Pro: Microsoft has never turned Windows Mobile into anything, in part, because the hardware has not been anything special. Google thinks it can do better and, perhaps, suspects that handset manufacturers are not as smart as Google, which wrote the and created services the phone will run. This is the "Motorola, Nokia, etc., are clueless" part of the argument.

Con: Who wants to create a handset if you have to compete with the OS and primary apps provider? This could be why Microsoft itself is not in the handset business. Will manufacturer support for the Android OS diminish if Google itself is selling phones?

There is also Apple to consider. Yes, it writes its own OS and designs its own hardware, but it also has done an excellent job of incorporating Google services into the iPhone.

Maybe other handset companies can mimic Apple's success and learn how to better integrate the hardware, software, and services that make smartphones special. We will all be watching the Verizon Droid for an answer.

The supposed phone is supposedly being sold unlocked