Motorola - Google deal: Facts and Truth

Google and smartphone vendor Motorola Mobility have entered an agreement where the search giant will acquire the mobile maker for $12.5 billion, formally announcing the beginning of Google’s official entry into the smartphone market as a vendor.

After the undoubted success of Android operating system, Larry Page, CEO of Google has announced that Google insists on updating the specific software and enter more dynamicly in the area of smartphones. For this reason they have deceded to reach an agreement with Motorola Mobility. Motorola has 80 years of innovation in communications, introducing the world’s first portable mobile phone over 30 years ago. The company was one of the founding members of the Open Handset Alliance, and was one of the first smartphone vendors to associate a definitive brand with the Android ecosystem via its Droid smartphones.

Page's exact words on Google blog are the following: 

This acquisition will not change our commitment to run Android as an open platform. Motorola will remain a licensee of Android and Android will remain open. We will run Motorola as a separate business. Many hardware partners have contributed to Android’s success and we look forward to continuing to work with all of them to deliver outstanding user experiences.

The combination of Google and Motorola will not only supercharge Android, but will also enhance competition and offer consumers accelerating innovation, greater choice, and wonderful user experiences. I am confident that these great experiences will create huge value for shareholders. 

Undoubtedly, Google has made a surprise attacking move in the field of competition. But what is the key factor that moved Google in deciding to taking over Motorola Mobility? A single word is enough: 'Patents'

Motorola Mobility possesses a great deal of patents in its portfolio. Such patents will provide support to Google regarding the further development of Android.

According to analyst Mayuresh Masurekar: We believe the key benefit of this acquisition to Google is Motorola Mobility’s large patent portfolio, with 17,000 patents and 7,500 more applications in progress. This portfolio should strengthen Google’s position in any lawsuits related to Android (such as the Oracle lawsuit), and protect the fast growing Android ecosystem. Nortel Network’s portfolio of 6,000 patents was recently sold to a consortium of companies for $4.5B. Assuming no significant difference in the quality/ effectiveness of patents, Motorola Mobility’s patent portfolio (3x bigger than Nortel) would have been worth 3x the $4.5B Nortel deal, implying Google paid the market rate for patents and obtained the manufacturing business for next to nothing. (source: zdnet.com)

Google now posseses 19.000 more personel and will have to calculate an extra 157 million dollar income projected for 2011 and originating from Motorola. This move will surely trigger a 'war-like' response sequence for other companies. Do not be surprised if other companies (Microsoft-HTC for example) proceed to such moves as well. The sure thing is that the near future holds a lot of surprises for us.

Android Smartphone vs iPhone

On a previous post Apple's superiority was poinetd out in the field of tablets against its grand opponent: Android. But what happens on the field of smartphones?

Many people would argue that iPhone is much better, more stable and trustworthy than Android. Well, there are facts that indicate that there is a sense of truth in this. But the main (public) opinion is that Android really rules the field of smartphones. The reason? Here are some of the main reasons why Android is more attractive:

User-friendly: Android phones comply with the pc user inetrace. Applications Menu can be accessed by tapping a button and it is easy for the user to know which apps are running at that moment and which are inactive. In other words, it is easier for the user to know what is going on on their phone.

iTunes: In order to update an iPhone, you are forced to do it through iTunes. On the other hand, Android can be updated either through OTA (On The Air) tool or using some third party tool with the use of a PC. In addition, in order to manage your multimedia archives, your files and everything else on your iPhone you need to be conected to iTunes, in contrast to Android which has many tools (created by many developers) in order to manage your phone.

iTunes is forced upon you by Apple and it is not a great platform to work with (actually in my opinion it is quite bad). Android allows a lot of managing programs (not just a specific one from a forced-monopoly source) something that works in favor of its appeal to the common public.

Applications: iPhones get their applications from iTunes and are designed by Apple. Android includes applications created by almost everyone that is able to create an Android source code. As a result, Android apps tend to cover more subjects, do more jobs, be more user friendly (since they are constantly improved) and in general work in a better way for the user. An other point that Apple's wish for monopoly hurts the company's image to the public.

I am sure that a lot of people will disagree but in my opinion Apple may have offered a more stable platform in iPhone but Android's rapid development surely will overtake Apple's ground and be the winner in the field of Smartphones.

iPad vs. Android: 24-1 ??

The score makes the game look really (really really) unbalanced, something that obviously is not true for our case. But, according to TheNextWeb Apple's iPad has outnumbered the number of sales of all Android tablets such as Samsung Galaxy Tab and Motorola Xoom by a ratio of 24:1!

So, is Android tablet market all that bad? Or perhaps the public opinion is turned in favor of Apple?

Android tablets are not that bad, actually. Examples such as the forspoken Motorola Xoom are quite competitive against an iPad. Also, iPad tablets are quite cheaper than Apple tablets, a factor that cannot indicate public opinion favoring (in such a large ratio) Apple. The truth is osmewhere in the middle as a wise man (myself :D) said.

And the truth is this: Android software has appeared on the frontstage of the technological world only some years ago. On the other hand, Apple, much older than Android, has created a formidable brand name 'forcing' customers to trust an iPad against an Android tablet, despite the lower price and the tie in technical characteristics.

Is marketing application and brand name equity all that effective in public choice? Apparently...

Photo from TechnologyBlogged.com

Top 10+1 'Must have' Android Apps

Android has surely met a lot of acceptance in community. The fact that almost all of its applications (and not only the mainstream ones) or at least the essential ones are provided for free in addition to the stability and functionality of Android phones, make them a very popular choice in the world of smartphones.

In an effort to make life of Android users easier, Technological Control has gathered information regarding the 10+1 most used applications that are should be installed on every android smartphone:

(..And, NO, you will not find 'Angry Birds' in this list....)

10. Advanced task killer: An excellent app to shut down all other application running in the background and consuming batter and system resources for practically no reason.

9. Gas Buddy: Always useful to know where is a nearby gas station. In addition, this app can provide you lists of gas value in nearby gas stations so as to compare and choose more wisely.

8. Gmail and Google Calendar: A single platform working as an agenda and an e-mail plaform for Gmail users. Quite useful for keeping updated to your e-mail as well as organising contacts and meetings.

7. NewsRob: an application where you can organise your RSS feeds and stay up to date with everything going on on the web.

6.Kindle for Android: Amazon's Kindle has been adopted and implemented to Android as an app allowing the user to read e-books, e-zines etc. A very successful gadget from Amazon and a very popular application in the world of Android.

5. Sweet Dreams: Sweet Dreams is an application that liberates the user from having to change everynight the setting of his phone in order not to have late night disturbing calls. By switching on the app a nice, unpaused, relaxing night sleep is guaranteed (SweetDreams is one of the 3 most popular Android Apps, measured in times of download)

4. WaveSecurity: An application that works on the security issues of your smartphone. Created by McAfee, WaveSecurity works as Internet protection works on a Computer. It can provide general lockdown of your device, backup and restore functions as well as SIM card tracing in case of losing your phone. Quite good application, easy to use and extremely effective.

3. Google Voice: a kind-of answering machine for your Android smartphone (for free as well). In case of an unanswered call, Google Voice takes up by recording messages from the caller and creating transcriptions that you can access at a later time (no voicemail dial required).

2. Wheather Channel: Take a glimpse of what the weather looks like while leaving home or examine what weather conditions will take place so as to organise trips, excursions etc. In each occasion an excellent app providing stats and data in a very well organised and easy to handle interface.

1. Opera Browser: The well known internet browser in its phone edition and in a better design allowing faster browsing using less bandwidth. An excellent app, must have on your android phone an a strong competitor for other browsers in the field of smartphones

+1 (Godlike...) Dropbox: Dropbox works as a server where you can place archives and have access to them from everywhere using your android phone. Imagine having all music and video tracks, your documents, your photos, everything you can imagine on your smartphone. Quite good huh....?