Just days after we highlighted the parallels between Google’s incipient cellphone strategy and the niche carved out by Sidekick-sires Danger, the net is abuzz with semi-substantiated news that Google will not only be launching its own Google phone OS sometime around the Labor Day weekend, but also partnering with HTC to develop one model from its lineup as a flagship poster-device.

Engadget spills the juicy software details: according to their sources development of the gPhone OS (that’s not the official name, of course) started shortly after Google acquired Android, a mobile software company run by ex-Danger-cofounder Andy Rubin, in 2005. Based on Linux, the OS has apparently been whored around the hardware manufacturers and carriers to promote the idea of a flexible and customisable system with Google integration as one of its strong points.

Feeling is, apparently, that Google are pressing for a launch sometime after September 3rd, and Engadget reiterate that this is primarily a software proposition from the company and that they’re leaving hardware to OEMs and ODMs.

That fits in well with CrunchGear’s report from inside HTC that Google have been cavorting among the company’s smartphone range to pick a device on which to showcase the gPhone OS. No telling which they’ve decided on - and HTC has a broad range of handsets with and without keyboards to choose from - but it’s safe to assume that 3G (and hopefully HSDPA), a camera in excess of 2-megapixels and probably a touchscreen in the 3-inch range will feature. As for software, expect a specially-tweaked version of Google Maps, complete with built-in GPS, compatibility with GMail and Google Calendar, as well as Google Talk for IM and VoIP.