Moto teases us with the Ming

The Motorola Ming (also known as the 1200) is nothing new, but without a supporting U.S. carrier the sexy phone has been a bit scarce in this country since its introduction last year. But this week we noticed that Moto is showing the Ming on its U.S. Web site with an invitation to learn more. Could this be a sign that the phone will move past pricey unlocked status to full carrier respectability? Besides asking us to register for more information, the page doesn't tell us much concerning availability. But we really hope we'll see more of the device soon.

As a reminder, the Ming is a Linux-based smart phone with a 2.4-inch, 320x240-pixel touch screen display. Features on the GSM handset include quad-band world phone support, handwriting recognition, a speakerphone, polyphonic sound, Bluetooth and USB connectivity, an FM radio, POP3 and IMAP4 e-mail support, a 2-megapixel camera with digital zoom and macro mode, video recording and playback, a RealPlayer media player, and a microSD card expansion slot. The A1200 measures 3.8 inches by 2.0 inches by 0.9 inch and weighs 4.3 ounces.