Gphone is coming, again

Some great news for Gphone. DigiTimes has information that Google will definitely launch its own-brand handset (Gphone) but has yet to finalize the handset’s specifications, OS, production contractor and operating partners, according to sources at Taiwan handset makers.

Although market rumors previously stated that Google is likely to use an EDGE solution developed by Texas Instruments (TI) for its planned handset, recent developments indicate that Google is also evaluating the possibility of launching a 3G handset initially.

TI’s handset chipsets will find their way into the Google phone should the company decide to roll out an EDGE-compliant handset, but Qualcomm could turn out to be the winner if Google decides to bet on a 3G model, the sources noted.

However, the choice of a 3G platform might force Google to postpone the launch of the so-called Gphone to the first half of 2008 instead of the latter half of this year as expected due to the change of platform and problems related to licensing of patented technologies, the sources indicated.

High Tech Computer (HTC), meanwhile, is being marked as the manufacturing contractor for the Gphone due to the company’s expertise in ODM and brand business and its mutual cooperation with a number of telecom carriers worldwide, said the sources.

Google may also try to launch a handset running on a self-developed OS, to compete with Windows Mobile and Symbian platforms, the sources speculated