According to the oracle-like superbrains at J. Gold Associates, Google's Android OS and Nokia's Symbian will "combine to provide a single open source OS," sometime in the very near future... say, three to six months. Sure, Android is just about to launch on devices in late 2008, and Nokia just announced in June that it will be moving Symbian towards open source -- and of course the two companies have no formal relationship that would come close to permitting such a collaboration. Still, J. Gold assures us this is happening, stating, "A combination of the Android and Symbian efforts would be good for the industry, good for Google and good for Symbian." In related news, we understand a handful of similar mergers are in the offing: Linksys and Belkin, Red Hat and Ubuntu, Engadget and Gizmodo, and the inevitable one-two punch of Coke and Pepsi.

According to the folks over at CrackBerry (who, let's be honest, might be a little biased when it comes to a certain brand of cellphone), Research In Motion's upcoming touchscreen phone -- the infamous Thunder -- will feature a virtual keyboard so realistic you'll swear you're sitting in front of 1986 IBM Model M. CrackBerry says "reliable sources" have told them that the device's screen will utilize a number of advanced technologies to create such an effect, including localized haptic feedback, which allows the screen to be literally pushed in while rewarding you with a vibration and click sound, and the option of a full QWERTY or SureType layout (depending on the phone's orientation). We can't speculate too much until we handle the device ourselves, but we're expecting this thing to blow our minds out through the front of our heads. That's not asking too much, is it RIM?

According to the overactive internet rumor party line, T-Mobile is planning to take its currently limited 3G service nationwide come October. TmoNews claims -- thanks to an anonymous tipster, of course -- that on October 1st, the telco will bring speedy service to 27 of its top markets, including Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, and Miami, amongst others. Of course, right now this is pure speculation and hearsay, until we get confirmation from T-Mobile (or at least some hard evidence), we'll just have to keep our fingers and toes crossed.

[Via Boy Genius Report]

There's a lot of hoopla today over a Wall Street Journal piece stating that Google's first Android device has been pushed back to late 2008 for release -- yet the article fails to mention that this is right inline with what Google has been saying for quite awhile now. Admittedly, the fresh-faced mobile competitor probably is finding itself somewhat mired in carrier demands, which doesn't seem unexpected given the broad swath of partners it's collaborating with and the open source nature of the project, but as phone release schedules go, it hasn't veered off the path much. The breakdown is something like this: from what we've been told, you can expect an Android-powered handset before the new year (i.e., HTC's Dream driven by Google's OS), followed by a crop of higher profile phones showing up in early 2009 (as previously stated by companies like LG and Samsung). So... feel free to switch off the alarms anytime you like.

[Via GigaOM]

Word on the street (and by "street" we mean mysterious corners of the internet) is that Garmin's upcoming Nuvifone will actually be manufactured by the ubiquitous and varied ASUS. According to "industry sources" -- that rare breed never seen yet often heard -- the two companies have been working on the device for the past two years, with the computer-maker lending a hand in the RF technology department amongst other things. The sources further claim that the Nuvifone will be the first in a series handsets, with plans to roll out new models through 2010... the year we make contact. More on this breathtaking bit of news as we get it, faithful readers.

[Via Unwired View]

As we inch towards the towering precipice of WWDC 2008, rumors swirling around Apple's next iteration of the iPhone are being deposited onto the interblogs at an alarming rate. The latest set comes in three distinct flavors, the first of which recalls an earlier story that telcos would be offering subsidies for long-term contract signers. According to separate sources, Spain's Telefonica and the UK's O2 would offer the 3G iPhone at discounted rates (as low as €100) for those willing to put pen to paper, while some are claiming that O2 might also offer a "free" upgrade to the new phone for existing users. In other pot-stirring news, iDealsChina is reporting that the phone will suddenly be 2.0mm shorter and 0.5mm thinner than previously spec'd by Griffin in its new casing molds, thus causing all kinds of trouble for the accessory-maker... and people with big hands. Finally, we can safely report that AT&T has run out of stock of the device online (finally joining Apple). The site claims it's a "temporary" situation -- one which we suspect will be rectified by the appearance of a new model. Time to get in that line?

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Read - Telefonica to be sole distributor of 3G iPhone in Spain for 100 euro
Read - Rumour: O2 plans free iPhone 3G upgrade and pay-as-you-go
Read - iPhone 3G last minute size change!
Read - AT&T iPhone page

According to Fortune, AT&T will subsidize the cost of the new, 3G iPhone by as much as $200, bringing the price within the $199 range. Apparently, a "person familiar with the strategy" claims that the provider will create this bargain bonanza for customers signing new, two-year contracts. Of course, the author of the story also says that the new phones will be available in "8-gigabit-memory and... 16-gigabit-memory" versions (for $399 and $499, respectively), so take that as you like. In addition to these discounts, the source says the new iPhone will be 2.5mm thinner than the previous iteration, although we understand that right after telling Fortune this information, the "person" burst into a cloud of rainbow-colored sparkles and went flying off into the night sky.

[Thanks, Penny]

Knowing how rampant the Apple rumor community can get, we try not to stir the pot too feverishly, but iLounge has made a bizarre little discovery that we thought you might like to see. Apparently, it's already possible for iPhone / iPod touch developers to create pages in iTunes offering content to limited groups of users. While perusing these pages, they apparently stumbled upon the Education First Educational Tours page, where international travel tour registrants can download TourCast audio and video content. Strangely, an odd, almost Zune-like device can be seen in the corner of the graphic for this page bearing the Apple logo. Could this be some wild slip? Is what we're looking at a rendering of a new iPhone or touch device, or is this some random mockup meant to suggest a "general" Apple product? We're strongly, strongly leaning towards the latter, though maybe Jobs let one slide through the cracks this time. See the full view after the break.

[Thanks, Christian]

It was only a matter of time till the serious iPhone SDK rumors started flying, and with Apple's Town Hall event next Thursday, it's possible some of what we're hearing is right on. If that's the case, prepare to be letdown in a major way. According to iLounge, Apple will be severely restricting access on software for the iPhone and iPod touch, only allowing apps to be downloaded through iTunes, hand-picking which applications will make it to the store, and cutting off developer's access to accessories which interface with the dock connector. Of course, this is just about what we expected from Steve, since he's already lauded Nokia for its S60 verification scheme. Additionally, the report claims that the SDK we see next week will be an incomplete beta, with the full version rolling out in June to coincide with the WWDC. Thinking of any good reasons to keep jailbreaking your phone? Yeah, us too.

[Thanks, Omega]

Update: Here comes the counter-rumor, which has it that only paid-apps are get hand selected by Apple, while free apps would supposedly be open for download. Not clear whether that means free apps simply wouldn't be offered in iTunes, but it's all just hearsay until Apple tells us what's up later this week.

According to man-about-town, Robert X. Cringely, Samsung is readying not one, but two separate Android-based phones, one of which is due in September, with another model following around Christmas. If you believe what you read (and what his tipster says), these phones will not be labeled Samsung, rather they will be released as Google-branded gPhones. The model released in the Fall will be a "higher-end" model which apparently looks "somewhat like a Blackberry Pearl" but with a screen that flips and "a keyboard for texting" (though to be honest, that description makes little sense, as the Pearl has a keyboard). The second device will be a cheaper model (under $100), and will likely be released after the holidays. Of course, right now this is just speculation -- given the large gap of time between now and September, these plans could be completely rearranged or nixed altogether... even if they are accurate.

[Via IntoMobile]

Now obviously, before proceeding here you're going to want to find the largest grain of salt you can locate and keep it nearby. According to SEfanatics, a page in an issue of Sony Magazine (an office favorite over here) makes passing mention of a "PSP-Style phone" which is supposedly in development, then casually suggests the device could be "in shops as early as February." Of course, we've been hearing hushed conversations about this topic for some time now, though it does strike us as slightly odd that it's referenced in what is essentially a multi-page Sony advertisement. Sure, it's possible that something like that patent we recently saw could be headed our way -- obviously the company is still capable of throwing a few curve-balls in our direction, though we're going to need to little more evidence than this to start cracking open our piggy banks.

[Thanks, Teemu]

So there's a rumor floating around the internets concerning AT&T, iPhones, and tethering. The story goes something like this: the word tether is mentioned in an AT&T notice about users upgrading to a new iPhone and being forced into another two-year agreement. Apparently, some folks who've only quickly browsed the document made the mistake of assuming that AT&T used the word "tether" the way we all know it best: computer-to-phone, modem-style tethering. Unfortunately, this is a semantic problem -- what AT&T's talking about is using the dock connector to activate the phone, and sync with your computer... not the other way around. So next time you hear someone talk about AT&T's "tethering" plan feel free to set 'em straight.

For the handful of you left still getting stoked on Palm news, here's some interesting tidbits. The folks over at WMExperts have gotten some "possible" specifications of the Sprint-bound Treo 800w (or as we like to call it, the Gatesnote Palm) and are sharing them with the world. According to the sources, the new Windows Mobile 6-based Palm phone will be Centro-thin, trade the old proprietary HotSync connector for a mini-USB jack, has a dedicated hardware switch for turning WiFi on and off, will sport EV-DO Rev. A, Bluetooth 2.0, as well as 802.11g, and utilizes microSD cards in addition to its 256MB of memory. The article also says that the 2-megapixel camera takes "decent" pictures, and there is an additional 128MB of memory for "something else." More shocking (and possibly stupid) is that Palm has removed the headphone jack altogether, and users must employ some type of miniUSB contraption or go Bluetooth. Ed, if this is one of those breakthrough devices you mentioned, color us unimpressed.

[Via Treonauts]

According to a report from the market-mindful Bloomberg, old Jobsy could be dropping the iPhone on Canada come tomorrow's keynote. If you believe what RBC Capital Markets analyst Mike Abramsky says (and that's a big if), Apple will unleash the phone via Rogers Communications -- the country's largest mobile service provider. "There's a very good chance that Apple will announce or discuss some kind of other carrier roll-outs, beyond the ones it has done in Europe and the U.S." He said, adding that, "There is definitely very strong demand and interest here." To which we say, "Duh," and, "Hey, we've heard this before." Though we're not sure Steve will have time for the Canadian launch in his keynote, what with all the algae-based hard drives, unicorn laptops, and rays of pure energy he'll be introducing.

[Thanks, Paolo]