Business - Google Gphone by ADG?

Reports in Western media suggest as much, though there is no confirmation yet
MUMBAI: The euphoria over Apple’s 3G iPhone has barely subsided, but the next big news has broken already — that a San Francisco, USA firm, the Ammunition Design Group (ADG), is designing the gPhone, the mobile handset from Google.
Google executives were not immediately available to throw light on reports in Western media that the company, which has designed mobile phones, computers and other devices for Sprint, HP, Dell and others earlier, has got the mandate from Google to create the Google-branded, Android operating system-based, gPhone.
The fact that ADG is led by Robert Brunner, previously a director for industrial design at iPhone-maker Apple Computers, would make one believe Google will bring innovativeness with the phone, whenever it comes, to match or even surpass the popularity of the iPhone.
Earlier, in 2007, there was a similar speculation involving another US-based handset maker, HTC.
Google had scotched the rumors by announcing the setting up of a 34-member Open Handset Alliance (OHA) to develop the Linux-based Android operating system.Android is regarded as a notch above Apple’s Mac OS X, the operating system powering the iPhone, since it provides for third-party development of applications.
According to a November 2007 release from OHA, ‘Through Android, developers, wireless operators and handset manufacturers will be better positioned to bring to market innovative new products faster and at a much lower cost. The end-result will be an unprecedented mobile platform that will enable wireless operators and manufacturers to give their customers better, more personal and more flexible mobile experiences.”The first phones based on Android would be available “in the second half of 2008,” OHA had then stated.
“Today’s announcement is more ambitious than any single ‘Google Phone’ that the press has been speculating about over the past few weeks. Our vision is that the powerful platform we’re unveiling will power thousands of different phone models,” the release had quoted Google chairman and CEO Eric Schmidt as saying.
An expert said, “It is quite logical to think that Google itself can be one of these hundreds of vendors as it would like to take advantage of its suite of applications.” Google’s repertoire of applications include Gmail, Gcal, Gtalk, Search, Gchat, Documents, Spreadsheets, Google Notebook, Google Groups, Google Maps, Google Earth, YouTube, Blogger, Picasa, etc.