Amidst all the hype about Tuesday’s expected launch of the first Google Phone, there is one overriding question that has gone unanswered: what is the One Big Idea behind this device that is so compelling that Google thinks it’s worth risking its relationship with other handset makers over?

Just sticking a Google brand on an HTC handset doesn’t add up to much, particularly since some Android phones already carry co-branding.

Maybe Google thinks it needs more control over the overall experience and has had a bigger hand in the hardware and software design. But it has also worked closely with Motorola and others on previous Android handsets, so how new would this be? According to this unauthorised review on Engadget, it’s nice, but only really a sleeker version of the Droid. Read more