Enterprise software giant Oracle considered making a smartphone powered by its Java technology, as well as having mulled acquisitions of Palm and RIM, according to reports from an ongoing intellectual property trial involving the company and Google.

According to Bloomberg, Larry Ellison, CEO of Oracle, said: “We explored the idea and decided it would be a bad idea.”

The two companies are embroiled in a dispute about the use of Java technology in Google’s Android platform. While Oracle is positioning itself as protecting its intellectual property and safeguarding Java, Google has argued that the company actually wants a share of the success of Android.

Oracle also held talks with Google to avoid Java fragmentation, which did not come to fruition, it was reported.

The Wall Street Journal said that Ellison had “struggled at times to maintain patience with the line of questioning from Google’s counsel, and occasionally smirked as he delivered his testimony.” In contrast, Larry Page, CEO of Google, “maintained near-constant visual contact with the jury members, and a boyish grin.”

The WSJ also noted that “where Ellison readily delved into the finer points of Java in an effort to make his case to the court, Page occasionally professed some ignorance on both the ins and outs of the technology and on Google's early development of Android.”

Sun Microsystems, the developer of Java which was subsequently acquired by Oracle, had previously had its own mobile platform efforts, acquiring assets from developer SavaJe and creating its JavaFX Mobile platform to this end. However, this never really gained any traction, with Android becoming the operating system of choice for mass market smartphones.