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Jan. 8, 2010

Sanjay Jha, Motorola's co-CEO, introduced the Motorola Backflip late yesterday. The new Android smartphone features the company's well-received Moto Blur user interface on top of Android version 1.5 operating system. Motorola's new Backflip has a unique reverse flip design that acts as a sort of kickstand for viewing media.

The back of the touchscreen has a track pad for navigation of the smartphone. A company spokesman said the unique attributes of the Backflip are an attempt to offer mobile developers a new set of mobile features to exploit.

Beyond its unique form factor, the Moto Backflip doesn't stray too far from the Cliq. The handset comes equipped with a full HTML browser, 3.1-inch high-resolution touchscreen, 5-megapixel camera, LED flash, A-GPS, stereo Bluetooth and a 3.5-inch headphone jack and up to 32 GB of expandable memory.

"Since introducing our first MOTOBLUR-based smartphone, we've remained focused on differentiating the Android experience and bringing it to new wireless carrier partners around the world," Jha said. "Backflip maximizes the multi-tasking and multi-functional potential of MOTOBLUR with its unique design elements, making it as smart as it is social."

Motorola's new Backflip handset will be available in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia beginning in the first quarter.

Motorola gave no immediate information on a U.S. carrier partner for the Backflip but did say the device supports the GSM band, which would make it a potential candidate for either AT&T or T-Mobile USA.

Given that AT&T just announced an impending Android release from Motorola, the Backflip could be on its way to that mobile carrier.

Despite all of this, Motorola still has some work to do if it wants to maintain a solid market position. Motorola's share of the mobile handset market has been falling for the past three consecutive years and now the company is trying to change that.

We think that the Backflip is a step in the right direction, and 2010 could be a significant milestone year for Motorola if it keeps innovating at a faster rate and if it tries to stay one step ahead of the competition.

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Source: Motorola.