None other than Google‘s Larry Page recently had a nice conversation and interview with the folks at Wired, and we heard some neat comments. Talks about Google+, social media, Android of course, and lots about Motorola. Last year Google purchased Motorola Mobility largely for their patent portfolio, but in the interview Larry gently talks about the acquisition, and what is in store for Motorola’s future.
Motorola doesn’t just have a large portfolio, they also have extensive history in the mobile landscape. While they’ve been sliding in the Android world to the likes of Samsung, things are about to get really exciting for the company. During the interview Page made it very clear that even though Google’s idea behind Motorola from the start was “running it independently”, the new CEO Dennis Woodside (former Googler) wants to be “disruptive” in their hardware designs.
The conversation initially started on the extensive patent portfolio but quickly changed directions when Page mentioned how they wanted to proceed with Motorola. Stating they plan to see Motorola take a lead role in the mobile landscape as a whole, not just Android. Interestingly enough while the RAZR HD and RAZR M are nice phones, they all were released without much input from Google. Wired mentions, and Page confirms, that all their devices currently available were “already in the pipeline” and don’t have any of Google’s influence.
“As we said when we acquired Motorola, we’re running it independently, and Dennis Woodside is in charge. But that’s very much what we want to do with Motorola and what Dennis wants to do. There’s a lot of room for innovation in hardware. The phones we use now have glass that everyone worries will break if they drop the device. Five or 10 years from now, that will be different. There’s going to be a lot of change.” — Larry Page
Ever since Woodside took over Motorola we’ve been seeing gradual changes. They’ve slowly turned their Blur UI into a more stock Android look, especially with Jelly Bean. They’ve moved to on-screen navigation keys (which was originally the plan) and their update turnaround seems steadily improved. During the DROID RAZR HD launch they spoke about “the new Motorola” and we have a feeling that’s coming quick. We’ve seen a few reports that Google and Motorola are working together on a cutting edge, next-gen set of phones and tablets called the X-Phone and the X-Tablet — and hopefully we’ll be seeing more of both soon.
With Motorola’s awesome hardware getting the attention to detail and combined efforts from Google, things can only improve. We look forward to seeing their next array of smartphones, and I’m sure you all do too. What do you want to see from Motorola now that Google’s in charge?
For me, no matter how good the specs of the phone, without incorporating similar functionality as there is on the Note II with the S pen, I just can’t consider another phone. They Simply just all fall short.
Once you’ve tried the Note II, there’s no going back.
The more I use this phone the more I love it.
It lacks documentation, google phones don’t
I think the Note II is an awesome phone. I just hate carrier control and the delayed updates. Give me a Nexus Note with the S pen and I would be thrilled.
I want: unlocked phones, freedom FROM carriers, timely updates, competitive prices. In short: A bunch of Nexus options!
Somewhat true… you can’t use the Nexus 4 on Verizon, not really what I’d consider “freedom”. Not to mention the supply issue with the Nexus 4. Not very much freedom if you can’t even obtain one.
Verizon is CDMA. I’d never buy a CDMA phone. Not having a CDMA phone is freedom.
Are you an avid global traveler? Leave the country often? Or are you just switching between the non-CDMA carriers that often? I’ve been with Verizon for 10 years and have never had a reason to switch. Never buy a CDMA phone? Okay. What do I care? Maybe if you did, you wouldn’t have to switch carriers so often.
Verizon gives a lot of people what they want. But the prices are steep. Page Plus sells service on the Verizon network for cheaper than Verizon. It’s a good deal but carriers like straight talk (low cost re-seller for AT&T) have an advantage because you can swap SIM cards, keeping the same phone, to make switching even easier. If price doesn’t matter to you, then by all means keep Verizon and keep not-caring whether switching providers is easy or not.
All this. I’d like to see a few budget mobile Androids from Moto, too. Some don’t need all the latest and greatest specs, or they are just looking for a secondary backup phone. Samsung has a couple models like the Galaxy Pocket, for example.
Changes like “Google’s influence” forcing Motorola to not just ignore their OHA agreement of 18 months of updates, but to drop them for devices that were less than a year old and then have the nerve to tell “us tough luck, but we’ll do better on the next device if you’re dumb enough to trust us again”. They can take that next device and shove it up their ass and twist it sideways.