Everybody is now thrilled and anxious about the release of T-Mobile's G1 on October 22, the world's first smartphone to run on the Google Android platform. The pre-orders for this device have literally gone through the roof, a reported number of about 1.5 million units having already been sold.

With all this attention and hype around it, it's only natural that other mobile phone manufacturers also want to develop their own Google phone. Well, one of them is Motorola.

Recently, Motorola was in the headlines when it announced that its Android team would be expanded from 50 to 350 members. Also, a few days ago, Moto posted a job add for a Senior Staff Interaction Designer on Coroflot, saying that the candidate, among other things, would also participate in the development of the UI for the company’s new Android Social Networking Smartphone.

As it turns out, we now have more news about Motorola's Android phone. According to inside sources, who claim to be familiar with the manufacturer's plans, Motorola's version will have an iPhone-like touchscreen, a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, and a host of social network-friendly features.

Also, it seems that Motorola has been showing spec sheets and images of the phone to mobile carriers around the world over the course of the past months, so it's highly likely it will introduce the device in the US in the second quarter of 2009.

Speaking of which, the device does indeed seem to be designed to be a part of the new class of social smartphones, which make it easy for users to connect to Facebook and MySpace and other social networks.

Back to the specs, it seems that the touchscreen of the device will be roughly about the same size as the iPhone's, whereas the design will be similar to the one of the Moto Krave ZN4. Motorola’s Android phone will also feature a full slide-out keyboard, while those who have already seen it say it looks like a higher-end version of HTC's G1 that will sell for about $150.