Google to launch iPhone rival

Google is gearing up to rival the iPhone with the first mobile device to use its Android operating system. It is thought the G1 device, which will only be available on the T-Mobile network, will launch tomorrow.

In January, Marketing Week predicted that Google was plotting the launch of a phone with computer giant Dell (MW January 30). Speculation has also been rife that Google was launching its own handset – known as the Gphone – to rival Apple’s iPhone.

However, Google surprised spectators by announcing the operating system called Android. It is understood that the G1 phone will cost about £108 and could be available by early December. Its features will include a touch screen, as well as a slide-out keyboard and camera.

Google’s Android operating system runs Google’s wide range of applications such as Google Maps, Gmail and its new Chrome browser. Its platform means that consumers can create applications to use and personalise their phones.