Shares in Motorola rose 8.3 percent yesterday – to US$8.50 – off the back of major US operator support for its new Android-based handsets, reports Reuters. Over the weekend, Verizon Wireless launched an aggressive ad campaign to promote a new device dubbed ‘Droid.’ Details were scant, but it appears to be a Motorola device running Google’s Android software, to be launched in November. Verizon has long been seen as the US vendor of Motorola’s second Android device although neither company has confirmed an agreement. Popular technology blog boygeniusreport.com also praised the upcoming device, describing it as the best phone it had used since Apple’s iPhone.

Yesterday T-Mobile USA began selling Motorola’s first Android handset, Cliq. Motorola is pinning its hopes on Google’s Android platform as it attempts to revive company fortunes and turn around flagging sales. In mid-September, Motorola shares hit a 52-week high of US$9.45. The shares were at US$2.98 as recently as March.