Can Motorola Get Its Groove Back?

[Mike Temporale]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/content/jul2005/di20050728_142683.htm?chan=tc' target='_blank'>http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/content/jul2005/di20050728_142683.htm?chan=tc</a><br /><br /></div><i>"It's a muggy Friday morning in mid-July and a group of Motorola designers are gathered on the 26th floor in the company's downtown Chicago design center. They're looking over prototypes for a new mobile phone when CEO Edward J. Zander pokes his head in the door: "Can I come in?" Dressed casually, in jeans and a polo shirt, he quickly gets down to business. The models on the table are for the Q, a phone with a full qwerty keyboard designed to compete with the wildly popular BlackBerry, from Research in Motion"</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.smartphonethoughts.com/images/Motorola.jpg" alt="User submitted image" title="User submitted image"/> <br /><br />I know we've had our differences with BusinessWeek in the past, but this is a really good article on what Motorola has been doing in regards to their phone business, and what we can expect from them going forward. It's a lenghty article, but it provides a lot of background information, like the real reason behind the death of the MPx; it wasn't <i>"wickedly cool and compelling"</i> enough. 8O

[Sven Johannsen]

...., like the real reason behind the death of the MPx; it wasn't "wickedly cool and compelling" enough. 8O

Well, it might have been when it was announced. By the time it was cancelled, it was pretty tarnished ;)

[MS Mobiles]

I love the wheel in Moto Q but I really need 3G/UMTS phone...

[Jerry Raia]

Do I really need to spell out what I think of this?

[Jason Dunn]

Very cool article - I think Motorola finally understands what they need to do. DESIGN DESIGN DESIGN. I think the MPx could have been a successful product if they would have upped the RAM to 64 MB and brought it to market in Q4 of 2004.

[Mike Temporale]

the MPx could have been a successful product if they would have upped the RAM to 64 MB and brought it to market in Q4 of 2004.

I think it's safe to say that most people would agree with this statement. Those 2 simple changes would have made a huge difference in the End User acceptance of this device. Surely Moto must have realized this, but still thought that it wasn't wickedly cool and compelling enough to make it. So, that would mean that they have bigger and grander plans or expectations for the future than the MPx had.

I don't know about you guys, but I'm getting a little excited about what Moto might be planning. Could this be the company that breaks the cellphone form factor that we've all come to expect?

[Jerry Raia]

I sure want you guys to be right but I just don't know. Moto has blown it so many times. I'm hoping the Q reverses the trend. I'm not holding my breath

[Mike Temporale]

Well, if the article is anything to go by, Motorola has made some serious changes in house, and we can only hope that these changes are reflected in build quality. Of course, only time will tell on this. ;)

[Jerry Raia]

I will be the first to praise them if they do. :D

[cortez]

i'll reserve judgement until after the new devices are released/available and have been reviewed by "real" users. Moto "played" me bigtime with the MPx220; right now i'm playa hatin' on Mr Moto.

P.S. i can easily change my mind if Mr Moto sends me a $500 coupon toward the purchase of my next Motorola smartphone...

[surfer]

Im looking forward to the Q. My MPX have not leat me down and im sure the Q will no either.

[aristoBrat]

I love the wheel in Moto Q but I really need 3G/UMTS phone...
3G/UMTS .. here in the US we can only dream of that ... maybe the Q's wheel is to keep us quiet until then.

[TimeHunter]

It's pretty nice, but I'm seriously digging my Samsung i730 right now. It may not be as light or thin as the Q, but it's no size monster by any means. It is the 800 pound gorilla as far as functionality and connectivity though.