Everyone’s been looking for the next big thing to talk about — after the much awaited iPhone, that is. And what is said to match the iPhone, if not top,in terms of press and hype is no less than the Google phone, which up to now, after much speculation and rumors, has not been confirmed.

The newest rumor with regards to Google dabbling into the mobile phone manufacturing industry, is that according to an analyst from UBS, over 50,000 HTC handsets will be equipped with Google OS. The first batch of which will not be for commercial use but for “developers to demonstrate software capabilities,” as Mobile-Review writes.

Nobody knows for sure if Google will still push through with the G-Phone or will just supply the operating systems for mobile phones from different mobile phone manufacturers as the same source stated that HTC will not be Google’s exclusive partner for their OS devices. The first commercial shipments are said to be available commercially next year at the earliest.

[ HTC to Release Over 50,000 Phones Powered by Google OS? via Mobile-Review ]