A story in The Guardian suggests that Orange are working with Google on a “Google Phone” allowing web searching and browsing on the move. The multi billion dollar partnership would also involve HTC, who are already well known to Orange for making devices like the Orange SPV C500, C600 etc etc.
If true this could be a huge annoyance for Microsoft – they’ve already worked extremely closely with both Orange and HTC to launch the first ever Microsoft Smartphone to the masses back in 2002. To see Google sneak in with both Orange and HTC and create a handset running Google software which would be “a much better experience” will no doubt raise a few eyebrows.
Google plan to exploit the mobile knowledge of Orange and also push the Google location based searches along with Google Earth maps and more.
Link – The Guardian
HTC, Orange and… Google?!
December 17, 2006