Where Is Motorola's Android Phone For Verizon?Where Is Motorola's Android Phone For Verizon?

Despite a large announcement from its platform partner (Google) and carrier partner (Verizon) concerning Android, Motorola failed to actually announce a new device. Why?During today's press and analyst round table discussion, Current Analysis analyst Avi Greengart was really blunt with Motorola. Even though Motorola's two major partners announced a huge Android partnership today, Motorola didn't step up and announce its next Android handset. Greengart asked what was on all our minds: Why?

Motorola didn't have a decent answer.

When Motorola co-CEO Sanjay Jha took the stage at the GigaOM Mobilize conference several weeks ago, he clearly stated that Motorola was set to announce its next Android handset "within a couple of weeks." (As far as I am concerned, "within a couple of weeks" means less than a month.) Later that day, a Motorola staffer told me that the Verizon Android device is ready to go. All that's needed is the green light from "Big Red."

Big Red = Verizon Wireless.

Verizon Wireless' main handset contacts were not present at the CTIA trade show in San Diego today. As far as I am aware, they won't be attending at all. With Verizon's main handset personnel absent, and Motorola acting coy, it's beginning to look like Motorola won't be announcing any new hardware at the CTIA trade show in San Diego this week.

That's really a shame. Samsung is already on the board with a new Android device, the Behold II for T-Mobile. It is primed to launch another -- the Q -- on the 7th at its big press conference with Sprint. Why would Motorola allow Samsung to grab so much of the spotlight, when Motorola so clearly needs to get some love from the tech press? The answer remains a mystery.

Even though CTIA appears as though it will be a MOTO-NO-SHO, rest easy. Motorola's Android device for Verizon Wireless is going to grab the spotlight soon enough.