via skattertech.com
Since acquiring Motorola for $13 billion last May, Google has been expected to launch a Motorola smartphone running stock Android, but the most recent Google-branded Nexus 4 device was made in partnership with LG.
Motorola’s design chief Jim Wicks tells PC Mag, though, that Google and Motorola have been working closely during that time on multiple devices running stock Android with less overlay that we should expect later this year.
Google CEO Larry Page just wrapped up his opening comments during the company’s Q4 2013 earnings call taking place right now. While noting that “managing our supply better” is a priority (see Nexus 4 supply constraints), Page also hinted at some possible upcoming Motorola smartphone features. Page said Motorola is working on the following two areas: better batteries and impact-resistant designs.
I am excited about the business. In today’s multi screen world, the opportunities are endless. Think about your device. Battery life is a huge issue. You shouldn’t have to worry about constantly recharging your phone. When you drop your phone, it shouldn’t go splat. Everything should be a ton faster and easier. There’s real potential to invent new and better experiences.
Page also said Motorola’s new CEO, Dennis Woodside, has a built a “world-class team” that is currently exploring these new opportunities: Read more
Verizon Wireless began to roll out updates today for a slew of its devices. Motorola’s Droid RAZR, RAZR Maxx, and XOOM LTE users are witnessing a mass update to version 6.12.73 that includes improved data stability on hotspot, V CAST app preloaded, and more. Both versions of Motorola’s XYBOARD tablet are also experiencing an update today. The update “1.6.0M_279″ is almost the same, except for a stylus improvements that affect the 10.1 version. Like always, if you are not seeing the update, simply go to “Settings>About phone>System” to push them through.
Official release notes are available after the break (via Droid Life):
The answer to the question of “what would happen if you slapped a keyboard on the back of a Droid Razor” just showed up for a brief moment on Verizon’s DroidDoes website. The Droid 4 “only” has a 4-inch screen compared to the RAZR’s 4.3″ but pretty much everything else lines up the same. Perhaps more importantly, yes, that is a 5 row keyboard (4 rows is for suckers) and of course the speedy LTE comes along too. DOES below. Read more
Motorola Ad
I’ve been enamored with the Droid RAZR since the unveiling event last month. It is everything about the “anti-iPhone” Droid message multiplied by 100. From the excellent commercials to the handsome styling to the robot-y motif. Where Samsung and to a lesser extent HTC make efforts to assimilate to the smartphone (read: iPhone) norms, Motorola’s Droids try to differentiate.
On hardware alone, this is probably my favorite Android device so far. It is incredibly thin but also much more sturdy than the typical Galaxy handset. Somehow, however, it manages to be just as light. Compared to HTC’s latest offerings (including the monstrous Beats Rezound that I am also testing now – see pictures) and frankly Motorola’s previous Droid Bionic, Droid X, this thing is in a totally different class.
Droid Bionic (right) is thicker at its thinnest point than the RAZR at its thickest
And about that Bionic. Pity the people who bought that device in the previous months knowing that Amazon sells the Droid RAZR for $111 on launch with $100 gift card for tethering. Effectively, that is the best Android phone you can have for $11… Read more
It’s Droid Razr launch day today and in addition to a price tag of $111.11 ($11?) for today only on Amazon, Motorola also gave us a look into the engineering behind the device’s 0.28 inch “impossibly thin” design, and now Verizon is hitting the streets to hand out free Droid Razrs to probably the last remaining original Razr owners. You can check out our full review of the Motorla Droid Razr here.
Yesterday Verizon launched their ‘Payload’ commercial for the Razr where they continued with their typically masculine ad style in an ad appearing more like a Hollywood action movie trailer than the usual iPhone commercial clone.
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