Telus offers 3rd Android-powered device

Telus Corp. is now presenting its third smartphone that runs Google's Android operating system.

The company said in a release that the Motorola Backflip, which debuted Wednesday in Canada, has a 3.1-inch high-resolution touchscreen and features Motorblur, a new way to get live updates from social media sites, such as Facebook, Twitter or Gmail.

A smartphone with a 3 year term costs $249.99 or $399.99 with no contract, Telus said.

The mobile carrier also presents other Android devices including the Motorola Milestone, which debuted on its network last winter and HTC Hero, which was launched last November.

Rival carrier Rogers Wireless offers Android powered-devices, such as the HTC Dream and HTC Magic. Bell Wireless sells the Samsung Galaxy. Motorola Canada has said that it will offer Android phones to most Canadian carriers.

Android, which is based on open-source Linux software that Google is giving free to cellphone makers, is intended to urge non-voice data uses of cellphones including web surfing, email and geo-location.

Users can access Android Market, which is similar to Apple Inc.'s iTunes store, where software applications, many of them free, can be downloaded to the smartphones.