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Category: Motorola
November 23rd, 2009
Admob: Droid and Android army make big browsing splash
It didn’t take long for Motorola’s Droid to make a big splash in the browsing statistics, according to mobile ad firm AdMob.
In AdMob’s latest metric report (blog, statement, PDF), Android phones had 20 percent of smartphone traffic, up 7 percent from six months before. And Motorola’s Droid and CLIQ have had a quick impact on the browsing share.
AdMob, which has been acquired by Google, looked at the devices that comprise the market share of the mobile players. For instance, here’s a look at the Android breakdown:
Simply put, Motorola’s new handsets really moved the needle within Android market share stats.
RIM’s breakdown was also interesting. The big takeaway: The Curve rules the roost and the Storm is a so-so performer. Browsing is infinitely better on the Storm than Curve so it’s a little surprising it doesn’t have more share.
Overall, not a lot has changed in the smartphone standings. Apple’s iPhone platform is dominant. However, Android and its army of devices are likely to make a push in the months to come.
November 13th, 2009
Android army keeps growing as Dell enlists; Will the mobile OS war follow PC history?
Google CEO Eric Schmidt has said that “Android adoption is literally about to explode” and it’s hard to argue with that assessment given the troops that are amassing behind the mobile operating system. Dell is the latest to enlist with an Android smartphone and Motorola’s Droid is the highest profile device, but it’s the total sum of converts that’ll make 
the difference.
Android is beginning to swamp the mobile market and it’s going to be very interesting to see if other operating systems—namely Apple’s iPhone OS and RIM’s BlackBerry OS—can hold or gain market share as Google’s OS infiltrates multiple devices. In many respects, the Android strategy to be on every device is similar to the early days of the Windows-Mac war. Microsoft enlisted multiple PC partners to swamp Apple to make Windows the dominant operating system. Will there be a mobile replay here with Android? Operating systems that are tethered to one device are going to be swamped from all sides by Android’s army. It’s hard to envision 2010 and not call it the year of the Android device.
“You have all the necessary conditions. You have the vendors, you have the distribution, and so forth,” said Schmidt on Google’s third quarter earnings conference call last month. Simply put, Android is amassing all the ingredients that Microsoft used with Windows way back when.
Meanwhile, the Android army is beginning to advance. To wit: Dell (right), Motorola, Garmin, Verizon, HTC, Barnes & Noble, LG and Samsung are just a sampling of companies making bets on Android. As these companies roll out what is likely to become hundreds of devices over the next few years at least a few of them will be hits. Motorola is expected to ship 1.3 million Droid devices in the fourth quarter, according to Morgan Keegan analyst Tavis McCourt.
Special report: DROID takes on iPhone
- With Motorola Droid, Verizon puts doubts about Google Android platform to rest
- FAQ: Android 2.0 and Droid
What’s also notable is how Android is playing overseas. For instance, Dell isn’t playing ball in the U.S. It’s going right to where the growth is: Asia and Brazil. Perhaps Dell will flop as a smartphone provider, but it won’t go down without advancing Android’s cause somewhat.
All of these troops make big predictions for Android market share entirely plausible. Gartner said that Android only had 1.6 percent of smartphone platform market share in the first quarter. However, the picture in 2012 will look dramatically different.
Gartner analyst Ken Dulaney noted at the research firm’s IT Symposium last month:
Expected improvements in the Android environment backed by the power of not only Google’s search engine, but from their other up and coming consumer (for example, maps) and enterprise products should make this a dominant platform. Potentially the integrative, open environment of Google could easily top that of the singular Apple.
By 2015, Gartner predicts there will be three dominant platforms and several niche players. Given the army that Android is amassing it’s realistic to predict that the open source mobile OS will make the cut.
Also: Android opens doors for Google’s next-gen search, ads and tools
November 5th, 2009
Will business users get onboard with the Verizon Droid? [podcast]
The Verizon Droid launches Nov. 6 amid a lot of hype and anticipation. It’s also being aimed at business users. We discuss how it measures up.
The Big Question is a joint production from ZDNet and TechRepublic. Larry Dignan is on vacation this week, so I have two guests: Bill Detwiler, Head Technology Editor for TechRepublic, and Andrew Nusca, an editor for ZDNet and SmartPlanet.
You can play this 25-minute episode from the Flash-based player at the top of the page or:
Stories discussed in this episode:
- With Motorola Droid, Verizon puts doubts about Google Android platform to rest (ZDNet)
- Verizon Droid: Doesn’t match iPhone, but brings Android out of beta (TechRepublic)
- Five interesting details about the new Verizon Droid smartphone (TechRepublic)
- What’s new in Android 2.0? (ZDNet)
- Can Droid mask iPhone envy? Or will Verizon iPhone rumors keep users guessing? (ZDNet)
- Will Droid do damage to the iPhone’s mojo? (ZDNet)
November 2nd, 2009
Analyst: Big on Motorola, Android; no love for RIM, Palm
Citigroup analyst Jim Suva said in a note this morning what I’ve been saying for some time now - Google’s Android is going to be the “it” smartphone platform in 2010 while Palm’s WebOS and RIM’s Blackberry just don’t have the wow factor - for now - that it will take to compete in the smartphone wars.
Specifically, Suva was bullish on Motorola, which has placed its bets on Android for a turnaround of the struggling handset business. According to a post on the Tech Trader Daily blog, Suva sees Motorola putting some heat on the competition, including Apple’s iPhone. In his note, Suva wrote:
Motorola is launching of one of the most compelling offerings at [a] time when many investors have given up on the company’s handsets. The revolution of product and application service offerings is going to start to crack open the enterprise door and could pose a risk for BlackBerry. Major shifts in promotion support creating a promotion commotion in the months ahead of favor of Motorola and post a challenge for RIMM and PALM.
Suva raised his price target on Motorola and cut his targets for RIM and Palm. Shares of Motorola were up nearly five percent in mid-day trading while shares of Palm were mostly flat and shares of RIM were down more than five percent.
Related coverage:
Motorola bullish on Android, Motoblur rollout in 2010
Motorola’s big Android bet kicks off
Android opens doors for Google’s next-gen search, ads and tools
Motorola: Android device launches get us back in the smartphone game
October 29th, 2009
Motorola's Jha clarifies MotoBlur, Android 2.0 conundrum (Cliq vs. Droid)
Anyone that has played around with Motorola’s latest Android devices—the Cliq and Droid—stumbles across a few questions about the company’s savvy MotoBlur software vs. Android 2.0.
Motorola’s MotoBlur software, which aggregates contacts and pushes data to the user via widgets on the home screen, dominates the Cliq. On the Droid, MotoBlur is a no-show since Android 2.0 takes care of a lot of the problems MotoBlur was designed to solve.
Here’s MotoBlur at work on the Cliq (review, gallery):
And Android 2.0 on the Droid (review, gallery, all resources):
The big question: What becomes of MotoBlur and is it outdated already?
Motorola co-CEO Sanjay Jha clarified a good bit on the company’s earnings conference call. Jha indicated that MotoBlur has a big future for Motorola, but the software will be used in multiple ways.
Also: Motorola delivers profit; Android-powered future awaits
“MotoBlur will not be on Droid,” said Jha. “[The Droid is] what we call a Google experience device.”
Most of Motorola’s devices will be built on Android, but won’t be as tightly integrated with Google services. “We will have MotoBlur devices on Verizon,” explained Jha. “MotoBlur will be on the vast majority of our devices.”
Over time, MotoBlur will be used to “address other experiences.” Jha added that “there has been good consumer response to our experience.”
It’ll be interesting to see how the MotoBlur-Android 2.0 conundrum plays out. In many respects, Android 2.0 makes MotoBlur somewhat redundant. Over time, MotoBlur may play more in the low-end smartphone and feature phone market while Android 2.0 and “Google experiences” will be reserved for the higher end.
October 29th, 2009
Motorola delivers profit; Android-powered future awaits
Motorola reported a slight third quarter profit and projected better-than-expected fourth quarter earnings. But Motorola’s real prospects going forward will depend on how many Android devices it can sell. Sanjay Jha, co-CEO of Motorola, said the company met its commitment to deliver Android devices. Now consumers just have to show up.
In many respects, Motorola’s third quarter is anticlimactic (statement). The results—a profit of $12 million, or a penny a share—reversed a loss from a year ago and topped Wall Street estimates for a break-even quarter. Excluding a charge, Motorola had a profit of 2 cents a share. Revenue for the third quarter was $5.45 billion, down from $7.48 billion a year ago.
Meanwhile, Motorola projected fourth quarter earnings between 7 cents a share to 9 cents a share excluding charges. That outlook was better than the 6 cents a share profit Wall Street expected. The company also named Edward Fitzpatrick, acting CFO, as CFO.
Motorola remains a tale of two companies. A broadband and wireless mobility gear unit and the recovering device division.
But given the Droid launch on Wednesday most of the Motorola focus is on new devices. On a conference call with analysts, Jha described the launch of the Droid and Cliq as the first step in revamping Motorola’s smartphone lineup. “These devices have what is required in a smartphone today,” said Jha, who added that Motorola will continue to closely collaborate with Google and Android developers.
Also see: The Droid assault begins
See full review and hand-on gallery. Plus: All Droid resources
Jha was asked whether Motorola will be prepared to meet demand if Droid is a big hit. Motorola has supply chain and component planning to account for dramatic upside in the company’s base demand scenario, said Jha.
“With our devices we’ll continue to offer differentiated functionality,” said Jha. He said MotoBlur, which integrates social contacts, will be weaved throughout the device lineup. He also added that MotoBlur will be used to solve other consumer problems in the future.
“In 2010 we will launch a variety of new devices,” said Jha. Jha added that Motorola’s financial performance will largely be driven by demand for its smartphones. He wouldn’t be pinned down on the timing of sustainable profits for the device unit and emphasized that Motorola will be focused on evolving the smartphone lineup. “I would be surprised if I don’t break even in one quarter in 2010,” said Jha.
By the numbers:
- Mobile device sales in the third quarter were $1.7 billion, down 46 percent from a year ago. The unit had an operating loss of $183 million.
- Motorola shipped 13.6 million handsets and had a market share of 4.7 percent.
- The home and networks mobility unit had sales of $2 billion, down 15 percent from a year ago. Operating earnings were $199 million, down from $263 million a year ago.
- Enterprise mobility sales were $1.8 billion, down 13 percent from a year ago. Operating earnings were $306 million, down from $403 million a year ago.
October 16th, 2009
Android opens doors for Google's next-gen search, ads and tools
There’s no question that there’s been some pretty astounding growth around Android, Google’s open-source mobile phone operating system. A year ago, there was only one Android device out there - the T-Mobile G-1. Today, Android is powering 12 devices in 26 countries with 32 carriers - and there’s more on the way.
During the company’s quarterly earnings call with analysts yesterday, CEO Eric Schmidt said it plain and clear: “Android adoption is literally about to explode.” And he may be right. Earlier this month, Gartner predicted that Android - which currently runs on less than 2 percent of all smartphones - will power 14 percent of the global smartphone market in 2012.
That would make Android second only to Symbian. Yes, that means it would surpass the iPhone, Blackberry, Windows Mobile and others.
The key, in part is the applications. Apple has already proven that the app experience is a winner in mobile devices. So far, there are about 10,000 applications for Android and its touch-screen interaction is probably the best I’ve experienced aside from the iPhone. (FTC disclosure: Google gave attendees at its last developer’s conference a free Android phone. I picked one up and activated my own pre-paid account to take it for a test drive.)
Also see: Android bolsters its app market as device lineup swells
Android has good engaged base for future app growth
For other consumers to experience Android, it’s important to get the devices into as many hands as possible. Unlike Apple, which has one device on one carrier in the U.S. (but other carriers worldwide), Google is offering multiple devices across multiple carriers, including a major launch with Verizon earlier this month. Once the devices - which have deep ties to Google’s other services, such as Mail, Maps and Search - go mainstream. Google will be positioned to capture a lead in the mobile search advertising business.
Execs yesterday boasted that mobile searches grew 30 percent quarter over quarter. It was interesting to hear them acknowledge that it’s not always obvious how the company’s big investments tie together. But there are connections. On the call, CFO Patrick Pichette said:
The combination of the Android platform with all the smart phones and the momentum in there, as well as the iPhone and the rest of them, I mean, they’re just basically transforming how people live on a mobile basis… If we move forward the adoption of these smart phones by having a lower cost infrastructure because it’s open-source and you bring that, instead of taking seven years—I’m just kind of giving an illustration—all this happens in four years. Think of all the searches that will happen so much faster. So the ecosystem is incredibly vibrant right now and truly what’s interesting about these phones is there are a lot of new types of searches because you are location-specific, you are activity-specific, you are local-specific. Just a new set of areas that are to create a new set of monetization opportunities.
So, to be clear, we’ve got location-specific, activity-specific and local-specific searches being conducted on mobile devices. You also have the Internet’s No. 1 search engine integrating its own services - such as search - directly into the phone’s operating system. At the same time, the mapping application - where many of those location-based queries occur - is also deeply integrated.
And finally, don’t forget that Google is working hard on new advertising products that allow businesses to reach out to and find customers wherever they may be (even if it’s at a red-light down the street) and provide them with turn-by-turn directions on how to reach that business and a link to launch a Google Voice call to that business.
Put it all together - search, maps, voice and a mobile operating system that probably has the best chance of truly challenging the mighty iPhone - and I’d be bullish, too.
It’s no wonder that Schmidt thinks Android is about to explode.
Also see:
- Is the Google Android platform the upcoming smartphone of choice?
- CTIA: Android and Apps everywhere
- LG goes Android, but Google’s mobile OS is still swimming upstream [video]
- Motorola bullish on Android, Motoblur rollout in 2010
- It’s official: Google and Apple are competitors (especially in mobile)
- If everyone bets on Android does anyone get an advantage?
October 6th, 2009
Verizon-Google changes mobile landscape; Customers have real options again
I had to take a moment to pause and think about this new Google-Verizon chumminess and their common, yet unspoken, quest to go after the Apple-AT&T relationship with the iPhone that includes today’s partnership news and a new ad campaign.
For those who don’t know, I am a Verizon Wireless customer who is currently using a loaner Blackberry Tour. I am also one of the Apple faithful who would rather be using an iPhone but refuses to pay more than $100 a month for the hit-or-miss AT&T service. (But that’s a rant you can read in a previous post.)
What really clouds the issue for me is that I also like Google’s Android mobile OS. I have been carrying around an HTC MyTouch device running pre-paid T-Mobile service for a couple of months now. The service is OK, at best, but the user experience with the software - and the deep integration of Google’s services such as mail, maps and search - is second only to the iPhone (Blackberry has a long way to go, in my opinion).
Yes, I’m a bit torn now - but here’s the good news. I’m torn because I suddenly feel like I have options. Real options.
As my colleague Larry Dignan pointed out in his own post this morning, there has been a trade-off between cutting-edge devices and reliability as a Verizon Wireless customer. (Sorry, the Blackberry Storm didn’t make the cut as a cutting-edge device for me.) Like him, I also stuck by Verizon Wireless and its reliable service over the flashiest new devices. And, in all honesty, I’ve just been holding my breath, waiting for Verizon and Apple to bust out with an iPhone announcement the second that the AT&T-Apple exclusivity deal ends, rumored to be sometime next year.
September 30th, 2009
Podcast: Is $99 the new $199 for smartphones?
Here’s our first installment of a joint ZDNet-TechRepublic podcast called the Big Question. In it, we—Jason Hiner, Bill Detwiler and I—pick apart the following:
- RIM’s prospects in a price war;
- Palm as an acquisition target;
- And how the smartphone-feature phone lines are blurring so every phone is “smart.”
You can play this 21-minute episode from the Flash-based player at the top of the page or you can download the MP3 or grab it via RSS:
In October we’ll also be launching the podcast in iTunes and the Zune Marketplace.
September 25th, 2009
RIM signals price war potential; Fallout could be substantial
Research in Motion’s second quarter sounded alarm bells and may have signaled a smartphone price war, according to analysts. The company’s contention that it would target a ‘more mainstream’ market was viewed as a sign that average selling prices would fall for multiple vendors.
The scenario for the fourth quarter outlook for smartphone makers is clear: The vendor that is able to hold pricing wins. The problem: Buzz and mindshare may be highly overrated when it comes to maintaining smartphone prices. The good news: What’s bad for vendors may be good for you—especially if $99 becomes the new $199 for smartphones.
RIM delivered a dud of a quarter where fiscal second quarter fell short of Wall Street estimates as did the third quarter outlook. As reported, RIM was hammered in afterhours trading and shares are falling further on Friday.
J.P. Morgan analyst Paul Coster highlights the fallout from RIM’s quarter:
September 24th, 2009
Smartphones: Is image really everything?
If you want to conquer the smartphone market there’s a clear recipe to follow. Be smart, add a lot of hip and cool and stir in productivity. Bake in some marketing buzz and you can hold pricing and become a signature smartphone.
That’s the big takeaway from a report from Interpret LLC. The report, highlighted by Engadget and others, has been used as a data point in the revival of Palm. For instance, Palm rose off of its deathbed with the Pre and now is second in mindshare to the iPhone.
But if you’ve noticed Palm’s latest quarter and lumpy outlook you’ll find mindshare isn’t exactly everything. Price points, margins and sheer volume matter. Palm is a player courtesy of the Pre, but it remains to see if it can keep the hits coming. Nevertheless, it’s worth addressing the mindshare issue since it clearly saved Palm, which has been able to raise capital.
If you buy into Interpret’s findings it’s clear that smartphones are increasingly becoming fashion phones. The big question—left unaddressed by the report—is how long a mindshare edge can last. The question is huge when you consider that Palm may be a 2009 story, but there are no guarantees for 2010. Meanwhile, Motorola may be poised to be the mindshare gainer in 2010.
Interpret states in its report:
September 14th, 2009
Motorola bullish on Android, Motoblur rollout in 2010
Motorola today offered a few more details about last week’s launch of Cliq and its plans to differentiate itself in an increasingly-open, fast-changing mobile world during a presentation at the Deutsche Bank Securities Technology Conference.
Specifically, Dr. Sanjay Jha, co-CEO of the company, wanted to differentiate between social networking and MotoBlur, which he described as an “experience” that allows users a unique way to engage in social networking.
For the launch, social networking seemed to be the best way to illustrate and explain how MotoBlur works. But it’s the only way to use it - and that will become more evident and the service continues to rollout.
There’s been a question, he said, on how Motorola wil be able to differentiate itself on Google’s Android operating system when the OS is open. The differentiator, he said, is the MotoBlur experience, which was built on top of Android. At the conference today, Jha said:
Android provides us with a very good platform… which has a very good browser built in and compelling apps like Gmail, Google Earth built in.
The device will launch with T-Mobile in the U.S. in the coming months. Jha also said it will launch the device - under the name Dext - with Orange in the UK and France, Telefonica in Spain and América Móvil in Latin America in the same time frame.
The company also said a number of these devices will be rolled out next year globally and that they will all focus around variations of Motoblur. He said there are plans to launch multiple products in the U.S. in the first quarter and hinted that, through Motorola, Googly Android devices will be available on all of the big carriers early next year. Motorola is talking to all of the big carriers but hasn’t cut deals with them all yet.
Speaking briefly about the impact on the bottom line, he said that he wouldn’t be surprised to see a “break-even” quarter in 2010. “That’s a long way away from 08 and 09 but we’ve seen good improvement so far.”
Previous coverage: Cliq builds on iPhone idea, pushes away from smart”phone” category
September 11th, 2009
Friday Fun: Your Top 10(ish) alternatives to "smartphones"
This morning, I posted an entry about the evolution of smartphones - with the news hook being the arrival of the new Motorola Cliq, powered by Google Android. In that post, I noted that the “phone” feature on the device was secondary to other apps - notably e-mail and social networking. It stands to reason then that these devices should no longer be referred to as smart”phones,” right? But what to call them?
Many of you chimed in on the talkbacks but I was surprised by how many of you sent e-mails directly to me with your own suggestions. Some were kind of catchy. Others, of course, were kind of silly.
Here is the Top 10(ish) list of alternatives names for the new app-driven smartphones, as submitted by BTL readers:
Personal Communication Device (PCD) or Intelligent Communication Device (ICD)
Handbooks - First there were notebooks, then netbooks. Now come handbooks.
“Handys” - short for handhelds. It’s a term already in use in parts of Europe
A mid-23rd-century tricorder from Star Trek. (Credit: Wikipedia)
Portcom or Pocom, short for “portable computer.” Also, Pepocom, short for “personal portable computer”
Tricorder - someone was bound to mention it.
TID - Tangible Information Device
PMD - Personal Mobile Devices
IMED - Integrated Media Device
Mobile - plain and simple, as in “Where did I set down my mobile?”
MC (Mobile computer) or HC (Handheld computer) - playing off PC, the personal computer
BOGS - B(andwidth) (H)ogs
OYIIPA (Oh Yes It Is a Phone Also)
Personal Digital Assistant, or PDA. If it sounds familiar, that’s because that was the category for the original Palm Pilot-like devices - before they incorporated phones into them.
PIM was suggested twice, once as an acronym for Pocket Information Manager, the other as an acronym for Personal Idiot Machine
And, of course, as long as we’re playing with acronyms, let us not for get the Tangible User Research Device. You can figure out the acronym.
Clearly, that Top 10 list had more than 10 - but it’s Friday fun so it’s all good. Keep the great names rolling in.
September 11th, 2009
Cliq builds on iPhone idea, pushes away from smart"phone" category
Take a look at the picture to the right. It’s the just-announced Motorola Cliq, powered by Google Android and T-Mobile and scheduled to be released in time for the holiday season. Do you see that little green button down on the lower right corner of the screen? That’s the dialer - you know, like, for a phone call.
Call these devices smartphones if you’d like - but increasingly, the phone part of the device is just another feature, another widget on the home page.
I talked to some of the attendees at the GigaOm Mobilize show yesterday, which is where Motorola and T-Mobile introduced the device, and a couple of them compared this device to the iPhone - no, not in the sense that this is finally the long-awaited iPhone killer. Instead, they see this type of device building on what Apple has been offering with the iPhone, a push away from the “phone” part of mobile device and more toward the apps - or widgets, as Motorola calls them.
One iPhone-carrying attendee told me that the majority of his time spent on the iPhone is through the apps - e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, banking, news”papers” and so on. The user-interface - the way you interact with the apps on the screen - is what’s appealing, he said. (That, plus the AT&T voice service was hit or miss anyway.)
Motorola is trying to take that appeal a step further with MotoBlur, though. The idea behind the Cliq is that it’s all right there in front of you - open already and running on the device’s home page. No more having to find and open and close apps, the way you do on the iPhone. Because it’s a Google device, you can expect that Google’s most popular apps - GMail, Maps, Search - will be deeply integrated into the device, too.
And, of course, there’s Twitter and Facebook. After all, you can’t launch a device like this - which Motorola co-CEO Sanjay Jha called “The First Phone with Social Skills - and not have Facebook and Twitter built in. After all, these days, those are two of the biggest drivers of mobile data traffic -that, and email, of course.
Earlier this week, Facebook hosted a rooftop mixer for the tech press at its Silicon Valley headquarters to talk about what it’s been doing in mobile. One of the most interesting st ats I heard at that event was that, among Facebook members, those with access to a mobile version spend twice as much time engaged in the Facebook on the site in it than someone who’s only signing on from a PC. Think about that for a second. Twice as much time - because users can update their status from a red light. Yup, the mobility factor is defnitely huge.
Bottom line: Call them apps or widgets, but these are the drivers of the next-generation of smartphones.
And doesn’t it feel kind of silly to keep calling them smartphones when the phone itself is just another app these days - and not even the most-used one, at that. I thought about just calling them “handhelds,” as in “Has anyone seen my handheld?” but that didn’t work for me, either. We definitely need a better name for this category,
Any suggestions?
September 11th, 2009
Motorola Cliq: Enough to make you switch devices? [video]
Still trying to have some fun with the FlipCam, I wandered the halls after the Motorola Android announcement at Mobilize 2009. The new Cliq, using Motoblur, was pretty compelling and offers a fresh new look and feel to smartphones. But is it enough to make anyone want to switch? In this clip, attendees chime in.
September 10th, 2009
Motorola introduces Motoblur [video]
At the Mobilize conference held in San Francisco, Motorola unveiled a new user interface based around social networking. The Android OS-based skin will feature live widgets for integrating sites like Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace, as well as aggregating contact details, and displaying recent status updates during calls.
More:
Sam Diaz: Meet Cliq, MotoBlur: Live blog from Motorola-Android announcement
- Ed Burnette: Motorola hopes new Android phone will Cliq with users
- Matthew Miller: T-Mobile USA to soon launch the Motorola CLIQ Android device
- Andrew Nusca: Full specs: Motorola CLIQ Android phone with ‘Motoblur’ for T-Mobile
- Larry Dignan: Motorola’s big Android bet kicks off
- Gallery: Motorola CLIQ: Google Android smartphone on T-Mobile
September 10th, 2009
Meet Cliq, MotoBlur: Live blog from Motorola-Android announcement
Motorola co-CEO Dr. Sanjay Jha is addressing the audience at GigaOm’s Mobilize conference in San Francisco today. I’m here to share some details as they develop.
10:29 am: Dr. Jha takes the stage and starts his keynote speech by talking about wireless broadband. For users, it means fast connections to what they want - connecting to friends, family and co-workers without limits, using their devices to share photos and access information. The growth for wireless broadband has been large - especially in north America - but the real growth is in other countries, he said.
Dr. Sanjay Jha announces MotoBlur at GigaOm's Mobilize Conference. (Credit: CNET)
With the growth in wireless Internet, the way we communicate has changed, as well. It’s gone from one-to-one - phone calls, emails, etc. - to one-to-many, specifically status updates on Facebook, tweets, etc.
10:33 am: Now, we’re talking smartphones. They need things like high-res displays and anytime and anywhere wireless broadband access but, more importantly, they need a multi-threaded, muti-tasking graphical OS. Android, he says, is the robust operating system that will take smartphones to the next level.
Jha says he’s about to share details on a new device and, in the coming weeks, will be sharing news of a second device - which will be available in time for the holidays.
10:39 am: But first, we’re talking about mobile social networking. Jha points to stats that some 180 million people are using social networking sites via mobile today. By 2012, that number could grow to 800 million.
Jha announces MotoBlur, a service where everything social comes to you on a mobile device in one app. The idea is to focus on what people have to say instead of how they send it. Manage messages from Facebook or e-mail, tweets and so on simultaneously. Jha says it syncs everything - photos, messages, contacts and more - from everything from Facebook and MySpace to Yahoo Mail and Flickr.
10:44 am: Jha continues the Motoblur demo. The idea is to take everything from everywhere and bring it into one central place. I liked how the caller ID - because contacts are integrated with social networking - displays not only the caller’s name, phone number picture and even social status update. (Hint: If your caller’s status update says he’s in a foul mood, you may not want to answer that call.)
10:46 am: Jha and Cole Brodman, Chief Technology and Innovation Officer for T-Mobile, are on stage together to announce Motorola Cliq device for the holidays. T-Mobile has taken over the announcement and is calling the Cliq the “First Phone With Social Skills.” Brodman calls it the next chapter in Android innovation. Cliq becomes a core piece of the holiday lineup. It’s interesting that Brodman made a point of noting that the T-Mobile network is ready for the network traffic that will come from such a device. (Did you hear that, AT&T?)
Also see: Gallery: Motorola’s Android phone at Mobilize
- Motorola T-Mobile Cliq statement
- Motorola on Cliq
- Motorola’s big Android bet kicks off today
- Motorola: Android devices get us back in smartphone game
10:49 am: Brodman, noting the popularity of the Sidekick as a messaging phone, says that T-Mobile knows those customers and what they want - and that the Cliq addresses that and more, but not just for kids but for socially active and business-centric adults, too. And, of course, you can’t forget the fashionistas who want two colors - white and titanium. The company expects it to be a strong item for the holidays. No one mentions taking on the iPhone - but the message is clearly there.
10:52 am: Jha is back on stage alone, offering details. 5 mp camera, 3G and wireless. Video capabilities. He calls the browser a “best in class” powered by Google and all of its tools - Google Docs, calendar, mail, and more. Jha says the promise to consumers is the ability to customize for an experience that meets their needs. He also said the plans are to take Motoblur global and thinks it can be a real differentiator for it. Jha also mentioned a second phone for the overseas market, called Dext.
10:54 am: Jha wraps up the keynote portion and, while that’s all he may have to say about Cliq today, we’re sure to hear more and more about it in the coming days and weeks.
September 10th, 2009
Motorola's big Android bet kicks off
Updated: Motorola on Thursday is expected to lay its Android chips on the table in the form of new devices that are designed to turn around the company.
As most folks know, Motorola has struggled in recent years. Its handset business has been a wreck and Sanjay Jha, co-CEO of Motorola, has had to revamp the company’s mobile portfolio. The biggest bet by Jha: Become the biggest supporter of the Android operating system. In July, Jha said Android will put Motorola back into the smartphone game.
A year ago, Motorola outlined its Android plans. A lot is at stake: For Motorola, the future of the handset unit—not to mention any possible spin-off—rides on the Google-created Android operating system. For Google, a wave of Android devices are about to hit the market. Motorola-Google could be the duo that gives Apple’s iPhone a run. So far, few other devices have come close to Apple’s creation.
Jha will be delivering the keynote at GigaOm’s Mobilize conference later today. Sam Diaz will be on scene and Motorola will Webcast the keynote live. Jha is also likely to talk up Motorola’s Android devices at a Deutsche Bank conference Sept. 14.
In a nutshell, Motorola will be a key cog in a year’s worth of Android devices. Also: Android bolsters its app market as device lineup swells
Piper Jaffray analyst Michael Walkley sums it up:
Our checks indicate two different Android smartphones will launch in the near future. We anticipate one model will launch for T-Mobile with a separate form factor launching for Verizon. Finally, we believe another unique product will launch for AT&T in Q110, and we anticipate this model could sell to several global carriers, including the Chinese market in time for Chinese New Year.
Device design to go along with Android will matter for Motorola, but another key theme is marketing. Can Motorola go toe-to-toe with Apple on marketing?
Global Equities analyst Trip Chowdhry writes:
Contacts have seen the new Motorola Android Phone, and all feel the phone is extremely well designed, and probably may be a winner. Contacts tell us that it is slimmer than iPhone, capacitive touch screen seems more precise than iPhone and feels faster than iPhone. The native processing of code on Motorola is much faster than anything out there.
The rub: Motorola has to market the device correctly. Chowdhry guesses that Motorola will spend as much as $70 million on marketing. A year from now, Motorola will either be busy restoring its status as a mobile handset leader or just another company that doubled down on a technology and lost.
Update: Here’s Sam’s live post on Jha’s talk along with photo gallery and the video feed of the keynote:
Update 2: Motorola has announced that the Cliq is coming to T-Mobile for the holidays. It looks like a good season for smartphones. Here’s the statement.
More: It’s official: Google and Apple are competitors (especially in mobile)
September 8th, 2009
Mobile management software improving - but watch for platform support
If there’s one area where companies can - and should be - pinching pennies, it’s on smartphones.
Today, another player in the Web-based mobile management software game, called Zenprise, is beefing its portfolio with a version update that includes security management and expense management modules. I’ve written in the past about how IT departments can benefit from mobile management software if they’re really looking to re-gain control over something that’s becoming unruly.
Think about it: some devices are company-issued while others are employee-owned. Increasingly, Blackberry isn’t the only platform in use - the iPhone is out there, as well as phone running Palm, Windows Mobile and others. And, employees are doing more than just e-mail. They’re also surfing the Web, running apps, streaming music and video, tweeting and even playing games. Sometimes those actions can impact the monthly service bill. In a worst-case scenario, the employees may be giving hackers a back-door entrance into the company network from a Web-connected phone.
Zenprise seems to have a good understanding for the various scenarios that come with managing the mobile devices and service plans for companies. The security features include remote wipe and lock, as well as the ability to disable features such as camera use if company policy prohibits it.
But the other players in this space, including Dallas-based Affiliated Computer Services, are offering many of the same services - so it’s getting tougher to figure out which one is best, especially because the needs vary from company to company. One area I’m watching, though, is the platforms that these mobile management software companies are supporting. Zenprise, for example, supports Blackberry, iPhone, Windows Mobile and Palm.
Hey, what about Google’s Android? The company says it’s watching Android but doesn’t support it now. During a briefing, I kind of dinged them about that, largely because the mobile space is one that’s constantly changing. If a company wants to be the software provider of the entire mobile management services for a company, it needs to be flexible enough to adapt for the changes.
Sure, Android is a small player now - but Motorola, for example, is betting the farm on it with a rollout of more than a dozen new Android devices worldwide before the end of the year. If these companies offering a full suite of mobile management services expects to be a contender and simplify the processes within an IT department, then it needs to come to the table with a full suite.
Zenprise’s MobileManager 5.0 upgrade will be available next month.
August 3rd, 2009
Goldman Sachs: BlackBerry, iPhone own smartphones, but if Apple ever gets an enterprise subsidy...
Goldman Sachs is increasing its smartphone forecast based on a consumer survey that reveals Research in Motion and Apple are the runaway winners in the field, but for vastly different reasons. RIM enjoys enterprise sponsorship, but iPhone’s stealth business use campaign is working.
The survey in many respects confirms what anyone on an East Coast to West Coast knows. There are BlackBerry people and iPhone people and not much in between.
Generally speaking, Goldman Sach’s survey of 300 high-end smartphone consumers found that iPhone garners more loyalty and satisfaction, but not enough to take a lot of market share from RIM. There’s interest in Palm and Motorola is a no-show thus far.
The other tea leaves in the survey indicate that smartphone loyalty is higher than carriers. However, network quality is a big concern.
Add it up and Goldman Sachs sees smartphone units growing 12 percent in 2010, 22 percent in 2011 and 29 percent in 2012.
Among the key findings:
Larry Dignan is Editor in Chief of ZDNet and Editorial Director of ZDNet sister site TechRepublic. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
For daily updates, follow Larry on Twitter.
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