Motorola today announced some specs, images and availability details for a new Android phone.Dubbed the Motorola Charm, this oddly shaped device will ship to T-Mobile subscribers this summer with a 2.8-inch screen, the current Android 2.1 operating system (not Froyo), and a slew of social features.
If you’re thinking this looks and sounds a bit like the ill-fated Kin — small screen, square-ish shape, social emphasis, physical keyboard — we can’t really blame you for your déjà vu. But we won’t consign the Charm to the technological junk heap just yet; we still don’t know just why the Kin failed, so we aren’t convinced that similar features in another phone will lead it to the same demise.
In addition to its keyboard — a welcome feature for heavy texters and social media addicts — the Charm sports a touchscreen and a navigation pad. Called the “Backtrack” pad, this hardware feature is located on the back of the device and works like a laptop touch panel. Without having a review model, we can’t say whether this feature will be a blessing — saving space on a tiny touchscreen so you can actually see what you’re navigating around — or a curse — you can’t tell what you’re navigating around or accidentally use the pad while holding the phone. Another hardware perk is its two-microphone noise cancellation functionality for clearer calls in ambient noise-filled areas.
The phone’s social features will have customization and filtering options. Charm will also play nicely with Flash, and it’ll come pre-loaded with the usual suite of Google apps. Its 3MP camera might not compete with a more media-centric device like the Droid X, but this phone is aimed at a more social, less “artistic” crowd, we’re guessing.
And, like the Kin’s Studio feature, the Charm features browser-based access to all the device’s data, including media such as videos and photos. Data can be transfered via a USB port or WiFi connection.
We’re expecting to see the Charm hit shelves before the end of the summer.
As far as smartphones go, most of the big-name devices have launched on Verizon, AT&T and Sprint. The former network has the blockbuster Droid, and Sprint is seeing plenty of buzz around the Evo, which it’s billing as the first 4G device on a 4G network. And of course, the iPhone 4 is selling like hotcakes, much to the delight of AT&T, with whom Apple still has an exclusive contract.
If the Charm turns into the high-volume, tween-friendly phone the Kin wanted to be, T-Mobile might have a winner on their hands. What do you think — is the Charm a device that interests you?

I knew it was coming soon, but Verizon Wireless and Motorola just announced that Motorola DEVOUR is now available online and in stores today for $149.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate with a two-year customer agreement.
DEVOUR is the second Android-powered smartphone from Motorola to run on Verizon Wireless’ 3G Network after the Droid. The phone comes with MOTOBLUR, Motorola’s content delivery service.
The 3.1-inch capacitive screen, 8GB microSD card, full QWERTY keyboard, and the social networking-centric MOTOBLUR all combine to make a great device. The phone also comes rocking a 3 MP camera, 802.11 b/g WiFi, GPS, and a 3.5mm headset jack.

The Android-powered Motorola Backflip will go on sale via AT&T March 7, and it packs Motorola's Motoblur social networking and communications tools.
Mobile operator AT&T is finally getting its first Android-powered device in the form of the Motorala Backflip, featuring a “reverse flip” design, QWERTY keyboard, and a “backtrack” touch panel that lets the display be hands-free while a user’s fingers work behind the screen. Plus, the entire phone can be propped up in a “table mode” for easy viewing of the display on a desk, table, or nightstand. The Backflip also features Motorola’s Motoblur communications and social networking tools running on top of Android, bringing together email, instant messaging, and social networking services like MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter all in one place.

“Motorola Backflip brings together the best of social networking with the nation’s fastest 3G network,” said AT&T Mobility’s chief marketing officer David Christopher, in a statement. “With the ability to ride on our newest and fastest 3G network, access to more than 20,000 AT&T Wi-Fi hotspots, and the ability to talk and surf at the same time, Backflip boasts a better 3G experience.”
The Backflip features a 3.1-inch 480 by 320 touchscreen display, a unique “backtrack” touchpad that enables onscreen navigation with fingers behind the screen, a 5 megapixel camera, 802.11b/g Wi-Fi, 2 GB of onboard storage with microSD expansion, and of course the full complement of Android capabilities like Google Maps, a full HTML Web browser, messaging and email, and support for a broad variety of audio and video formats. The Blackflip will also tap into AT&T’s 7.2 Mbps HSPA 3G technology for mobile broadband, and AT&T customers will be able to get Wi-Fi access from more than 20,000 U.S. hotspots at places like Starbucks and McDonalds.

AT&T will be putting the Backflip on sale March 7 for $99.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate—with a two-year agreement and smartphone data plan.