Motorola to Unveil New Razr Next Week

Motorola is expected to unveil a new version of the popular Razr at an event on October 18, as the company looks to create buzz around its products.

The company's invitation for the event showcases the words "faster, thinner, smarter and stronger" and touts a "next big innovation." Verizon is expected to sell the device before year's end to take advantage of the holiday season.

Analysts say the event may be a platform for Motorola to announce a number of different devices, but consensus is building it will show off the Motorola Spyder. The Spyder had gone by the codename Motorola Razr, due to a relaunch of the popular line.

The Razr was one of the most successful lines of feature phones ever, and Motorola may use the name to generate some excitement.

The Spyder-Razr is expected to have a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED touch screen and be capable of LTE speeds. Many analysts also expect it to be Motorola's first Android Ice Cream Sandwich device.

Motorola's announcement will likely come around the same time as Google and Samsung's reveal of the Galaxy Nexus Prime, also expected to be exclusive to Verizon's network. Samsung and Google were supposed to announce the device on October 11, but postponed the announcement out of respect Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, who passed away last week.

The companies have promised a new date for the announcement very soon.

The Galaxy Nexus will be Google's flagship Android phone and also run the Ice Cream Sandwich version of the OS. The Nexus will likely go head to head with Motorola's new device, giving consumers the option between two high-profile Android devices this holiday season.

The two devices will give Google a strong launching pad for the next generation of its Android software, and also help the company pull buyers from Apple's iPhone 4S. Apple's new handset is already performing well in the pre-order process, and new handsets from Motorola and Samsung may help slow that momentum.

Motorola's most popular device on Verizon's network is currently the Droid Bionic, but if the October 18 announcement is everything the company says it will be, a new top-tier device may be around the corner.