Update:<\/b><\/p>\n
An Amazon music store app on the Google Phone has been confirmed<\/a> at the launch of the first phone by T-Mobile, the “G1”. The only downside that I can see is that while you can browse and listen to songs on the 3G network, you can only download<\/a> them to the device over Wi-Fi. Not sure why that is, but it sounds like a real pain in the ass.<\/p>\n Original post:<\/b><\/p>\n As the speculation about the launch of the first Google Phone tomorrow continues to ramp up, one of the first reports that I’ve come across that makes me a little excited is the news from MG Siegler over at VentureBeat that the device could be equipped<\/a> with a mobile client for Amazon’s music store (the other piece of interesting speculation is that T-Mobile might offer free email<\/a>). Like MG, I think that an Amazon store app — although still just a rumour — makes perfect sense as something to add value to the phone and make it more competitive with the iPhone.<\/p>\n Don’t get me wrong. I’m interested in the Google Phone launch for other reasons, including the fact that I like the idea<\/a> of the iPhone having an open-source competitor, and I’m hoping that means all kinds of cool apps developed by third parties. But in terms of features, the Sidekick-style HTC device that everyone has been showing photos of doesn’t exactly fill me with lust, if you know what I mean. I’ve used Sidekicks, and other devices with similar slide-up keyboards, and for the most part they were bricks. Useful bricks, but more or less still bricks.<\/p>\n Add an easy pay-and-download music app connected to the Amazon store, however, and the Google Phone becomes a lot more interesting. Amazon’s store hasn’t really gotten a lot of traction<\/a> as a result of the dominance of iTunes, but a mobile interface that works would be a great way to expose more people to a store that doesn’t have any DRM on its files — which play on any device — and has a growing catalogue at relatively inexpensive prices. An iTunes-killer it might not be, but it would be good to see at least a little more competition for Apple on that front.<\/p>\n