Google to debut Motorola-built 'X phone' next year, takes aim at Apple and Samsung

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
Google is said to have tasked subsidiary Motorola to engineer a sophisticated smartphone to compete with Apple's iPhone and offerings from Samsung which, when released sometime in 2013, will be the first in-house handset from the Android creator.

Motorola RAZR MAXX
Motorola's latest DROID RAZR MAXX HD smartphone. | Source: Motorola


People familiar with Google's so-called "X phone" initiative told The Wall Street Journal that the internet search giant is hoping to create a legitimate competitor to Apple's iPhone and products made by worldwide market leader Samsung.

The sources go on to say Motorola will continue to work on future iterations of its DROID line of smartphones in conjunction with the "X phone" project, with Google's intent being to raise the company's marketshare by emphasizing product quality instead of quantity. An "X tablet" may follow the release of the as-yet-unannounced phone, though no further details were offered regarding device specifics.

Google product manager Lior Ron, a specialist in mapping, is reportedly leading the project, suggesting the phone could sport innovative map features powered by Google Maps. Motorola is also said to be integrating imaging and gesture-recognition features from the recent acquisition of software developer Viewdle.

According to former Google sales executive and current Motorola CEO Dennis Woodside, the company is "investing in a team and a technology that will do something quite different than the current approaches." He noted that there is a huge opportunity in the smartphone arena, and while the cellphone pioneer has "fallen on hard times," Google's acquisition has granted it the resources "to do big things."

Apparently Motorola is running into problems regarding the phone's materials, however, with sources citing issues with bendable screens like those rumored to be announced by Samsung at CES, as well as resilient ceramics.

Despite the setbacks, Google is expected to release the handset in 2013, though no specific timeframe has been revealed.

If and when the project bears fruit, the resulting handset will be Google's first phone to be built in-house after it purchased Motorola for $12.5 billion in May. The Google branded Nexus line of smartphones have been designed in partnership with companies like Samsung, HTC and most recently LG, all of which use the Android operating system. Manufacture is taken care of by the OEMs.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 67
    I wonder why it took them so long to realize that Motorola produces utter crap.
  • Reply 2 of 67
    You guys need to purhcase a spell checker.
  • Reply 3 of 67
    nasseraenasserae Posts: 3,167member
    Take your time Google.. No rush¡
  • Reply 4 of 67


    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post

    …the internet search giant is hoping to create a legitimate competitor to Apple's iPhone…


     


    They certainly haven't had one so far.






    Google's intent being to raise the company's marketshare by emphasizing product quality instead of quantity.



     


    They're like raptors. Took 'em 65 million years, but they're learning.


     


    Apple just needs to keep fighting with the Lysine Contingency. 

  • Reply 5 of 67
    jragostajragosta Posts: 10,473member
    They're like raptors. Took 'em 65 million years, but they're learning.

    Yes, but how long will it take Samsung, HTC, and the rest to realize that they're competing with their OS supplier?
  • Reply 6 of 67
    If it%u2019s on Verizon then I%u2019m okay with this.
  • Reply 7 of 67


    Originally Posted by jragosta View Post

    Yes, but how long will it take Samsung, HTC, and the rest to realize that they're competing with their OS supplier?


     


    They'll whimper and cower like the subservient little whelps they are.


     


    The PC manufacturers, the big dogs of the tech industry, have themselves only expressed their disapproval of Microsoft entering their tablet game. They've done nothing else, nor are they even hinting to it.

  • Reply 8 of 67
    Apple, get your patent lawyers ready. Next year will be the assault on Google. Google is pulling a MSFT by competing with its own partners. For every x-Phone sold there will be .9 less Android phones from Samesung and HTC, etc and maybe .1 less iPhone (at most). Amazon and Google continue to Amaze me as they spread their wings. However, if they fly too close to the sun, the wax will melt and they will drop from the sky. Amazon is also said to be considering a phone. They will offer it for free, if you subscribe to their data plan and their annual free shipping program. Npw that I think about it, Amazon is the most likely acquirer of RIMM. Any major smart phone builder may run into anti trust issues. Now if Apple could only capture a "referral fee" for anything purchased from Amazon using an iOS device.
  • Reply 9 of 67
    asdasdasdasd Posts: 5,686member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post


     


    They'll whimper and cower like the subservient little whelps they are.


     


    The PC manufacturers, the big dogs of the tech industry, have themselves only expressed their disapproval of Microsoft entering their tablet game. They've done nothing else, nor are they even hinting to it.



    Very little they can do - unless you think they should move to Linux, or Apple should licence.


     


    But yeah, it will piss them off.

  • Reply 10 of 67


    Originally Posted by pridon View Post

    …Amazon is the most likely acquirer of RIMM. Any major smart phone builder may run into anti trust issues.




    What a dangerous game they play.

  • Reply 11 of 67
    gazoobeegazoobee Posts: 3,754member


    Hey Rocky, watch me pull a rabbit out of this hat!  


     


    This time for sure!  


     


  • Reply 12 of 67
    dasanman69dasanman69 Posts: 13,002member
    jason98 wrote: »
    I wonder why it took them so long to realize that Motorola produces utter crap.

    Moto builds better phones than Samsung, HTC, LG, etc... I wasnt impressed by their latest lineup but I saw a RAZR M and was impressed by its size and how it felt in my hand. Moto has built very nice phones in the past, as the only other US mobile phone manufacturer I'd like to see them turn things around.
  • Reply 13 of 67
    quinneyquinney Posts: 2,528member
    asdasd wrote: »
    They'll whimper and cower like the subservient little whelps they are.

    The PC manufacturers, the big dogs of the tech industry, have themselves only expressed their disapproval of Microsoft entering their tablet game. They've done nothing else, nor are they even hinting to it.
    Very little they can do - unless you think they should move to Linux, or Apple should licence.

    But yeah, it will piss them off.

    Samsung probably has a Google-free fork of Android ready and waiting.
    It will be interesting to see how much Samsung supplied component content the Google phone will have and whether new features will show up on Samsung phones.
  • Reply 14 of 67
    dasanman69 wrote: »
    Moto builds better phones than Samsung, HTC, LG, etc... I wasnt impressed by their latest lineup but I saw a RAZR M and was impressed by its size and how it felt in my hand. Moto has built very nice phones in the past, as the only other US mobile phone manufacturer I'd like to see them turn things around.

    100% agree. Samsung phones are crap. Cheaply made. The Moto Maxx HD is a solid phone and the only one I would consider, if there was no iOS.
    quinney wrote: »
    Samsung probably has a Google-free fork of Android ready and waiting.
    It will be interesting to see how much Samsung supplied component content the Google phone will have and whether new features will show up on Samsung phones.

    I bet you are right. The problems for Android will be huge once there is twelve forks that all start doing different things, then slowly become incompatible.
  • Reply 15 of 67


    Originally Posted by quinney View Post

    Samsung probably has a Google-free fork of Android ready and waiting.


     


    So something that has no touch controls and looks like it was made in 2004?

  • Reply 16 of 67
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    jragosta wrote: »
    Yes, but how long will it take Samsung, HTC, and the rest to realize that they're competing with their OS supplier?

    Because they can take the OS and then alter it how they please, then lock it down or rebrand it, it's not quite the same thing as when MS screws their OEMs over when they create the Zune or Surface products. In the end I really don't think any Google-branded phone (or tablet) will make a difference.
  • Reply 17 of 67
    sensisensi Posts: 346member
    The PC manufacturers, the big dogs of the tech industry, have themselves only expressed their disapproval of Microsoft entering their tablet game. They've done nothing else, nor are they even hinting to it.
    You mean whiny Acer? Hardly a big dog.
  • Reply 18 of 67
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    sensi wrote: »
    You mean whiny Acer? Hardly a big dog.

    Acer took in about $17 billion in revenue in 2011 and are #4 in the world with a good chance of being #3 any day now. I would consider them to be a big dog.

    1000
  • Reply 19 of 67


    Originally Posted by Sensi View Post

    You mean whiny Acer? Hardly a big dog.




    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post

    …manufacturers


     


    All of the ones on Solipsism's list have either directly expressed or hinted at their distaste at this development.

  • Reply 20 of 67


    Oh, so now Motorola wants to compete with Apple.  I get it.  


    They must have been competing with Google all these years since they squeezed $12 Billion out of Google.


    LOL.


     


    It will be good for Samsung to give Google a taste of its own medicine.


    Fork Android, replace all the Google services with Samsung equivalents and don't sell any parts to Motorola.


     


    ...And Samsung thought Android was free?  Eyes are starting to open.  LOL

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