Will A Google Phone Change The Game?

WILL A GOOGLE PHONE CHANGE THE GAME?
[SOURCE: BusinessWeek, AUTHOR: Roger O. Crockett]
Could we soon see an ad-supported cell phone service? It may be coming in the form of a Google phone. Wireless industry consultants and marketing executives with knowledge of Google's plans say it has been showing prototypes of a new phone to handset manufacturers and network operators for a couple of months. Its plans have been kept top secret, but Google is expected to tap a company on the Pacific Rim that specializes in mobile design and manufacturing to build a handset to its specs. Google could then apply its expertise in operating software and user applications, says Paul Catalano, a partner at consultancy RelevantC Business Group. Google officials won't talk about phones, and industry sources don't expect one before the second half of 2008. Still, Google has made it clear it has an interest in wireless. It is experimenting with wireless broadband networks in a couple of U.S. cities. In August, CEO Eric Schmidt announced his intention to participate in a federal auction early next year of the sort of radio spectrum that would help pull off a phone service.
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_41/b4053084.htm?chan=tec...