• August 27, 2008

Google's top brass assured analysts that a mobile phone featuring the highly-touted Android interface would be launched before the end of the year, and the blogosphere was a buzz on Tuesday with reports of leaked spec sheets.

The AndroidGuys blog broke the news and posted images of the spec sheets. T-Mobile is the carrier behind the device, called the G1 and HTC is the manufacturer. The handset is similar in shape to T-Mobile's wildly popular Sidekick, complete with a sliding screen and full QWERTY keyboard. In addition to the Android interface, the phone will likely feature the words "with Google," capitalizing on the search giant's brand affinity.

The mobile device is reportedly set to hit T-Mobile stores in September, though T-Mobile has not officially announced a launch date.--Tameka Kee