Rumors of a Google-branded phone that would be designed and made by Google are heating up. The Google hardware design was supposed to have been ready for the holiday shopping season, and it looks like the debut of the Google phone may be pushed back to early 2010, probably because Google’s design team was busy assisting other partners.

TechCrunch is speculating that the new phone will take a no-compromise approach that is dictated by Google to create the best end user experience, much like how Apple has control over the iPhone. The rumored device is said to be made by HTC, although TechCrunch is pinning the OEM duties to LG or Samsung, with LG being the more likely candidate as Samsung’s involvement in supplying parts for the iPhone may induce Apple’s pressure against Samsung from a Google venture.

The likely candidate for this device? Perhaps it will be AT&T. Verizon already has the Droid as its flagship, a device that is selling well and is being warmly received by both consumers and the media. Perhaps this will be the device that fills AT&T’s gap when its iPhone exclusivity period ends, making it a natural fit for Google to snab the carrier and get good terms and set a competitive environment to prove that it can out-do Apple. AT&T so far is the only carrier of the big far to not offer an Android device and the carrier has been unusually silent on that matter.

(via: TechCrunch and Engadget Mobile)