Motorola confirms Android ambitions

30 October 2008 11:49 GMT / By Katie Scott

Motorola needs to save some money, co-chief executive, Sanjay Jha, has admitted to the Wall Street Journal.

The phone manufacturer is going to simplify how it makes devices, says Jha, and, as part of this, is going to stick with its plan of launching the majority of its new phones on the Google Android platform.

Tech Crunch reported at the end of September that it thought Motorola would be the next phone manufacturer to bring out an Android handset - the first model - the HTC G1 is in shops in the UK today.

Motorola reportedly has 50 people on its Android team and is growing that to 350.

The company's business-focused devices will continue to operate Microsoft Corp's Windows Mobile but the production of some of these models may be outsourced.

The Journal added that Motorola will use its own platform, P2K, for low-end phones.

But, despite the Android expansion plans, there will be job losses elsewhere, admitted Jha, who told the Journal thousands of Motorola employees could be facing redundancy.

Full tags

Biz, Motorola, Phones, Mobile phones, Android, Google, Microsoft