Motorola Android Phone Coming to Verizon?

According to leaked reports, Verizon Wireless will offer Motorola Inc.’s Android phone, codenamed “Sholes,” in October.

The news, which broke on a Russian fan site and clearly as-yet unsubstantiated, is accompanied by leaked images that show the Sholes having a QWERTY slide-out keyboard, touchscreen, 5-megapixel camera and Wi-Fi.

The Sholes, if the report is correct, will continue Moto’s forward momentum for Android, which is widely seen as a last saving grace for the handset division, which, while posting a surprise profit last week, is still suffering from having to play catch-up in the smartphone space. Motorola said during its earnings call that it will introduce two Google Android phones in mid-September, one catering to the tween/teen set.

It also has launched advanced Android development resources through MOTODEV, offering developers early access to a new suite of Google Android tools and programs, along with the opportunity to attend the next MOTODEV Summit in San Diego, CA, on October 6, for advanced training and information-gathering. The program is intended to accelerate the development of applications to be used on Motorola’s mobile devices using the Android operating system.

“Motorola is focused on helping our global network of best-in-class developers create, deploy and successfully market their Android applications to ultimately unleash greater innovation into the mobile application development space,” said Christy Wyatt, vice president for software platforms and ecosystem at Motorola. “We believe Android and open software has the freedom and flexibility to foster innovation, accelerate time to market, and deliver the most personal and customized mobile experiences for consumers.”