Motorola Phone Is Said to Have Edge-to-Edge Screen

Motorola Mobility’s next mobile phone, due to be unveiled at an event with Verizon Wireless next week, will feature an edge-to-edge screen and work with LTE networks, a person familiar with the product said.

Motorola Mobility, which Google Inc. (GOOG) acquired in May, has scheduled a Sept. 5 press conference in New York with Verizon, the largest U.S. wireless carrier. The phone, which is expected to go on sale later this year, will run a version of Android, said the person, who asked not to be named because the details haven’t been released.

The phone would be the most high-profile product debut for Motorola Mobility since the company was purchased by Google for about $12.5 billion. The model also would be one of the first full-screen phones in the U.S., meaning it uses the entire front of the device as a display. The approach maximizes the screen viewing space by eliminating the black frames or bezels around the display.

Motorola Mobility is counting on new features to help stand out from an increasingly crowded smartphone field.Apple Inc. (AAPL) is preparing to introduce a redesigned iPhone on Sept. 12, according to two people with knowledge of the plan. Nokia Oyj, meanwhile, is planning to unveil its first phones running Microsoft Corp.’s Windows 8 on Sept. 5.

Brenda Raney, a spokeswoman for Basking Ridge, New Jersey- based Verizon Wireless, declined to comment, as did Jennifer Erickson, a Motorola Mobility spokeswoman.

LTE Speeds

Google, based in Mountain View, California, acquired (GOOG) Motorola Mobility to shore up its intellectual property and support its Android operating system, which the phone manufacturer was already using. The new phone will run Android and take advantage of the network speeds offered by Verizon’s LTE technology, the person said. Verizon has the largest U.S. network running LTE, or long-term evolution.

Google shares (GOOG) rose 0.9 percent to $687.62 at 11:33 a.m. in New York. The stock had climbed 5.5 percent this year through yesterday. Shares of Verizon Communications Inc., the co-owner of Verizon Wireless, advanced 0.3 percent to $42.90. They are up 6.6 percent in 2012.