Posted on Tuesday, August 07 2007 @ 0:20 CEST by Thomas De Maesschalck
Linux Devices
claims Google's upcoming GPhone will be powered by a Linux-based operating system.
Tan cited "industry sources," "U.S. sources," and "manufacturing and component supply chain sources" in backing her assertion that after year-long delays finding a manufacturer, Google contracted Taiwan-based smartphone maker High Tech Computer (HTC) to design its phone hardware. HTC is best-known for its Windows Mobile smartphones, however, and Tan offered no conjecture about who might supply the phone's Linux-based operating system.
Additional details reported by Tan include:
* The G-Phone will have a large color screen with a predictive Qwerty keypad to simplify Google searching
* A follow-up 3G-capable model (Edge is considered "2.75G") will use a Qualcomm chipset
* Scheduled for production in Q1 of 2006, the Google phone will hit retail shelves next spring
* Call minutes and text messages are to be funded by "mobile advertising"
* Google originally hoped to launch a phone this year, but was delayed by "difficulties in nailing down a deal with a handset maker"
* T-Mobile will carrier the phone in the U.S., along with (possibly) Orange in other markets
