Motorola and Google are working together to release a next-generation Android smartphone and tablet in 2013, reports The Wall Street Journal. Former Google product manager Lior Ron is in charge of overseeing the development of the “X Phone” and the “X Tablet” will apparently follow soon after its release. Unfortunately, there isn’t much information to go on for the pair of devices outside of their internal codenames.
Motorola’s chief executive Dennis Woodside, who also happens to be a former Google top sales executive, says the company is “investing in a team and a technology that will do something quite different than the current approaches.” One source mentioned that camera hardware and photo software quality are high on Motorola’s to-do list. Motorola is also apparently planning to use resources from its recent acquisition of Viewdle by possibly integrating unique imaging and/or gesture-recognition techniques. The design process has already presented some challenges as well, as an insider claims Motorola encountered issues when considering the use of a bendable display and ceramic parts, which would allow the handset to be extremely durable and flexible in terms of hardware shapes and colors.
If you recall, Google acquired Motorola for $12.5 billion seven months ago, so the partnership isn’t much of a surprise. Some analysts say it’s merely an insurance policy in the event Samsung, the leading seller of Android devices, decides to pursue other avenues in the future. By launching the X brand, Motorola hopes to better compete with the annual releases of Apple and Samsung’s flagship products, like the iPhone, iPad, and Galaxy line of devices.
Source: WSJ