Motorola getting friendly with Android

When a major player like Google comes up with a new mobile operating system that's better than the competition and is totally free, you would certainly expect handset manufacturers to be interested. But there's interested, and then there's interested. After lingering for nearly a year in the former category Motorola is now firmly moving to the latter, hiring and headhunting in an effort to build up a 350-person group entirely focused on development of Android phones. The company was one of the original members of the Open Handset Alliance, but seems to have waited for the release buzz from HTC's G1 before diving in head-first. There's talk that Nokia (and its "real phones") may be feeling the vibrations too, allegedly forming an internal team to do the same -- on the down low.

[athousandleaves @ Sep 29th 2008 12:31PM]

AMAZING GRAPHIC

[Ryan Trevisol @ Sep 29th 2008 12:43PM]

That would actually be an great logo for a Motodroid device.

[maveric101 @ Sep 29th 2008 1:14PM]

i was gonna say the same thing.

also, tim, you suck for outright stating that Android is better than WinMo. everyone is entitled to their opinions, except journalists. try to act like one.

[phanbouy @ Sep 29th 2008 1:19PM]

reminds me of Beck's 'Hell Yes' video

[morgan @ Sep 29th 2008 2:06PM]

holy Motorola Android logo batman.

[kjb434 @ Sep 29th 2008 2:24PM]

maverick,

Engadet is a blog. All the posts are blog posts. Where does journalism have to come in to it?

Each poster of a tech story has the option of putting in whatever bias and opinion they want. They aren't journalist. They aren't reporters. They are bloggers.....

[Ryan Trevisol @ Sep 29th 2008 2:53PM]

I agree. The snarky injection of opinion is what makes blogs fun to read.

Android ftw!

[MYB @ Sep 29th 2008 3:00PM]

that's the first thing came to my mind!!

[maveric101 @ Sep 29th 2008 3:04PM]

we're trying to reduce the flame wars, not fuel them. well, except for the fanatics.

[Andrew @ Sep 29th 2008 12:33PM]

AMAZING GRAPHIC!

[kal326 @ Sep 29th 2008 4:59PM]

Echo..ho.....ho

[yode @ Sep 29th 2008 7:03PM]

AMAZING GRAPHIC

[gareth @ Sep 29th 2008 12:35PM]

HA, I love that logo.

As for a collaboration between Motorola and Android, that should be interesting. Ive never had the pleasure of playing with a smartphone made by Motorola.

[aardWolf @ Sep 29th 2008 12:38PM]

Just wait... in only a few short months, you'll be playing with your very own Mandriod. :-)

[Hellaphunt @ Sep 29th 2008 12:47PM]

Your Mandroid too!

[LOs @ Sep 29th 2008 1:54PM]

Can we go with MotoDroid instead?

[Benson @ Sep 29th 2008 3:06PM]

Motroid Prime?

[mrrookie @ Sep 29th 2008 12:40PM]

He is THE BATMAN!!!!

[decadeofevil @ Sep 29th 2008 12:45PM]

santino... is that you

[riggs @ Sep 29th 2008 12:40PM]

android has just went ANIME!

[skulldriveshaft @ Sep 30th 2008 4:01AM]

atleast it has the beginnings of Astro Boy all over it, and of course, primitive robotic mickey mouse...

[Sy @ Sep 29th 2008 12:44PM]

Looks like an upside down open top bra.

[phanbouy @ Sep 29th 2008 1:20PM]

good call; i guess Madonna got involved

[Hellaphunt @ Sep 29th 2008 12:49PM]

Now look what you've started, Google; fancorps.

[TheWakeUpCall @ Sep 29th 2008 12:49PM]

I hope they do something, because Motorola's phone software is shit...

[mrrookie @ Sep 29th 2008 12:55PM]

At least shit can be used as a fertilizer, but that motorola software...

[JohnTitor @ Sep 29th 2008 3:58PM]

well that's why now they are turning to microsoft and google for software support

[GON @ Sep 29th 2008 12:49PM]

This can't be good.

[eggothewaffle @ Sep 29th 2008 12:55PM]

Nokia getting on the Android train would be amazing; a dual boot S60/Android device would be *killer.*

[tom @ Sep 29th 2008 1:00PM]

It is free. why not?

[Magallanes @ Sep 29th 2008 1:16PM]

Because it is not.

[sinai @ Sep 29th 2008 12:58PM]

this is probably a good thing, considering motorola hasn't changed their fundamental OS in, you know, forever.

[Knives_Out @ Sep 29th 2008 1:26PM]

android = moto savior.

[mrrookie @ Sep 29th 2008 2:01PM]

more like motosavr

[ILoveApple @ Sep 29th 2008 12:58PM]

That must be some strong stuff you're smoking, Tim.

Nokia making an Andorid phone? Are you off your head? They own Symbian for Christ's sake! SYMBIAN! Why would they use a competing OS when they now have their very own open-source OS that has been leading the market for many years?

[Pdexter @ Sep 29th 2008 1:46PM]

Don't think it like they are leaving S60. They are giving consumers 2 different platforms and that wouldn't be bad at all. Oh and as i understood was that some people from Nokia where in some meeting that should have included only companies that are part of the open alliance so nothing else they are at least looking closely what's happening in Android side and i wouldn't be suprised. If Android takes off especially in Asian and European markets too not in NA only that they would have Android and S60 together on their portfolio.

Thought there have been rumours about Nokia having linux bases OS in those coming flagship phones that are released in February 2009. So we will see what is it Maemo maybe?

[L @ Sep 29th 2008 2:40PM]

Nokia is establishing their own service portfolio right now, they just bought Symbian...there isn't even one reason why they should start using Android now.

[chefgon_ign @ Sep 29th 2008 2:42PM]

Palm has their own OS and they release WinMo phones.

[Benson @ Sep 29th 2008 3:09PM]

Well, the "they have Symbian" argument against Android would argue against Maemo -- their own Linux-based OS; they're doing that anyway, so it wouldn't be all that surprising to see Android.

But I don't see them doing two separate Linux OSes; Android compatibility on Maemo is far more likely.

[L @ Sep 29th 2008 3:46PM]

@Benson: "Well, the "they have Symbian" argument against Android would argue against Maemo -- their own Linux-based OS; they're doing that anyway, so it wouldn't be all that surprising to see Android."

I'm sorry, but that comparison doesn't hold water in my eyes:

What many people just don't seem to get is that Android is not *free* for usage by a company. Sure, they might not pay a license fee per handset, but they basically hand over any after-sale revenue chance to Google - or do you really think Google would allow Nokia to use Android with customized Nokia services replacing all Google stuff? Of course not.
In a time where hardware advances start to stagnate in the average users eyes (screens can only become so big in an handheld device, screen resolution will soon hit a reasonable limit since more than maybe 1024x600 on a

[ILoveApple @ Sep 29th 2008 5:20PM]

1) Nokia do not have any Maemo phones. We're talking about phones here, understand?

2) Don't even try comparing Nokia to Palm. That's like comparing a giant to a baby.

Nokia putting Android on their phones is something I simply do not see happening. I bet you think a WinMo N-Series is coming too, right? Get real.

[Benson @ Sep 29th 2008 7:10PM]

@L:
>What many people just don't seem to get is that Android is
>not *free* for usage by a company. Sure, they might not
>pay a license fee per handset, but they basically hand over
>any after-sale revenue chance to Google - or do you really
>think Google would allow Nokia to use Android with
>customized Nokia services replacing all Google stuff? Of
>course not.
Of course so -- when you release things under an Apache license (as Google has done/will do with Android), you give up control over what people and corporations do with it.

(I'm not sure on the current state of their actual source and licensing release, but they've made it quite plain that that is what they're doing. If they (a) haven't released enough to support an open fork, and (b) back off from future releases, it's another story entirely, and one that makes them look seriously bad.)



@ILoveApple:
Nokia doesn't have Maemo phones... yet. If that excludes Maemo from this discussion, I guess Android is also excluded, as they have no Android phones.

The next "Internet Tablet" is confirmed to have HSPA data access, and when asked (at OSIM) if it was data only, or voice too, Ari Jaaksi wavered a bit, and said that it would be data only "right now".

Given that the N810 is step 3 of Nokia's alleged 5-step plan for Maemo, and step 4 gets 3G data, but not voice "right now", it's a reasonable guess (though not guaranteed) that step 5 is a phone.

Although I'm quite aware you chose to use the word phone, and I was discussing the eventually possible Maemo phones, remember Google sees Android as taking over the world running on all sorts of non-phone things. Non-phone internet tablets seem quite a small step, and the rumors are sufficiently vague to cover such applications as well...

[m0thman @ Sep 29th 2008 8:54PM]

Because it's crap??

[Striker @ Sep 29th 2008 1:03PM]

I do love the MOTOMAGX Linux on my v3xx but I think it would be pretty cool to have Android on it, from what I have seen. Come on Moto! It already runs Linux, let us put Android on it!

[TareX @ Sep 29th 2008 1:08PM]

Motorola licensed TAT's Cascades UI for their Android phones, looks brilliant (but I prefer the G1's versatility and freedom)

There are some demo videos:
http://www.tat.se/products/tat-cascades

[Ysleiro @ Sep 29th 2008 1:11PM]

Not trying to be a "penis" or a Goog hater.

"When a major player like Google comes up with a new mobile operating system that's better than the competition".

I really need to know what that argument is based on. Is it just looks? Because that's the only thing that android might have that is better than the competition at this moment. Somebody please explain to me on what basis is that statement made. What does Android have at this moment that makes it a better pick for consumers?

Is it the great library of software available? Push e-mail? enterprise compatibility?

It's one thing to know that a certain product has a LARGE potential (HUGE). But it's another to flat out dis other products when said product isn't necessarily better at the moment.

[Hamidxa @ Sep 29th 2008 3:21PM]

Agreed,

Android can not be given points for being better due to potential.

Hell, for that matter, WM could be considered *even* better due to potential via WM7.

As it stands however, no mobile operating system is as robust, offers as many services, as extensive of a software library, or is as compatible with more devices (ranging from cash registers and scanners to GPS units and mobile phones) as is Windows Mobile.

This is just poor and irresponsible journalism on behalf of Engadget...not surprising though, I've come to expect little from them when it comes to their denunciation of all things Microsoft.

[Wii @ Sep 29th 2008 1:11PM]

Good hope it's better looking than the ugly G1

[explodeder @ Sep 29th 2008 1:27PM]

I had my bachelor party last night here in Chicago (Kuma Corner, if anyone is interested. Best hamburgers EVER). It was crowded and there was really no room to wait, so we were standing at the bar. I looked over at the table closest to us, and did a double take. A woman had what looked to me like the G1. Her and her table-mates were playing with it, and I watched for a minute or two. I still wasn't for sure that I was looking at the G1. One of the guys at the table flipped the phone open, and it was then that I was positive of what I was looking at.

A couple of minutes later, the table was getting up to leave, and passed by me. I stopped the woman and asked "Was that the G1!??" She confirmed it was. I think that she was really surprised that anyone recognized it. I asked how she had it, and she told me that she worked for Google.

It was then that one of her table-mates forced himself in-between the two of us (Again, it was very loud and crowded, so he had to physically push me to get in-between the two of us) My initial reaction was that he thought I was hitting on her. I told him I am getting married in two weeks, so that's not the case. He said "No, get away from the fucking phone." He then pushed me out of the way, and the table hurried out the door.

I really wish I had thought to take a picture of the phone, before they realized I knew what it was they had. I don't know who was at the table, but they were extremely rude not only to me, but also the wait-staff, as I later found out from our server.

Regardless of all that, it made for an interesting beginning to an interesting night.

[Knives_Out @ Sep 29th 2008 1:52PM]

was she hot?