10 Cool Gadgets (and Some Awful Junk) That Google Will Get From Motorola
If your reaction to the news that Google (GOOG) is to acquire Motorola Mobility (MMI) for $12.5 billion was, "Wait, people still buy Motorola phones?" then this is the photo gallery for you.
Motorola has come a long way since 2004, when the Razr was the hottest phone on the market. It's come even further since the StarTAC of 1996. Today, Motorola's line of Droid phones that run on Google's Android operating system is probably better known than the name "Motorola" is in the smartphone category.
Here's a look at some of the cool -- and some of the really awful -- new gadgets Google wants to own.
Next: Gallery of 10 Cool Gadgets (and a Bunch of Junk) That Google Will Get From Motorola»
Razr: The chosen phone of Entourage's Ari Gold
Awesome in its day, the Razr nearly killed Motorola. In the early and mid-2000s, Motorola dominated handset sales with its Star Trek-style Razr flip-phone. Everyone had one. The brand reached its zenith when, in an episode of HBO's Entourage that established the vile Ari Gold as the most interesting thing on the show, Gold smashed his Razr against a parking lot wall after being fired from his agency.
The company became so addicted to them that it failed to notice Apple's iPhone, RIM's Blackberry and other models were becoming more functional and useful than the stylish but basic Razr.
Next: Droid 3»
Droid 3: This is the Droid you are looking for
This is what Google really wants from Motorola: It's newest, top-of-the-line Android phone that is also, as Motorola describes it, the "thinnest full QWERTY smartphone. Ever." It's the star of a bang-and-smash line of ads that show the phone as an alien action hero.
Next: The worst phone Motorola still advertises»
Moto i576: It makes phone calls!
Probably the worst phone that Motorola still advertises on its web site, the i576 screams: "This was 2001!" With its extendable antenna and its, er, dial pad buttons, it certainly was capable of making phone calls. It doesn't even have a camera. Unbelievably, Motorola once charged $279 for this POS.
Next: A phone for girls»
Cliq 2: Worse than Android, but with more social media junk!
This model is still being sold by Motorola but is the last of its line. It runs on "Motoblur," which is some sort of irrelevant custom skin that sits on top of Android. It was supposed to be a phone targeting teenagers and girls due to its heavy Facebook/Twitter emphasis. Motorola abandoned the development of Motoblur last year.
Next: Princess Charmless»
Charm: Charmless
You know what there isn't enough of in mobile phones? Squareness. Too! Many! Oblongs! What about those of us who don't want to know which way up our phones are when we're fishing them out of a pocket or a bag, hmm? This phone also included a trackpad installed -- bafflingly -- on the back of the phone, rather than in a place where you might be able to see it.
Next: Dare to be square»
Flipout: makes a nice paperweight
If the Charm was not square enough for you, then Motorola has an even-more-square phone, the Flipout. (Someone in the company really became convinced that normal-looking phones were on the way out!) The phone is defeated by a simple misunderstanding of basic math: At any given width, a square will have less area within its borders than an elongated rectangle -- and that's a fatal flaw for a touchscreen phone on which space for your fingers to point and drag is crucial.
Next: Take a tablet»
Xoom: iPad's poorer cousin
Functional but not quite as nice as the iPad, the Xoom nonetheless executes well and is one of the top competitors to the Apple tablet. The success of the Android system in the tablet category will depend on large part on the Xoom. The device is therefore something of a design test for Google (never the search giant's strongest point): Can it create an Android tablet that is cooler than iPad?
Next: The head handle»
SD-10 Headset: When you feel like a Lobot
If you feel that the back of your head lacks a handle, then this is the headset for you. The way the headset rests at the nape of your neck makes it so much easier for muggers and thieves to snatch it from behind before you even know it's gone.
On the plus side, it will make you look like Lobot from The Empire Strikes Back.
Next: The genesis device»
StarTAC: The genesis device
It's a collectors' item now -- and rare editions fetch up to $100 on eBay -- but 1996's Motorola StarTAC arguably invented the category that Google is now seeking to dominate through its acquisition of Motorola.
Fascinating design fact: The StarTAC located the "OK" and the "call" button on the top row of the dial pad, not on the bottom where they tend to live today.
Next: The anti-iPhone»
The Droid brand: Finally, Motorola gets it right
Along with the Droid 3, the Droid X and the whole "Droid" line, Motorola appears to be getting smartphones right. Big screens, 4G, and a thin, sleek designs make these phones worthy competitors to Apple's "walled garden" iPhones. Droid and Xoom are basically the two product lines that represent Google's future with Motorola.
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Disclosure: The author owns shares in Google.