Google phone expected soon

The initial big event will be early next year and the 'phone' is being targeted to intercept the next iteration of Android which is to be called Flan (all the Android versions are baking-related in alphabetical order - cupcake, donut, eclair... ). That fact alone probably indicates that Google and the manufacturer concerned will be showing early versions and doing some explaining and appetite-whetting in advance of the big launch several months later.

This two or three stage approach is practically mandatory in a world where publicity and spin have become THE most important part of the gadget launch - why not get several bites at the free advertising cherry in the run-up to the big day?

And Google has form here. Its 'show, tell, then sell later' approach has been deployed expertly with Chrome OS and Wave, so little reason to think it won't be the same with the new phone, especially as, in the US at least, gadget launches now distinctly resemble movie releases with much emphasis on first weekend sales numbers - the launch has to be big and over-subscribed, preferably with lines round the block.

However the details of the phone itself and the Google strategy are a bit of a blur. The rumours say it will be distinctly up-market with a large touchscreen display and a powerful Qualcomm processor (could be Qualcomm's Snapdragon). In fact it might be more of a tablet than a phone. Games could be important.

It's also being suggested that Google is preparing to bypass the carriers and go straight to retail stores with the Google Phone, although this would make the price of the handset higher.

It could (just could) be a non-carrier handset, set up to use VoIP and with an option to support WiMAX  (Google is an investor in WiMAX play, Clearwire). Consider this: one thing the Google phone is very likely to include is Google Voice built in and supported in much the way that the core Google apps (mail, maps, contacts) are supported on Android today. And Google Voice will likely - sooner or later - have a VoIP component enabling free calls to be made - at least across WiFi connections to start with and across mobile broadband when and where allowed.