Google is planning to release its own branded, unlocked Android-powered smartphone directly through retailers, as opposed to through a carrier partnership, by the end of the year in what could be a huge disruption to the industry's standard business model, according to an analyst with direct knowledge of the situation.

"The phone will be Google's first own branded smartphone. It should launch by the end of the year, or soon after, and Google will focus on retailers," Ashok Kumar, analyst at Northeast Securities, told InternetNews.com.

He said the smartphone would "absolutely" be unlocked, meaning consumers could use it on any network they want, as it would run on the Internet giant's open source mobile platform Android.

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