Motorola’s last stand: Sir Alexander, the 8 megapixel camera phone
36 comments
Filed in BG's Corner, Handsets, Motorola
One of our Motorola ninjas hit us up to give us the low-down on their brand new unreleased flapship phone. It was described to us as being Motorola’s “last stand”, so to speak. Internally, everyone is hedging their bets on this bad boy, and if this doesn’t get accepted like Motorola hopes it will, it’s all over for them. Then again, it’s been all over for them for a while now, no? In any case, the specs on the phone codenamed Alexander are:
- Originally a 5 megapixel camera, but possibly scrapped since the ZN5 is out. It looks like it’s going to be an 8 megapixel camera phone. At least that’s what is floating around in the R&D labs…
- The device will have a built-in NVIDIA chip which will handle both video and 3D graphics.
- It will have GPS
- It might possibly be a touch screen but that has not been confirmed to us just yet.
- The phone is rumored to run UIQ as the OS, “probably version 4.0 or higher.”
- It’s called a “Dark Project” phone because of the secrecy surrounding it. Well, that worked out really pretty good.
- Release right now is set for October, but as always, that could change.
- Again, this is said to be Moto’s last big attempt at getting back their market share and reclaiming victory. If this doesn’t work out, we’re told it’s all over for them and they will sell the company.
How many RAZRs does it take to save Motorola? Apparently way more than 100M.
Tags: 8 megapixel, alexander, exclusive, Motorola, razr, uiq
On Jun 23, 2008 @ 10:37 am, captainmicahp Said:
If Moto’s last stand is going to be running UIQ (which is an ok operating System, but a little hard to use) they might as well just sell out now, and not go through the expense of developing this clunker.
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On Jun 23, 2008 @ 10:42 am, The Outside Said:
if this 8 megapixel motorola camera phone can outdo the sony ericsson c905 motorola is saved!
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On Jun 23, 2008 @ 10:49 am, BlogReader Said:
[ Originally a 5 megapixel camera, but possibly scrapped since the ZN5 is out. It looks like it’s going to be an 8 megapixel camera phone. ]
So one of the main selling points of this company saving phone is the megapixels of the camera, and that had to be bumped higher? That’s a scary thought.
[ The device will have a built-in NVIDIA chip which will handle both video and 3D graphics. ]
Kinda cool.
[ It will have GPS ]
Should this be considered a feature? Trying to sell a phone w/o GPS is like trying to sell a car w/o airbags.
[ It might possibly be a touch screen but that has not been confirmed to us just yet. ]
That would be cool, but it probably won’t as MOTO is always a day late and a dollar short.
[ Release right now is set for October, but as always, that could change. ]
I’m betting this phone might come out in December.
[ If this doesn’t work out, we’re told it’s all over for them and they will sell the company.]
If the entire company is bet on this phone then they are done for. Why would I want to buy it? The iPhone is better than this by any measure and there are interesting apps coming out for it. Does MOTO have plans for easy purchase of applications?
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On Jun 23, 2008 @ 11:16 am, rileyfreeman Said:
I thought the nvidia chip was for windows mobile phones?
anyways UIQ to save motorola? Thats like the Phoenix Suns Trading for Shaq in hopes of winning an NBA title… oh wait
This should have been a standard phone or Windows Mobile
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On Jun 23, 2008 @ 11:26 am, chris Said:
Well, if this is what they are hoping will save this technological Titanic, then short the stock. Honestly, what the f@ck is the difference between a 5 and 8 megapix in a phone? (Save the 3 megapix comments) Motorola has had 3 runaway successes in its day: The DPC-550, Startac and RAZR. Each of these was revolutionary, each was replicated way to much (new colors, limited edition models, clones)and lastly, each of these was followed by years of financial despair because of lack of successor.
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On Jun 23, 2008 @ 12:17 pm, Ypocaramel Said:
Nothing really is going to make an iPhone-level fuss in the market. But having a decent line-up of phones will restore peoples’ confidence in the company until the next round, when the iPhone may no longer be such an overpowering force.
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On Jun 23, 2008 @ 12:22 pm, ChrisNYC Said:
@ BlogReader
LOL, hilarious!
except, “The iPhone is better than this by any measure”
I think the new iPhone skimped out on the MPs, but frankly I’m not too disappointed. Moto could make it 100MP, but if phone and SW don’t make it really easy to manage and send the pictures, what good is it?
Those guys at Apple just know I’ll upgrade in a year from now if they go 8MP with a decent focus point technology.
Can you imagine how high pressure it must be working in R&D over at Moto? If this phone blows, it’s going to be a disaster.
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On Jun 23, 2008 @ 12:23 pm, Galvatron Said:
that and their phones have a tendency to blow up a kill foreign workers sel put your self on the markert to have rim or apple buy you out
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On Jun 23, 2008 @ 12:37 pm, jon Said:
It seems retarded chimps consider UIQ “a little hard to use”. The other handle it fine though…should be no problem
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On Jun 23, 2008 @ 12:44 pm, ChrisNYC Said:
@Galvatron
Only thing good about Apple buying Motorola is we’d prolly have more access to leaks.
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On Jun 23, 2008 @ 12:47 pm, BoyBawang Said:
QUOTE:
[One of our Motorola ninjas hit us up to give us the low-down on their brand new unreleased flapship phone.]
flapship? LOL! LOL!
:)
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On Jun 23, 2008 @ 2:03 pm, MobileRoar Said:
Could this be the “Motorola Utopia” or “Motorola Blaze” we’ve seen listed around? Or, is it more likely to be a Motorola ZN# since their MotoZine brand is now considered their “flagship” line?
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On Jun 23, 2008 @ 3:30 pm, Mr. Q Said:
The only advantage the iphone has is its app support. Hardware is a joke. If Moto develops a phone which has all the features people wish they had on an iphone or better like 3g, touchscreen, flash, real bluetooth, gps, media player, wifi, 8gb or more, and third party apps. And I can buy without a contract and unlocked for $399, I’ll be sold.
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On Jun 23, 2008 @ 4:22 pm, Hinano Said:
LOL motorolla’s done for
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On Jun 23, 2008 @ 4:35 pm, McHale Said:
What pressure? They’ve been turning out shit for years and riding dead horses until someone takes a nap and dreams up the next phone (with same tired OS and interface).
I’d think it’s pretty stress free since there are no expectations of success…
-Mc
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On Jun 23, 2008 @ 4:40 pm, rileyfreeman Said:
The iphone is better? The iphone is like a brett ratner movie. Lots of flash little substance.
HTC Dream is only in development and is already better.
I still dont get this UIQ. I dont even know if they sell UIQ phones in north america. is that nokia’s software? Moto screwed up just by this alone.
Moto Software or windows mobile or BOTH. u dont go UIQ I dont care how many phones Nokia sells
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On Jun 23, 2008 @ 4:44 pm, Alan Said:
Most of my favorite phones are Motorolas. As much as I would like to see them suceed, they don’t learn their mistakes. This “last stand” is another attempt at one-hit-wonder phones. Instead of incrementally additing features and innovation, they ride the wave of a hit phone until there the company tanks. You’ve seen it from startac > v60 > razr. Then they throw everything into a single device to move their market into their favor again. I know that they’ve really revolutionized cell phone designs before and they might do it with this phone again. They made clamshells a sleek and ubiquitous form-factor. They made phones go on a diet with the razr. Still they always manage to be financially starved after these hits. They should close up shop if they don’t have the patience to slowly turn the ship around rather than go all-in with a “last shot”.
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On Jun 23, 2008 @ 6:15 pm, charlie Said:
Moto, just commit seppku right now. Just bring the a1800 to the US and release some Mac os X isync drivers before you slit your belly, though.
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On Jun 23, 2008 @ 7:16 pm, maikel Said:
Moto is been dead in my book. I just dont see how a high megapixel camera phone is gonna save an entire company from sinking even deeper.
RIP Moto!!
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On Jun 23, 2008 @ 10:14 pm, ATT Worker Said:
Gauging by the price of the Razr V3XX, $219 with a 2yr, this phone will sell for like $300+. Everyone will jump on the iphone. I tried to talk a guy out of the Z9 slider the other day and he still bought it. The OS crashed twice before i could finish demonstrating the device. Poor Guy. Poor Moto. I checked my commission check today and its like 30% lower than it normally is. The Iphone cant come soon enough.
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On Jun 24, 2008 @ 1:19 am, Gemo Said:
I think the real loser are US consumer. They are so sucked by carriers that they are begging iPhone to rescue them. US is last place where a company wants to introduce a cell phone. Will c how many days iPhone last and how many applications comes up.
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On Jun 24, 2008 @ 3:37 am, Mark Said:
@rileyfreeman
You little xenophobe.. You don’t even know UIQ and already hate it! UIQ is not Nokia’s software, it is used by Motorola and SonyEricsson.
“Moto Software or windows mobile or BOTH. u dont go UIQ I dont care how many phones Nokia sells”
What do you mean both? You want a dualboot phone???
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On Jun 24, 2008 @ 5:55 am, ex-Moto employee Said:
I guess that this is the 8MP device that was due in February/March this year
Developed in Aalborg, Denmark, based on UIQ and a Kodak imager and called XPhoto internally. And selling RAZRs at an operational loss doesn’t help either 
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On Jun 24, 2008 @ 6:58 am, bo0gzz Said:
good bye moto
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On Jun 24, 2008 @ 6:14 pm, ME_wwwing Said:
where’s the MINI PROJECTOR listed?
Microvision and MOT have a projector in a MOT Qwerty phone NOW. and MOT is shopping it around to Carriers!
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