Google Acquires Motorola Mobility

[smartpatrol]

No one has answered my question. What platform are all these manufacturers going to rush to? WP7 is on most of the manufacturer's already and they're LOSING MARKETSHARE.

Windows Mobile as a whole is losing marketshare. WP7 is gaining marketshare, albeit very slowly.

What makes you think WP7 couldn't be a viable platform in the near future? It's off to a slow start, but I think things could certainly improve. If Samsung were to release a 4G, flagship-level device like the GS2, market it well, and really make an effort to get the carriers excited about it, it could be a big success.

WP7 is actually a great OS. . . in some ways even better than Android. In fact, it has a higher customer satisfaction rating than Android (http://wmpoweruser.com/latest-chang...her-customer-satisfaction-rates-than-android/ ) It hasn't even been out for a year yet. I wouldn't count WP7 out so soon.

 

[poofyhairguy]

It's foolish to think things will stay the same though.

Why not?

The SGS1 sold 10 million units and was maybe the single most successful Android phone of last generation.

The SGS2 has already sold more than HALF of that in a few months, with no American market. I could easily see it selling twice as many as the SGS1 and be Samsung's all-time most successful smartphone.

Android seems to be a pretty good deal for Samsung.

 

[Renob]

The Smartphone Patent War, In 1 Graphic

http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2011/08/17/139723088/the-smartphone-patent-war-in-1-graph

 

[preslove]

I'm not saying the changes are going to come overnight, or that Samsung will completely dump Android, yet...

It's foolish to think things will stay the same though.

It's foolish to predict that this acquisition will lead to Samsung dumping the smartphone OS they've been selling like gangbusters in the US and Europe for their somewhat successful developing nation smartphone OS.

I read something this morning about the cable set top box markets. Apparently, Google could sell that part of Motorola off for a couple Billion $s. http://www.slate.com/id/2301856.

Their source: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/artic...how-google-could-break-up-motorola-2011-8.DTL

If this happens, and you subtract out Motorola's $3.2 billion in cash and ignore Motorola's operating losses, Smithen suggests that Google paid only about $5.2 billion for Motorola's handset business and patents.

Assuming those patents are worth the same per patent as the Nortel patents that recently went for $4.6 billion, and Google paid about $800 million for Motorola's handset business. Not a bad deal at all.

The $14 billion figure may be high, but it is certainly misleading. Talking like you know what is on Google's mind is just you talking out your ass.

 

[preslove]

Windows Mobile as a whole is losing marketshare. WP7 is gaining marketshare, albeit very slowly.

What makes you think WP7 couldn't be a viable platform in the near future? It's off to a slow start, but I think things could certainly improve. If Samsung were to release a 4G, flagship-level device like the GS2, market it well, and really make an effort to get the carriers excited about it, it could be a big success.

WP7 is actually a great OS. . . in some ways even better than Android. In fact, it has a higher customer satisfaction rating than Android (http://wmpoweruser.com/latest-chang...her-customer-satisfaction-rates-than-android/ ) It hasn't even been out for a year yet. I wouldn't count WP7 out so soon.

WebOS is a great OS. It ain't selling. WP7 is not selling much at all, either.

 

[Pliablemoose]

It's foolish to predict that this acquisition will lead to Samsung dumping the smartphone OS they've been selling like gangbusters in the US and Europe for their somewhat successful developing nation smartphone OS.

I read something this morning about the cable set top box markets. Apparently, Google could sell that part of Motorola off for a couple Billion $s. http://www.slate.com/id/2301856.

Their source: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/artic...how-google-could-break-up-motorola-2011-8.DTL



The $14 billion figure may be high, but it is certainly misleading. Talking like you know what is on Google's mind is just you talking out your ass.

First, I don't know why you're so pissed off, I didn't screw your grandma and kill your dog.

Second, STB's are a big deal, why in the world would Google pass on the opportunity to get in so many living rooms with ads?

Third, Google as we know it is really a one trick pony, it lives and dies by money generated by ad revenue, why in the world would it pass on a massively lucrative opportunity to make high margin smart phones and broaden it's business operations significantly? Answer: They won't.

 

[Puddle Jumper]

Windows Mobile as a whole is losing marketshare. WP7 is gaining marketshare, albeit very slowly.

What makes you think WP7 couldn't be a viable platform in the near future? It's off to a slow start, but I think things could certainly improve. If Samsung were to release a 4G, flagship-level device like the GS2, market it well, and really make an effort to get the carriers excited about it, it could be a big success.

Microsoft's hardware restrictions on WP7 make releasing a high end device like the SGS2 impossible. All of the phones announced with Mango appear to be running single core 45nm Snapdragons like the ones found in the Incredible 2 and MyTouch 4g.

 

[dguy6789]

I do think WebOS and Windows Phone 7 are real OS alternatives. The reason they aren't selling well has more to do with people being happy with Android and iOS already and having a tendency to stick with that they know over trying something new versus the OSes being junk like some people say. The app markets and developer support are small because the user base is small. Some people(enthusiasts) are reluctant to sign up because the app market is small.

People seem to forget just how long it took for Android to catch on and what kind of major marketing campaigns were involved. It wouldn't be a stretch to say that without Verizon's marketing campaigns(while targeted to sell Verizon service and Verizon devices, these campaigns also served to show people that an alternative to the iPhone existed), Android could still be a niche OS today. There's been a handful of WebOS and Windows Phone 7 commercials but they are nothing compared to the scale of the Droid, Droid Incredible, and Droid X campaigns.

 

[senseamp]

I do a lot of stupid things

http://www.readwriteweb.com/mobile/2010/12/samsungs-bada-doing-well-developers-advised-caution.php

http://www.appleinsider.com/article...en_bada_in_wake_of_googles_motorola_deal.html

http://techcrunch.com/2011/08/11/leaked-samsung-road-map-reveals-big-screens-and-bada-phones/

I reserve the right to say "I told you so." in a year or so

Bada is more of a feature phone OS like Symbian. Nokia tried to strengthen Symbian too, went nowhere. Even if Samsung got the OS to the level of Android, it can not match Google's cloud integration and apps. Maybe Samsung should check with HP instead, see if it's ready to sell off Palm and WebOS. Since HP is selling the PC business, and WebOS is not going anywhere in phone market, it may make sense for HP to sell it together with the PC business.

 

[poofyhairguy]

Second, STB's are a big deal, why in the world would Google pass on the opportunity to get in so many living rooms with ads?

Not enough is made of this. I think the STB market is a huge part of this. It is not just ads, its ad data.

Neilson is almost archaic, there has been a need in the market to replace them for some time (who the hell wants to fill out paper booklets anymore except nerds like me and retired people?). With STB data Google could blow away Neilson and give tv networks much more accurate data to live by. Google could combine this data to make 360 advertising campaigns that would really sell well to businesses. Ex: "Our Adsense data shows that ______ and ______ TV shows hit your demographics, as do _______ and _________ websites. Lets make a campaign to hit them all at once!" Whole marketing departments could be replaced (or basically outsourced to Google).

Google recently hired the great SageTV team, so they have the talent in-house to improve the STB product. Add a web browser to a STB and it would revolutionary, let alone anything else GoogleTV does.

Finally I would see Google putting Android at the base of it of the coupe (as what is Android but Linux plus some). What better way to say how awesome Android is: "Its on 60% of smartphones and 80% of cable boxes!"

This author makes the point that the AppleTV is basically Apple's biggest recent failure:

http://www.gottabemobile.com/2011/0...-real-motive-behind-the-motorola-acquisition/

Google's purchase is just the kind of thing to change the market so that Smart STBs (tm) can be more than just a hobby like the AppleTV.

 

[Pliablemoose]

Google's purchase is just the kind of thing to change the market so that Smart STBs (tm) can be more than just a hobby like the AppleTV.

STB's have been the holy grail of the industry for a number of years, Microsoft has tried, Apple has tried, on and on...

I used to hack STB's back in the day, it was great

 

[smartpatrol]

Microsoft's hardware restrictions on WP7 make releasing a high end device like the SGS2 impossible. All of the phones announced with Mango appear to be running single core 45nm Snapdragons like the ones found in the Incredible 2 and MyTouch 4g.

Supposedly, WP7 is not exclusive to Qualcomm SOCs http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2099873/qualcomm-reveals-exlusive-microsofts-windows-phone

Also, the dual-core Snapdragon is supported by Windows Phone according to Qualcomm's spec sheet.

 

[alent1234]

NFL sunday ticket is now IP based. once MLB does the same there will be a huge exodus from STB based cable subscriptions for a lot of people.

either Google has a plan for a complete IP TV system or it just bought a soon to be worthless business

 

[alent1234]

NFL sunday ticket is now IP based. once MLB does the same there will be a huge exodus from STB based cable subscriptions for a lot of people.

either Google has a plan for a complete IP TV system or it just bought a soon to be worthless business

 

[senseamp]

Supposedly, WP7 is not exclusive to Qualcomm SOCs http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2099873/qualcomm-reveals-exlusive-microsofts-windows-phone

Also, the dual-core Snapdragon is supported by Windows Phone according to Qualcomm's spec sheet.

It's may not be exclusive by contract, it's exclusive because no other SOC vendor is very interested in supporting it. The market is too small for multiple SOC vendors.

 

[smartpatrol]

It's may not be exclusive by contract, it's exclusive because no other SOC vendor is very interested in supporting it. The market is too small for multiple SOC vendors.

That wouldn't preclude Samsung supporting it with their Exynos SOCs.

Edit: and regardless, HTC is basically an all-Qualcomm shop anyway. The dual-core Snapdragon is damn good, and rumor has it that Krait is going to blow Cortex A9 competition away. So I don't see it being a huge problem even if all the device manufacturers stick with Qualcomm.

 

[senseamp]

That wouldn't preclude Samsung supporting it with their Exynos SOCs.

Edit: and regardless, HTC is basically an all-Qualcomm shop anyway. The dual-core Snapdragon is damn good, and rumor has it that Krait is going to blow Cortex A9 competition away. So I don't see it being a huge problem even if all the device manufacturers stick with Qualcomm.

It doesn't preclude Samsung. But Samsung is not even supporting Honeycomb on Exynos yet.

 

[Fritzo]

Windows Mobile as a whole is losing marketshare. WP7 is gaining marketshare, albeit very slowly.

What makes you think WP7 couldn't be a viable platform in the near future? It's off to a slow start, but I think things could certainly improve. If Samsung were to release a 4G, flagship-level device like the GS2, market it well, and really make an effort to get the carriers excited about it, it could be a big success.

WP7 is actually a great OS. . . in some ways even better than Android. In fact, it has a higher customer satisfaction rating than Android (http://wmpoweruser.com/latest-chang...her-customer-satisfaction-rates-than-android/ ) It hasn't even been out for a year yet. I wouldn't count WP7 out so soon.

Here's what I see happening with WP7- it is going to win the phone/tablet wars.

MS is releasing Windows 8 with a tablet interface. This action alone will most likely make it win the tablet wars. The acceptance of Win8 tablets will mean Windows phones will match up with them nicely---turning into sales.

It's a clever plan, but I think MS is planning a 1-2-3 attack to win back the entire market.

 

[lothar]

Windows Mobile is a quick option, Samsung has Bada already, it's not like it's impossible for someone to develop a different OS either.

Samsung's Bada is not going to gain any traction, I can assure you that.
If HP couldn't do it with WebOS, I doubt anyone else would be able to do it.
We already have iOS, Android, BB/QNX, and WP7. There's no room for another OS.

 

[Pliablemoose]

Samsung's Bada is not going to gain any traction, I can assure you that.
If HP couldn't do it with WebOS, I doubt anyone else would be able to do it.
We already have iOS, Android, BB/QNX, and WP7. There's no room for another OS.

2 years ago, no one thought Android would be where it is today, and look where we are.

Never say never.

 

[foghorn67]

2 years ago, no one thought Android would be where it is today, and look where we are.

Never say never.

Bada has been out for eons in mobile years. It's gone nowhere.

 

[Bateluer]

Samsung's Bada is not going to gain any traction, I can assure you that.
If HP couldn't do it with WebOS, I doubt anyone else would be able to do it.
We already have iOS, Android, BB/QNX, and WP7. There's no room for another OS.

And we don't need every manufacturer with their own OS either.

 

[lothar]

And we don't need every manufacturer with their own OS either.

I agree.

 

[jpeyton]

WebOS; dead in 2011.

BBOS; dead in 2012?

Who is next?

 

[gsaldivar]

BBOS; dead in 2012?

BBOS dead in 2012? Maybe.

RIM dead in 2012? Not so much...