The Google Phone – GPhone as handset or mobile OS?

With Google (NSDQ: GOOG)’s looming entry into the wireless industry, the question remains – will the Google Phone be a hardware entry or a software solution? There were GPhone rumors from the very beginning saying that Google’s entry into the mobile space would be software-based. And then there was the recent DigiTimes report that pegged HTC as the manufacturer of the Google GPhone. So what’s up with the Google Phone? Is it hardware – a Google branded handset? Or is it a software solution for mobile phones?

Well, according to the International Herald Tribune, Google’s entry into the wireless market will not be an actual phone as much as a new mobile operating system (OS) that aims to take on Windows Mobile. We already knew that Google was working on an open-source, Linux-based OS to take on the venerable Windows Mobile platform, but this newest rumor would have Google solely playing on the software side of the mobile game. The first Google Phone should be touting the new Google Mobile OS by year’s end and could be available by 2008.

Whether the GPhone is a true handset, a la iPhone, or a new mobile OS, we can’t wait to get our hands on a true Google Phone. We’re still looking for HTC to make the hardware bits and Google to supply the software bytes.

[Via: International Herald Tribune]