The word is that Orange may just be preparing to launch 6 new Google Android based smartphones this year, according to French website Mobinaute.

Apparently Orange will receive these 6 Android platform handsets via 5 different vendors, who are…Samsung, LG, Motorola, HTC and Sony Ericsson.

Word also has it that the HTC Hero will be included as one of the handsets, but as for the rest there are no real details. So it would appear that 2009 is to be the year of the Android platform, as no doubt we’ll be seeing even more Android phones hit other carriers than Orange.