California-based Google Inc has plans to sell its own cellphone straight to consumers from next year, in a move that will put it into direct competition with Apple and RIM.

Google Inc said its employees were testing a device that uses its Android operating system. It further added that the hardware of the phone was manufactured by a partner.

In addition, the Wall Street Journal also cited people familiar with the matter saying, the Google would sell an Android phone called ‘Nexus One’ directly to the consumers and not through carriers from next year.

The Wall Street Journal also stated that ‘Nexus One’ will be manufactured by HTC Corp.

Separately, TechCrunch said the upcoming phone would be called the Google Phone and would be sold directly by Google, bypassing any wireless carrier.