rumours

Ah, The Google Phone.

That mythical, legendary and oft rumoured handset that has taunted the iPhone from the safe confines of non-Apple-lovin imaginations for the last couple of years.

That is all set to change next month as the G-branded blower is (allegedly) ready to drop in a few weeks.

Twitter reports from a CNet staffer and some Google employees suggest the phone, built by HTC and running Android 2.1, could be available in January 2010.

There are even versions out there that are unlocked and have been groped by Googlers at an all-hands meeting.

The best of the gPhone Tweets comes from CNet podcaster Jason Howell, who Tweeted:

-”Capacitive touch screen and on screen keyboard only, yes. Re: AT&T, it was unlocked. Dude just put an AT&T sim in it 2 test it.”

–”It was thin. Dare I say as if not a bit thinner than iPhone. Scrolly ball like on the hero. This one was running on AT&T. #googlephone”

–”Wasn’t able to gander @ h/w specs unfortunately. Supposedly, Google employees were given tons of these phones today. unlocked. #googlephone”

–”Supposedly we should start hearing a lot about the new Google phone over the next few days. Its slick in an HTC hero sorta way.”

–”The new Google Phone runs on HTC hardware. I saw it w/ Android 2.1. Homescreen has new visual enhancements like animated desktop wallpaper.”

–”…I just had my hands on the Google Phone. I feel so priveleged!”

A tweet from Leslie Hawthorn, a Product Manager at Google’s Open Source Team seems to back up Howell’s twitterings:

–”Stuck in mass of traffic leaving work post last all hands of 2009. ZOMG we had fireworks and we all got the new Google phone. It’s beautiful”

If this all above board and not some clever hype-machine at work then an actual and read Google handset would give Google the kind of brand kudos the likes of which the iPhone bathes in.

Does anyone know a Google employee that has been given a new phone as Leslie has?

There could be a backlash, however, as Google may be tempted to put more emphasis on the gPhone rather than all the other phones that it’s trying to get the Android platform on.

What do you think? Could an actual Google Phone be here next year – we have been listening to this kinda thing since 2007 remember

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