Motorola smartphones get big boost

SCHAUMBURG, Ill., May 29 (UPI) -- Motorola Inc. says its coming smartphones will be heavily promoted by Verizon Wireless under a deal with the largest U.S. cellular carrier.

That's seen as a major boost for Motorola, which has struggled to stage a rebound in its handset business, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Motorola co-Chief Executive Sanjay Jha is looking to phones powered by Google Inc.'s Android software and sold by Verizon, including the Motorola Droid.

Verizon Wireless, which plans to add two Motorola smartphones in July, had spent $100 million marketing the original Droid, helping boost Motorola's first-quarter sales.

But Motorola's cellphone division is still losing an average of $22 on each phone shipped, the Journal said.

Jha predicted the division would reach its goal of becoming profitable by the end of the year.

He said Motorola would introduce new Droid products but would not elaborate.

Motorola, based in Schaumburg, Ill., has been hurt by inconsistency in sales, with popular models doing well but others bombing with the public.