T-Mobile USA is planning to use Google’s Android mobile platform for a range of devices beyond mobile phones, according to the New York Times. The report, citing confidential company documents obtained from one of the company’s partners, said the operator was planning to launch an Android-based ‘home phone’ early next year and a tablet computer soon after. The phone will plug into a docking station and come with another device that handles data synchronisation as it recharges the phone’s battery, the report said, while the tablet device reportedly resembles a small laptop without a keyboard and has a seven-inch touch screen. A T-Mobile spokesman declined to comment on specific new devices, but confirmed that T-Mobile has plans for several future devices based on Android.

The operator is already a leading supporter of Android and last year became the first to launch a phone based on the platform – the Google G1 – which the Deutsche Telekom-owned operator currently offers across numerous international markets. The handset is the only Android-based phone on the market to date but numerous vendors and operators are planning to launch devices soon. The New York Times said that Motorola and Samsung (see side panel) both plan to launch Android devices later this year, while HTC – maker of the G1 – is also planning further devices. Vodafone is to offer the HTC Magic in the next few weeks, whilst Huawei unveiled an Android handset at the GSMA Mobile World Congress earlier this year.