Rumour-watch: the Google G-Phone

Another week, another rumour about Google's long-anticipated 'Google-phone', another swathe of technology sites sharpening their digital knives at the prospect of... well, not very much really.

Yesterday Business Standard, an Asian business journal, published a story which claimed that Google was a mere fortnight away from the "worldwide launch" of its much heralded, much discussed Google-phone.

Talks were "believed to taking place" between the search engine and Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Essar, "respectively India's first and third largest mobile telephony operators, and state-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam," the publication said.

Sources "close to the development" were quoted as saying that a "simultaneous launch across the US and Europe" was "expected," the only hurdle being "US regulatory approval."

Comment was sought from Google itself – a spokesman told the Standard: "We don't comment on market rumour and speculation". An approach from Times Online met with the same response today.

But that didn't stop scores of sites picking up the story, the most interesting feature of the 'wildfire' web coverage – which is now customary for any  'news' involving Google or the iPhone – being the extent to which different commentators distanced themselves from it.

ContentSutra – the Indian 'digital news monitor' – was by far the most damning. "Probably the most error-ridden story I've read in a while," Rafat Akli, the author of its piece, began.

Mr Rafat divided up the flaws in the Standard piece into two categories – "some bad errors", and then "wide off the mark" – each with bullet points beneath, and summed up: "All in all, a ridiculous story, written and edited badly."

Duncan Riley, on TechCrunch, kicked off with "Today's completely unsubstantiated rumour comes from Rediff News..." and then continued, more than a little mockingly: "Rediff is reporting that the Google Phone is set to be launched in 2 weeks time!" (Rediff had in fact reprinted the Standard’s piece)

Mr Riley traced through the history of rumours about the device, including the first reports (last year), an alleged picture (posted by Engadget, in January), 'confirmation' from a Google executive that the 'GPhone' existed (on The Register, in March), and, more recently, suggestions that the phone would include 3G, wi-fi, and GPS (again on The Register, this month).

"If speculation is any guidance," Mr Riley wrote, "the certainty of there being some sort of Google mobile device in development is a given."

ValleyWag, the Silicon Valley gossip site, said the story was "unlikely," while Pocket Lint, a tech blog, thought it "somewhat surprising, somewhat questionable."

Perhaps the most honest remarks, however, came from 'Steve E' on the blog 23 Musings, who wrote, linking to the Standard's piece: "I'm really not sure of the validity of this, but I thought I'd post anyway as it's bound to be a hot topic and generate some buzz over the next couple of weeks."

Too true.

Undoubtedly, Google is intensely interested in mobile - a fact underlined by recent comments from its chief executive Eric Schmidt, who said the search engine would "probably" bid for part of the 700 megahertz wireless spectrum when it is auctioned in January.

Last month the Federal Communications Commission, which Google and others have been lobbying, agreed to attach certain conditions to the auction, in particular that successful bidders not be allowed to restrict use of the network to particular, mandated devices.

As to what devices – if any – it may bring to that or any other network, however, Google hasn't said.

In the meantime, however – and this is a certainty – techies will continue, avidly, to second-guess it.