Motorola Moving to Android, Windows Mobile for Smartphones

nerdyH writes "Motorola will ditch its MotoMAGX Linux stack and UIQ Symbian stack in favor of Google's Android Linux/Java stack and Windows Mobile 6.5 and 7, it announced today. The news comes after five years selling millions of Linux phones in Asia, and after a year during which many of Motorola's top US phones used the homegrown Linux stack. Motorola's current Linux phones in the US include the RAZR2 v8, E8, EM30, U9, ZN4, and ZN5." This also comes alongside news that Motorola's financial hardships are causing them to cut 3,000 jobs. It also puts into perspective their recent plans to hire hundreds of Android developers.

Comments

Let's hope they come with better software

[plover]

Maybe this means they'll finally deliver a non-buggy app suite. I think Motorola has been suffering because of the quality of their software. I have had very few problems with the hardware I've owned that weren't software based. (I don't blame Motorola for the broken hinge on my son's RAZR.) I like that they have adopted many standards, such as mini-USB connectors on every device that are used for both data and charging, they've been a big supporter of the Bluetooth SIG, and their attempt to go with Linux (even though they kind of went off on their own with MotoMAGX.) I even bought a Z6 from them earlier this year for geeky reasons: the Linux OS and the fact that they sell them unlocked directly to consumers.

I hope that they do survive their current turmoil, and an Android stack is pretty exciting (even though it's a year late) because that promises a large suite of apps.

Re:Let's hope they come with better software

[rbanffy]

That was mean. They deserve it.

Re:Let's hope they come with better software

[fermion]

Recall that the dock connector was not developed as a USB connector. It was developed as a firewire connector, which could also use USB. While this capability is not useful for most people, and therefore not worth the extra hassle, it at least somewhat justifies the existence of the $30 cable.

I recall when I bought my mini, and how nice it was to have firewire and not to have to wait forever for the music to load over the slow USB port. I also recall leaving the cable plugged into the back of my hard disk, and charging the mini even if the computer was off. Of course now USB ports are as fast as the old firewire, and the iPod/iPhone has not used firewire for data for years, which meant I had to waste money on a USB Hub, and I believe the newer iPod cannot even charge over firewire, so the dock connector is definitely an anachronism. But it is not like MS/IBM/Nokia arbitrary decision to bork the standard.

OTOH, the iPod/iPhone line is based on the dock connector, so it is not going to be given up without a fight, not from Apple, but from consumers. The USB micro standard may work, except for the fact that most of us have tons of the depreciated mini USB cables, so it still look like an excuse to make us buy new cables.

Motorola, the new Palm

[SuperKendall]

Motorola going to Android, ditching old crufty phone OS'es - a fantastic idea.

But they follow the ill-fated palm of Palm in dividing resources, by going both with Android and Windows Mobile! When Palm pulled that move they lost focus, and products suffered as a result. I can't help but forsee the same fate engulfing Motorola as they go further down the path of becoming a has-been...

I don't know what company will take Android to the heights it could achieve, but now I don't think it will be Motorola.

Re:Motorola, the new Palm

[lysergic.acid]

i wonder if HTC has adopted a similar strategy. they used to use Windows Mobile exclusively for all of their handsets, but now that they're in the Open Handset Alliance and have produced the Dream/G1, does that mean they're going to be an all-android handset manufacturer, or are they still going to keep making Windows Mobile handsets?

i guess since Android is still a nascent and largely an untested platform, most OHA members probably aren't going to put all of their eggs in one basket just yet. but perhaps in a year or two, once Android has proven itself commercially, companies like Motorola will be more willing to commit themselves to the platform and drop Windows Mobile.

Re:WinMo upgrades

[mlts]

I have had a WinMo device which people cleverly made a custom ROM for WM6 (it was a WM5 device). This allowed encryption of the MiniSD memory card, as well as the ability to have the phone erase itself on command from an Exchange server.

Its worked well for me for daily use, but I don't see many new apps coming out for WM, nor much interest in new stuff, other than minor software updates.

It seems like everyone and their dog has seemed to have dumped Symbian, Blackberry, and WM for iPhone SDKs and placement on Apple's store. Because of this (since I was working on a cellphone RPG), I probably will end up moving to an iPhone sooner or later to not get left behind in the market, should I actually write something that is publishable.

Re:Obama voted AGAINST mobile phone research!

[Anonymous Coward]

FYI: This same story gets posted all the time, sometimes (I believe) with different people as the target/subject. So, really, just a copy/paste with some editing, not much time involved.

Re:mini usb connectors on phones

[Dr_Barnowl]

I believe the USB port in Windows will only supply power when the device is identified, to save power.

Of course, if the phone has no power, this is a monstrous inconvenience. I've taken to carrying a wind-up LED torch with a charger socket ; that way, I can prolong talk time when the battery is low and I have no outlet, and when it's flat, I can give it enough juice for the computer to charge it.

I'm not sure whether Ubuntu will charge it with a flat battery either, I must try that. But it certainly seems to have a driver out of the box that will let it charge.