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Tag: motorola

  • Motorola to return to the premium flagship market with a 5G phone

    Motorola to return to the premium flagship market with a 5G phone

    Heading into 2009, it seemed that iOS and the iPhone were on an unstoppable path to the top of the smartphone world. But then on January 8th of that year, a new phone was unveiled that was aimed directly at the iPhone. It featured a new operating system and a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. But somehow, the Palm Pre never caught on with consumers. Instead, that November, the iPhone finally met its match with the Motorola DROID. The first phone to carry Android 2.0, the DROID became a huge hit and Android now reportedly has 85% of the global market.

    Motorola continued to build flagship models, including the popular DROID X with its massive 4.3-inch display (for 2010, anyway). But Motorola soon lost the early leadership of the Android market. Despite developing the modular Moto Mods and the ShatterSheld display on 2016’s Moto Z Force, by 2018 the Moto Z line no longer included a flagship model and Motorola was making its bread from the low-end budget-priced models it was selling. The company is now the fourth-largest smartphone manufacturer in the U.S., turning a profit and is beginning to feel its oats. The new mid-range Motorola One phones offer some interesting camera specs including the Ultra-wide camera on the Moto One Action that records video in portrait for viewing in landscape.

    Motorola is so confident that it plans on returning to the premium flagship market again. Motorola’s global marketing chief Francoise LaFlamme says that the company is going to offer a 5G phone, but it won’t be sold at budget prices. As the executive points out, “If you put out a $399 5G phone, you’re going to have to sacrifice a lot of the elements that people value,” LaFlamme says. Right now, the Moto Z4 and Moto Z3 can support 5G but both require the purchase of a 5G Moto Mod. At Verizon, you can buy the former for 24 monthly payments of $10 if you add a new line; otherwise, the handset will cost you $500. Toss in another $350 for the 5G Moto Mod and you’re up to $850. You can buy the 5G upgradeable Moto Z3 instead of the Moto Z4 for $480, but that works out to a small $20 savings. With this in mind, we could see Motorola offer a 5G premium flagship in the range of $800-$900. That certainly would be very competitive compared to the $1,300 that the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G and Galaxy Note 10+ 5G cost. It would also be a challenger to the $1,000 LG V50 ThinQ 5G and $840 OnePlus 7 Pro 5G offered by Sprint.

    Of course, the Motorola phone that everyone in the states is looking forward to this year is the rumored foldable Motorola RAZR. One of the most popular phones in the pre-smartphone era, the Motorola RAZR was the clamshell feature phone that everyone had to have. Sometime this year we could see a smartphone version of the RAZR driven by Android. Instead of turning from a smartphone into a tablet, the RAZR will open from a pocketable device into a tall and thin 6.2-inch or 6.5-inch smartphone with an aspect ratio of 22:9.

    Motorola is making a shrewd move by capitalizing on the warm and fuzzy nostalgic feelings brought on by the original RAZR. And if production is limited to 200,000 units as rumored, Motorola is almost guaranteeing that the device will be sold out. Pricing of the new RAZR is expected to be in the neighborhood of $1,500.

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  • Motorola might drop Qualcomm’s chipsets for the Moto G8 Play

    Motorola might drop Qualcomm’s chipsets for the Moto G8 Play

    We don’t expect Motorola to announce a new lineup of mid-range smartphones until next year, but that doesn’t mean the US company is not already working on the Moto G8 series. Even though we’re still far from an official announcement, the first details about Motorola’s plans regarding some of its upcoming phones have already emerged.

    The folks over at XDA Developers report at least one of Motorola’s upcoming smartphones, the Moto G8 Play will no longer come equipped with a Qualcomm processor. Instead, Motorola plans to include either the MediaTek Helio P60 or the MediaTek Helio P70.

    On the bright side, the Moto G8 Play is rumored to pack a much larger 4,000 mAh battery, a 1,000 mAh increase over the current Moto G7 Play model. Also, the smartphone will include either 3 or 4GB RAM and 32 or 64GB of internal memory. Pretty much every part of the phone (memory, battery) seems to have been improved over the current model, although we’re not so sure about the processor.

    Furthermore, depending on the market, the Moto G8 Play will support NFC (Near Field Communication), dual SIM, both, or neither of those. For the time being, Motorola plans to launch the Moto G8 Play in Latin America, Asia Pacific countries, and Europe, so there’s no telling whether or not it will bring it to the US.

  • Motorola’s preparing an insane looking quadruple-camera phone

    Motorola’s preparing an insane looking quadruple-camera phone

    Just two days after the design of Motorola’s first ever triple-camera smartphone was revealed, tipster Steve Hemmerstoffer is back with yet another Motorola-branded device. This time, though, it sports a whopping four rear cameras and presents a very unique design.

    Over the past couple of years, Motorola has developed two clear design languages – Moto smartphones boast circle-shaped camera modules on the rear while One-branded devices feature vertical camera setups in the corner. But this yet-to-be-named model doesn’t fit in anywhere.

    Rather than adopting Motorola’s usual camera setups, the smartphone boasts an array of sensors which are arranged into a square – some could argue that the device resembles Huawei’s Mate 20 Pro because of this. These cameras sit directly above a large Motorola logo and, together, are contained within a large rectangular bump.

    This huge camera module sits in the center of the phone’s rear panel, which itself may be carved out of brushed aluminum rather than glass. The cameras are accompanied by a dual-LED flash and ‘48MP’ branding which suggests the primary sensor will sport a 48-megapixel resolution, like the one expected on the Motorola One Vision.

    Details about the remaining cameras remain unclear at the moment, but Motorola could potentially fit the phone with a wide-angle camera and a telephoto alternative. The remaining fourth camera could then be one of three: a depth sensor, a monochrome sensor, or a Time-of-Flight sensor.

    Yes, there’s a headphone jack too

    Like the Motorola One Vision and One Vision Plus which have already leaked, this Motorola device sports a large 6.2-inch display. There are, however, some very important changes.

    At first glance, the most noticeable difference is the lack of a cutout in the top-left corner. On the One Vision devices, Motorola uses this to house the selfie camera but on this particular smartphone, the Lenovo-owned brand has reverted back to the trusty U-shaped notch. This is paired with thin side bezels, a slightly thicker one above the display, and a larger chin below which is home to the Motorola branding. Also present is an in-display fingerprint scanner.

    Another key difference that may not be as noticeable in the renders is the different aspect ratio. The upcoming Motorola One devices sport extra-tall 21:9 displays, but this smartphone appears to boast a much more traditional 19:9 panel. This results in a device which is slightly wider but much shorter.

    Elsewhere, users can expect a USB Type-C port and a 3.5mm headphone jack along the bottom. Up top sits a SIM card tray and a speaker, while along the right side of the frame is a volume rocker and a power button. The left side of the phone is bare.

    This could be an iPhone XR & Galaxy S10e competitor

    This unknown Motorola smartphone will presumably be announced sometime later this quarter alongside the brand’s other devices – it’s currently working on the two One Vision devices mentioned above in addition to the Moto Z4 and Moto Z4 Play.

    The internal specifications of this device currently remain a mystery, but the 48-megapixel resolution of the rear camera does give us an indication of how the phone will be positioned. After all, this sensor has become popular among mid-range devices lately and is even expected to make its way into the OnePlus 7.

    This factor, combined with everything else the smartphone has to offer suggests it could be positioned as a Galaxy S10e and iPhone XR competitor, or perhaps just below these models at a cost of around $600 to $650. A premium model designed to compete with the Galaxy S10+ and iPhone XS Max does seem unlikely, though, considering Motorola exited that segment last year.

  • Call Screen support is officially coming to Motorola One

    Call Screen support is officially coming to Motorola One

    Motorola has today announced that Google’s Call Screen feature is coming to the Moto G7 family and the Motorola One lineup. Until today, the feature was exclusively available on Google’s Pixel smartphones.

    Call Screen basically lets you use the Google Assistant to screen incoming phone calls, with the idea being that it’ll help avoid any scammers or unwanted callers. If you choose to use the feature, the Google Assistant will first ask callers why they are calling and relay the ongoing conversation in real-time on the screen. If you wish to answer the call yourself, you can do so at any time. Alternatively, you can choose to hang up or select another response such as “Is it urgent?” or “Tell me more.”

    Motorola says that it already “began rolling out,” although it didn’t specify when or how long it will take. Nevertheless, these things typically take a couple of weeks before everyone receives the update so if you own a Moto G7, Moto G7 Power, Moto G7 Play, Motorola One, or Motorola One Power be sure to be on the lookout.

    This feature’s release was hinted at as recently as yesterday by an update to Google’s Phone app. It also contained references to support for Nokia smartphones, which means these devices will likely be the next ones to receive the feature. However, as things stand, nothing has been announced officially.

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  • Motorola is taking pre-orders on the phone it says will last up to three days

    Motorola is taking pre-orders on the phone it says will last up to three days

    If a huge battery is the most important feature you want on a new smartphone, you are in luck. Motorola has started accepting pre-orders for the Moto G7 Power. The phone’s claim to fame is the 5000mAh battery that Motorola says will keep the phone running as long as three days on a single charge. Hence, the use of the word “Power” in the phone’s name. With Turbo Charge, you’ll get up to 9 hours of battery life in just 15 minutes. The device is priced at $249.99.

    The Moto G7 Power comes equipped with a 6.2-inch LCD panel carrying a resolution of 720 x 1570 (HD+) and an aspect ratio of 19.63:9. The Snapdragon 632 Mobile Platform is under the hood along with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of native storage. A 512GB capacity microSD slot is available for those seeking additional storage. A 12MP camera adorns the back of the device (f/2.0 aperture) and there is a front-facing 8MP selfie camera. The phone is protected from spills, light rain and sweat thanks to P2i’s nano coating process.

    The Moto G7 Power is available in Marine Blue, and is priced at $249.99. If you finance the purchase, you’ll make 24 monthly payments of less than $11 each. And if you live in the states, the handset is compatible with each of the four major U.S. carriers including Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint. Pre-order the Moto G7 Power directly from Motorola, and you will get a $20 coupon to use on a future Motorola.com purchase.

    The Moto G7 Power is expected to be released on March 22nd.

  • The Motorola Moto G7 Power & G7 Play finally have release dates

    The Motorola Moto G7 Power & G7 Play finally have release dates

    The Motorola Moto G7 Play and Moto G7 Power will soon be available on US store shelves, the Chicago-based brand has announced. Once released, they will join the $299 Moto G7 which launched earlier this month.The Moto G7 Power, on the one hand, will be available to pre-order later this week on March 15. Shipments of the device will then kick off just seven days later on March 22. The Moto G7 Play, on the other hand, won’t be released until April 5. However, if you wish to get your hands on it that day, the budget offering will be available to pre-order one week earlier on March 29.

    As previously revealed, the Moto G7 power will cost just $249 when released later this month. At that price, consumers gain access to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 632, a large 6.2-inch display, and a huge 5,000mAh battery which produces the best battery life we’ve ever tested. If the Moto G7 Power is a bit too pricey for you, the Moto G7 Play will be available for just $199. This offering maintains the same processor but shrinks the display to 5.7-inches. The battery is also quite a bit smaller at 3,000mAh. The Moto G7 Power & Moto G7 Play will both be available to pre-order and purchase through Motorola.com and Amazon. Select US retailers including Best Buy and B&H Photo will also offer the devices once released. Both models should be compatible with all US carriers.

  • Motorola’s smartphones could soon remove almost every bezel

    Motorola’s smartphones could soon remove almost every bezel

    The Motorola Moto E, Moto G, and Moto Z smartphone lineups could eventually adopt displays that feature almost no bezel, a new patent suggests. Submitted late last year and published earlier this month, parent company Lenovo describes a total of eight smartphone designs range from ‘Model A’ to ‘Model H.’ The first three models focus on different front panel looks which could be used in the near future. The second set of devices, on the other hand, describes different rear designs.

    Starting with Models A, B, and C, these all sport rear panels that resemble current-gen Motorola devices thanks to large circle-shaped camera modules and rear-facing fingerprint scanners. In the case of ‘Model A,’ this rear design is paired with a thick chin up front and a small notch above the display. Overall, the device resembles the recently-announced Moto G7 quite closely.
    Moving on to ‘Model B,’ this smartphone sports a slimmer chin along with the same notch. As a result, the device is reminiscent of the upcoming Moto Z4 Play. ‘Model C,’ however, appears to depict what Motorola’s smartphones will look like in the future. Like the previous two, it maintains the waterdrop-like notch above the display. This time, though, the side and bottom bezels are basically non-existent.
    Taking a look at the remaining models, these all depict different rear setups. Models ‘D’ and ‘E’ resemble slightly updated versions of current Moto Z and Moto P-series devices. Models ‘F’ and ‘H,’ on the other hand, showcase horizontally-aligned cameras that sit in the top-left corner, a design that hasn’t been seen on Motorola smartphones. When it comes to the remaining ‘Model G,’ this rear design resembles the look of older Moto devices by boasting a much smaller camera that sits in the center, just above the LED flash and the Motorola logo.
    Because Motorola no longer competes in the flagship segment, it could be a while until the brand’s mid-range offerings embrace the bezel-less look depicted by Model C. The alternative rear looks, however, could appear in the near future.
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  • Hybrid Smartwatches to Make Up Over 50% of Smartwatch Shipments by 2022

    Hybrid Smartwatches to Make Up Over 50% of Smartwatch Shipments by 2022

    Watches that appear to be analogue models but integrate smartwatch features will make up more than half of the smartwatch market by 2022, according to Juniper Research.

    This means that nearly 80 million hybrid smartwatches, such as Fossil Q and Nokia Steel, will be shipped by 2022, up 460 per cent from an estimated 14 million last year. However, for digital-display smartwatches like Apple Watch and Fitbit Ionic, Juniper lowers the rate of growth to 160 per cent.

    This slower growth has caused several manufacturers, including Huawei, Motorola and Sony, to leave the space, says Juniper’s new report, Smartwatches: Trends, Vendor Strategies & Forecasts 2018-2022. Those staying in play are pivoting toward specific uses, mainly fitness, which Apple, Casio, Samsung and others have emphasised in recent releases.

    “The smartwatch market is refining itself into a series of specific-use cases”, says research author James Moar. “This is having an impact on every aspect of smartwatches, from their design for increasingly specialised uses to their sale through specific retailers. While most vendors cannot necessarily hope to reach a broad coverage, the industry as a whole is here to stay.”

    Despite the renewed interest in hybrids, Juniper expects individual players to produce few smartwatches. Hybrid watch manufacturers generally ship fewer than 2 million units annually.

    An exception is Fossil, which has released many display and hybrid smartwatches. It is forecast to ship more than 6 million smartwatches annually by 2020.

    Meanwhile, the report has found that different connectivity technologies are becoming more prevalent for smartwatches, with GPS expected to be an element for nearly half of all smartwatches by 2022. In comparison, growth will be limited for near-field communication NFC technology as this is currently locked into specific ecosystems. Juniper does not foresee any change to this in the foreseeable future.

    Juniper Research provides research and analytical services for the global hi-tech communications sector, and has also just issued a complimentary white paper for vendors, Why Most Smartwatches ‘Fail’.

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  • Motorola Philippines moves beyond Manila

    Motorola Philippines moves beyond Manila

    Motorola Philippines has opened a Motorola Kiosk in SM Batangas, its first retail venture outside Metro Manila.

    It is its fourth store since Motorola entered the Philippines in October last year, and follows the opening of a kiosk in Cyberzone, Mall of Asia, two months ago.

    Motorola launched with two concept stores, in the Cyberzone area in SM North Edsa Annex and SM Megamall, both run by MemoXpress.

    Lenovo Mobile Business Group Philippines country manager John Rojo says the brand aims to create more consumer engagement through activities and communications.

    All Motorola concept stores carry the full Moto smartphone lineup.

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  • Motorola Philippines opens third concept kiosk

    Motorola Philippines opens third concept kiosk

    Motorola Philippines has opened its third concept kiosk, at SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City.

    It is part of the Lenovo-owned company’s move to strengthen its retail footprint in the nation’s high-traffic malls.

    On the second level of the mall’s Cyberzone, the store features a full Moto smartphone lineup.

    “Motorola is keen to revolutionize Filipinos’ digital lifestyle,” says Lenovo Mobile Business Group Philippines country manager John Rojo.

    Shoppers at the new kiosk have been offered exclusive discounts and gifts when buying Motorola smartphones.

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  • Motorola scores managed mobility win in Australia

    Motorola scores managed mobility win in Australia

    Victoria Police in Australia will adopt a new managed service mobility solution for at least 10,000 police officers across the state.

    The A$50 million ($37.6 million) solution from Motorola Solutions will help increase situational awareness, safety and productivity for frontline officers.

    Motorola Solutions will lead a consortium of service providers to deliver the contract, including Optus, the second largest mobile operator in the country, as well as local IT provider CompNow. The managed service contract will run for a minimum of five years.

    The service will place real-time information at the fingertips of at least 10,000 police officers equipped with iPads and iPhones, helping them manage their daily work more safely, efficiently and productively.

    The solution is designed to help reduce the duplication of data entry by officers while increasing workforce collaboration by sharing vital information between frontline personnel and their colleagues working in control rooms.

    The technology will also help Victoria Police to preserve its mission-critical radio communications for essential emergency communications by removing lower priority traffic from the radio network.

    This investment represents a major goal within Victoria Police’s Capability Plan 2016-2025, which highlights the way the force will transform its service delivery to be more “agile, responsive, people-focussed and connected.”

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  • Moto Z, Z Play on preorder soon in Malaysia

    Moto Z, Z Play on preorder soon in Malaysia

    Mix and match

    It wouldn’t be that big a deal if the new Moto phones were all that arrived. This time, the Moto Mods will also be available: snap-on modules that expand the capabilities of the phones.

    Not only will the JBL SoundBoost speaker be available, so will the Hasselblad True Zoom camera, the Insta-Share projector as well as the Incipio offGrid Power Pack that adds both more battery as well as wireless charging capability.

    Motorola also brought in Style Shells to customise Moto phones: the Black Leather, Charcoal Ash, Silver Oak, Washed Oak and Crimson Ballistic Nylon and Black Herring will be available.

    They’re not available at retail as yet but will be on preorder on 11street and Lazada from November 4. The first 50 customers will also get a JBL speaker mod for free with purchases of either the Moto Z or the Z Play.

    Pricing-wise, the Moto Z is retailing at RM2699 and the Z Play at RM1799. The speaker mod will cost RM599, the Hassleblad camera mod is RM1299, the Insta-Share projector is RM1399 while the Power Pack is RM499.

    For the style shells, the Black Leather, Charcoal Ash, Silver Oak and Washed Oak are retailing at RM79 while the Crimson Ballistic Nylon and the Black Herring will cost RM59.

     

  • Lenovo may release more Motorola smartphones in Indonesia

    Lenovo may release more Motorola smartphones in Indonesia

    Lenovo started marketing on Thursday the latest Motorola-branded phone in Indonesia that targets the middle- and high-end market.

    The Moto E3 Power will be marketed under the Lenovo brand as Motorola is now a subsidiary of the Beijing-based tech company following an acquisition in 2014.

    Lenovo Indonesia mobile business group country lead Adrie R. Suhadi told last Wednesday that the two brands would have different segmentation, with Lenovo targeting  the middle and affordable market.

    Despite the higher target market, Moto E3 Power is priced at Rp 1,899,000 (US$146). Among its highlighted features is a 5-inch display, dual SIM, Android OS v6.0 Marshmallow, quad-core 1.0 GHz Cortex-A53 CPU, 16 GB and 2GB RAM internal memory, 8MP front camera and removable Li-ion 3500 mAh battery.

    Regarding the possibility of other Motorola-branded phones entering the country, Lenovo Indonesia mobile business group 4P manager Anvid Erdian said the company might launch the more premium Moto Z.

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  • Lenovo-­Motorola India seeks to open showrooms

    Lenovo-­Motorola India seeks to open showrooms

    The Lenovo-­Motorola India combine has applied for single-­brand retail licence to open company­- owned showrooms.

    This comes on the heels of the Chinese company’s mobile sales in India crossing the US$1 ­billion mark.
    Lenovo India’s director Sudhin Mathur says the turnover from mobile-phone sales in the year ended March 31 stood at $1.3 billion, nearly double the $700 ­million of the previous year.

    “Sales have been growing at a healthy pace and we expect to maintain a strong momentum.”

    According to industry tracker IDC, the Lenovo­-Motorola combine sold about 10 million units last year, accounting for a nearly 10 per cent share of the market.

    Mathur says smartphone industry sales in India are expected to grow by 30 per cent this
    year.

    The company’s units for India are being contract ­manufactured by Flextronics at Sriperumbudur. Lenovo is also looking at having its own phone plant in India.

    Mathur says eight or ­nine new models will be introduced in India over the coming months as the company beefs up its portfolio ahead of the festive season.

    Other companies to have applied for the single-­brand retail licence include Apple and Chinese company LeEco.

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