Might announce the launch of an Android phone

Oct 6, 2009 08:37 GMT  ·  By

Mobile phone carrier Verizon Wireless has sent out word that it plans on hosting a press conference with Google today, and that Lowell McAdam, Verizon Wireless’s CEO, and Eric Schmidt, Google’s chairman and CEO, will be present at the event. Since CTIA kicks off on Wednesday in San Diego, the two companies seem to plan on making one final announcement before the conference is here.

There are no exact details on what Google and Verizon plan to announce today, yet rumors cycle around a possible Android-powered mobile phone that will soon come to the carrier's lineup. Up until now, Verizon has been mainly focused on delivering BlackBery devices to its users, yet the competition with AT&T is rumored to drive it to new market areas, including those where Google's Android operating system is a leader.

Moreover, Verizon is also said to plan on launching Palm's Pre handset in the near future, in a move meant to counterattack AT&T's exclusivity on Apple's iPhone. The fact that things are starting to heat up between the two carriers is also suggested by a TV commercial aired today in which Verizon mocks AT&T's network based on earlier complains regarding its slow response times and call drops.

However, the announcement Google and Verizon are to make today might concern not one, but two handsets running under Android, as both a Motorola Sholes / Tao / Droid as well as an HTC phone have been already rumored to be heading towards Big Red. On the other hand, we've already seen a great focus on services aimed at mobile phone users, and the two might very well unveil some plans in this area, if not something regarding the launch of a handset.

Since nothing specific has been said, these are only suppositions at the moment, and the joint announcement should bring more light into the matter. There are only a few hours left before it all goes official, so stay tuned to learn more details on the matter.