Google Phone Stories Won't Go Away

March 19, 2007

Rumours of the new Google mobile phone are fast gaining credence. Google executive, Isabel Aguilera, recently dropped some rather heavy hints about a possible mobile move in an interview with Spanish language news-site Noticias. During the interview, Aguilera let it slip that Google is definitely "investigating" a mobile phone. However, she stopped short of officially confirming it.

According to most rumours, the handset is likely to have a full-colour wide-screen design and will, of course, come Internet ready. Little else is known about the proposed device, indeed it t is still far from certain that Google will even get as far as launching a mobile phone at all, although the company is said to have been putting out feelers to several potential manufacturers.

Google recently confirmed that it had plans to expand into any territory, but the search engine giant has yet to comment specifically on the rumoured handset venture. According to a spokesperson for the company "Mobile is an important area for Google. We remain focused on creating applications and establishing and growing partnerships with industry leaders to develop innovative services for users worldwide. However, we have nothing further to announce."

Certainly, Google has already taken several important steps to position itself as a major player in the mobile market, but whether this will include actually selling its own-brand handsets, remains to be seen. The Google Maps system is even due to be integrated into Apple's iPhone.

For its part Nokia, the world's largest mobile phone maker, has already made its position clear. A spokesperson from the Finnish giant was quoted on the Daily Tech website as saying "It (the Google phone) will meet with limited success and lose money." Time will tell if the Finns are right.