Google's Android mobile operating system is about to get a hefty push that could potentially help it make up some of the ground between leading systems like iPhone and Windows Mobile.

T-Mobile, the nation's fourth-largest wireless carrier, plans to aggressively push into consumer homes with communications devices that will use Google's Android smartphone software.

The company plans on releasing a home phone early next year and a tablet computer soon after both running Android.

Its home phone will connect to a docking station that recharges the battery, while another unit will handle data synchronization.

The tablet computer will resemble a small laptop and integrate a seven-inch touch screen instead of having a traditional keyboard. It will be able to handle basic computing jobs like checking the weather or managing data across handhelds in the home.