Rumored Google phone real and in the hands of Google employees?

Straight out of Twitter comes the rumor that the Google phone is real and has been handed out en masse to Google employees. TechCrunch broke the story Friday night and the #googlephone messages continue to flow. Lots of information and misinformation floating around but what we can glean with some certainty is that Google employees, perhaps many or perhaps just the engineers, were given a not-yet-seen HTC Android handset. The handset is reportedly smaller than the Hero with a brushed metal back and the smooth lines of the iPhone. It is a full touchscreen phone and is running Android 2.1, which features some new animated wallpapers. Whether this is truly the rumored Google-branded phone or just another “Google experience” phone is unclear. Stay tuned as we expect the information on this phone to come fast and furious this weekend.