The tech blogs are buzzing this week with heightened rumors of a Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) phone to be unveiled early next year. While these stories have percolated for months, more details that tend to give the rumor credence have emerged.

Our sister blog Engadget points to Google's acquisition in 2005 of Android, a mobile software firm, and writes that this team has developed a Linux-based (as in, non-Windows) mobile device operating system that it is actively shopping to the industry. The OS would be a direct competitor to Symbian and the mobile version of Microsoft's (NASDAQ: MSFT) Windows.

Crunchgear claims to have inside info that Google is working with HTC, the mobile device manufacturer, to assemble the Google Phone for a 2008 release. It speculates the phone will come equipped with Google Maps, built-in GPS, Google Talk for VOIP, and perhaps WiFi capability. This is especially interesting in light of Google's pursuit of bandwidth in the upcoming 700-MHz auction.

What I find interesting is this progression --

1. Google launches on-line application suite
2. Google expands application suite to off-line use
3. Google unveils its own mobile OS
4. Google launches its own PC operating system

Is that the sound of breaking Windows I hear over my Google phone?

via paidcontent.org