Report: Motorola prepping touchscreen Android "social" phone

The new touchscreen smartphone will supposedly come with a slide-out QWERTY keypad, and it'll let you ping pals on social networks sites directly from your contact list. Don't expect it until next year, however.

BusinessWeek says the new, as-yet-unnamed phone probably won't be out until the second quarter of 2009—think six months or so, at least. Those who've seen images of the handset call it a "high-end version" of the Android-powered T-Mobile G1, according to the BusinessWeek story, and word is it'll be priced somewhere in the $150 (with a two-year contract) range—even cheaper than the G1's $179 price tag.

And here's an interesting twist: Moto will apparently pack its upcoming Android phone with "a host of social-network-friendly features," including the ability to message buddies on sites like Facebook and MySpace directly from the contact list, BusinessWeek reports.

A few other details from the BusinessWeek story: Expect a slide-out QWERTY keypad, an iPhone-sized touchscreen, and a look that "takes some of the design cues" from the just-unveiled Motorola Krave ZN4 (the new touchscreen handset with a clear-plastic flip-up cover).

Overall, sounds promising. As much as I've admired the industrial design of Motorola's recent handsets (I thought the RAZR2 was gorgeous, for example), I've also felt that they've dropped the ball with their dull, 1990's-era interfaces. And on the smartphone end (such as the Q and Q9), Moto has pretty much relied on Windows Mobile—not the friendliest of mobile platforms.

Take a Moto phone and add the peppy Android touch interface, however, and we could really have something. (I'm less interested in the social-networking features; after all, I'm sure that plenty of Facebook- and MySpace-type Android apps will be available by the time Moto's new phone hits the streets.)

So, what do you think? Interested in a Android-powered Moto touchscreen? Or how about a new RAZR with Android under the hood?

Related:
Motorola Readies Its Own Android Social Smartphone [BusinessWeek]