SAN FRANCISCO, October 6, 2009 (AFP) - US computer maker Dell reportedly plans to roll out a "Google phone" as market momentum builds for smartphones with Android operating systems backed by the Internet giant.

Dell is teaming with telecom colossus AT&T, exclusive carrier for Apple's iPhones in the United States, to launch an Android-based smartphone next year, The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.

At AT&T spokesman told AFP the company had "no comment" and Texas-based Dell did not respond to inquiries.

The report came a day after Verizon Wireless and Google announced that mobile phones powered by Android software will be introduced in the next few weeks.

Verizon Wireless and Google said they planned to commit "substantial resources" to a strategic partnership to deliver "leading-edge mobile applications, services and devices."

"Through this partnership, we hope to deliver greater innovation in the mobile space to consumers across the US," said Google chief executive Eric Schmidt.

Verizon Wireless and Google said they plan to co-develop several Android-based devices made by "leading handset manufacturers."

A growing number of US telecom carriers and manufacturers have been adopting Google's open-source Android software in bids to challenge the Apple iPhone and Blackberry from Research in Motion.

Android is already being used to run smartphones from Motorola and T-Mobile and US wireless carrier Sprint Nextel and Taiwan's HTC have announced plans to release a touch-screen phone in October powered by Android.

Technology industry tracker Gartner predicts that Android-based smartphones will capture 14 percent of the global market by the year 2012, as compared with a mere two percent today, according to a report in Computerworld.