GPhone Rumor Mill Shifts into Overdrive: Move Over iPhone

Call it a post-iPhone glow, but hopes are alive once again that Google make its own Google-branded cell phone. It all started on Friday when Dan Cox of the Hollywood Reporter posted a story about an impromptu press conference between Google founders Larry Page and Sergei Brin, CEO Eric Schmidt and a small group of journalists. In his wrap-up, Dan had this to say:

"The trio of Google execs also used the opportunity to talk about the inroads the company is making with its own branded mobile phone as a replacement for the iPhone..."

What?

We've been expecting a cell phone to come out based on Google's Android platform for some time, but a 'branded mobile phone' is not the same thing as, say, an LG phone powered by Google. At first, this was written off as poor reporting since several other news organizations were there, and no one picked up on this news the same way that Dan did.

But then TechCrunch came out on Sunday with news that electronics designer, the Ammunition Design Group, may actually be developing the gPhone. In his post, Michael Arrington claims to have an inside source at Ammunition who is adamant that his company is working for Google.

We've heard gPhone rumors again and again; I suppose it's possible that recent reports of Google's Open Handset Alliance members delaying their Android phones has pushed the Mountain View-based company to take matters into their own hands.

But I wouldn't bet on it. Google routinely denies the existence of a gHhone, and honestly, cell phones are way out of the search giant's league. I mean, what does Google really know about creating a product and then charging money for it? It's just not its style.

Comments

Totally blown out of context, they were just talking about Android enabled phones not ones actualy made by Google themselves.

I will post about this on http://www.googleandblog.com/ later this week.

MichaelMartin

July 14, 2008

10:59 AM PT