New Reports Say "Free" Smartphone is Around the Corner

There have been rumors for many months stating that Google is going to release a mobile phone. If a new report is correct, it may happen much sooner than many had been expecting. The company with the ubiquitous search engine will launch the gPhone around the world in just two weeks, according to Rediff, a news site based in India. It will reportedly be introduced simultaneously in the United States, Europe, and India. All that's supposed to be holding the device up is approval from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission. There is no word on the features of model, but it will certainly be able to access some of Google's online services, like gMail and possibly even Google Maps. Here Already? If the Rediff article turns out to be accurate, then Google is moving far faster on this project that had been previously thought. The most recent report on this device came from no less a source than the Wall Street Journal, who said that Google is currently showing a prototype device off to potential manufacturers and wireless carriers. This will supposedly be a phone that can make voice calls and access the Web without requiring the user to pay a monthly service charge, but the WSJ said it isn't expected to debut until next year at the earliest.