Motorola Smartphone Images Appear Online

Leaked images from Google’s new handset division – Motorola – have appeared online on the Engadget site.

The gadget blog 17 August received a number of high-resolution photos from an anonymous tipster showing what is labelled a Motorola Droid HD, which has long been rumoured, alongside the forthcoming Droid Bionic 4G smartphone from Verizon Wireless.

The side-by-side comparison with the delayed, much-anticipated Droid Bionic helps provide perspective for the Droid HD.

Handset Specs

Based purely on information from the photos, the Droid HD is powered by Google’s Android 2.3 “Gingerbread” operating system on a beautiful 4.5-inch display.

While it’s unclear what the technical specifications behind the screen are, Engadget is guessing qHD (quarter high definition) or possibly a 1,280 by 720 resolution. That would put it in close company with the crisp 1,280 by 800 screens of the Motorola Xoom, Samsung Galaxy Tab and other high-end Android “Honeycomb” tablets.

The handset also features an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera that captures video in 1,080p and a front-facing camera of undetermined resolution. Also pictured is a microUSB and HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) port for porting content from the phone to HD televisions, and SIM and microSD slots.

But there is another important fact worth highlighting. The Droid HD is very thin, possibly 8.5mm to 9mm. This would seem to put the device on firm footing with the comparably thin, Super AMOLED Plus-armed (Super active-matrix organic LED plus-armed) Samsung Galaxy S II handset, which the phone maker is unveiling 29 August in New York City.

Meanwhile, much, much more is known about the Droid Bionic, which was delayed a quarter, reportedly so Motorola could get the 4G radio right. This phone uses a TI OMAP 41GHz dual-core processor with a 4.5-inch display, an 8MP camera and 1GB of RAM.

Acquisition Implications

Earlier this month, gadget blog IGN appeared to score a Verizon document revealing the Amerian carrier’s Autumn smartphone and tablet lineup.

This includes the Bionic, slated for a 8 September launch.

It’s unclear whether Google’s bid to buy Motorola for $12.5 billion (£7.5bn), which the search company announced 15 August, will affect the release timing of Motorola’s forthcoming lineup, including the Bionic and Droid HD.