Telecom and Vodafone may be wary of Google's foray into mobile phones, with the latter having no immediate plans to bring the first Google Android-powered handset, the 3G T-Mobile G1, into New Zealand.

But Parallel Imported Ltd – the scourge of official distributors or the champion of pushing new technology into the country, depending on your point of view – is keen to slake Kiwis’ thirst for Android.

Managing Director Chris Honore says he looking at brining the HTC Dream – essentially a G1 (pictured) without badging from its US carrier T-Mobile – into New Zealand. The likely release date would be sometime after the G1’s October 22 launch in the US (T-Mobile yesterday temporarily suspended G1 pre-orders, saying it would otherwise be unable to fill unanticipated demand).

Vodafone New Zealand External Communications Manager Paul Brislen says his company is keeping a "watching brief" on Android developments.

Telecom Consumer PR Manager Rebecca Earl says, “We're currently investigating devices that run the Android Operating System. The platform is still in its infancy, and Telecom NZ will closely monitor its uptake and stability with customers before we launch devices. We look forward to more handset manufacturers launching devices with this as their primary operation system.”

New Zealand’s importing laws are among the greyest in the world, a situation Parallel Imported and others took full advantage of when the first generation iPhone was released. The widespread availability of iPhones unlocked to run on Vodafone’s NZ network could have been a factor in the carrier’s decision to officially release the 3G iPhone here.

HTC has a complicated relationship with the New Zealand market. The Taiwanese-based company manufacturers phones under contract for Telecom NZ (sold as part of Telecom's OKTA series) and Vodafone NZ as well as selling its own HTC-branded handsets through each telco, distributor Ingram Micro and the likes of Parallel Imported. Honore notes his company already handles several HTC models, including the HTC Touch Pro.

Meanwhile, Honore confirms Parallel Imported has brought the Nokia N96 into New Zealand, selling it for $1699. The N96 is the keenly anticipated successor to Nokia’s hit N95 and N95 8GB phones. The N96 boosts memory to 16GB, and features support for DVB-H mobile TV broadcasts (trialled in NZ by Kordia), plus a rear kick-stand that lets you prop up the phone when watching video in landscape mode.  A spokeswoman for Nokia said the company had no immediate plans to officially release the N96 here.