Google Buzz for mobile now available on more devices
Back in February, we launched Google Buzz for mobile, a tool to start interesting conversations when you are out and about. One of the most popular ways to access Google Buzz for mobile is through the web application (by going to buzz.google.com in your phone's browser).
Context & Ripple Effects
Google Buzz has had a rough first quarter since its February launch inside Gmail: the product triggered a settings-confirmation push in early April to address user control concerns, and by late March commentary already framed Buzz as badly trailing in user sharing activity. Google also floated offering Buzz independently from Gmail, signaling a search for distribution beyond its inbox anchor.
This expansion keeps Buzz on the same path it set with Gmail for mobile integration in April — widening reach rather than changing the product — by extending the buzz.google.com web application to more devices, so no native app install is required.
First-order effects
- Users on newly supported devices can now open conversations at buzz.google.com directly in their phone's browser, extending Buzz's footprint without waiting on per-platform app development.
- Google gets a broader funnel for Buzz engagement at zero incremental cost per device, since the web application is the delivery mechanism.
Second-order effects
- With Buzz reportedly losing ground on sharing activity as of March 2010, broader device coverage is Google's lever to lift usage before competitors consolidate mobile social conversation habits elsewhere.
- A web-app-first rollout lowers the bar for any handset maker or carrier whose devices were previously excluded, making Buzz available wherever a modern mobile browser ships.
Third-order effects
- If the pattern holds, Google treats the mobile browser — not app stores — as its universal distribution layer for social features, a strategy it has applied since first putting Gmail on phones back in December 2005.
- Sustained weak engagement despite expanded availability would pressure Google to either decouple Buzz from Gmail entirely or fold its conversation features into other products.
The trend: Mobile web applications are becoming Google's fastest route to scale social products across fragmented handsets, even as Buzz itself struggles for traction against stronger sharing networks.