Motorola announced the name for its newest and most advanced smart phone, the Motorola MING (previously announced as the A1200), and confirmed that units are already shipping to distributors in Hong Kong.

MING, a clamshell phone with Linux software, bears an innovative clear flip-cover and an antenna-free profile, combines svelte design, business features, and a high-resolution two mega pixel camera into a package designed to appeal to users who don't mind looking good while getting things done.

MING also deepens Motorola's handset portfolio based on the Linux OS - further demonstrating Motorola’s commitment to driving Linux innovation across the company’s mobile device spectrum.

"The name MING was chosen to resonate more deeply with people in Hong kong than a traditional model name or number can," said Terence Ma, director of sales, Mobile Devices Business, Motorola Hong Kong. "Like the design and usability of the phone itself, MING will help bring our smart phones into entirely new market segments."

The Chinese character "ming" is formed by combining the ideographs representing the sun and the moon. "Ming" means bright, clear, overt or open, clear-sighted, and to understand.