New Motorola Android phone on Verizon: the Devour

(AP) -- Verizon Wireless has a second handset from Motorola Inc. that uses Google Inc.'s Android software: The Devour.

Much like the Motorola Droid, which debuted to much fanfare in November, the Devour has a touch screen that slides away to reveal a keyboard. The screen is slightly smaller, however. Verizon said Wednesday the phone would be on sale in March, but did not say what it would cost.

The Devour also features Motoblur, a software package from Motorola that displays e-mails and content from such sites as Twitter and Facebook on one screen. Motorola's Cliq, which launched through T-Mobile USA last year, also used Motoblur, but the Droid did not.

Verizon Wireless has positioned Android phones as its main alternative to the iPhone, available in the U.S. exclusively through AT&T Inc.

Motorola, for its part, sees Android-powered smart phones as the way out of a deep multiyear sales slump. It has said it plans to launch about 20 models this year, of which the Devour would be the first.

Verizon also sells a smaller, keyboard-less Android phone made by HTC Corp., the Droid Eris.

©2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.