In the recent days, weeks and months, I have seen the name “Project Emerald” tossed around to almost every single smartphone that T-Mobile might get.  At this point, I have to say I’m a little frustrated with how frequently and how loosely it’s being used.  To that end, the name itself has almost lost its luster in my eyes because of the guessing game being played hoping to nail the story.  When we first got word of a “Project Emerald”, we were almost positive, or at least our source was positive, it was a Sidekick-like replacement, possibly with Android.  In recent days, we’ve seen it addressed as any number of upcoming T-Mobile phones and watched our comment section fill up with other, often far-reaching theories.  So what do we think Project Emerald is now?  Is it a device or a rocketship?

You’ll have to bear with us as it’s likely some of you will think our connection here is rather thin.  Rest assured I wouldn’t run this without doing at least a little fact checking of my own. We’re going with the idea that Project Emerald is simply the HTC Emerald aka the myTouch HD.  Why are we saying this?  Simple, the use of codenames.  The original myTouch3G was codenamed Sapphire, a precious gem.  The codename for the myTouch HD is “Emerald”.  While to some of you it’s thin, very thin, and you’ll doubt it right from the get go, according to our source the use of precious gems is no coincidence.  The Shubert, as far as Windows 7 Phones go, will be the HTC Mozart, classical composers.  Like I said, reaching.  So I know we’re stretching here and it’s always-possible information is delivered wrong, sources give bad information or things change internally but I tend to think we’re right.

So what do we know?

HTC Emerald = myTouch HD.

The HTC Vanguard/Vision will be named the T-Mobile G2 with Google according to one of our sources.  Another stated it would simply be called the T-Mobile G2. Apparently G1 Blaze is out and was just an internal codename.  It is our belief that judging by the roadmap that thus far has looked very accurate, the T-Mobile G2 will deliver itself sometime in the middle of September.  Of course, it’s odd that as of now we haven’t received much in the way of tips regarding it save for the few shaky images that have made their way to the interwebs.  Still, we’re still looking for a September 9^th launch.

But, hey, we wouldn’t leave you without some information on the myTouch HD now, would we?  One of our sources apparently had some hands on time today and came back with one very important piece of information.  According to him, as the phone stands right now, there will be a Front Facing Camera.  The screen itself is bigger than the N1 and noticeably so but definitely not 4.3 inches.  The phone itself runs the same espresso sense as the myTouch Slide though we didn’t get word on what version of Android.

P.S.  That Sidekick theory that started all this Project Emerald mess?  Pushed back to 2011.