We just received a press invitation from Google to an “Android Press Gathering” for January 5. That coincides a report that T-Mobile has advised employees that Google will be selling its own phone with T-Mobile “support” on January 5. So, the rumor of a new Google phone called “Nexus One” is moving closer to reality.

From the press email we received:

With the launch of the first Android-powered device just over a year ago, we’ve seen how a powerful, open platform can spur mobile product innovation. And this is just the beginning of what’s possible.

Please join us in Mountain View on January 5, for an Android press gathering.

The press conference begins at 10am that day.

Meanwhile at TmoNews, they’ve got a screenshot from T-Mobile showing an internal support page for employees about a new phone from “Google, with support from T-Mobile,” to be sold “solely by Google via the Web.” Sources tell TmoNews that the order form will open at 9am (no time zone stated) on January 5. With the press conference at 10am Pacific, I wouldn’t expect the order form to open before that.

For more about what we know of the phone so far, see our past posts:

• The “Google Phone” Now At Large?
• More Detail On Google Phone From A User; Makes Droid “So Last Month”
• Putting The Google Phone (Nexus One) Into Some Perspective
• The Google Phone/Nexus One Was (Briefly) In My Hand

For related news, see Techmeme here and here.

Related Topics: Features: General | Google: Mobile | Top News

About The Author: Danny Sullivan is editor-in-chief of Search Engine Land. He’s a widely cited authority on search engines and search marketing issues who has covered the space since 1996. Danny also oversees Search Engine Land’s SMX: Search Marketing Expo conference series. He maintains a personal blog called Daggle (and maintains his disclosures page there). He can be found on Facebook, Google + and microblogs on Twitter as @dannysullivan. See more articles by Danny Sullivan