To paraphrase Oscar Wilde, Google returning to handsets would certainly be the triumph of hope over experience. But there are mounting reports that the search giant wants to have another go at smartphones, after the failure of its ambitious bid to move the mobile goalposts with Nexus One.
The rumors appear to have emanated from the retail side of the value chain, with the blogosphere insisting that Carphone Warehouse and others will have a new Google-branded handset in time for the holidays.
Like Nexus One, which was a badged variant of the HTC Desire, this would put the Google user experience and branding on a third party handset, probably a version of Motorola's upcoming superphone.
This is expected to bid for a place in the top rank of Android devices, running the dual-core Nvidia Tegra2 processor and a 4-inch advanced display. Motorola's own version, known as Olympus, is reportedly heading for AT&T while the Google cousin has been nicknamed T2 or Terminator.
Samsung has also been named as a possible partner, but if Google really does want a new phone for Christmas, Motorola would be a more logical supplier. Its handset chief Sanjay Jha is said to favor the project and MOT was lined up to make a 'Nexus Two' before the original Nexus was canned.
The two firms have cooperated very closely in development and launch marketing terms on some Motorola handsets, notably the Droid and Droid X for Verizon.