Will iPhone be followed by a gPhone?

After all the swirl surrounding the launch of the iPhone by Apple (the iPhone was finally launched, but not by Apple; instead it was launched by Linksys), now there are rumors of Google planning to launch its own Google Phone. The Observer has reported of talks between Google and Orange to launch a multi-billion-dollar collaboration to design the Google Phone.

Google, a frontrunner in the software domain, is not too conversant with the mobile telecommunications domain, which is why the decision to tie up with Orange, a leader in that domain, was made. They hope to combine their software expertise with Orange’s cutting edge mobile technology to come out with an easy-to-use mobile phone that is appealing to users. Currently, the manufacturing of the phone itself is slated to be given to HTC, specialists in manufacturing PDAs and smart phones, based in Taiwan.

Earlier last month, CEO of Google Eric Schmidt had said in an interview to Reuters that he believed that mobile phones should be given out free to consumers, at least to those that are okay with specific targeted forms of advertising on the phones themselves. His logic was that mobile phone users used their sets for at least 8 to 10 hours a day on an average, messaging, talking, or accessing the Internet, and therefore, offering free phones in return for targeted advertising made sound business sense. However, Schmidt also said that Google itself had no plans right now to offer free phones to its users when it launched the Google Phone.

There is ample reason for Google to enter the mobile telephony market. According to a survey by IDG, the number of mobile phone users is expected to cross the one billion mark this year. Besides, there is also an upsurge in the mature markets, with the demand for replacement handsets at an all-time high. This is attributed to the increasing popularity of the newer generation of mobile phones, which offer advanced features, such as music and e-mail, on a single mobile phone.

Though right now Google’s mobile phone offering is only a rumor, mobile phone aficionados will surely keep their ears to the ground as developments take shape on this front.