Motorola

Update: According to a source speaking with CNET, Motorola does not plan to unveil the X Phone at the press briefings next week, saying the event is about “something else.”

We already know a lot about the upcoming Moto X Phone. Motorola CEO Dennis Woodside announced it at the D11 conference earlier this year, and since then, we’ve seen images, specs, and details regarding customization options leak. The main thing we need to know is when it will be announced and when it will be released. On an episode of his This Week in Google show, podcaster Leo Laporte stated that he has been invited to an event at the Google campus on July 10th by Motorola employe Guy Kawasaki. It’s a small event, according to Laporte, with only 50 journalists being invited. The same event will also be held on July 11th with another group of reporters.

There are all sorts of things Moto/Google could have up its sleeves for this event, but Laporte seems pretty adamant about it being the Moto X Phone. It could also be something simple, such as Motorola wanting to further introduce its new strategy with reporters. Given the fact that it will be held on the Google campus, it could also be something entirely unrelated to Motorola, such as Android 4.3. As Google has said before, Motorola is supposed to be operated entirely separate with no direct access to Google.

On the ad released by Motorola earlier this week, two people were jumping into a lake forming “XI” with their bodies. In Roman numerals, X1 is obviously the number 11, which further leads to the possibility of the X Phone being announced at these small events. However, that’s a lot of speculation on top of very little information, so we’ll just have to wait and see.

For all of the details from Leo Laporte (not many) jump to the 40 minute mark in the video below:

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Hot on the heels of a report with more details regarding the customization options of the Motorola X Phone, French site NWE has obtained several images showing four colors the device will supposedly be offered in. One is green, one is red, another is blue, and the fourth is a shade of purple. The source, who “wishes to remain anonymous” says the device will be offered in “no less than” 16 color variations.

Earlier today, a report emerged claiming the only aspects that will be customizable about the Moto X Phone are the wallpaper, color, and engraving. Though, apparently, the sensor and awareness features will  be the big selling points of the device.
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Back in May, we reported on many of the customization options that would be coming with the Moto X Phone. Our sources claimed the device would be offered with 25+ color options in the form of skins/protections, and now ABC News is reporting something very similar, but with a few more details.

According to the report, users will be able to buy the device in a variety of colors, just as we said earlier. One of the colors will be used for the back case and the other for the trim. Much like with iPhones, iPads, and iPods, users will be able to have a custom message engraved in the back cover, which is something we’ve yet to see with Android devices. Finally, users will supposedly be able to upload a custom photo and have their device arrive with that photo set as the wallpaper.

So the big thing with the Moto X will be the 'awareness' features. Keep an eye on @9to5Google for more on this soon.

— Seth Weintraub (@llsethj) July 3, 2013

More details were also offered regarding the sensors that the X Phone will feature.

The biggest tricks of the phone come with what Motorola has been doing with the hardware sensors, sources say. Instead of having to fumble to find the camera icon or button, users will be able to flick the phone to launch the camera. There are also added voice capabilities, which leverage Google’s advanced voice recognition technology. The phone is said to be smart enough to know when you are driving and will automatically launch the speakerphone function.

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After unveiling a new ad for the unreleased device yesterday, Motorola has now launched a sign up page for the Moto X Phone. The page is titled “Motorola 2013 Summer Announcement Registration,” and simply invites us to sign up to find out what the company is “up to.”

Motorola keeps the same “Designed by you. Assembled in the USA” tagline from yesterday and reaffirms the fact that it will create over 2,000 new jobs in Ft. Worth, Texas to make all of this possible.
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Click to view the full ad

Motorola’s latest flagship device, the Moto X Phone, is set to be released sometime this fall, but despite not having released any images of it, the company is getting ready to run its first ad for the phone. The ad, as shown by Ad Age, shows some definite Google influence, as well as the logo we reported on last month.

The ad is centered around the Fourth of July festivities and focuses on the fact that it is made in the United States.

“What we are doing which is very different is assembling [Moto X smartphones] here in the U.S. in our assembly plant in Ft. Worth, Texas,” Motorola’s VP-global brand and product marketing Brian Wallace said in an interview. “What better time than July 4th to come with a message like that?”

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We already know that Motorola is planning for the X Phone to be its flagship device for later this year, but it looks like the company has at least one other device or variant planned. Motorola has created a page on its website dedicated to the Droid Ultra, an unreleased device. Motorola teases that it is thin, but tough as steel, yet no offers no other information.

Droid Ultra
Think thin
Available in a bunch of glossy colors, this high-grade DuPont Kevlar body proves you can be even thinner and still be tough as steel.

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Since it was purchased by Google, Motorola has been undergoing a major shift as a company. We’ve seen very few devices released over the last year, and up until the D11 conference, everyone inside the company had been very quiet. As part of the overhaul, however, Motorola looks to have a new logo. The new logo made its first appearance on the site of Techweek, an event Motorola is co-sponsoring this week. Now, this does make us wonder if the logo is here to stay or if it just for the conference, but we’re inclined to say that it’s here for good. Companies don’t change their logos all that often, as they are not something taken lightly.

The new logo is much simpler than Motorola’s old look, which was a bolded, italicized “MOTOROLA.” Now, everything is in lowercase font with a much softer color. The classic red “M” is now the same color as everything else and is surrounded by a wheel of colors. The most notable change, however, is what is underneath. To show off its new bosses, Motorola is now advertising that it is “a Google company.” 
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Motorola officially announced the X Phone on-stage at the AllThingsD conference earlier this year, but left out many of the details, including the design of the device.  PhoneArena, however, has now gotten its hands on what appears to be the Motorola X Phone. We can’t tell all that much from the image, except that it appears to have a Motorola logo in the upper left corner and on-screen buttons. The screen is somewhere around the 4.7-inch mark, which falls in line with what we’ve heard before. This specific model is being tested on Sprint, according to the report, and carries the XT1056 model number. The device also appears to be running stock Android.

Earlier reports pegged the device as having a 1.7GHz Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, 2GB of RAM, a 720p display, 16GB of storage, and a 10MP camera.

Motorola CEO Dennis Woodside says the device will be released this October on all Major US carriers and will be manufactured in Texas.
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After months of leaks and rumors, Motorola CEO Dennis Woodside finally confirmed the Moto X phone at the AllThingsD conference, but was cagey with details and didn’t share all that much. Thanks to the often reliable @evleaks on Twitter, however, we now have a pretty good idea of what to expect when the X phone hits the market.

According to the report, the device will feature a 1.7GHz dual-core MSM8960 Pro processor, 720p display, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, 10MP rear-facing camera, 2MP front-facing shooter, and Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean. For those wondering, that’s the Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, which we saw in devices like the LG Optimus G last year.

At the AllThingsD conference earlier this year, Woodside said the Motorola Moto X phone would be manufactured in Texas and be coming to all major US carriers sometime in October.
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We recently delivered a comprehensive summary of everything we know about Google’s rumored Motorola X Fon, and today is looks like a device labeled Motorola XT1058 has appeared in official FCC filings as discovered by AndroidGuys.com.

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Update: We’ve been asked to remove the picture.

We’ve been sitting on some good Motorola X Fon information for awhile but weren’t able to confirm it until the most recent leaks which seem to corroborate what we have.  It turns out that the leaked images by Tinhte and @Evleaks appear to be legitimate Motorola X prototypes according to our source.  The phone above is a drawing the X FON which now appears to be the same phone pictured below:

The information we’ve heard from our source who has seen it a LTE version was that it will be released on all 4 US carriers and come in over 25 different color options.  The bottom bezel is remarkably small as you can see from the drawing above and the Tinhte.vn images. Like the other ones pictured, this one was 32GB storage, 2GB of RAM, and no SDCard.  Like the others, it was still running Android 4.2 recently and was codenamed ‘ghost’.

Both volume and power buttons are on the right side. Headphones jack is on top center, charging port was on bottom center.

The display was estimated to be 4.7 inches but with the very slim bezel on the bottom it felt very small. Perhaps as small as a 4.3-inch phone.

What we’re thinking at this point is that this phone looks like the successor to the Droid RAZR or RAZR M – small bezels, 4.3-4.7-ish display, extremely long battery life. But what about all of those colors and protection we’ve heard so much about?

Here’s what we’re thinking: Motorola is going to offer protective plates/skins in 25 colors from the point of ordering. 80-90% of people buy protection for the phones so perhaps Motorola is owning this aspect of the device from the order and can provide almost an almost indestructible, perhaps water-resistant customization.

Well, that’s our current thinking. We’ll likely hear what’s on offer at Google I/O in a few weeks.

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.

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In an ongoing case in which Apple and Google’s Motorola have accused each other of infringing various mobile related patents since 2010, U.S. District Judge Robert Scola said in an order yesterday that the two companies have no interest in reaching a settlement. Bloomberg reports Scola said in his order that both companies are using the litigation as a “business strategy that appears to have no end”:

“The parties have no interest in efficiently and expeditiously resolving this dispute; they instead are using this and similar litigation worldwide as a business strategy that appears to have no end,” U.S. District Judge Robert Scola in Miami said in an order dated yesterday. “That is not a proper use of this court.”

“Without a hint of irony, the parties now ask the court to mop up a mess they made by holding a hearing to reduce the size and complexity of the case,” he wrote. “The court declines this invitation.”

The result is Apple and Google will now have a four month period to narrow their claims related to the case that now includes over 180 claims for 12 patents. Bloomberg notes that Scola said the case currently includes “disputes over the meaning of more than 100 terms,” and that the case would be put on hold until the disputes are resolved if the two companies are unable to come up with a solution before the four month timeframe expires…
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We heard in October that Google had plans to further reduce Motorola’s workforce after cutting around 20 percent, or roughly 4,000 jobs, in August. The Wall Street Journal reported today on an email from Google that confirmed the company is beginning to cut around 1,200 employees (a little over 10 percent of its current total headcount):

Motorola MSI -0.74% staffers were informed by the company via email this week that “while we’re very optimistic about the new products in our pipeline, we still face challenges.” The company email added that “our costs are too high, we’re operating in markets where we’re not competitive and we’re losing money.”

As for where the cuts might take place, we previously reported that Motorola, which was unprofitable for 14 of its last 16 quarters, planned to reduce its operations in Asia and India, but today’s report said the layoffs would hit workers in the United States, China, and India. Google also warned that further restructuring might be necessary and significant costs could be involved.

In a recent piece from The Wall Street Journal highlighting Google executives’ fear that Samsung is gaining too much dominance, Android chief Andy Rubin said the purchase of Motorola was “a kind of insurance policy against a manufacturer such as Samsung gaining too much power over Android.”

While Google might be happy with the mobile ad revenue Samsung brings in shipping roughly 40 percent of the devices running Android, The Wall Street Journal said Google execs worry behind closed doors that Samsung could use its dominance to renegotiate its cut of revenue from mobile ads and search:

Google executives worry that Samsung has become so big—the South Korean company sells about 40% of the gadgets that use Google’s Android software—that it could flex its muscle to renegotiate their arrangement and eat into Google’s lucrative mobile-ad business, people familiar with the matter said.

Citing its usual “people familiar with the matter,” WSJ claimed executives at Google are betting on companies like HTC and HP to release compelling Android devices that compete with Samsung. According to the report, Android chief Andy Rubin discussed the situation at a recent event for Google executives. He described Motorola as “a kind of insurance policy against a manufacturer such as Samsung gaining too much power over Android.”
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With so much mobile competition, companies are always trying to get you to buy their phone, today, Motorola has decided to join in on the fun. In an announcement made online, Motorola is offering a $50 dollar Google Play gift card to use on anything available in the app store. You’ll only get the gift card though if you purchase one of the eligible phones Motorola is promoting such as the Droid Razr Maxx or HD. The sale ends on March 4th, so if you want in on the deal you’ll have to act fast. The full list of phones is available below.

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It’s been hinted about by CEO Larry Page, rumored about by the Wall Street Journal, and now it’s been mentioned in a new job listing on Motorola’s website. The top-secret X-Phone would be Google’s first collaboration with Motorola since it purchased the handset company in August 2011. The phone was mentioned this morning in a job listing described as “Senior Director of Product Management for Motorola, X-Phone”. The listing has now removed all mention of the X-Phone, but it is still available to see and apply to.

While the phone is rumored to be a continuation of the Nexus line, even possibly replacing the Nexus 4 come I/O this year, CNET claimed the ad listing—judging by the blurb from the listing that quotes “product customization requirements”— implies it will be a carrier-customized device. CNET also said the X-Phone is not the only device launching by Motorola soon, because multiple products are on the way  if the bullet point “high level schedule for future products” means anything. One thing is for sure, though. Rarely do rumored names turn out to be official. So, with such a generic name like ‘X-Phone’, you can bet the final product will have a much more creative name.

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:
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=_p7w4cKdqTk#!

Larry Page’s voice was quite raspy still, but the news was good and the CEO is upbeat. Some notable bits he laid down on Motorola: “We’re working on batteries you won’t have to remember to charge and enclosures you don’t have to worry about dropping.”

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.

Sounds good.

On the downside, Page noted, “Clearly there is work to be done managing our supply better, and that is a priority.” The fact that you can’t buy most of Google’s Nexus products right now clearly shows that.

GOOG stock price is up almost 5 percent.

According to a report from Reuters, Google issued a statement that a Wisconsin federal court has decided to dismiss Apple’s “patent lawsuit with prejudice.” The report explained this particular case was brought on by Apple in part to determine what the courts considered fair and reasonable licensing terms for the patent portfolio Google acquired when purchasing Motorola.

Google said in a statement that it is still interested in making a deal with Apple “at a reasonable and non-discriminatory rate in line with industry standards”:

“We’re pleased that the court has dismissed Apple’s lawsuit with prejudice,” a Google spokeswoman said in an emailed statement on Monday…”Motorola has long offered licensing to our extensive patent portfolio at a reasonable and non-discriminatory rate in line with industry standards,” Google said in its statement. “We remain interested in reaching an agreement with Apple.”

Reuters explained the case being dismissed with prejudice means it is officially over at the trial court level. However, Apple can still appeal:

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