It is a hot summer and not just for people, yesterday Google officially introduced Moto X, it’s first major release since the 12$bn Motorola acquisition 2 years ago.
So what’s the deal with Google’s first dip in major hardware industry? This is what Moto X has going for it:
- touch-less controls,
- 100% assembled in the USA
- customizable (color, trims and buttons, there is a Moto Maker coming soon).
From what I understand it is a pretty decent new phone that technically could be up there with the i-Phones and Galaxies, but it enters a crowded and very competitive market for high end smartphones. That’s is where everybody is trying to position now, and it is getting very tough for new entrants: there is of course Apple, and Samsung, Nokia, HTC and Blackberry. The last 2 have launched excellent new phones in the last 2 months, they got good product reviews but disappointing sales, that is: they didn’t get the cool factor yet. Can Google dollars buy Moto X way up there? We will see in the next 3 months.
But what could get the cool smat phone factor going? In my opinion, at this point we do not need anymore i-Phone replicas, we need something new and disruptive like the i-Phone when it launched 6 years ago (wow, is it only 6 years? it seems it has been around forever considering how much it is part of our daily lives now!) something like the Ubuntu Edge phone.
Why do I think the Edge is the way to go?
- It is build over an open source platform (Linux),
- it is crowdfunded,
- it can run as a computer just plugging it into a keyboard
- it is unlocked, ready to roam the world by DNA
The funding campaign by Canonical is still open, for about $ 800 you can have their baby in your hands in about a year.
So the choice is yours: snazzy or cool?