Executives from T-Mobile USA and Qualcomm recently shed some light on their companies 'gPhone' plans. T-Mobile is well on its way towards releasing its first Google Android-run phone, while Qualcomm's been working with handset manufacturers to integrate its chipsets into several of these eagerly-awaited devices.

Speaking with Dow Jones Newswires, T-Mobile VP & general manager of broadband and new business division Joe Sims said he's "impressed" with the prototypes of the carrier's upcoming Android phone, which will ship sometime during the fourth quarter of 2008.

That device will be first in what T-Mobile will be line of 'gPhones' from T-Mobile. "We will have more than one product," added Sims.

The other day, we posted an article about how Qualcomm's open operating system activities product manager Sy Choudhury walked us through Google's Android platform on a demo cell phone Qualcomm built itself. He spoke of how his company is optimizing its chip sets for use with Android-run smartphones. Speaking with The EETimes this week, Choudhury elaborated a bit on what Qualcomm's been up to with Android.

Joe Sims, the head of this company's broadband and new business division, says he has seen prototypes of this device, and he's impressed, according to Dow Jones Newswires.

He didn't, however, give any details on this upcoming model, other than to say that it will be consumer-oriented. A good candidate is the HTC Dream, which HTC says will be the first on the market running this Linux-based operating system.

As a platform for mobile development and an operating system, Android falls under the auspices of the Open Handset Alliance (OHA), which - in addition to Google, Qualcomm, andT-Mobile- is composed of major mobile telephony, semiconductor, and mobile handset players.

The OHA asserts Android will make it easier and less costly to develop applications for mobile phones—by removing the often complicated pre-qualification regimens and hoops mobile operators make developers jump through today—while giving these wireless carriers and phone manufacturers a great deal more flexibility in the devices the former supports and the latter creates.

In theory, all of this (more freedom, less cost, greater flexibility) should be experienced by consumers as a result of Android as well. By making more advanced cell phones, smartphones and (even) applications cheaper to buy and easier to use, and giving consumers a greater say in the mobile handset they choose to buy and use on their carrier's wireless network.