The HTC G1 is not even out yet, and there’re already plans for another smartphone boasting the Android OS to be launched. This time it’s by Motorola, and it’s dubbed the Android Social Smartphone.

The new smartphone, likely to be introduced in the second quarter of 2009, has been pitched to carriers around the world, who have seen specification sheets as well as pictures of the device. It’s said it will have both a touch-screen like the iPhone, and a slide-out keyboard like the HTC G1. Software-wise the phone will focus on social networking features. The Motorola device, one of an emerging wave of social-oriented smartphones is designed to give easy access to online social networking sites such as MySpace and FaceBook. These phones allow users to interact with friends from their contact lists directly from the handset, allowing for greater mobility.

Neither Motorola representatives or those from FaceBook or MySpace cared to comment on their collaboration, but Motorola did have this to say: "We're excited about the innovation possibilities on Android and look forward to delivering great products in partnership with Google” and the Google-backed developer community which develops the Android operating system, known as the Open Handset Alliance.

Motorola are making a phone based on Android, which is currently the rising star of mobile operating systems, in an effort to revive their declining handset department, which has lost a great deal of market share in the wake of novel devices released by competition. Their stock, which was rated at 5.62 as of last Friday, is at 16-year low. If their new Android phone doesn’t pump some life into it, we don’t know what will.