Motorola RAZR V3x

[Jerry Raia]

http://www.motorola.com/motoinfo/product/details/0,,95,00.html

"Be seen and heard with the Motorola RAZR V3x – the supremely svelte, sophisticated mobile accessory for discerning fashion and tech enthusiasts. The handset’s intuitive multimedia offerings include: real-time 2-way video calling*, still and moving image capture and editing, and large color display. Additionally, the Motorola RAZR V3x features SCREEN3*, an innovative technology solution from Motorola that gives you zero-click access to news, sports, entertainment, and other premium content directly from your mobile device home screen* – no buttons to push, no browsers to launch. Motorola's SCREEN3 puts fresh content at your fingertips. A 2 mega-pixel camera, Bluetooth® wireless technology* and removable memory add to this lengthy feature set."



I read the entire description of this new Motorola remake a couple of times and had to ask myself, does Motorola really want to make a Smartphone? I have said before the the RAZR is just a remade StarTac with some new clothes. I have to give them this; the V3x is one good looking device. Take a look at the other pictures of it in the full description. No matter what one says about Moto they seem to have put a lot of effort into this one. The RAZR has been extremely popular. I see them everywhere. Now look at their Smartphone line parade. The Mpx200, Mpx220 and maybe the Q. Kind of thin so far don't you think? Is it just me or does it seem like Motorola is just getting dragged into the Smartphone world, but their hearts aren't in it?

[Jerry Raia]

http://www.motorola.com/motoinfo/product/details/0,,95,00.html

"Be seen and heard with the Motorola RAZR V3x – the supremely svelte, sophisticated mobile accessory for discerning fashion and tech enthusiasts. The handset’s intuitive multimedia offerings include: real-time 2-way video calling*, still and moving image capture and editing, and large color display. Additionally, the Motorola RAZR V3x features SCREEN3*, an innovative technology solution from Motorola that gives you zero-click access to news, sports, entertainment, and other premium content directly from your mobile device home screen* – no buttons to push, no browsers to launch. Motorola's SCREEN3 puts fresh content at your fingertips. A 2 mega-pixel camera, Bluetooth® wireless technology* and removable memory add to this lengthy feature set."



I read the entire description of this new Motorola remake a couple of times and had to ask myself, does Motorola really want to make a Smartphone? I have said before the the RAZR is just a remade StarTac with some new clothes. I have to give them this; the V3x is one good looking device. Take a look at the other pictures of it in the full description. No matter what one says about Moto they seem to have put a lot of effort into this one. The RAZR has been extremely popular. I see them everywhere. Now look at their Smartphone line parade. The Mpx200, Mpx220 and maybe the Q. Kind of thin so far don't you think? Is it just me or does it seem like Motorola is just getting dragged into the Smartphone world, but their hearts aren't in it?

[Mike Temporale]

Originally Posted by Jerry Raia

Is it just me or does it seem like Motorola is just getting dragged into the Smartphone world, but their hearts aren't in it?

Gosh, I hope that's not the case. I would hope that they are releasing Smartphones and executing off a business plan with some sort of direction. I think things generally work better when there is some sort of plan. But, hey what do I know. i'm not Ed.

[Jerry Raia]

I think when we see what happens with the Q we will know. All I can say is that V3x looks like no Smartphone they have ever made.

[Pony99CA]

Originally Posted by Jerry Raia

I have said before the the RAZR is just a remade StarTac with some new clothes. I have to give them this; the V3x is one good looking device.

I think the original RAZR is better looking than the V3x. My daughter makes fun of me because I call the RAZR the "sexy phone". This phone looks a lot more powerful, but not as cool. Specifically, the keypad isn't as sharp as the RAZR.

I just hope Verizon will get a version more quickly than they're getitng the original RAZR. I'm thinking of trading my V710 for the CDMA RAZR, but not if it's $499 and a two-year contract. :roll:

Steve

[mar2k]

Motorola apparently hasn't figured out if they would just take the RAZR and add Windows Mobile 5, a nice speedy processor, and a memory card slot to it instead of using their crappy proprietary OS, they would have the hottest phone on the planet, bar none.

[Jerry Raia]

That's really the heart of it. They keep making the same phone over and over with a new suit on instead of innovating.

[Covert]

Originally Posted by mar2k

Motorola apparently hasn't figured out if they would just take the RAZR and add Windows Mobile 5, a nice speedy processor, and a memory card slot to it instead of using their crappy proprietary OS, they would have the hottest phone on the planet, bar none.

Amen to that. One can only dream.

[Pony99CA]

Originally Posted by Jerry Raia

That's really the heart of it. They keep making the same phone over and over with a new suit on instead of innovating.

Define what "innovating" would mean to you. I think the RAZR was pretty innovative as far as styling and size went.

Also, saying the V3x is the same phone in a "new suit" makes it sound like the V3x only has differences in appearence compared to the V3. I guess you think the video conferencing camera, the 2-megapixel camera, the zero-click SCREEN3 and the memory card slot are merely cosmetic differences.

By the way, there seems to be a simple explanation for Motorola's lack of Smartphones -- and it was on the home page of this site last week. If a minority of consumers want smart phones, it makes sense that a minority of a company's phones would be smart phones, doesn't it?

Steve

[Jerry Raia]

As this is a Smartphone site I am focused on innovation in that area. I don't consider "styling" innovation. I consider styling cosmetic like a new suit. Video conferencing? Are they serious? Are you going to hold that small phone in front of your face so you can see a tiny image of the person you are talking to and they can see you doing the same dance? The v710 has a trans flash memory slot, nothing new there either.

I'm sure everyone will enjoy accessing the same old features and menus using the zero-click SCREEN3 nuclear atomic thing or whatever it is.

The thought here is that Moto isn't putting all the horsepower they have behind a Smartphone. HTC, for example, seems to be doing so. They think there are a few folks out there that want Smartphones.

Innovating to me would be as others have said, putting a Smartphone into that stylish v3 shell instead of a StarTac with color.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it! :mrgreen:

[Pony99CA]

Originally Posted by Jerry Raia

As this is a Smartphone site I am focused on innovation in that area. I don't consider "styling" innovation. I consider styling cosmetic like a new suit.

So you're basically saying that no clothing styles can ever be innovative? I think the bikini, the miniskirt and the thong have been innovative, for example. I think putting old function in a new form (a "new suit") can be innovative. The PC has existed for years, but would you not call the OQO innovative? (It may not be good, but I think it is innovative.)

In fact, the last paragraph of your previous post proves my point:

Originally Posted by Jerry Raia

Innovating to me would be as others have said, putting a Smartphone into that stylish v3 shell instead of a StarTac with color.

Smartphones already exist (in fact, wasn't Motorola one of the first companies to make them with the MPx200?), so putting one in a RAZR shell would just be a Smartphone in a new suit. Can't you see how you're contradicting yourself? ;-)

Originally Posted by Jerry Raia

Video conferencing? Are they serious? Are you going to hold that small phone in front of your face so you can see a tiny image of the person you are talking to and they can see you doing the same dance?

Actually, it probably won't be used so much for videoconferencing as real-time video. Imagine calling your friend and saying "Look what's going on here!" instead of taking the video and sending it to them (even if you had enough memory to capture the entire event). It might be useful for things like weddings, child birth, graduations, etc.

Originally Posted by Jerry Raia

The v710 has a trans flash memory slot, nothing new there either.

I didn't say the memory slot was something new for the industry (or even for Motorola), just that it's new for the RAZR (and therefore more than just a cosmetic change).

Originally Posted by Jerry Raia

The thought here is that Moto isn't putting all the horsepower they have behind a Smartphone. HTC, for example, seems to be doing so. They think there are a few folks out there that want Smartphones.

Or maybe HTC -- a niche manufacturer -- has chosen to address a niche market, one that Motorola doesn't find that profitable. Maybe HTC can't compete with Motorola creating more basic phones, so they're addressing a space where Motorola hasn't been so active. Maybe Motorola feels they can make more money producing newer RAZRs than investing in Smartphones. There's a reason Ford doesn't try to compete with Ferrari and Ferrari doesn't try to compete with Ford.

Don't get me wrong. I too would love to see Motorola make a great smart phone, but I can also understand why they may not do it. We may not like that, but can you say Motorola is making a bad business decision?

By the way, Motorola did try to innovate in the smart phone space. Remember the MPx? What happened to that? Maybe that left a bad taste in their mouth.

Steve