“Google Inc. plans to sell two versions of its own-branded cellphone: one with a service contract with T-Mobile USA and another that is unlocked, a source familiar with the matter said,” Nicola Leske and Alexei Oreskovic report for Reuters.
“The phone, manufactured by HTC, has a number of code names such as HTC Passion, Dream or Nexus One and could be available directly though the Google website as early as Jan. 5, according to the source,” Leske and Oreskovic report.
“Media reports have said that Google will sell an unlocked version of the touchscreen phone, allowing consumers to pick a carrier of their choice to provide wireless service,” Leske and Oreskovic report. “Another version will be linked to Deutsche Telekom’s T-Mobile USA, which will subsidize the cost of the phone for U.S. consumers who agree to a service contract, the source said. Pricing details were not available.”
Leske and Oreskovic report, “Until now, Google has partnered with many handset makers by offering its open-source Android software as a freely available operating system for smartphones.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: And what of Google’s zuned “partners” like beleaguered Motorola? Google must’ve run the numbers on Droid and the rest of the Android handsets vs. iPhone and seen a future they do not like. Google move to try Google-branded cellphones, if true, reeks of desperation.
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