GPhone roundup

Suddenly rumors are (again) buzzing about the GooglePhone.

Om Malik speculates that the GPhone is an attempt to take on the $100 PC, which makes sense: the tight integration with Google Apps provides some computing functionality, the mobile phone paradigm is easier to support in places with low PC penetration, mobile phones are already being used in innovative ways in these areas, and the hardware should be cheaper.


rizzn.com claims that GPhone will run a modified Linux kernel. He adds more speculation about the competition with the $100 laptop as a long-term strategy.

And engadget clarifies (?) that we're not talking about a phone per se, but a mobile OS that would run on hardware manufactured by other providers. The OS rumor is supported by Google's 2005 acquisition of Android.