Reuters reported today that Google is talking to Verizon Wireless about "putting Google applications on phones it offers," with talks revolving around "technology and potential business models such as advertising-sponsored services."

And according to The Wall Street Journal's Amol Sharma, Google is also talking with T-Mobile in the U.S., with France Telecom's Orange SA and with 3 UK - as well as with HTC and LG about developed Google-focused handsets. Sharma says to expect those handsets in the market by mid-2008.

"The most radical element of the plan... is Google's push to make the phones' software 'open' right down to the operating system, the layer that controls applications and interacts with the hardware," Sharma writes. "That means independent software developers would get access to the tools they need to build additional phone features. Developers could, for instance, more easily create services that take advantage of users' Global Positioning System location, contact lists and Web-browsing habits. They also would be able to interact with Google Maps and other Google applications. The idea is that a range of new social networking, mapping and other services would emerge, just as they have on the open, mostly unfettered Web. Google, meanwhile, could gather user data to show targeted ads to cellphone users."

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