“Google Phone” Rumors: A Compilation of All The Sources

Whether or not Google has a phone in the works doesn’t seem to stop the world from wanting the search giant to have one. The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) has a piece out today that discusses the latest wannabe details of the “Google phone.” As of now, that particular WSJ article is listed at the top of the site’s “Today’s Most Popular” section. Here’s a compilation of what we know (don’t know?) about the Google phone:

Let’s begin with the “official” statement from a Google spokeswoman: “Mobile is an important area for Google and we remain focused on creating applications and establishing and growing partnerships with industry leaders to develop innovative services for users world-wide… however, we have nothing further to announce.”

Now that that’s out of the way, the WSJ says its sources claim that this is more than the apps Google already offers for maps and search on phones. It’s more likely to be a new software platform for cellphones with Google products more closely integrated. But which hardware manufacturers Google might partner with and what kind of specs the phone will have is what everyone wants to know.

Apparently, a Google executive in Europe confirmed the existence of a phone project last week, which is the basis for an article by The Register entitled Google phone – it’s for real. Here’s the link (translated) to the Spanish site Noticias, which is the source of the supposed confirmation.

But the most detailed reports of the new phone come from venture capitalist Simeon Simeonov who claims an “inside source close to the company.” In short, Google has a team of 100 people working on the Google phone, which will be BlackBerry-like. But for all the details, check out: The Real Google Phone, More Light on The Google Phone Mystery, and Top 3 Questions About The Google Phone.

And let’s not forget that Engadget thinks they have a photo of the new phone (also posted on Simeonov’s blog here).

My question: Will Google make any money off of this in a non-advertising way? Or will this just be another way to push its current revenue model?