Google Inc. has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in its cell phone project and is courting U.S. and European mobile operators, The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday.
Anian, a Reuters company that tracks industry trends for institutional investors, reported last month that Google had engaged Taiwan's High Tech Computer Corp to design a Linux software-based phone for launch in the first quarter of 2008.
The Anian report cited industry sources as saying that T-Mobile, owned by Deutsche Telekom, would likely be Google's U.S. partner with France Telecom's Orange selling the phones in other markets.
The Journal said on Thursday that Google had also approached the two biggest U.S. wireless services, AT&T Inc. and Verizon Wireless, in recent months to ask them to sell phones with Google service.
Google has also developed prototype phones and talked over technical specifications with manufacturers including LG Electronics, the Journal said.
Mobile advertising is still a relatively small market but advertisers and wireless experts expect this to change.
Yankee Group has forecast the mobile ad market more than quadrupling to $275 million in 2007 and eventually increasing to $2.2 billion in 2010, up from an estimated $60 million in 2006. Some experts are forecasting an even bigger market.
Source: Reuters
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