Report: Google and Nokia to offer Wi-Fi phone

Google and Finnish company Nokia are expected to announce on Tuesday the launch of a handheld Internet browsing device that includes Google Talk, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) on Friday that cites a source familiar with the plans.

Google Talk lets users have conversations over an instant messaging system.

The Nokia device, which will use short-range Wi-Fi wireless technology and not cellular networks, is expected to be sold worldwide for about $390, the article said, adding that it will be based on the Nokia 770 Internet Tablet. Also called the Espoo, it was Nokia's first mobile device that wasn't also a cell phone, and it has high-resolution screens and plays video and music, according to the report.

Nokia is talking to other companies about incorporating their Internet communication software onto devices, the report said without naming any.

A Nokia spokeswoman said the company plans to make an announcement with Google on Tuesday related to the Nokia 770 Internet Tablet, but she declined to confirm any other details of the report. Representatives from Google could not be reached for comment.