'Google-powered' phone expected in 2008

Google will unveil its long-anticipated plan to bring its software to mobile phones within the next two weeks, The Wall Street Journal reported late on Monday, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter.

The "Google-powered" phones are expected to make it to market by mid-2008, possibly from Taiwan's HTC, South Korea's LG Electronics, Deutsche Telekom's T-Mobile USA, France Telecom's Orange and Hutchison Whampoa's 3 UK, the report said. In addition to the ad-supported phone services bundling Google Maps, YouTube and Gmail, the operating system would be open to developers to build additional features.

Google executives have declined to comment on rumours related to the Google Phone, which has been reported on extensively this year.

Google executives have complained that carriers have locked up the market and stifled innovation in the US telephony market. Google may bid on 700MHz wireless spectrum, chief executive Eric Schmidt said last week at Google's analyst day.

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