Motorola to go with 'pure' Android in new smartphones

Motorola says it will launch a series of next-generation phones that will dispense with its own user interface in favor of the stock Android experience. The company will release Google-influenced smartphones to the market the second half of this year, Motorola design chief Jim Wicks told PC Magazine. In addition to running "pure" Android, the new phones will on average be smaller than current smartphones on the market, he said. "Certain people like a large screen, but there's a sweet spot for consumers that we're currently exceeding in the market," Wicks said, adding many consumers have expressed a preference for a screen size that feels "just about right." Motorola said it would also go with smaller bezels to shrink the size of its phones. "When you buy a TV, you're not wanting a frame," Wicks said. Motorola and Google, which purchased the phone maker in 2012, have been working together on a new generation of phones since the acquisition, Motorola Chief Financial Officer Patrick Pichette told SlashGear.