Remember that phone we told you about? Well, we got more info on it and it turns out that it’s going to be a Windows Mobile handset. Here’s a list of some of the specs we found:

• Windows Mobile 6.1 (though it looks like Windows Mobile 7)
• 5-8 megapixel camera
• NVIDIA chip the handle 3D graphics
• aGPS
• Q4 release date

We’re working on some more shots and info, but until then… what are you thinking? Does Moto have a chance?

Man, Motorola just can’t keep a lid on anything anymore can they? We’ve got a hold of a phone codenamed the “Napolean” and it’s a CDMA EV-DO Rev. A Q9 with full GSM world roaming capabilities. This even includes the U.S. 850MHz/1900MHz bands! Even though it’s Verizon branded and will launch on Verizon, we loaded in our AT&T SIM and away we went. We’ve found the following specs on the phone so far: fingerprint scanner (seriously, on the back), Windows Mobile 6.1, EV-DO Rev. A, quad-band EDGE, 2 megapixel camera with flash, stereo speakers, 320×240 resolution screen, Wi-Fi, and a 1500mAh battery. The keyboard isn’t as good as the first Q9 or Q9m, and the d-pad is incredibly stiff and difficult to use. Sound sounded good though, and the screen seems to be the same as the original Q9s. We’ll keep diggin’, but in the meantime, take a look at a gallery, ok?

Click on over to our Motorola Napolean Q9 gallery!

Looking for your AT&T fix for the remainder of 2008? We’ve got you covered. The carrier has a number of exciting new handsets planned for the coming months, which should be good news for both the carrier and consumers. Everyone loves selection, right? Right. First up, AT&T is planning to release the BlackBerry Curve 8320 (yeah, we’re scratching our heads too), and the BlackBerry Bold by the end of Q3. On the Windows Mobile side of things, AT&T is planning to drop the Samsung BlackJack III, which should see Windows Mobile 6.1, a 528 MHz processor, 3MP camera, aGPS, and more. Look for a new Pantech Duo sporting Windows Mobile 6.1, GPS, HSDPA, and a 528MHz processor. They also alluded to an HTC Tilt replacement, tentatively dubbed the Tilt II, which should feature a Qualcomm 528 MHz processor, aGPS, HSDPA, 256MB ROM/ 128MB, and more. Touch Pro anyone? Expect to see all three of those by Q4 of this year. Excited yet? Yeah, we thought so, but why stop here. AT&T is also planning a slew of Windows Mobile 6.1 upgrades for existing handsets. The current Pantech Duo should see 6.1 by October, while the BlackJack II, Moto Q9h, and AT&T Tilt will get the royal treatment by July.

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If you’re a Verizon subscriber looking to grab a new handset within the next several months, you’re about to have a lot lot be happy about. If these leaks are to be believed, the carrier is getting set to unveil a host of exciting new handsets. First up is the Touch Diamond and Touch Pro, both of which are clearly destined for the CDMA stable. There are no dates associated with these releases just yet, but we’re guessing a mid-fall release wouldn’t be out of the question. Next up is the Motorola Blaze which should hit stores by the 22nd of September. The Treo 800w is on there, but doesn’t have any specific date info, while the as-yet-unidentified Samsung SCH-U31 makes its first known appearance. There are a couple more slated for release in the next month or two, but the Touch Diamond and Touch Pro are the real gems here, no?

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What a week for an almost-perfect Motorola device announcement, right? Motorola has announced the MING A1600 and A1800 with remarkably little fanfare. Spec wise, both handsets are relatively the same, both sporting GPS, touchscreens, Linux, A2DP, 3 megapixel camera, and more. The CDMA/GSM hybrid A1800 sports support for two simultaneous network connections, while the GSM-only A1600 tops out at EDGE. Why, oh why, is Moto crippling their GSM handsets with lowly EDGE connections? The Chinese target market is certainly part of the problem here, but you’d think they would at least, make some effort at a global launch with HSDPA support. Ah, we know! Because their MOTOMAXG OS doesn’t support 3G. That’s right! No pricing or release date info is available, but we wouldn’t hold our breath either way.

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One of our Motorola ninjas hit us up to give us the low-down on their brand new unreleased flapship phone. It was described to us as being Motorola’s “last stand”, so to speak. Internally, everyone is hedging their bets on this bad boy, and if this doesn’t get accepted like Motorola hopes it will, it’s all over for them. Then again, it’s been all over for them for a while now, no? In any case, the specs on the phone codenamed Alexander are:

• Originally a 5 megapixel camera, but possibly scrapped since the ZN5 is out. It looks like it’s going to be an 8 megapixel camera phone. At least that’s what is floating around in the R&D labs…
• The device will have a built-in NVIDIA chip which will handle both video and 3D graphics.
• It will have GPS
• It might possibly be a touch screen but that has not been confirmed to us just yet.
• The phone is rumored to run UIQ as the OS, “probably version 4.0 or higher.”
• It’s called a “Dark Project” phone because of the secrecy surrounding it. Well, that worked out really pretty good.
• Release right now is set for October, but as always, that could change.
• Again, this is said to be Moto’s last big attempt at getting back their market share and reclaiming victory. If this doesn’t work out, we’re told it’s all over for them and they will sell the company.

How many RAZRs does it take to save Motorola? Apparently way more than 100M.

Much to our surprise, Motorola has just announced the MOTOZINE ZN5 handset. On paper, at least, this is a very nice phone, sporting a 5-megapixel camera with auto-focus (yay!), Xenon flash, image editing, Wi-Fi, E8-style ModeShift keypad, and an EDGE radio. The specs are decent, and the EDGE radio is more of a limitation of the target market’s spectrum than of any nefarious attempts to destroy our access to 3G goodness. We made our thoughts about this handset’s evil slider twin known a couple weeks back, though the addition of auto-focus on this one is sure to bring a bit more appeal. Motorola is billing this with built-in Kodak Gallery integration, which is a nice thought, but attempting to upload a 5 megapixel image over an EDGE connection sounds like a savage exercise in frustration. No word on pricing, but expect this to launch in China next month, with worldwide availability coming soon thereafter.

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BGR’s favorite mobile streaming video client is coming to Windows Mobile. That’s right, folks. Today Qik launched a very limited Alpha test of a new streaming video client for the Samsung Blackjack and Motorola Q. Qik, for those that have been living under a rock for the past 6 months, is a media client that allows you to stream live video from your 3G-capable mobile handset. It’s been available for S60-capable Nokia handset for quite some time, but this is the first time Qik has ventured outside of their Symbian safe-haven. We’ll let you know how the new client as soon as we get a chance to give it a spin, but in the mean time you might want to start brainstorming some clever ways to broadcast live video to your friends and family.

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Wait, what? Motorola actually shipped a new product? Well, it seems so, because they just released the Motorola A1800 MING to the Chinese market. The phone is a hybrid CDMA/GSM device which runs on the China Unicom CDMA network. Hard specs are as follow:

• 2.4″ 240×320 display
• microSD slot
• GPS
• Handwriting recognition
• 3 megapixel camera with autofocus

Funny enough, on the CDMA side, the phone is only 1x capable and on the GSM side, only GPRS. Sad indeed. Wake us up when your 5 megapixel camera phones get autofocus. KthanksMoto.

Thanks, Cesar!

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Don’t even ask how this one showed up on our desk this morning. But it’s here, the much-awaited much-rumored 5 megapixel camera phone from Motorola with the Kodak lens. This is a slider phone running on the MOTOMAGX Linux platform, and it’s actually not the worst looking phone. There is one major issue we ran into before we even started playing with it and that’s that the 5 megapixel camera is NOT autofocus! The fact that Moto doesn’t get it is really disheartening because they could have had a decent phone in the market which they desperately needed. In terms of specs, the device is a quad-band EDGE phone (FAIL) has Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 100MB of internal memory, microSD slot, and a “ROKR” type touch wheel which also serves as the 5-way navigational pad. We’re going to do a whole review on it soon, in the meantime, check out the pics in our world-famous gallery!

Click on over to our Motorola ZINE gallery!

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One of Roger ninjas hit us up to give us the breakdown of mobile device launches for the month of June. It’s a pretty impressive line-up if you ask us. As usual, dates do change, but this is what we got so far:

• BlackBerry Bold launch time frame is June 9th-29th. (we don’t have an exact date just yet)
• The HTC Shift will launch on Rogers within the next 10 days. Rumored date is May 22nd, and it’s going for $1,500 on a 3-year agreement.
• The Motorola E8 will be making the trek up north for a June launch. No specific launch date or pricing info yet.
• The Motorola ROKR U9 which as we’re told was supposed to be launched in May, will now be launched in June on Fido.
• Motorola’s W755r (same exact model AT&T has) will also be coming to Rogers in June.
• We’ve also been told Rogers will not be getting the BlackBerry 8320. They are sticking to the BlackBerry 8120 and BlackBerry 8820 for their UMA action.

I think we’ve about covered it for now. Also, the BlackBerry Bold date seems a tad early, so we’d guess it would be launched towards the tail-end of that timeframe. AT&T should either launch before that date, or soon after as we can’t imagine Rogers getting it first. But that’s our own prediction and not based off actual AT&T internal information. Who’s excited out there

We’re not sure this was any mystery, but Motorola appears to be using "familiar tactics" as far as upcoming devices are concerned.  A few years ago Motorola issued something called a V3 RAZR. It was cool, it was thin and it was new. Shortly thereafter, a flurry of handsets began flying out of the Moto design labs. SLVR, RIZR, RAZR this and RAZR that, etc. Moto used the core design cues found on the RAZR and basically translated them to nearly every high-end handset it issued for a while. In fact, we’re still seeing similar handsets come through to this day. Next in line apparently, is the E8 ROKR design. The buttonless E8 design can be seen duplicated above on the upcoming L800t that we saw leaked a while back on the 2008 Motorola roadmap. The problem here? This new design isn’t popular. Yes it’s pretty cool, we’ll give them that, but it’s unproven to say the least. Isn’t it a bit soon to start the RAZR-esque redo of a redo of a redo loop?

[Via Engadget Mobile]

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We just got word that some of T-Mobile’s upcoming phones are delayed or scrapped altogether. The Nokia 5310 Xpress Music handset which replaces the current Nokia 5300 is now slated for release in early June. It will launch in red, orange, and purple colors. The more higher-end Nokia 5610 Xpress Music has also had a launch delay and is set to launch in early July. If there was one device that was 86′d, which manufacturer would it be? Motorola, silly! Their Motorola Z6w (Z6 with Wi-Fi) was targeted for a June 23rd launch, but has now been cancelled. This is said to be due to early testing issues. Any questions? No? Class dismissed!

Skyping from your lowly non-Windows Mobile phone just got a lot easier. Skype has just released an official mobile client that supports supporting over 50 handsets. Specific phone models aren’t listed, but the press release promised support for phones from Motorola, Nokia, Samsung, and Sony Ericsson. Not bad at all. The new software reportedly allows for free Skype-to-Skype calls, and allows you to utilize Skype-out for all of your landline needs. We haven’t had a chance to test it out just yet, but we’re assuming that you’ll need either Wi-Fi or a 3G connection to carry on an intelligible conversation.

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The feature set on this device isn’t going to blow you away by any means — 1.3 megapixel camera, speakerphone, and stereo Bluetooth. With that said, we could only assume this is going to be a free phone when it launches on Verizon. There’s two colors which are titanium and grey and the keyboard looks a little funky, so, yeah. Anyone out there remotely interested in this one? Check out all the shots in the gallery

Click on over to our Motorola W755 gallery!

Thanks, Omie!

Can you say fugly? Some spy shots of the upcoming Motorola ZN5 have surfaced, and if our eyes aren’t deceiving us, this thing is not a looker. Not at all. The ZN5 is Moto’s new Linux-based camera phone, sporting a 5-megapixel Kodak-sourced camera, 320×240 QVGA screen, Moto’s standard crappy multimedia software, and an EDGE radio. Yeah, EDGE. The phone runs version 2.6.1 of the Montavista Linux build, a cool feature and all, but look at that face. No word on when this will drop, but you can bet it will sport that Motorola E8 "morphing keyboard".

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Push To Talk may be a niche technology, but it certainly has a devoted army of followers. Hoping to bring a few more converts into the fold, Verizon appears poised to launch the next generation of the instant-access technology. The next-gen technology boasts faster connection times utilizing EV-DO Rev. A and a more robust feature set. Sprint has already rolled out their Qchat service, but Verizon’s plans have been a bit unclear until now. A newly leaked document indicates that the carrier intends to launch its very own next-generation Push To Talk service by the end of May. The initial rollout will be accompanied by two new handsets, the Motorola V750 and the Casio G’zOne c711. Both handsets sport the requisite EV-DO Rev. A radios, as well as GPS, Bluetooth, and a bit of onboard memory. No word on pricing for the handsets or feature, but expect details to show up shortly.

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Looking for a little exclusive T-Mobile info to close out your week? We’ve got you covered! An anonymous tipster has dropped the following bits of knowledge on us, straight from an all-managers meeting held yesterday (the meeting agenda is pictured above). There’s a lot to go over here, so strap in:

• Sony Ericsson handsets will be returning to T-Mobile by Q4 of this year. The first two SE handsets out of the gate will be the Bella, a 2 megapixel flip with aGPS and 3G support. The second SE handset will be the W670 W760, a 3.2 megapixel slider which is essentially a replacement for W580 and should also come complete with 3G and aGPS support. Expect to see both of these by October/November of this year, hitting stores with a complete complement of SE Bluetooth accessories, including the famed SE Bluetooth Watch!
• Motorola will be coming to the table with bot the Z6w and the ROKR E8. The Z6w should sport Wi-Fi, making it a great candidate for T-Mo’s Hotspot@Home service, but sadly neither of these are expected to support 3G data transfer.  There will also be a relaunch of the W490 in a host of new colors, including Light Purple, Light Pink, and Orange.
• Disappointingly, Samsung will only be releasing a couple of low end handsets for now, though they apparently have some "incredible" camera phone coming down the pipeline.
• Expect "massive" software refreshes from HTC for their T-Mobile lineup…Windows Mobile 6.1 anyone?

As always, take this stuff with a grain of salt until proven correct, but we’re pretty excited about what T-Mobile has up its sleeves.

Once again, some loose lips at Moto have managed to leak some significant info. This time we have what appears to be a nearly full roadmap of Motorola’s handset lineup for 2008. We’ve already seen some of the handsets on the list but there is a good amount of new detail as well. The shining light is likely the ZN5, equipped with a 5 megapixel camera, xenon flash and the Montavista Linux 2.6.1 OS. Some might prefer, say, a Nokia N82 however. Highlights:

ZN5

• 2.4" 260k color QVGA TFT display
• 5 megapixel AF camera with Xenon flash
• TV Out
• 500MHz Freescale SCMA11 processor
• Montavista Linux 2.6.1 OS
• Morphing keypad

A810

• 2.2" 260k color QVGA TFT display
• 2 megapixel camera
• Linux OS
• Stereo Bluetooth
• TI OMAP850 200MHz processor
• microSD memory card slot

VE75

• 2.6" 260k color WQVGA TFT display
• 2 megapixel camera
• Dual SIM card support
• Stereo Bluetooth
• Slider form factor

L800T

• 1.9" 260k color TFT display
• 2 megapixel camera
• Stereo Bluetooth
• Candybar form factor

Exciting? Relatively lackluster? Either way, there you have it…

[Via uberphones]

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We just got word that the T-Mobile Sidekick Slide is about to undergo a little color-change operation. Wow, that sounded weird. In any case, the new "fire red" Sidekick Slide should be hitting T-Mobile shops in late May, or early June according to our tipster. All you naysayers that complained about the purple color are going to have to find something else to complain about. Oh, we know! When you open and close the phone it deletes your contacts and turns on and off. (Kidding)

Well, well, well…this could get interesting. Word out of Howard Forums is that T-Mobile USA is considering the Motorola Z10 as one of its flagship handsets for carrier’s pending impending 3G network launch. The Motorola Z10, in case you don’t remember, is a slider handset that features an innovative on-board suite of video editing tools, allowing users to shoot, edit, and upload their creations directly to YouTube. We had a chance to play around with a prototype back at CES, and came away pretty impressed. Other features include a 3.2 MP camera, support for 32GB microSD cards, a QVGA display, A2DP Bluetooth support, and more. While this remains in the "rumor" stage for the time being, as most of this is based on the newly announced 1700MHz version of the handset, it would certainly be a welcome addition to the T-Mobile lineup.

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As a whole, CTIA today was a bit on the disappointing side. Sure there were a few exciting things debuted, most or all of which we’ve already told you about, of course. We were particularly disappointed with Motorola however, and not for the reason we expected to be. As we showed you in our post earlier today, Motorola brought some interesting devices to CTIA. The ROKR E8 for example is a sweet device that we were planning a new dedicated in-depth post on. The Z9 and V950 are nice handsets that we certainly would’ve explored a bit further as well. As we touched upon in the post linked above however, we were greeted with less than open arms at the Moto booth. No, we weren’t behind any gags and we certainly weren’t bothering anyone. We were simply there to cover the show.

Here’s where Moto’s got it all wrong: leaks are good. Big companies know this and they often embrace leaks rather than hold a chip on their collective shoulders. Hell, some even leak info themselves to generate buzz. Motorola seems to take the opposite stance with regards to leaks. What they seemingly fail to realize is that leaks are really the only press that Moto gets in the blogosphere that isn’t negative. We were greeted at the Moto booth by a smiling "booth girl" who chatted us up for a bit, and then it was all down hill. We couldn’t get a single rep to talk to us for more than a few seconds. Averted eyes, walk-aways… Do we have contagious leprosy?

There was some silver lining, though. Before we were asked to "go take some pictures of the outside of the booth" (say what?) while snapping a shot of the V950, a funny conversation was overheard:

Moto Rep: This [ROKR E8] is one of our newer phones that we’re really excited about

Random Attendee: "Yeah, I think I saw that thing last year on Boy Genius Report. Is that really new?"

That’s right Moto. You’re going to run into BGR readers everywhere you go, and with our numbers at an all time high, don’t count on us going anywhere anytime soon. Don’t embrace us either; keep thinking that blogosphere love doesn’t matter. That really seems to be working out pretty well for you. It should be mentioned by the way, that we were greeted at every other booth we visited with excitement and an eagerness to show us the latest and greatest that each company had to offer. Companies big and small know us well and love us for the attention that we bring them of course. And why wouldn’t they? Sure we might throw out a jab here and there but companies know that news is news, good and bad. We wouldn’t be doing our jobs if we didn’t report on Motorola’s plummeting stock prices or the fact that the Motorola mobile division had to be split off from the rest of Moto’s business to prevent a fire sale. So Motorola, you just keep on flopping around like the fish out of water that you’ve become; it’s obviously apparent that you don’t know what the heck is going on, not even internally. Here at BGR, we’ll continue to inform and entertain our millions of readers as best we can, and reserve our coverage for companies we think might still be around in a year or two…

Hello Moto. Motorola has made a fairly strong showing this year at CTIA, unveiling two new handsets along with a new bluetooth headset and the very nifty EQ3 portable speakers. Starting at the top, the Z9 is the hot new slider that will be coming to AT&T. The design is very, very sleek and despite looking like it might be "just another fashion phone," it’s got the goodies to make it much more. Integrated GPS, CrystalTalk ambient noise reducer, preloaded Opera 8 and microSDHC support are just the tip of the iceberg. This puppy is definitely worth checking out if you’re in the market for a new un-smartphone from AT&T. Then there’s the RAZR V950 for Sprint networks. You might be over the whole "RAZR" thing but Motorola isn’t quite there yet. The newest addition to the RAZR family is EV-DOed and ruggedized, you know, just in case you want to beat the hell out of it for being a RAZR. It also sports QChat and PTT making it reminiscent of the beatable handsets we used to see from Nextel. In terms of accessories, the H690 headset is a gem. Very smooth looking and extremely wearable thanks to what Moto has dubbed "TrueComfort". This new headset sports dual-microphones to facilitate noise reduction and echo cancellation technology to put it on par with the Jawbone. As much as we love the Jawbone, it would be hard to say that it’s not fugly with a straight face. Last but not least, the EQ3 Compact folding speakers. This portable pocket-sized stereo speaker set is a great addition to any music phone. Powered by four AAA batteries, the EQ3 uses a standard 3.5mm cable that is stored within the device when closed, making it simple to connect just about any device. The cable will also act as an FM antenna for devices requiring an enhancement in order to receive FM signals. Enjoy the gallery; unfortunately Moto ejected us before we could get a live shot of the Z9 (no live pics of new products?!? Why bring them if you don’t want them covered?) but we managed to snap the V950 before the man shut us down. Enjoy the shots of two of the aforementioned units, along with some other goodies that Moto is sporting.

Oh by the way, potential Q9c purchasers be aware: We "may or may not" have overheard that the Q9c will be getting a WiFi upgrade in 2H. Might want to think about holding out a bit longer…

Click on over to our Motorola Z9, V950, H690 Headset and EQ3 Speakers gallery!

Took you guys long enough, eh? Months after we got our first look at Windows Mobile 6.1, the company has finally made the update official. Announced this morning at CTIA, the Windows Mobile 6.1 upgrade will now be available to all manufacturers and carriers that wish to implement it. Available by "sometime in Q2" of this year, the new software will be offered by hardware manufacturers including HTC, Motorola, Samsung, and Pantech. Additionally, we could see updates to existing models directly from carriers, though this process is often fraught with delays and empty promises. Nonetheless, the new WM 6.1 takes Windows Mobile a step closer to that "user friendly" experience we’ve all been looking for.

UPDATE: It looks like HTC might be one of the first to the party on this one. In addition to the newly announced WM 6.1-equipped Touch Dual, the company has revealed that they will be working with carriers to provide 6.1 updates for the Sprint Touch and Mogul, AT&T Tilt, Alltel Touch and PPC6800, and the OEM HTC TyTN II. Who’s next?

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We just got word that the Motorola Z9 we’ve got sitting in our office draw is about to get a whole lot more company come April 1st. AT&T is said to finally be launching the device, but there’s also another thing. We heard TeleNav is going to be renamed AT&T Navigator and that’s going to be the launch device for the switch. Last we checked, our Motorola Z9 didn’t have GPS, so this might be an A-GPS solution unless Motorola has actually added GPS support to the handset. No idea on pricing at the moment but we shall all find out soon enough for all you Motorola fiends.

You didn’t expect this one, did you? The Motorola MING A1800 is an update to their Linux-based MING line, but this time, there are some twists and turns. For starters, the MING A1800 is a CDMA and quad-band GSM device. There are also two, yes two, SIM card slots. The whole package has been reduced to a really nice pocketable size — the phone feels sturdy as a rock — and is actually pretty light. There’s a 3 megapixel auto-focus shooter on the backside, and besides the normal inclusion of Bluetooth and a couple other features, we don’t really have all that much more info! We haven’t got pricing or availability on this piece at this time, but we’re also not betting on it being launched at CTIA in the upcoming week. Then again, at this point, Motorola couldn’t do anything to surprise us. You know what to do by now, everyone. Hit that gallery!

Click on over to our Motorola MING A1800 gallery!

With less than a week until several expected handeset announcements may take place at CTIA in Las Vegas, Motorola has just today disclosed that it will be splitting into two public companies. In the wake of a plummeting stock price and pressure from Carl C. Icahn, Motorola will soon separate its mobile phone division from the rest of its dealings. Motorola’s cellphone business was bustling not very long ago but it has since become an anchor that simply won’t seem to budge. Motorola’s CEO Gregory Brown’s attempt to put a positive spin on the announcement:

“Creating two industry-leading companies will provide improved flexibility, more tailored capital structures, and increased management focus - as well as more targeted investment opportunities for our shareholders.”

Motorola stock took a 45% dive in 2007 and has shown no signs of improvement to date in 2008. As Motorola’s cellphone business continues to lose market share and Icahn, 6.3% owner of the company, has not been subtle in his distaste for the situation. If Motorola decides to grant him the four seats that he is currently seeking on the board, would love to be a fly on the wall of one of those pow wows…

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We’ll believe it when we see it, but word on the street is that Motorola might actually bring something of interest to CTIA 2008. The A1600 (MOTOMING) and Q10 are both though to be slated for a 2H 2008 release along with Motorola’s upcoming ROKR E8, Z9, ZN5 and Z10. As such, it does make a bit of sense that CTIA would be the time to give a preview of at least a couple of the aforementioned handsets. The A1600 is Moto’s next-generation touch-only smartphone and successor to the well-liked A1200. It’s thought to be rocking a 3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus and LED flash, A-GPS, WiFi and a 17.5mm-thick case. As for the Q10, this isn’t the first expo where it’s debut has been predicted. The slim smartphone was thought to be making an appearance at this past Mobile World Congress but perhaps it took a wrong turn on the way to Barcelona. At any rate, it would be nice to see something of value from Motorola as opposed to a bunch of kids breakdancing and putting on ball-handling exhibitions to obnoxiously-loud music (2007 Symbian Smartphone Show anyone?).

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Yikes! We knew things were bad over at Motorola’s mobile handset division, but this seems to be a bit out of control. The company has just sent notice to all 121 designers at the main Birmingham, England site that they’re poised to reduce staff by 50%, axing roughly 60 jobs over the course of the next 3 months. The text of the actual notice is as follows:

“Since the beginning of 2007 Motorola has been public about its commitment to returning the company’s Mobile Devices business to its market-leading position by improving profitability, driving product portfolio enhancements and rationalising costs.

“Therefore, all employees will initially be placed at ‘risk of redundancy’ whilst alternative opportunities including redeployment, relocation, flexible working/home working or the opportunity of a ’service site’ arrangement are investigated as part of the consultation process.”

Right…so, in other words, if you’re a designer at the Birmingham plant, you might want to begin looking for a new job. Quickly. The long term implications of this move for Motorola are unclear at the moment, but it’s certainly a clear indicator of the dire state of the company’s cell phone division.

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