Motorola Rolls Out Touch Screen MotoSURFMotorola Rolls Out Touch Screen MotoSURF

Not wanting to miss out on the success of the iPhone 3G and the BlackBerry Storm, Motorola is rolling out its own touch-screen smartphone with a heavy emphasis on the mobile Web.

The MotoSURF A3100 is powered by Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional, but the company has layered a user interface that is more finger friendly. This UI gives customers one-click access to applications that can launch e-mail programs, weather and stock tracking, and other online features.

"We developed the MotoSURF A3100 as a true social smartphone," said John Cipolla, senior VP of product development for Motorola, in a statement. "Home screen personalization and access to a whole host of applications gets the info you want -- fast, and at your fingertips."

The A3100 also should be useful for the mobile professional as it can receive push corporate e-mail and instant messaging. Users can surf the Web with the integrated Wi-Fi, or use HSDPA 3G cellular networks for up to 7.2-Mbps downlink speeds. There's also a GPS chip for navigation, geotagging photos, and other location-based services.

The handset also has plenty of entertainment features, as it can play multiple audio and video codecs. Memory space shouldn't be an issue, as there's a microSD slot that can take up to a 16-GB card. A 3.2-megapixel camera can snap photos and record video, and there's also a front-facing camera for video calls.

Most of the real estate is taken up by the 2.8-inch touch screen, but there is a trackball for navigation. At 4.3-by-2.4-by-.5 inches, the A3100 is similar in size to other devices in its class. Motorola said the smartphone would be available in the first quarter in the Asian and Latin markets, and it could move to others afterward. The company did not give a price.