This week we’re learning that the folks from Motorola and Google aren’t the only ones who invested in and were dabbling with the idea of customization options for smartphones. Apparently HTC had the idea long ago, and was going to partner with a carrier other than AT&T, but that fell through.
New details and pictures have surfaced just weeks before the MotoMaker site launches for Moto and AT&T, and it’s quite interesting. According to The Verge HTC and Sprint were going to offer something extremely, almost too similar, to what Moto is offering with the X. An online site for customizations such as speakers, colors, accents, and even engravings. All quite similar to what Moto is actually offering.
The image above was all that leaked, but shows just what they had planned. The custom color wheel is similar, and you’d be able to change the accents and color just as the Moto X will allow over on AT&T. The site was going to be called “HTC Design Studio” but now we have MotoMaker instead.
In the end however due to cost and complexity both HTC and the carrier decided to can the entire idea. I don’t know about you guys but I’ve been wanting this option for a long time, and can’t wait for Motorola to bring their customization to Verizon and other carriers later this year. So can Motorola keep the cost down enough to make this effective, and profitable, and will we see other manufacturers offer the same next year? We’ll have to wait and see.
VIA: The Verge
” So can Motorola keep the cost down enough to make this effective, and profitable,” I think the better question will be will this work for Moto when HTC and Sprint decided to can their plans for this same customer options. Keeping the cost down I don’t think would apply since we already know the on contract price is damn near the same as the S4 and One plus the price of the phone INCLUDES the customizations (for those on AT&T). Maybe their plan all along was to get one of the carriers to bite off on an exclusive while saying the price of the phone includes customizations options while not allowing other carriers (their customers) to personally customize…hmmmm. The customization that’s included in the cost just got lost on all customers who are not on AT&T because they can’t take advantage of that option so Moto pockets the cost of having their factory works actually do the work plus the free shipping (promising at most a 4 day turn around).