The last five age have been full of reinvention for Motorola ; it ’s gone from being kind of adinosaur , to launch the super - pop Droid wrinkle , to being swallowed up by Google , to making some of the best , easiest - to - usesmartphones out there . It ’s been quite a roller - coaster .
Yesterday atCES , I had a probability to sit down down with Rick Osterloh , SeniorVice President of Product at Motorola Mobility , andhe shed some light on Motorola ’s relationship with Google andVerizon , and gave us some touch at what we might see in the future .
GIZ : You guys came from — just a few years ago — cause tons ofproducts , really spread out . Now it seems like you ’re doing one ortwo machine a class plus Verizon Droid material . Tell me about how thatstrategy shifted .
RO : It ’s been our view since we ’ve been part of Google , that we wanted tofocus on a handful of really , really good production and nail those forconsumers . And so in the yesteryear the fellowship would send 40 or soproducts a yr , now we ’re down to just a handful and we want to makethat handful truly exceptional . That ’s our scheme .
GIZ : How has the reception been ?
RO : It ’s been great . 2013 was a huge class for us . A portion changed . We wentfrom being in what the market might think was a dormant state to atotal transformation where we launched two really successfulfranchises , Moto XandMoto G. Those come out really in the last 5months . You saw them and I love you save some good things aboutthese . And thank you . We were fortunate enough to win 32 form of“Best of ” lists between the two gadget . We are super proudof that .
Moto X Review : The Android Phone for Everybody
Ithink the first step for us has always been to create really greatglobal franchises . And so we ’ve done that with Moto X and Moto G.We’ve see great sales trajectory on both devices , very stronggrowth , and a lot of cocksure consumer sentiment on them . So we’rereally felicitous with how it ’s gone . Our stigma is now in a position wheremore people are becoming concerned and cognisant of the brand , so acouple interesting things there : Our steel awareness and our brandconsideration have grown about 30 - percentage since we introduced thesetwo Cartesian product , and that ’s a handsome , important alteration for us . So we’rereally glad . We ’ve come a long path in just a few calendar month , althoughwe’ve been working on it for a mess more than a few calendar month . Theworld ’s see it for a few months . And we ’re really excited about whatthis class has in store .
GIZ : I think there ’s a lot of mental confusion and speculation about how yourrelationship with Google works . So , how does it work ?
RO : We’re clear a part of Google , but we maneuver severally from theAndroid team . And we ’ve done that from the first 24-hour interval of theacquisition and we ’ll continue to do that . It ’s just of import forthe ecosystem . And that ’ll stay . Our focus is trying to bring themobile internet to millions of mass , and that ’s what we ’re allabout . We ’re trying to give them slap-up mobile technology that doesn’tcompromise , is in high spirits timber , grant them lots of choice , and is greatvalue for money . And that ’s kind of our mission . The Android squad , wethink , does great work . We ’re the only OEM that ’s only focused onAndroid , and so that helps a flock . When we have a focussed portfolioand a focus on Android , we can do a destiny of interesting things thatother people might not be capable to do with Android , but we do n’t getany special treatment from the Android squad .
GIZ : There were some features on the Moto X that I loved , and I expectedto see on the Nexus 5 and in KitKat , but I was surprised when theyweren’t there . There ’s engender ta be some give and take between you guy wire . unvarying communication , I assume ?
RO : Well we definitely pass with the Android squad , but only likeany other OEM does , in a very structured path . We certainly do n’t getthings like advanced approach to code , so that ’s sort of the dividingline for us . But we do transmit with them like any other OEMwould . So we ’ll do thing that are dissimilar , like our experienceswith Touchless Control and Active Display , and thing like that . Those are alone feature that we ’ve develop . We call up they happento accentuate a lot of great things about Android and Google , butthey’re something that Motorola ’s developed independently .
GIZ : And the grounds that Android wo n’t get those characteristic , is it anon - competitive thing ? Or are you trying to have a wide-eyed regalia ofproducts ?
RO : There ’s no orchestration there . So we see our market want and we seewhat consumer require and we seek to go work out those problem . And theNexus squad and the Android team , they probably do similar things , although link ’s position has been about being a acknowledgment designfor a new vision of Android . We ’re more focused on trying to getphones to millions and millions of people , and we ’re also reallyfocused on the things we ’ve done with MotoX and Moto G , aboutchoices , high quality , gravid value for money .
GIZ : In terms of the way you adapt the OS to your own sound , it’scertainly a hatful closer to stock Android than we see from mostmanufactures . What ’s the mentation behind that ?
RO : Well , there are several things . So first off we opine Android’sevolved to a great place , a outstanding user experience . And we justbelieve that it ’s a right user experience to go to the core essenceof Android , and give that to the drug user . It also has some enormousbenefits , like what exploiter have just seen , which is that we canupgrade our phones to the latest version of Android much faster . Andthat ’s a core part of our strategy : We require to make trusted that usersget fast acclivity . And so we were the first to offer a KitKat upgradeon our headphone through a carrier , and we did that through Verizon onthe MotoX , which was , we thought , pretty nerveless for our remnant users . Andwe’re gon na keep doing that , keep quest for that scheme .
It’salso the fount that you see our telephone have sort of outsizedperformance with the core stipulation . exploiter experience is reallyfast , you get great shelling life out of these , and that ’s franklybecause we ’re not introducinglayers of software program that we do n’t conceive are necessary , like our competitors are . So that ’s why we ’re pursuingthis scheme . We add things where we mean it can raise the Googleexperience , like Touchless Control & Active Display , and in otherplaces we attempt to stick to the gist tenet of Android .
What ’s the Point of Android Skins ?
GIZ : Do you reckon we ’ll ever see Touchless Control and such make its wayover to stock up Android ?
RO : I do n’t know , that ’s a unspoilt question for the Android team . It’scertainly something we suppose is peachy for user , so we ’re absolutelyfocused on using that capability and make it better and better .
GIZ : But there ’s nothing that would forbid that from bechance ?
RO : We certainly have some hardware technology that build it possible andbetter . And that ’s one of the key attributes .
GIZ : Like AMOLED ?
RO : Yeah , in the case of Active Display , the combining of the driverwork that we ’ve done , and the exhibit that we ’ve picked have made itpossible to propose this variety of presentment experience on the phone . Also with Touchless Control , there ’s specific hardware that ’s alwayswaiting to hear this primal phrase that ’ll wake up your equipment , so thenyou can ask it interrogation or make telephone calls or navigate topographic point .
GIZ : That ’s the X8 processor justly ?
RO : Yep .
RO : A few thing . We made a specific choice with the 8960 Pro as the coreSoC for the telephone because we feel like it was more than enough powerfor what we needed . And a lot of the performance the exploiter sees interms of performance number through the GPU . And the 8960 professional has afantastic GPU . And then we have , frankly Motorola for age and yearshas had a great team that knows how to do software and performanceoptimizations , and we have intercourse how to knead with the 8960 Pro really well . And with the extra cores we add — the DSPs that are doingcontrol for the sensing element that are also listening for your voice , forthe keywords — those special CORE made it so we could also enhancethe user experience and make it raffish . And we did n’t need to putin a super high power and expensive chipset . So we could translatethat into value for the oddment exploiter .
GIZ : You manage to get KitKat out really rapidly on Verizon . That’sprobably the number one complaint we hear from Android users : Updatestake eternally . That ’s why among the hard-core contingent the Nexusprogram is so pop . How did you manage to cut through the redtape , because I knowa lot of that delay is on the carriers .
Why Android Updates Are So Slow
RO : It took a raft of partnership , and Verizon was a corking partner indoing this . First off , because of our software strategy , we ’re ableto do this quickly . Number two , we heard from users , they want fastupgrades . We ’ve hear that loud and exculpated , so it ’s our aim to deliverthose . And three , this is a large stress for software package for us , and wepursued it and come it done first with Verizon but we also follow itwith our other channel partners as well . So it ’s now useable onAT&T , Sprint , and other place too . This is a key focus for us , and I think you’re able to expect this from us in the future .
GIZ : It seems like you ’ve made your version of the OS more modular . Withthe Moto X , there were television camera trouble initially , and then a cameraupdate was released . Does that work into this scheme ? So you don’thave to give them a huge thing , you’re able to give out in chunks what youneed to ?
RO : I’ll tell you , again this was a consumer focus point . We pick up loudand clear from consumers that a lot of them are disappointed that thebest day of their smartphone ’s lifespan is the first day they own it . Andwe want your smartphone experience to get better over the row ofyour ownership . And we think in the long tally that ’s gon na really workfor exploiter . So what we did was behind the scenes , we did a lot ofgroundwork to make many of our core experiences upgradable throughthe PlayStore . And I think we ’ve done 26 updates to those experiencesthrough the PlayStore since we introduced Moto X. And that’ssomething we design to retain . We cogitate it ’s a dandy course for userswho desire to keep adding value . We reckon of our software package strategy asbeing very spry , and we suppose that ’s a unexampled and unique twist tomobile that we ’re going to bring to our consumers .
GIZ : Are you still bring on one with the whole Droid line ? You guysstarted plainly , is that something you ’re looking to carry on ?
RO : Yes , unquestionably . We have our Moto products and our Droid productline . They ’re somewhat distinct . The Droid Cartesian product line is somethingthat ’s had a great heritage , and it ’s something we ’ll continue withVerizon .
GIZ : We have n’t take care any tablets from you guys in awhile . Not since theXyboard , correct ?
RO : Yeah , we did a few in the past , it just has n’t been our focus yet . We’re not disinterested in the category , we ’re just not participatingyet , and peradventure in the future that ’ll change .
GIZ : What do you think , are we gon na see a Motorola Nexus ? You probablyget involve that constantly .
RO : I dunno ! We do get asked that a draw , but there ’s no plan toannounce , and maybe it ’ll happen and maybe it wo n’t . At the momentwe’re just focused on driving Moto X and Moto G. You have sex , with MotoG , we just started ship it at the end of the yr , and it hasgrown unbelievably well . It ’s now available in Latin America andEurope , where it ’s done fabulously well in both berth , and nowit ’s coming to the U.S. You might have seen it was announce for $ 99on some channels just now , so it ’s a great value . As far as I’mconcerned it ’s the best value for the money in mobile , and it ’s thekind of thing we wanna keep doing in the time to come .
GIZ : When we gon na see some new stuff ?
RO : Stay tuned . Not here , but in the close future .
GIZ : think Q2 ?
RO : We’ll be in touch .
GIZ : Ha . Had to try . Anything you require to add ?
RO : Just that we ’re excited to be back . We think we ’ve made a big set ofchanges in the retiring few months and we ’re thrilled to see some of themomentum that ’s happening with our Cartesian product . It ’s a very , verycompetitive manufacture , but we ’re examine our best to change it for thebetter for the terminal substance abuser .
cerium 2014GoogleMoto Gmoto xMotorolaSmartphones
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