OStatic

It was only back in March when I wrote this post, Why is Android Stalled? In it, I wondered why there weren't any new smartphones running on the Linux-based operating system, or any other notable news to speak of. It's amazing how quickly that has changed. There are approximately 30 new Android handsets coming from top manufacturers this year, several companies are putting Android on netbooks (a hot hardware category), and there are even new strains of Android appearing. Here are just a few of the notable Android developments from the past few days.

Recently, we covered Motorola's confirmation that it will deliver several smartphones based on the open source Android operating system later this year. That's good news, because applications have been proliferating for Android--with more than 3,000 available--and Android now has 6 percent of the U.S. smartphone market, even though it has largely been restricted to one handset: the T-Mobile G1 phone. Now, news about and photos of the upcoming Motorola Android phones are making the rounds online. Here are the details.

We've reported before on Motorola's interest in delivering phones based on the Android operating system. In October, the company was planning to deliver a new Android phone by the second quarter of this year, a deadline it apparently won't make. However, as InfoWorld reports, Motorola is aiming to deliver several Android-based smartphones in time for the holiday season. The company will launch the phones with multiple carriers in several areas around the world, according to chief of Motorola's mobile device division. Isn't it time for Motorola to pick a smartphone platform to concentrate on, though?