Following years of are they aren’t they, it would seem a joint announcement will be made next week regarding a google branded handset put together by mobile new boys Dell.

 

Senior industry sources claim the two companies will reveal all at next month’s 3GSM conference in Barcelona.

Last year Dell poached Ron Garriques, who left Motorola as Executive Vice President and President of the Company’s Mobile Devices business, and started work at Dell to run a newly formed division focusing on consumer products, and the driving force behind the launch of Dell branded mobiles.

Dell traditionally sells products direct, and a phone would raise a number of complications with the way the current market works through operators. However, Apple have broken the mould and have total control over the iPhone, with the chosen networks only a conduit to consumers.

Google’s Android operating system comprises of a complete ‘stack’ of software for mobiles including an OS, interface, and applications. It’s been designed to make things easier for developers to create apps for a vast range of handsets without having to recode for each OS each time, and keeping things the same across the board.

Issued under an open source licence, it will be made available free of charge to other companies to build their own handsets and applications.

A Dell made Gphone could be the first, as a showcase for both companies entering a foray into the mobile industry.