Rob Beschizza
Gear

Rumors: GPhone Coming In Q1 2008; HTC and Samsung Named

Crunchgear reports today that an insider at HTC has confirmed that the Google phone will come in the first quarter of next year, and will be manufactured in Taiwan. HTC and Samsung are identified as candidate handset makers. "Google is currently assessing over twenty HTC models and refining its final handset design and will create […]

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Crunchgear reports today that an insider at HTC has confirmed that the Google phone will come in the first quarter of next year, and will be manufactured in Taiwan. HTC and Samsung are identified as candidate handset makers.

"Google is currently assessing over twenty HTC models and refining its final handset design and will create a special version of Google Maps, compatible with built-in GPS, and compatibility with Gmail and the calendar app. There is also some talk that Samsung will be releasing gPhone handsets as well, but that has not been confirmed."

Other notes include hardware-implemented Google talk acting as a VoIP
system. One thing's changed from yesterday: Windows Mobile 6 is touted as a possible operating system.

HTC and Microsoft are two peas in a pod: when it comes to cool smartphones, the former makes the latter sexy, to put it bluntly.
Perhaps HTC just wants the Google imprimatur on one of its handsets, with Google supplying a bagload of cool integrated applications atop its standard Windows Mobile/Pocket PC loadout.

CG Exclusive: HTC Insider Confirms Existence of the Google Phone [CrunchGear]