When it comes to creating mobile original design, even downright weird, Motorola is never far away. After the Motorola Backflip, it seems that a new model, just as offbeat, or about to show the tip of his nose: the Motorola Filpout.

The originality of the Motorola FlipOut mainly due to its shape somewhat in the spirit of Kin Microsoft, Motorola FlipOut is a square, admittedly, a bit confusing. The 2.8-inch screen and 262,144 colors at a resolution of 320 x 320 pixels, swivels to reveal a Qwerty keyboard, all with dimensions of 64 x 67 x 16mm.

Inside the terminal is hiding the Android OS 2.1, coupled with the interface Motorola MotoBLUR. The processor also contains FlipOut TI OMAP3410 700 MHz, a 3.15 megapixel camera, a microSD slot for memory cards allowing up to 32GB, GPS, or Bluetooth 2.1 connectivity and WiFi, and a decision 3.5mm.

The Motorola FlipOut, expected by the end of June, should be sold in three colors: black, green, and pink.

According to analyst firm IDC, during the first three months of the year, 54.7 million smartphones were sold, an increase of 56.7% in one year.

If the overall market for mobile rebounded in the first quarter of 2010, what about the smartphone? According to IDC, worldwide sales rose 56.7% year on year to nearly 55 million units. Nearly one in five mobile market in the world is a smartphone.

“2010 is confirmed as a year of strong adoption of smartphones in the world, especially because the experience made specifically responds now to consumer demands,” said Ramon Llamas, senior analyst.

In the first three months of the year, Nokia retains its leadership position with a stable market share of 39.3% and 21.5 million units sold. We may wonder at this dominance, Nokia confessing himself its difficulties in high-end smartphones.

Broad definition

But remember that the definition of smartphones by IDC is very broad. For the firm, is a smartphone terminal “converge”.

That is what greatly expand the segment of the smartphone market. IDC therefore includes in its calculations of references from Nokia that are well beyond the current concept and accepted smartphones: large touch screen, keyboard, physical or virtual, mobile internet (browser built then).

Still, Nokia paves the cons-attack on the luxury segment and is expected to launch its first terminal in Symbian3 before the end of the year. Meanwhile, the Finnish setting role models to social networks like those of series C.

The silver medal back to RIM which is also entered in the Top5 of the overall market for mobile in the first quarter. The manufacturer of the BlackBerry has passed 10.6 million units, representing a market share of 19.4% against 20.9% a year ago.

Palm growth for Apple

The Canadian has sold more smartphones (45%) but not so well that Apple with sales exploding by 131% (to 8.8 million units) saw its market share from 10.9 16.1%%.

With one or two references, so the apple is almost as well as the Canadian whose references are more numerous, in terminal elapsed. The gap between two manufacturers is shrinking, it is 3.3 points when he was 10 points a year ago.

HTC is just off the podium but its Android strategy is paying off with sales up 73.3% (2.6 million copies) and a part from 4.3% to 4.8%.

A 5th place, Motorola shows the second highest growth this year, also thanks to Android and Milestone. The U.S. manufacturer, on the brink there is still a year, has found a lifeline and should increase the Google phones this year.

Its sales jumped 92% to 2.3 million units. Its market share stood at 2.3%.