Motorola to launch Android phones Sept. 10
updated 03:10 pm EDT, Tue August 25, 2009
Moto Android Sept 10
Motorola today set a date for the unveiling of its first-ever Android phones by inviting the press to a San Francisco event on September 10th. The cellphone maker doesn't provide any details as to what's involved, but it's frequently believed the introduction will center on the Sholes, a high-end smartphone with a fast processor and a 5-megapixel camera, and the Morrison, a more economical model meant for T-Mobile and its 3G network. Both are suspected of shipping in the fall.
Either phone is rumored to include a new Blur interface that, like Palm's Synergy feature in webOS, would unify social networking with other aspects of the phone. It's also suspected that Motorola's launch will be an opportunity for an early look at Android 2.0, which among other elements would bring whole-device searching, gesture-based shortcuts and possibly multi-touch.
Launching Android phones is seen as a cornerstone of Motorola's return to health as a company. The US firm has witnessed a rapid slide in phone market share as it has struggled to put out viable Windows Mobile smartphones and has mostly been excluded from the high-end feature phone market, leaving it instead to focus on budget handsets. Apple's iPhone and RIM's BlackBerry line have together helped oust Motorola entirely from the top ten phones sold in the US.
