coming Soon

The Google Phone May Be Data Only, VoIP Driven Device

Smartphones in the U.S. provide voice service using either CDMA (Verizon & Sprint) or GSM (AT&T & T-Mobile). Wireless data is provided by a variety of 3G protocol types as well as slower network protocols like EDGE and GPRS. This rumored Google Phone apparently eliminates the traditional voice service (CDMA or GSM) entirely and, like the Amazon Kindle or netbook/notebooks, only have a 3G radio. You could somewhat simulate this situation today if you have, for example, a MiFi (3G/WiFi router) and an iPod touch (2nd or 3rd generation) with some voice over IP app installed.

Can even Google pull off a phone that doesn’t work over conventional cell services? It just might be able to if the phone were very inexpensive with cheap service to match (data only, no voice).

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