Google boss: smartphones will cost $20
THE PRICE of a smartphone will fall to the equivalent of $20 (£12.60) within twelve years, Google chairman Eric Schmidt predicted yesterday.
He said the internet will change dramatically over the next decade as people across the world connect for the first time using mobile phones. The number of users is expected to jump from almost 2bn to 5bn as people from developing countries connect to the web for the first time.
This will be spurred by ever increasing processing speeds and a drop in the price of smartphones. He added: “If we get this right there will be an Android in every pocket.”
He said technology that was in the realms of science fiction a few years ago, such as holographic avatars, is already in development and that Google’s driverless cars will save thousands of lives every year.
Schmidt also warned that governments must not put a free internet at risk with legislation. He said censorship abroad – and even proposals being discussed in the US – could create a “digital caste system”.
The firm also showed off a version of its Chrome for Android software, which allows users to sync their browsing history between devices and includes intuitive new ways to browse between tabs and interact with links.
Schmidt did not outline plans for Google’s Mobile Wallet rollout in Europe, which some had expected.
The keynote speech came as Google is preparing to update its privacy settings to allow data to be shared between its different properties including YouTube and Search. The changes will allow Google to tailor its advertising to users. But the controversial move caused an outcry among privacy campaigners.
Schmidt, who referred to his “love” of privacy several times in his speech, said all users will be able to browse without Google monitoring them.