We reported back in August that Motorola was working on a “trimmed down version of Sholes” without the physical keyboard and it was headed to a U.S. GSM carrier in early 2010. This device became to be known as the Sholes Tablet when it was spotted on a leaked Motorola roadmap.

We got our first preview of the phone earlier this month when Motorola officially announced the Motoroi for Korea.

The Specs

The Sholes Tablet is essentially the same internals of the Motorola Droid with a few improvements. The main additions over the Droid are a higher megapixel camera with xenon flash (8MP vs 5MP), HSDPA 10.2 Mbps (vs 7.2 Mbps), a mini HDMI port, and Motoblur.

I’m really pleased to see the inclusion of HSDPA 10.2 Mbps. This will pair nicely with T-Mobile’s 3G  network upgrade to HSPA+ which supports speeds up to 21 Mbps.

The Droid shipped with stock Android, but that was because Google was in charge of the software for that phone. Our old reliable sources tell us Motorola has complete control over the U.S. Sholes Tablet and intends to include their Motoblur customizations. Yes, this does mean that the U.S. version will support multitouch implementations like pinch zoom.

• Display: 3.7 inch capacitive touch FWVGA (480×854)
• Dimensions: 60.9 mm x 115.95 mm x 10.9 mm, Weight: 140 g
• Processor: TI OMAP3430 (550 MHz ARM Cortex-A8 +  PowerVR SGX 530 GPU)
• Memory: 512 MB Flash ROM, 256 MB RAM
• Camera: 8 megapixel autofocus with xenon flash. 720p HD video recording.
• 3G Network support: HSDPA 10.2 Mbps, HSUPA 5.6 Mbps
• Wireless: WiFi 802.11 b/g with DLNA support
• Operating System: Andorid 2.1 with Motorblur
• Other: 720P HD video out via HDMI port

The Carrier

We have speculated for a long time that this phone was headed to T-Mobile so it doesn’t come as a surprise to see Engadget and TmoNews report the device passed through the FCC with T-Mobile 3G bands. I’ve heard T-Mobile is a huge fan of Motoblur and the Sholes Tablet could be their next flagship device for retail stores.

The Launch

The first launch date we ever heard was early 2010. This was narrowed down to Q1 2010 in the leaked roadmap and now TmoNews is reporting T-Mobile will launch a Motorola phone on March 10, 2010. Some have speculated this could be the Motorola Zeppelin (low-end Android phone) which was also on the leaked roadmap, but the Sholes Tablet was planned to launch first.

Upcoming Android events where Motorola could announce the phone include Mobile World Congress (2/15), Game Developers Conference (3/9) and CTIA (3/29). If the phone is revealed at MWC then I think the device could hit the March 10 target. Look to CTIA for a big announcement if Motorola remains quiet in Barcelnoa (we don’t think they will).

The price points remain unknown, but expect it to land somewhere close to the Droid and Nexus One. That means $179-199 with 2 year contract and $500+ full price.

The Question

Given what we know about the Motorola Sholes Tablet, how many of you would choose it over the Nexus One? The Droid has a better camera and flash, HDMI, faster 3G, faster GPU, and Motoblur while the Nexus One has a faster processor, more memory, a trackball, and stock Android.

Bonus: Video of the Motorola Motoroi headed for Korea.

We can also see a weird design feature on the lower right corner of the outer casing. The side of the phone juts out in order provide a better grip when holding the phone.

This version of the phone will likely never make it to the United States, but it provides a sneak preview of things to come.

The device is essentially a cousin of the Motorola Droid without the physical keyboard and some updated specs. The Sholes Tablet is said to feature an 8MP camera (vs 5MP on the Droid), include a xenon flash (vs dual LED), and include a mini HDMI port for full 720p video output.

Known specs include:

• 550MHz OMAP TI 3430 processor
• 3.7″ touch screen with 800 x 480 resolution
• HDMI port (720p video output)
• 3.5mm headset jack
• UMTS/HSPA
• 8 megapixel camera with a xenon flash
• 802.11 b/g with DLNA
• Android 2.x

According to our sources, the Sholes Tablet is headed to T-Mobile and will likely include Motorola’s custom flavor of Android dubbed Motoblur.

[via mobile01.com]

Motorola has also started running newspaper ads which confirm the street date of November 6, 2009. Pricing information is still unavailable.

The wait is almost over.

I had been thinking about switching to Verizon to get the Droid, but I’m sticking with T-Mobile and waiting for a 1 GHz Snapdragon phone. Verizon has some of the most expensive calling/data plans and I’m actually really pleased with the new T-Mobile rate plans.

We still expect the phone to be announced in late October and then go on sale in November. At the rate things are changing, I guess anything is possible. Keep an eye out for even more twists and turns.

Someone changed the date from 10/30 to 10/28.

The device name was hidden in the FCC reports, but it can be found on page 7 of test report (PDF).

Sholes is the codename for the Motorola Droid.

The issue of 3G bands is clarified in the supplemental response (PDF).

Look for the Sholes to appear in multiple countries.

As far as we know, this could be the new Sholes tablet that was spotted last week. The tablet version of Sholes will lose the keyboard, get an 8 megapixel camera with xenon flash, and support 720p playback via HDMI.

Image courtesy BGR.

The screenshot lists the model number as Droid and the firmware version as 2.0. The last time I was able to look at the About phone screen on a demo unit, the model number was Voles and the firmware version was Eclair. Google waits till the very end to assign a firmware version number, so this pic from BGR appears to be very recent and legit.

I was starting to like the name Sholes, but I think Droid is a much better choice. The general public still has no clue what Android is and having a phone called “Droid” on the largest United States carrier (Verizon) will help build the brand.

We were also told the phone would support UMTS/W-CDMA and was most likely headed to AT&T. I have yet to see any other sites report this, but it looks like our tipster has direct knowledge of the unannounced hardware.

It is also interesting to note that his roadmap has the original Sholes still slated for an October 2009 release. The next two weeks should be quite entertaining for Verizon customers waiting on the phone.

Dial-a-Phone obtained this leaked roadmap.

The battle rages on between the number of code names and the number of leaks for Motorola’s second Android phone. If you have seen any of the rumors about the Motorola Sholes floating around the web, chances are they came from this blog. One might think we could predict when this phone would appear, but Motorola has left us absolutely clueless.

We first expected to see this phone announced back on September 10, 2009 at Mobilize 09. Motorola went on to unveil the Cliq and MotoBlur UI, but there was no mention of Sholes.

Several weeks later I received an early press document which stated the Sholes would make an official appearance on October 7, 2009 at CTIA. Google and Verizon announced they were working on Android phones, but Motorola kept its lips tight during their Motodev Summit.

Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam was actually pictured by the Associated Press holding the secret Motorola phone, but the photos were later removed.

The Sholes phone was demoed at CTIA behind closed doors, but once again nothing was announced.

Now that two major press events have come and gone with no official information, where does this leave the Sholes launch date? Motorola has repeatedly stated they would release a second Android phone in 2009 and even said the device was “on track” at their Motodev Summit.

Will the Sholes launch October 30, December 1, or in 2010?

The most popular rumor is still claiming that Verizon will launch the Motorola Sholes on October 30, 2009. At this point I guess anything is possible, but I am not holding my breath. If Verizon was really shipping the phone this month, why not announce it at their press conference with Google? CTIA was a huge stage for new phone announcements and Motorola decided to stay quiet for unknown reasons.

I understand some reliable tipsters are swearing by the October 30 date, but things change quickly in this industry. I had my own information saying the phone would be unveiled at CTIA and ship December 1 and that didn’t happen.

Until we see something posted on the official Motorola website, consider all release dates FUD.

Will the Sholes ship with Android 2.0?

Regular readers of the site know we have been reporting that Sholes would be the first phone with Android 2.0. The demo units that exist are running the Eclair build of Android, which is widely believed to be branded Android 2.0. However, we have learned in the past that the point releases assigned to Android builds are really just marketing speak.

At the end of the day, Google will decide if this phone gets stamped Android 2.0 or not. I’m certain Sholes will ship with Eclair and we will have to wait and see what version they call it.

Other handset makers (Samsung) told us not to expect Android 2.0 till Q2 2010, but I believe Motorola has an exclusive deal with Google. We learned at the Motodev Summit that Motorola has dedicated employees who are assigned to working with Google engineers on the next release of Android.

Will the Sholes feature MotoBlur?

All of the demo Sholes units I have seen were without MotoBlur. I asked Motorola if we should expect to see MotoBlur on all their Android phones and they said that was their intention. However, they did mention that certain carriers would be customizing the phones and we could see some devices without MotoBlur.

If you consider that this device will be the flagship phone for Android 2.0, then maybe Google and Verizon might decide to leave out MotoBlur.

What are the most likely scenarios for launching the Sholes?

Who knows what Motorola is actually planning, but I see three possible scenarios for Sholes.

1. Motorola ships Sholes in 2009 with Android 2.0
2. Motorola ships Sholes in 2009 without Android 2.0
3. Motorola ships Sholes in 2010 with Android 2.0

Number 1 was our original prediction and the most likely scenario. I believe the hardware is finished and Google has the ability to use the Android 2.0 name whenever they choose.

Number 2 could happen if Google decides the software is not finished in time for the holidays. The Sholes would ship with Eclair, but lack the Android 2.0 branding. We know there are multiple versions of the Sholes (without keyboard) in the works, so Android 2.0 could be saved for a future Motorola phone.

Number 3 is the least likely to happen. Motorola told us the phone was on track and I expect to see it before the holidays.

What does the community think?

Our readers voted the Motorola Sholes as the most desired phone, but has the lack of official information changed your mind? There are multiple 1 GHz Android phones slated for the first half of 2010 which could encourage customers to hold out a little longer. We are also eagerly waiting to see if Verizon will cripple Android in any way.

Are you saving up your cash to purchase the Motorola Sholes the day it becomes available?

Are we completely missing something? Tip us on news.

Eric Schmidt and Lowell McAdam show off new Android phones.

Eric Schmidt was holding what is believed to be the HTC Desire and Lowell McAdam was holding the Motorola phone without a name.

Engadget has an enhanced photo of the phone and we can clearly see it is the Motorola device everyone has been referring to as Sholes/Tao/Droid.

The Motorola phone with a dozen names.

We had expected to hear some official news on the Motorola Verizon phone this week, but nothing has been announced so far. That has not stopped the entire web from speculating when the device might launch.

• Gizmodo reports that Verizon will launch the Motorola phone before black Friday (November 27, 2009).
• BoyGeniusReport thinks the Motorola phone will come October 30, 2009.
• BGR is also reporting Sam’s Club will offer the Motorola phone this holiday season.

This Motorola phone has been the most leaked Android phone that still has no official announcement. Motorola has been extra secretive about the device, but they keep saying over and over that a 2nd Android phone (1st is the Cliq) will be coming this year.

Samsung, HTC, and AT&T could be announcing new Android phones this week, so maybe Motorola is holding out till the last possible moment before announcing the phone. Who knows, maybe we will just walk into Best Buy next month and find one sitting on the shelf.