Hello and welcome to the Googleplex in Mountain View, California - where in the next hour or two we are expecting the internet's most powerful company to unveil its own brand of mobile phone.

Speculation's run rife over the past couple of months about a new handset from Google - just the latest in what seems like a never-ending about the company's plans to become a significant force in mobile.

Why does an internet company want a piece of your mobile phone? Is it just hi-tech hubris? As I told Guardian Daily podcast, Google craves data - and trying to make its Android mobile system ubiquitous is an attempt to place itself at the centre of the world's information. Phones are increasingly the way that most of the planet interacts with computers, and Google wants to be there so that it can sell stuff to us along the way.

There's not a great deal we don't know about the Nexus One, at least in terms of hardware - particularly given that the blog Engadget got a review unit and posted detailed videos and a writeup. But there are still some unknowns: when will it go on sale? How much will it cost? Are there any other services included? Will Google be partnering with British phone networks? Will it only go on sale through Google itself?

A lot of people have wondered why it's creating so much interest - after all, there have been plenty of "Google phones" before, and the company has worked very closely with networks and manufacturers in the past.

So is it a big deal? Well, in terms of the phone itself probably not. The handset is good, but just another iteration of the Android system. But this is Google, and the important thing is their long-term strategy. Yes, the company had previously worked on other handsets - but it always took a back seat, publicly, and let its partners do the visible work. This time Google's taking the reins - and if you want any bigger signal that the company intends to be the boss this time around, then just remember that the press conference is being held at its headquarters.

So. Does Google have any surprises up its sleeve? We'll find out shortly: the announcement starts around 10am Pacific time - that's 6pm in the UK - and is expected to last about an hour and a half.

Internet connection willing, I'll be bringing you the details as they're announced.



5.34pm: We're now inside Google HQ, but the small gaggle of press that's turned up for the event - a mix of camera crews, reporters and gadget bloggers - are being held outside the press conference room. Five minutes until we can get in apparently.

5.35pm: I'm told that whatever is announced today will be available in the UK soon.

5.40pm: And we're in. A fairly intimate gathering of media in a small room - plenty of cameras lined up to take a look at whatever emerges on the little stage. Still no word on the announcement itself, which is due to begin in about 20 minutes.

5.44pm: Sometimes at these events you try to divine what's going on by the music that they're playing. You know, a bit of Paint it Black by the Stones might indicate (shock) that whatever's being announced is BLACK. Smart, eh? It's like reading tea leaves, and just as accurate.

Today's soundtrack? We've had a mix of Official Chart Hits - a bit of Cascada's dirgeful Evacuate The Dancefloor. Then something that sounded suspiciously like emo scenesters Fall Out Boy, and now Katy Perry's Waking Up In Vegas. A nod to Sin City's Consumer Electronics Show, where I'm heading this afternoon?

Suggestions for how to read the runes on these tunes in the comments, please!

5.48pm: Scanning around the room, I can see Vic Gundotra, Google's vice president of engineering. He's masterminding the company's entry into mobile, as well as becoming the face of Google at an increasing number of events. The twist? He was poached from Microsoft a few years back - something that the big boys in Seattle are probably regretting these days, but also a sign of how the balance of power in the technology industry is shifting.

Commenter Bauhaus suggests waiting for the Nexus Six. Nice.

5.53pm: For anyone who didn't get the Nexus Six joke, give yourselves a slap on the wrist and go and watch Bladerunner. Immediately.

Well, as soon as I'm finished this.

6.00pm: Now we're listening to the Killers. Because it's an iPhone killer, see? OK, I'll stop there. I hate the phrase "killer" anyway.

6.01pm: OK, it's officially past 10am here on the Pacific coast, and gone 6pm in London. A dribble of people are still coming in through the secret Google entrance, but hopefully things will kick off shortly.

The media's been accused of hyping this event, but if you want excessive then take a look at this comment by G00GL3L0V3R: "The Nexus One will change the way we think about Smartphones. I applaud Google, as I always have. Kudos."

Erm... is that you, Eric Schmidt?

6.05pm: And the music fades out, the lights turn up and...

6.07pm: Apparently, we're about to hear "a series of short presentations". Mario Queiroz, a vice president of product management based in Britain, who has apparently been one of the forces pushing this project through.

"Today we'll unveil the next stage in the evolution of Android," he says. "But before that I want to take a quick step back." He's giving us a history lesson on Google's intentions towards mobile phones - the Open Handset Alliance and so on.

6.11pm:

Queiroz continues by saying how quickly Google's mobile ambitions are growing. From a single device - the G1 last year, Android now boasts more than 20 devices n 58 carriers in 48 countries and 19 languages.

6.13pm: The blurb continues, but I'm not going to worry you with the details - it's really just Google saying "this is still an open platform... even though we're in charge of it".

Commenter HobMcD says there looks to be one major thing missing from the Nexus One, as we know it so far:

"Wake me up when Google add Multitouch to the Nexus. Call me crazy, but I don't want a 3rd-party phone, and I don't want a interface that changes drastically phone by phone... which I why I stick to my homogenised iPhone..."

It's certainly a big downside. Anyone else?

6.17pm: "What if we worked even more closely with our partners to bring devices to market which are going to help us showcase, very quickly, the great software technology we're working on here at Google. We've done just that, and today we're announcing the Nexus One."

Tada!

It's "where web meets phone", apparently. And they're trying to coin a new term - forget phones, forget smartphones, this - they say - is a superphone.

6.20pm: Peter Chou, the chief executive of HTC - which built the phone - has taken the stage to talk about how it was made. "We were actually very happy working with Google," he says. "It's one of the best designed phones... it's very thin, it feels very good in your hand and has a beautiful, gorgeous 3.7 inch OLED display."

As we already knew, it's powered by a Snapdragon processor and runs Android 2.1 software.

6.21pm: After posing for a few pictures, Chou steps down from the stage. Queiroz returns to introduce some demos of the handset.

Is this all we're going to see? On Twitter, enthuso-blogger Robert Scoble (who is here today) suggested that Google may launch more than one device. I think they definitely need a surprise, given that the scoop on the Nexus One really came when they gave Engadget a review unit.

6.25pm: Somebody bring me coffee! It's nice enough to go through the specs (for example, it glows different colours depending on what's happening - blue for Bluetooth and so on) and hear how very thin and light it is. But there's a certain flatness to announcing something that everybody already knew.

Thins you may appreciate, however: it's got active noise cancellation, a 5 megapixel camera with flash, and weighs just 137g - "less than a Swiss army knife".

6.31pm: "With the hardware, we think we have half the story - but it's not about hardware alone," says the guy who is doing the demo. "It's the combination that makes the package so amazing."

"Nexus One is running on Android 2.1. Applications like Google Maps navigation, Facebook integration... but we've also included some new innovations."

He runs through a number of interface adjustments that have been brought in for this handset; scroll sideways between different widgets and screens of information.

6.34pm: Seems like the idea of a "superphone" has got a few people sniggering. Analyst Michael Gartenberg wonders Do super phones need secret identities? , while MacWorld editor Jason Snell can't help but see the irony that superphones might need to change costumes in phone booths.

6.37pm: Now things are getting a little more snazzy. The Nexus One will sport a few different 3D viewing, . These things don't make a great deal of difference - the 3D helps you navigate a little, but doesn't significantly alter the overall concept. The company has worked with CoolIris to build some new viewing modes - they look nice.

More interestingly, though, they've included some really good search options that will let you zip to the right picture by looking for date. That could be handy.

6.39pm: Now, perhaps, one of the more interesting areas of development: voice. "Voice is such an integral part of a phone," he suggests. It's amusing that smartphones (sorry superphones have ignored improvements in this area.

Under Android 2.0, we hear, you can do the following: tell the phone something like "Ikea", and it understands what you say, does a Google search on the term and matches it against your GPS location to give you turn-by-turn driving directions to that location. Just two taps and you have the directions spoken back.

Now, however, Nexus One will now have full voice enabling for every text field: so that you can write text messages, emails and other simply by speaking.

The demo sentence comes out perfectly, in just a couple of seconds: "Check out this new voice keyboard! I just hope this demo works."

Fast, and accurate - at least under these conditions.

6.43pm: Now they're giving a sneak preview of the forthcoming Google Earth application for Android. Simply speak a location to it (their example is "Mount Fuji") and the app will fly you, virtually, to your destination and display it back in 3D graphics.

That gets a round of applause from the Googlers, though frankly it seems like window dressing.

6.47pm: "We're also pleased to announce a new, through a google-hosted web store. The objective of Google's new consumer channel is to provide an efficient way to link consumers with Android devices. A simple purchasing process, a simple offering of plans from operators, a simple worry-free delivery and startup of your device."

"Through the web store you can choose to buy a phone without service, or with service from one of Google's operator partners.

At launch, from www.google.com/phone, you can purchase a Nexus One with service from T-Mobile USA. We expect to add more devices and more countries to the programme."

6.48pm: This is an interesting move, and while not entirely unexpected, we hadn't expected Google to sell phones in partnership with phone networks.

For British users, Queiroz says Vodafone are joining the programme in the near future.

6.49pm: The Google phone store, doesn't look particularly shiny. It's a website, largely text, where you select the handset and the deal that you want.

The prices for the Nexus One in America are pretty much what was expected: $529 if you buy an unlocked phone, or $179 if you get a contract. This coming spring, we will be bringing the Nexus One to market together with Verizon Wireless [in the USA]."

"Vodafone in Europe will also be added to our site, starting again in Spring 2010. We're working as hard as we can to make sure that the store is ready for business, but also to make sure we offer the different flavours of the phone with these different operators later this spring."

6.53pm: Here's a fun little extra: if you buy the Nexus One through the web store, you can get two lines of laser engraving on the back of the phone - across the little metal bevel that sits about two thirds of the way down.

And if you can't wait for Vodafone to launch the phone in Britain, you can buy the unlocked version through the US store and get it shipped to the UK, Singapore or Hong Kong.

"In the future there will be more operators, there will be more devices, there will be more countries."

6.56pm: They're preparing for Q&A from the floor. If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments - or tweet them to @bobbiejohnson

6.57pm: For a company that has always been proud of how it grew through non-traditional means, Google's been doing a lot of very traditional things recently: billboard advertising, TV advertising, sales and so on.

Questions coming.

7.02pm: Why only 512MB for app storage?

Andy Rubin: It helps protect applications against piracy. In the future we'll increase the storage space.

If you order today, does it ship today?

Yes.

Can you put any SIM card in it?

Queiroz: In the US, you have to use a 3G SIM. There are different 3G frequencies in the US, but in Europe the same frequency is more common.

Are you telling iPhone users that this is an alternative? Is it an iPhone killer?

Rubin: Choice for consumers is a great thing, but this isn't for iPhone users - it's for consumers.

Chou: It's a great phone.

7.05pm: Why was it necessary for Google to design the phone? Couldn't it have just been designed by HTC?

RUBIN: It's inaccurate to say Google designed the phone. We're just merchandising it online, similar to any retailer. Working closely with Peter, we were able to help them get the new software first.

Will these new features soon be coming to the Droid (or other Android handsets)

RUBIN: Everyone will get that software within a couple of days.

What will convince users to buy a phone that costs $530?

QUEIROZ: They have choice. This is day one, hour one, of operation. We've been very careful and very thorough.

7.09pm: Google is known for many things. Retailing is not one of them. How are you guys going to make that work?

QUEIROZ: It's not about retailing. It's about working closely with our partners to bring out a great phone.

Please clarify what the revenue opportunities are for Google. Do you get a piece of each phone sold on the website?

RUBIN: Our primary business is advertising. The superphone category is a great way to access the internet, and along with that comes our normal business model of advertising on the internet. There is an opportunity to make margin on unit sales, but that's not what we're doing here.

7.16pm: Went a little quiet because I was queueing to ask a couple of questions:

This is apparently your best phone - and it doesn't have a physical keyboard. Does that mean the keyboard is dead?

CHOU: What HTC believes is that there are different people who have different preferences. Our strategy is to have a product portfolio to let people select what they want and what is the best fit for them. This design really focuses on the screen and the form factor that has one of the best on-screen keyboards - for those people who like this kind of product, this is the best choice for them. We also have keyboard designs for those people who are heavy email or text users.

RUBIN: There's voice input too, it's a middle thing that gives consumers options.

Is this going to lead to Google selling more than just phones online - what about other products?

RUBIN: Small cars, lava lamps, electric vehicles.

QUEIROZ: We're not going to comment further on that.

7.19pm: Why is this just a US play?

RUBIN: We're shipping to three other territories outside the US. As soon as we can get the web store to .co.uk, .de, we will.

Will there be multitouch on these phones? There is multitouch on the Motorola Milestone, but not on the Droid (which is the same phone, essentially)

RUBIN: We leave the option open. It's a software thing... we'll consider it.

This is a nice phone, but it's not a revolutionary step. Why put all your energy behind all this? Why is the pricing structure so boring when you've talked about rolling out an ad-supported phone in the past?

RUBIN: Before we can revolutionise the world, you have to have a mechanism by which you're selling product. The first baby step is getting an online store going and putting best-in-class products on that store... then we can work out how to make it better.

What's the difference between superphones and smartphones?

RUBIN: The definition of superphone for us, it's the evolution of the platform - it's such that the openness of the platform and the applications, downloads and so on. The gigahertz processors, more memory, gigabyte storage - these didn't exist two years ago. We just thought the industry needed a new term to describe it; these are as powerful as your laptop was four years ago.

7.28pm: Some reaction in the comments, from different perspectives:

Fleetwood Max: "The only innovation here is the voice control, which isn't really selling it to me. OLED & 5mp cameras are all well & good, but where's that killer feature? It's ugly as well."

DavidAZ: "I am following this on my Verizon Droid (USA), which I like a lot. I am a bit miffed that I got this device on release weekend (November 5) and this is coming out TWO MONTHS later, and will be available soon from Verizon! But I am glad I will be getting Android 2.1 over the air soon."

I think the big move here is really the idea that Google is selling products directly to the public. It could easily be the first step in a wider retailing strategy, but they didn't really want to answer that question, hence the (eventual) glib response.

7.32pm: Questions have been flooding in via Twitter: I'll try and get them answered, either in this Q&A or in the demos afterwards.

Dude, I've been typing so fast my hands feel like legs of ham.

Now I'm thinking about ham. Should have eaten some breakfast, I suspect.

7.34pm: What's broken with phone sales at the moment? What do operators think about handing over an important part of their business

RUBIN: In the same way that web stores revolutionised the sale of digital cameras, and now you don't need to go into the shop and look through the viewfinder - you trust the sites that review the cameras. We think that online sales of phones will work the same way.

As far as efficiencies go, when you cast a wide net and have TV advertising and so on, it's expensive. That leads to increased device prices, increased service plan prices, and so on. We won't have some of those overheads.

7.35pm: Questions are starting to trickle away now. That's good news for me and good news for you: I'll get my hands on one, and give my fingers a rest for a few minutes.

7.37pm: Commenter Wikipedia asks "So Bobbie, did they let you use the Nexus One to check out the nearby restaurants and shopping?"

Not yet. But we're heading out of the press conference shortly, which should give me time to play and find some ham sandwiches. I'll write a hands-on later this afternoon as I head out to the Consumer Electronics Show.

7.38pm: Oh, and the questions are still going on - but I'm not going to inflict them on you because they're boring.

7.40pm: One useful clarification from Andy Rubin, who says that not all Android phones will automatically be upgraded to the latest version of the system - because some phones just can't handle it. "My old laptop won't run Windows Vista and Windows 7," he says.

7.41pm: Apparently, the brave few of us who ventured down here will get our own Nexus phones - which should give me a chance to play on it a little more outside the confines of the Googleplex.

With that, the press conference is over - thanks for joining me and leaving your comments and questions. Always a pleasure, never a chore.