Google set to take on Apple iPhone next month

The much anticipated first mobile phone to run Google's Android operating system could be launched as early as September, with T-Mobile the carrier, according to new reports.

The high-end device, which will be manufactured by HTC, will feature a touch-screen as well as a five-row slide-out keyboard in an attempt to out-do Apple's popular iPhone, according to reports in The New York Times. Also rumoured are 3G connectivity, a 3 megapixel camera and a 5in by 3in screen.

According to an unofficial T-Mobile blog post, the new smartphone device will be released on17 September for one week for T-Mobile customers at a price of $150, and then opened up for general release a week later.

At the time of writing, the unofficial T-Mobile blog TMOnews.com was down.