Motorola is readying a mobile phone based on Google's Android platform, according to reports, although the device may not ship until sometime next year.

The Motorola handset is said to resemble T-Mobile's G1, unveiled in September, with a touch-based screen and hide-away Qwerty keyboard.

Sources such as BusinessWeek.com suggest that the phone will be designed for social networking, making it easier to connect to and access sites such as MySpace and Facebook from virtually anywhere.

T-Mobile's G1 is also aimed at a similar market. With Google's open platform, the handset offers access to tools such as Google Maps, YouTube and Gmail.

The Motorola handset is expected to be available in the US from the second quarter of 2009.