Rumours have increased over the possible release of a Google branded smartphone in the New Year, running its Android mobile operating system.  Speculation has been rife after it was reported that Google have distributed handsets to its employees for testing worldwide.
It is believed to be being built by the Taiwan based manufacturer HTC, who have already released two phones based on the Android operating system and will feature the newly released Android 2.0.  It is currently named the Nexus One.  On their official blog, Google have confirmed the existence of a handset and the fact that it is currently being tested, but have relased no more details.
It is also understood that it will be sold directly to consumers and will not be locked to any particular network, in a sharp departure from previous handsets sporting Android.  Ben Schachter, an analyst at Broadpoint AmTech Inc, based in San Francisco, said: "If all of a sudden everyone is getting on the internet via their mobile device, Google needs to make sure it has an influence on that...they need to make sure they have influence on how the mobile web will develop."
Google is one of the founding members of The Open Handset Alliance, creator of the open-sourced mobile OS Android.

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Google mobile phone rumours ramp up