14 DAY TRIAL // Motorola has stepped on the gas with the development of its Android-based mobile phones, and it is getting ready to release on the market two such handsets before the holiday season, with more expected to come as soon as next year. Motorola's CEO, Sanjay Jha, has already confirmed the upcoming devices, stating that Android is the company's primary strategy for the ongoing year.
Two Android devices will be “in stores for the holiday season,” Jha said, also adding: “We will launch with two major carriers in North America, and multiple carriers outside the U.S. In addition, we have plans for several additional Android-based devices in the first quarter of 2010.” Moreover, the company seems determined to make big steps into the smartphone area in the near future.
While Windows Mobile, the main operating system Motorola has used on its smartphones until now, will not be left aside, as a company spokeswoman, PCMag reports, stated recently that Motorola would use Android for a wider range of handsets, including some in the lower-end segment of the market. This was a rather expected move, as the company already has some experience with releasing low-cost Linux-based handsets.
“Our core strategy really is to take Android ... as low down the feature phone tier as we possibly can, by bringing in smartphone features,” Jha said. At the same time, it seems that the company also plans on delivering its own Android experience, with an in-house user interface aimed at simplifying “mobile communications with integrated contact and message management, multimedia and social collaboration,” as Jha puts it.
The mobile phone maker already unveiled some of its plans concerning the development of Android, with a series of programs launched to help developers build applications that would run on its handsets powered by Google's OS. Motorola plans to expand its market share through future smartphones, especially those running under Android. “Smartphones are really where the future of this division will lay, at least in 2010,” the company's CEO stated.