Motorola pushes ahead with Android phones by holiday season

Motorola Inc. is on track to have Android-based smartphones on sale in stores in time for the holiday buying season, and will launch them with multiple carriers in regions around the globe, the head of the company's mobile device division said Thursday.

When the Android-based platform starts shipping from Motorola late in the third quarter, it will be leveraged across multiple devices, said Sanjay Jha, co-CEO of Motorola as well as CEO of the mobile devices unit.

"We are in detailed discussions with multiple carriers around the world about a few of our Android smartphones that we plan to deliver in fourth quarter, and we'll deliver meaningful products in the fourth quarter," Jha said during an earnings call Thursday.

At one point, Jha said Motorola is "looking to consolidate to one platform," but a spokesman said Jha was referring to the smartphone push coming late in the year, and not on all cell phones. "He is not ruling out other platforms, but was referring to this release of smartphones," a spokesman later explained. Jha has previously been critical of Microsoft Corp.'s Windows Mobile operating system, which is used on some Motorola devices. The criticism has led some analysts to question the level of Motorola's commitment to Windows Mobile.

Jha praised Android, noting that 3,000 applications have already been developed for it. Motorola will focus on integrating messaging and social networking with the Android devices, he said, and will offer a range of devices in the high- and mid-tier price ranges. "We are probably investing as much as anybody on the Android platform," he added.

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