Official confirmation of a Google Phone?

Until now, there wasn’t just a Google Phone, but rather Google Phones under design by numerous manufacturers. A short announcement and some photos have restarted the theory that a handset will be released and sold directly by Google.

The idea of a Google Phone distributed by Google themselves started after the release of Android mobile platform, although this was quickly shot down. The search giant has maintained that they would be leaving the development of Google products to others while they concentrated on software development.

This strategy has been stated numerous times, with the concept that Google would be directly selling their phone always being vigorously dismissed, even recently. Having said this, a recent announcement on the Google Mobile Blog has once again brought up the idea that a GPhone is perhaps being prepared.

This is based around a "mobile lab", made up of a hand set provided by a partner manufacturer and software based on Android, being distributed to certain Google employees so as to test its capabilities. The release didn’t contain details, instead stating that these are internal tests with the details not being published.


The GPhone, really?
But the way that the wording was provided leaves people thinking that this goes further than just a simple evolution of Android. This is certainly what the web site TechCrunch believes, confirming that this is a "real" Google Phone" (or GPhone), with the handset being directly distributed by Google.

It appears that this is a handset manufactured by HTC but which Google has provided explicit details as to how it is to be built under the code name HTC Passion ( its commercial name could Nexus One ), with some pictures having now appeared on the Web. This wont be sold by carriers, but rather directly from Google as an unblocked version.

The Smartphone will be launched at the beginning of 2010 in a GSM version (therefore compatible with European mobile networks) operating on the Android 2.1 platform. It should come with Qualcomm SnapDragon hardware and a large AMOLED tactile screen.

Presented as thinner then the iPhone and more reactive, it has the particularity of possessing two microphones (the second to cancel out ambient noise), while using voice recognition to help enter emails and notes.

This appears to be a lot of information attached to a simple release that was rather evasive in content, but TechCrunch guarantees that they have "very reliable" sources. Was Andy Rubin simply creating a diversion a month and a half ago by stating that Google isn’t a Smartphone manufacturer?