Well, saying it three times fast didn’t make one appear in front of me, but it seems that the various rumors – despite official debunkings – persist amongst rather respectable publications. Perhaps there was a loophole in Andy Rubin’s official response to the allegations, “We’re not making hardware…We’re enabling other people to build hardware.” I, and others, can’t help but ask: is Google enabling an OEM to build a GPhone for them? Engadget reminds us: that’s basically what they did for the G1 and Ion.
According to Tech Crunch, the Dragon/Passion is certainly not the GPhone, though they do state that Google seniors were carrying those around a couple of weeks ago, and that they will be fully available to us very soon. No, Tech Crunch says we should expect a no-compromise, non-Android-splintering vision of what Google thinks a phone should be. It was meant for the holidays, but has been pushed to early 2010. That’s the end of what they’re calling “super-high confidence information.”
Samsung and LG are being considered as possible partners, though Sammy has some stake in iPhone and could therefore be less likely. A key that everyone seems to be picking up on is that Google is not concerned with competing. This could mean a lot of things; that they have hardware lined up that simply eliminates competition, or possibly that they are playing a completely different game (that both conditions are has not been ruled out).
Tech Crunch followed up on their leak today, saying that Google may in fact be working on a VoIP-only device. Google did recently purchase an Android loving VoIP company called Gizmo5, and slapping that info on top of these rumors makes a mighty tasty sandwich. As TC points out, Google has been sitting on this VoIP-phone idea for some time – likely since the bid war over the 700 MHz spectrum. Apparently, AT&T is ready to provide the data-only plans.
Googlephone: please let this be it.
Via Tech Crunch
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