Yes, Virginia -- There IS A Google PhoneYes, Virginia -- There IS A Google Phone

So -- you stay in touch with Google Mail, edit Google Docs, and surf the Web with Google Chrome. You're curious about Google Voice and intrigued over Google Music. Is it just a matter of time before you're carrying a Google Phone?I'm not talking about the Droid (which appears to be doing quite nicely, thanks for asking) or a nifty new Android-powered HTC smartphone that is currently in the works. In fact, this looks to be an entirely different type of critter: Google is building their own branded phone that theyll sell directly and through retailers. They were long planning to have the phone be available by the holidays, but it has now slipped to early 2010. The phone will be produced by a major phone manufacturer but will only have Google branding (Microsoft did the same thing with their first Zunes, which were built by Toshiba).

There wont be any negotiation or compromise over the phones design of features  Google is dictating every last piece of it. No splintering of the Android OS that makes some applications unusable. Like the iPhone for Apple, this phone will be Googles pure vision of what a phone should be.

This confirmation echoes a similar report -- actually, just a rumor at the time -- that surfaced on TheStreet.com back in October.

It's a very intriguing move. As TheStreet.com opined, "by bypassing the carriers, who keep tight controls over the features and applications that are allowed on phones, Google will presumably offer a device that lets users determine the functions."

One can only wonder what Motorola thinks about all of this. If I knew, however, I doubt that I could repeat it in print.

Other, unverified reports suggest that Google will partner with HTC to build the phone (although as noted above, it will not display HTC branding). This jibes with earlier reports that the Google Phone was going to use a device based on Qualcomm's super-spiffy Snapdragon mobile processor.

It also looks likely that Google won't meet its initial goal of shipping its phone in time for the holidays. We will probably have to wait until 2010 to see it, although Google is likely to pull out the stops on advertising its new toy when the big day arrives.

This post just wouldn't be complete without asking The World's Most Obvious Question: What will a Google Phone - iPhone smackdown look like? I can't say, but I definitely want a ringside seat to watch it go down.