Report: Verizon, T-Mobile to offer Motorola Android smartphones

Verizon and T-Mobile USA plan to offer Motorola smartphones running Google's Android operating system by the end of the year, according to a report in Tuesday's Wall Street Journal.

Citing "people familiar with the matter," the Journal said the new phones stem from efforts by Motorola Co-Chief Executive Sanjay Jha to revive the company's sluggish handset division. Motorola is hoping Android will help it win a greater slice of the cell phone market.

A Motorola representative declined to comment to the Journal. However, the report said a person familiar with the proposed T-Mobile smartphone described it as having a touch screen with a slide-out keyboard. The Android operating system will offer built-in social networking from providers such as Facebook and Twitter, the person added.

T-Mobile currently has two phones on the market running Android. The company debuted its G1 smartphone last year and recently announced a second phone, the myTouch, to hit stores in August.

Verizon has said it plans to support Android phones that would be available later this year but hasn't revealed further details.

[bonesbautista]

Verizon can have my Storm back the day they get an Android-based or WebOS-based PDA in their line-up.

[Police_States_of_America]

about time, motorolla operating systems are ****

[ewsachse]

This is good news. Motorola phones have the best voice reception over any other brands I have tried with Verizon. My aging Razor has better voice reception than my new LG phone. It is the hardware that makes the Motorola phones, not the software.<br /><br />The combination of Motorola's voice reception with the PDA features of the Android phones is a win-win situation for Verizon and T-Mobile customers.

[forever4now]

I understand that it takes time to develop new smartphones, especially with a new OS, but Motorola (&#38; Sony Ericsson) really need to get some Android smartphones to market ASAP. Practice makes perfect &#38; judging by HTC's new Rosie interface, HTC is really leveraging their early advantage to become VERY proficient with the Android software as well.<br /><br />There are some good Rosie screenshots here: http://phandroid.com/2009/06/03/htc-rosie-screenshots

[atcocoabeach]

I have Android with Rosie running on my phone right now and it has all the great things I like about the Pre and all the benefits of Android OS and the market. <br /> <br />Everything is just integrated... I have my contacts browser on my desktop and all of my contacts are linked to their facebook accounts and twitter feeds and even their flickr. And since Android can run background apps, everything just updates like it's supposed to, I don't have to "check facebook". <br /> <br />Even the photos that show up for the contacts are automatically updates when my friends update their facebook/flickr. <br /> <br />Oh yeah, and the Flash player beta is on my device too. <br /> <br />Rosie is only in beta right now so performance is occasionally poor. Battery life is one day of hard use, 2 days light use. Not great. <br /> <br />The thing rocks though. For the sake of Android success as a platform, I hope that other device makers can catch up to HTCs Rosie.

[Der_Amerikaner]

Android OS adoption by Verizon Wireless is a welcomed news. maybe they are slowly and finally inching their way into open technology that serves the customers better. <br />additionally: Take clue from your clients!, Rid yourself of these testy CDMA sets and move over to what the rest of the globe is using.

[solu1978]

+ 1 .. They need to adopt GSM and move away from CDMA.

[Ed0719]

No, they'll probably do like T-Mobile, go from their current technology (CDMA for VZ, GSM for T-Mobile) directly to LTE. They'll run the older networks for a while, but LTE is the future.

[JoeF2]

Another +1<br />I need to use my phone worldwide. Anybody using CDMA is out.

[Eddie-c]

amerikaner: sure - if the phones have quad-band gsm + umts for Japan AND the carrier actually has unlimited international data plans (t[crap]-mobile only has for blackberries) *and* an international SMS plan (which only ATT does at the moment). If Verizon pull the same stunt Sprint did with their i-325 (ace) in having only 900 &#38; 1800 MHz then it won't work in some South American countries which is limiting for business. <br /> <br />JoeF2 - actually some countries have a very good CDMA infrastructure, such as Israel and, given that Verizon &#38; ATT are arrogant to the extreme about corporate discount another carrier can simply jump in and take the business.

[useful_worms]

Excellent! More competition for the iPhone.

[brynn08]

good another device VZW can cripple !!!! feel bad for loyal idiotic verizon customers !!!!! gd srvc...but ****** plans !!!! and cripple certain features on phones.....not to mention a horrible CEO !!!!! never get my business VZW !!!!!!

[JoeF2]

Do you think AT&#38;T is any better???<br />They offered a Samsung phone without saying that Bluetooth is crippled on it. Not even the store people knew. They replaced mine, and the new one of course had the same problem. I had to buy a USB connector to access the phone from my PC...<br />The only other provider with GSM is T-Mobile, and I don't like them much, either.

[brynn08]

cant stand ATT.....at all.....way too expensive for marginal coverage at best.....

[AppleSuxLeo]

Android has been a big let-down. Nowhere near the patent portfolio of Palm.<br />Palm with Web OS and it`s ground breaking UI is the real news.<br />And all those fools who said Palm wouldn`t have multi-touch , well it turns out they have their own patents for said technology and they do multi-touch better than Apple. Palm Pre scrolls better and transitions better than the iPhone.<br />Web OS makes Apple and Android look out-dated and clunky.