Nexus X: How Google and Motorola could rule the world

Recent comments by a Google exec suggest that its relationship with Motorola is less than rosy, but the two companies could end up ruling the smartphone world

As has long been rumoured, Google’s $12 billion acquisition of mobile phone manufacturer Motorola may have had more to do with gaining valuable patents to use in its war against Apple than a desire to leverage Moto’s phone-building expertise.

Recent comments by Google’s chief financial officer Patrick Pichette lend weight to this viewpoint. Pichette has been less than kind about the projects Motorola has in the pipeline, saying they lack the ‘wow factor’ and ‘innovation’ expected in a Google-backed device.


It’s not known exactly which product Pichette is referring to – it could be an upcoming DROID or Razr handset. But it could also be the oft-rumoured Motorola Nexus X phone we’ve been hearing so much about, which was hinted at back in January and is said to be the first Android Key Lime Pie handset.

It’s even been whispered the Motorola Nexus X launch could take place in July, instead of the traditional end-of-year release slot which Nexus phones have usually slipped neatly into. There’s a lot of weight behind the idea of a Motorola-made Nexus phone, which makes Pichette’s public criticism of Moto’s efforts all the more puzzling – if they are indeed applied to its first Google Nexus handset.

Could the Motorola X simply be a side-project which won’t bear the coveted Nexus branding? Possibly. Fresh rumours are circulating that Google is so pleased with the Nexus 4 that it is entrusting LG with the next phone in the line -- a device which is said to possess a 5-inch display, 13-megapixel camera, 4G connectivity, 2GB of RAM and one of the very latest processors: either a Tegra 4, Exynos 5 Octa or a new Qualcomm Snapdragon.

Google is in quite a tricky position when it comes to its famous Nexus line. It has managed to placate manufacturers such as HTC, Samsung, Asus and LG by giving them Nexus projects to handle, which in turn boosts the stature of the company. By creating the next Nexus internally -- which is essentially what Google would be doing if it handed the job to Motorola -- the search giant could alienate some of its key hardware partners.

What would be the end result of this? It could mean many putting more weight behind Windows Phone. The vast majority of Google’s major hardware partners also create phones which run Microsoft’s mobile OS.

It’s almost tempting to write Motorola off at this stage, the firm’s Droid line of Android smartphones isn’t as groundbreaking as it once was, and when your parent company dismisses your products in such a manner, it can’t be good for morale.

However, Motorola’s future is anything but dim and dismal, despite Pichette disparaging remarks. Recent efforts by Google to bolster the standing of the Nexus line prove that the company is now deadly serious about become a real force in the hardware arena, and Motorola is the tool it will almost inevitably use.

Sooner or later, Motorola’s pipeline of projects will become indistinguishable from Google’s -- although the two companies will continue to operate as separate entities (for the time being, at least), there is bound to be close collaboration between them, almost to the point where Motorola can be considered to be Google’s factory for its phones and tablets.

It makes perfect business sense: why give work to companies which have no loyalty to you and create devices for your rivals when you can control the process from start to finish yourself?

Perhaps Pichette’s comments, snide as they are, were designed to give Motorola a kick up the backside -- a way of saying, ‘Raise your game, and we’ll conquer the world together.’ That’ll take some doing, Motorola’s brand isn’t what it used to be. But neither was LG’s when it undertook the Nexus 4. One handset can make a big difference.

Following on from the success of the Nexus 4 and Nexus 7 it’s clear that Google is taking a very hands-on approach to its Nexus range of devices, just as it has with its web-apps and Chrome browser. It dictates the hardware, the software, the price, and controls the service. That’s essentially what Apple does with its iPhone, iPad, and iPod devices.

Switching Nexus OEM duties over to Motorola entirely in the foreseeable future would allow Google to be a fully-fledged hardware manufacturer. And not one like Nokia or Samsung either – a true 21st Century hardware maker, one that controls everything including software, hardware, and media. That’d put it on an even keel with Apple.

We’re not saying Android-powered handsets from the likes of Samsung and HTC are going away. That would be stupid. It just means Google’s Nexus phones and tablets – especially if Motorola takes over OEM duties - will become a lot more frequent inside the Android kingdom, a benchmark device that all others are compared to perhaps?

Heck, with Motorola building devices Google could launch bespoke handsets running custom builds of Android that target specific markets – a sub £100 handset running a custom build of Android 4.x aimed solely at emerging markets, for instance.

The possibilities of Google and Motorola co-operating closely are staggering.



by via Know Your Mobile