Next G Phone Might Come to Vodafone

According to the latest news on the Web, Vodafone and the Taiwanese mobile phone manufacturer HTC might be close to inking a deal for an upcoming version of the so-called Google phone. It seems that the two companies are discussing about the next generation of devices based on Google's Android operating system, which would be dubbed G2. In addition, it appears that both Vodafone and HTC are expected to sign the deal as soon as possible, so as to be able to announce it at the Mobile World Congress that starts today in Barcelona, Spain.

As many of you might already know, HTC also manufactured the first G phone, or G1, which was exclusively launched on T-Mobile last autumn. The handset registered good traction on the US market, yet it seems that it is rather struggling to fight Apple's iPhone in the UK, a device available exclusively on O2 in the country.

Other mobile phone makers are currently also working on their own Android-based handsets, and the list includes Motorola, LG and Samsung. Nevertheless, the T-Mobile G1 (also known as the HTC Dream) is, for the time being, the only device on the mass-market to run on Google's Android operating system. Last week, executives from Samsung announced that the company would not release its Android-based device until later this year.

Google has entered the mobile phone market soon after Apple's iPhone started gaining a lot of market share around the world. The search engine company expects its platform to appeal to a larger number of mobile phone users and also hopes that developers of mobile phone applications will turn the OS into the platform of their choice.

If Vodafone manages to grab the next version of the Android phone, it will have another weapon at its disposal in its battle against the iPhone in those markets where the latter is exclusively available from only one operator, including the UK, Germany, and the US.

Up to this point in time, neither Vodafone nor HTC have commented on the news story.