Shhhh. Here come the Motorola Android phones

Davey Winder
Thursday, 27 August 2009 03:55

Your IT - Mobility

Motorola really needs to pull something exciting out of the mobile phone development bag if it is to regain any kind of meaningful position as a leader in the mobile phone innovation league table. So why is it being so damn secretive about the Android handset launch?

It's a good question, and unfortunately one I don't know the answer to other than to suggest it is trying to build up some kind of press event suspense. In which case it has failed miserably.

When an email from the PR agency representing Motorola in the UK arrived in my inbox today imploring me to 'Save The Date' I immediately twigged it must be regarding the long awaited launch of the Android handset range.

Just why Motorola could not actually tell me that is beyond me. Instead the email announced that "Unfortunately, we are not able to give you any more details at present" continuing "however, over the coming weeks we will be able to reveal more. Meanwhile, please pencil this in your diaries and let us know if you are able to attend"

To be honest it is not important that the word 'Android' was not mentioned at all in the email invitation sent to tech journalists across Europe. What is important is that it included a date: September 15th.

Of course, whether the arrival of codename Morrison and Scholes, the two Android handsets I expect to appear at the UK launch, will be enough to save Motorola in the hugely competitive smartphone marketplace remains to be seen.

Think smartphone and the chances are high that you will think Apple iPhone, RIM BlackBerry or perhaps a high end Nokia. The chances that you will think of, or be able to even name, a Motorola smartphone are somewhat slimmer.

The inclusion of an Android robot logo on the press release invitation suggests that Android is definitely what this big secret is all about. So will I be attending the event on the 15th?

No, actually. Mainly because I have learned from my American colleagues that the US invite is for the 10th September so all the juicy technical detail will already have been revealed, leaving just network operator deals and pricing for the 15th.