Motorola originally announced Google Android phones would be coming to multiple carriers, and recently outlined further details of its Android strategy.
"With Android we believe we can enable differentiated consumer experience and applications, with enhanced integration of messaging and social networking applications," Motorola co-CEO Sanjay Jha said in May.
During a recent conference call, Jha said using Android "will get us back in the game in smartphones," as the company plans a proverbial assault on the smartphone market over the next year. Indeed, the company will launch both mid and high-tier phones based on Android, with a mixed emphasis on the consumer and enterprise markets.
In addition to simply releasing Android phones, Motorola hopes to attract developers to create Android apps for Motorola, offering sales possibilities through a number of different channels. For example, developers can share their apps through phone carrier stores, the Google Android Market, direct sales, or any third-party distributors. Motorola also will pre-install some apps on select mobile phones, depending on the app, smartphone, and the phone's intended market.
The company hopes to attract new developers by launching developer events in several U.S. and European cities, and will continue to offer what the company hopes are better incentives than other handset manufacturers.
Motorola, which is facing the same problem as other companies without a serious smartphone product catalog, must deal with the growing number of phone owners transitioning from regular phones to the more robust, functional smartphones.
It's possible the future of Motorola rests on the success of Android -- when the company released its second quarter earnings results, it was revealed Motorola's mobile device sales slotted in at just $1.8 billion, which is down 45 percent from 2008. It's obvious Motorola faces an uphill battle to stay relevant, and its reliance on Android and attracting new developers is vital.
