Google smartphone expected at Oct 4 event

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SAN FRANCISCO: Google late Monday sent out invitations to an October 4 event, hinting that the Internet titan will show off a new smartphone powered by its Android mobile software.

Emailed invitations revealed only the time and place for the gathering in San Francisco, the message topped by blue, red, yellow, and green dots of color.

Google fired off a Twitter message with hashtag #madebygoogle and a video of what appeared to be a long rectangular search term box morphing into a silhouette of a smartphone.

Industry trackers have been expecting Google in October to show off its own smartphone, showcasing the prowess of its new Nougat version of Android software.

Google may stamp its latest smartphones with a “Pixel” brand instead of the “Nexus” name it has used in the past for Android smartphones it has made in collaborations with partners.

A Google smartphone would be fielded as a standard to which other’s making Android devices should aspire, and would come just weeks after Apple’s began selling new iPhone 7 models.

An enticing Google smartphone could also prove a contender for the attention of buyers during the prime year-end holiday shopping season.