DailyTech - Quick Note: Google CFO Says Motorola Smartphones Not "Innovative" Enough

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Gadgets Quick Note: Google CFO Says Motorola Smartphones Not "Innovative" Enough
Tiffany Kaiser - March 1, 2013 1:06 PM

71 comment(s) - last by markt902.. on Mar 5 at 4:52 AM

Google is not impressed

Google has no problem with telling it like it is. Yesterday, the Android maker said Motorola isn't creating good enough mobile products for its popular operating system.

Patrick Pichette, Google's chief financial officer and senior vice president, told an audience at the Morgan Stanley Technology Conference that Motorola isn't up to par with Google's expectations of a hardware maker.

"[Motorola's pipeline are] not really to the standards that what Google would say is wow -- innovative, transformative," said Pichette. "We've inherited 18 months of pipeline that we actually have to drain right now, while we're actually building the next wave of innovation and product lines."

So far, a few Motorola releases for Android include the Droid RAZR Maxx HD and the Droid RAZR M. While these phones aren't half bad, Google said customers want more.

Pichette also made mention that Google's relationship with Samsung, its No. 1 hardware maker, is "terrific" despite recent rumors. In fact, the Samsung Galaxy S IV with the Android operating system is due to be announced March 14.

Source: The Verge

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RE: just another

By Tequilasunriser on 3/1/2013 3:46:22 PM , Rating: 5

All reason you listed for getting an iPhone are the same reason people get Nexus phones.

The added bonus being a low off contract price and pentaband radio so it can be taken to any GSM carrier.

Ironically, consumers are losing interest in iPhones because they're not innovating enough. Very few 4S owners saw a reason to upgrade to the 5. The general public was largely disappointed.

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RE: just another

By TakinYourPoints on 3/1/2013 10:39:35 PM , Rating: 1

Why would a 4S owner upgrade to an iPhone 5 in a year? That doesn't make sense for 99% of users out there, not the way that contracts work. Holding onto a phone for two years makes much more sense, that's what I always do.

As for losing interest, reality doesn't point that way. iPhone sales continue to accelerate, it sells more than other high end smartphones, and online usage metrics are well over double that of the slightly older and also popular GS3.

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RE: just another

By markt902 on 3/2/2013 6:20:41 PM , Rating: 2

The only reason why the web usage on an iPhone is higher is because you cannot easily use a different user agent. You're essentially forced into viewing the mobile version of a website. Chrome for Android is the first browser I've seen on Android that doesn't allow you to easily change the user agent. I've been using a mobile, or tablet UA since 2010 on all of my Android phones. 90% of the time I hate using the crippled mobile version of websites, and because of that I either use a tablet, or Chrome desktop UA. Plus, you can easily install ad block on Android devices, and that skews analytics even more. I own an iPhone 4s, and without jailbreak, I personally cannot stand using it.

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RE: just another

By TakinYourPoints on 3/4/2013 9:24:12 AM , Rating: 2

Traffic can be determined by mobile operating system, forget mobile browser, and it is still mainly iOS. Hell, analytics can determine the exact type of device being use.

Web usage on iOS is higher because it sells much larger numbers than devices like the GS3, Droid DNA, Nexus 4, etc etc. Again, the main reason comes down to so many Android devices out there not being what we consider to be high-end smartphones.

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RE: just another

By markt902 on 3/5/2013 4:52:09 AM , Rating: 2

You're wrong, and if you include the entire world, Apple isn't even close. Just take a look at iPhone usage in China, for example. I don't want Android to dominate, because in the long run it's not good for consumers, and my iPhone 4s is a pretty nice device. I realize their are many methods of determining device usage, but many tend to be by user agent.

Regardless of what browser market share statistics say, which are mostly compiled by user agent, you simply cannot say that the iPhone dominates the US market.

http://www.theverge.com/2013/2/13/3983598/gartner-...

Also, the data from Chitika is unreliable at best. They don't divulge how they are compiling their data, and once again adblock is on Android is a thing.

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RE: just another

By Reclaimer77 on 3/2/2013 6:24:31 PM , Rating: 2

Except the numbers show you're in the minority. Most people trade up after 15 months I believe.

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RE: just another

By mcnabney on 3/3/2013 1:26:20 PM , Rating: 2

Actually, no.

That would be an 'average'. Upgrade eligibility for contracts is 20 months. The fanbois upgrade every 12 months and others upgrade every two years to avoid ETFs or paying full retail. The Fanbois are dumb enough to pay $650+ for a device.

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RE: just another

By Reclaimer77 on 3/3/2013 1:34:00 PM , Rating: 2

The upgrade fee is $35 on my carriers and you aren't subject to an ETF if you're staying with them, obviously.

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RE: just another

By crimson117 on 3/4/2013 12:00:26 PM , Rating: 2

Smart "fanbois" buy an unlocked phone when it comes out for $650, then a year later sell that unlocked phone for $500 on ebay, and spend another $150 to get the newest model.

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RE: just another

By TakinYourPoints on 3/4/2013 9:31:50 AM , Rating: 2

That's an average figure skewed by people who buy lower end phones unsubsidized without a contract.

People in two year contracts that subsidize one expensive phone per period (ie - iPhone, Droid DNA, GS3) generally don't spend more than they have to so that they can make annual upgrades. Two year upgrades with high end smartphones are extremely common.

Some people might upgrade more often, but that is a statistically insignificant number compared to the hundreds of millions of people who don't.

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