More details on Motorola’s Android efforts emerge
As Motorola’s mobile phone division struggles to find its way once again, we learned yesterday that Android will be one of the major tools Moto will use in an effort to stop the bleeding. Q3 of 2008 has literally been abysmal for the mobile division, with mobile device sales down 31% from Q3 2007. Q4 2008 likely won’t be all that different either. Motorola isn’t giving up on mobile just yet however, and is looking at 2009 / 2010 to turn things around. Firstly, it will be completely dumping Symbian and its own brand of Linux as we learned yesterday. It will also be ending the lives of several model runs, though surely not the RAZR which will probably be the captain of the Moto ship forever. As for its new efforts, Motorola plans to release the first in a series of Android-powered handsets around the holidays next year. By that time we’ll probably have a pretty healthy selection of Android phones to choose from which means that Motorola will have to come with something seriously impressive to pull business away from manufacturers like HTC. In the meantime, expect a few p2k and Windows Mobile-powered devices to fill the gap between now and Android. Best of luck, Moto - you’ve certainly got your work cut out for you.
Holidays of NEXT year, are you joking? This blows, I’m waiting for an AT&T 3G compatible phone with Android and it seems I’ll be waiting forever. Gah!
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Motorola still makes phones? Who knew. They stopped being significant how many years ago?
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Surely, they can put out a handset this holiday, Android is FREE so no legal stuff to get approved. Why don’t they just use an existing phone to at least gain some profit because there is only one phone available now. It really shows why they are so dismal, they are choosing to wait for anohter year when by that time there will be dozen of Android handsets floating around and they will be yet just another. The new CEO should be fired with his unstrategic thinking, because right NOW is the time to get something out and fast.
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@HokiePS7: Still the largest handset manufacturer in the US market.
Of course, if they still hold that title next year I’ll be surprised…
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What is Motorola doing? They have 350+ people on this, and they can’t roll out a handset? OK they wanna do precise work, but a whole year from now? That’s taking it a bit slow. Otherwise Android will do good for Motorola, since the worst part of their phones was the menu. Fixing this will probably win over some people. Their hardware was always solid, now they have the software to back it up.
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Pfff… Ditching Symbian (again), it’s own Linux? HAHA Just as awful as the rest of their interfaces with that crimes against humanity font they used to use. And Holidays of NEXT year?! HAHA Hello, Moto? Anyone home? I thought you were going to hack off the mobile division…ala Freescale? That’s common to a dying company… hacking off gangrene limbs.
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i wanna see the phone! device pron!
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Here’s what’s wrong with Motorola mobiles:
1. They’re ugly.
2. The screens are way too small.
3. The OS’ they use (smartphones excluded) generally suck.
Android is a nice start, but points 1 & 2 still need to be addressed.
With the introduction of the iPhone, G1, Storm, etc. the game has been raised. If I was Motorola and my next big phone wasn’t of the caliber of those previously mentioned, I would probably have to call it quits.
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I’m wondering why they can’t get a handset out in time for the holidays. Or maybe they could port Android to one of there current phones and upgrade the hardware. I’m sure Motorola has something up their sleeves though I can’t help but be skeptical considering Androids openness, it shouldn’t be difficult at all for Motorola to acquire it. Oh well, I’ll just have to wait and see what happens.
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This will not turn around Motorola. Executives are not prescient, and companies need market input to migrate successfully. Cutting new products and technologies is not going to provide the elements needed to success - good scenario planning, obsessive competitor understanding, willingness to be disruptive and using White Space to understand market needs. Motorola’s new plan misses most of the requirements. Read more at http://www.ThePhoenixPrinciple.com
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What the hell are you talking about “Ugly”? Moto are one of the best hardware designers for mobile phones around.
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….
Ditching symbian is the biggest mistake they are doing.
They have invested millions on dustbins.
How come other OEM’s manage to work on symbian. Instead of blindly migrating to android, they should have concentrated in bringing perfection into the current symbian and LJ phones.
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