Motorola preps its own Android phone

Motorola, which has been struggling to find a home run hitter to replace its Razr, appears to be gearing up to debut a social-networking smartphone that uses Google's mobile operating system, Android, according to a BusinessWeek report.

Motorola's Android phone, according to the report, is expected to feature a touch screen similar to Apple's popular iPhone, as well as a slide-out QWERTY keyboard that allows users to connect to such social-networking sites as MySpace and Facebook. It is unclear how similar it will be to T-Mobile USA's newly released G1 phone, manufactured by HTC, which also uses Android.

The phone is anticipated to make its U.S. debut in the second quarter of next year, according to sources cited in the BusinessWeek report, which noted that carriers have already seen spec sheets and images of the devices.

Motorola's Android phone may carry a price of approximately $150 to $180, with a two-year carrier contract, according to the report.

[yacahuma]

Since every company seem unable to match the iphone, the only logical explanation is that steve jobs is an alien using alien tech.

I hope they dont create a brick like HTC.

[ballmerisanape]

Unless the touch screen is multi touch.. it's not like the iPhone... it's just another touch screen.

[mpitogo]

Touchscreen is great but its the whole package that counts. The iPhone experience is so far very hard to beat. It many not yet have everything everyone wants or is a perfected technology but its on its way and the very core OS provides a solid foundation. If only the 3G network was able to keep up. As fast as the AT&T claim of "fastest 3G network" is, I fail to yet experience it first hand, especially side by side Verizon 3G in NYC.

[make_or_break]

Hardware is only a fractional part of the equation. As good as the iPhone is, it's not a perfect smartphone by a long shot. Apple has the benefit of getting it more comprehensively right than anyone else so far, but there's plenty of wiggle room for improvements.

If indeed Google leaves Android as open as they tout the platform to be, THAT will be the key to Android's ultimate success (or failure), not whether its touchscreen--from whatever manufacturer--can mimic the iPhone's. The iPhone has the head start, but it's a relatively closed system controlled by a single entity: Apple. There's only a single hardware maker. Android's promise is to spread itself among multiple hardware suppliers...just like the PC business model...or the Windoze Mobile one, for that matter. Its key is to push its open source agenda and broaden its appeal with developers first and foremost...and of course it's Google, with its power of internet marketing and data gathering that not even Apple has any hope of matching let along crushing. That alone can have tremendous appeal to enterprise, the ultimate determiners of who will win out in the smartphone wars.

Of course, it WOULD'VE helped if HTC had conceived of something better looking and more comprehensive than Android One. The lack of a headphone jack is utterly inexcusable, especially in lieu of the lack of Bluetooth stereo support. The lack of reasonable internal NAND capacity also goes a long way in undermining the concept, particularly in light of the cost of flash memory chips these days.. Perhaps Motorola can get off its tired RAZR past glories and come up with something more physically attractive...and more 'smartly' executed. But six to nine months is a long way away.

[moe3754]

I was a strong follower of Nokia and symbian OS untill I tried the iphone,I inherited a 3G iphone from a death in the family and after playing with it found it so much easier to use than my N95 that I have now dumped Nokia and am a iphone user and much happier,as for android well I cannot bring myself to even think about going back to T-mobile and living with such a worthless service!!!I really doubt that AT&T would have it just because of the iphone and that is ok with me!!And Motorola making a phone that is more than bargain basement quality is really beyond belief every Moto I have owned was total GARBAGE!!!

[MyBrotherSteve_dot_com]

Perhaps Motorola should name it the Motorola Razr AnDROID phone, or MR. DROID for short. So, Motorola, you heard it here first. I'd like my cut of revenues from the phone, please. When you patent the name, my example of prior art for the name can be credited to you for a small contribution....... ;-)


No, really, I'm serious.