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Google Chooses Vodafone for G2

(18 Feb 2009, BWCS Staff)

Vodafone has secured the European rights to sell the next generation Google mobile phone, the so-called G2. Speaking at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, CEO, Vittorio Colao, confirmed that his company will be the only company allowed to sell the new handset in France, German, Spain and the UK, for a limited period. The new device will be made by HTC, the same company that produced the first Google phone last year.

The news comes as a blow to T-Mobile which was granted exclusivity on the selling of the original G1 phone and was known to be in the running for the rights to sell the G2. So far, despite some promising sales figures, the G1 has yet to really challenge the Apple iPhone and RIM's Blackberry for the leadership in the all-important smart-phone market.

The G2 is due to go on sale within the next few months and will boast a touch screen and a 3.2-megapixel camera. Vodafone sees it as a key weapon in its bid to challenge the iPhone, sold exclusively by rival O2 in the UK. Last year Vodafone also secured exclusive rights to Research in Motion's (RIM) new touch screen BlackBerry Storm.

The major mobile phone makers - Nokia, LG and Samsung, are all known to be working on their own handsets based on Google's Android operating system. Samsung had been expected to launch an Android-based phone in Barcelona this week, but executives have conceded that the phone will be delayed until later this year.



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