Motorola: Make This!

I could be accused of a bit of Monday night quarterbacking when it comes to mobile tech manufacturing. I'll admit that I have never created, marketed, and sold a mobile device on the open market (though I have listed a phone on Craigslist). Perhaps, then, I am not qualified to tell Motorola what they ought to do when it comes to making a smartphone. I should be sorry for my actions, and never tell a multi-billion dollar corporation how to best develop products again.

I'm as sorry as Keanu is here; no amount of cats will displace my shame.

But I'm going to anyway.

I do what I want!

Motorola made my current smartphone, the Droid RAZR. For that, I sincerely thank them. It's a svelte pice of awesome; Kevlar and Gorilla Glass wrapped Android thin enough to fit in a hipster's jean pocket. A truly great device.

But it's not what they should have made. It has several limitations that seem almost arbitrary, and it could have been so much more with presumably just some minor changes. The Maxx comes to mind, but even that doesn't do it all justice (after all, I still prefer my RAZR's thin profile to the "bloated" Maxx, which is still thinner than the Galaxy Nexus and iPhone).

I'm here, Motorola, to help you out. You're one of the few manufacturers going out on a limb and coming up with something new, form wise. Sure, you flop now and again, but that's what promotes greatness. Like when Luke messed up at first when he tried to defend against the remote with the blast shield down.

With the patent dispute down, how am I supposed to compete?

I'm not here to say you should have used Samsung's sAMOLED+ panel if you weren't going for HD resolution, or that you ought to have used coding resources to get vanilla Ice Cream Sandwich onto your device rather than Blurred Gingerbread. That would be beneath both of us (and also a bit disingenuous, since I love my RAZR). No; I'm here to tell you what the most awesome handset in the world would be, with current technology. Use it as a litmus for where your development future will go. I expect my consultant check in the mail.

First thing first: you need to make something without limitations, but that's still unique. You don't want people to say, "I'd like it if only it didn't have . . . " Instead, it's OK for people to say, "I just don't personally care for . . . " It may seem subtle, but the difference is huge. People need to feel that the device made no compromises in its design. If there's something there that's against their alleged tastes, that can be dealt with (remember when people thought 4" screens were too big?). If it's something that they like that could have been better, then you failed to uphold your device's perception in the public eye.

Just because your marketing team says it's awesome doesn't mean we have to believe it.

No compromise. That's the perception you need to cultivate. Apple's done this with their iOS brand, and people have bought it. Mainly that's because Apple doesn't compromise within their sphere. You can't find a better 3.5" screen than the LG made IPS LCD panel in the iPhone 4/4S. The GPU in the A5/5X is second to none. The design is preference. As much as I don't like iPhones, this is a winning combo.

I'll let you in on a secret, Motorola: you have more to offer than Apple does.

I just blew your mind. I know.

This is not to say you need to copy Apple; not in the slightest. I'm just saying that Apple has successfully marketed themselves as a no-compromise manufacturer, and you should strive for this, too. Plenty of other companies have done the same, so this isn't an Apple corner in the mobile space. Basically, you need to be the best Motorola you can be. Go get 'em, big guy! You can do it, slugger!

Besides, no one likes a bad copy.

First thing's first: design. This is an easy one: don't change a thing. There is not a single handset out right now that holds a candle to the RAZR design. From the materials to the look to the nano-coating for water resistance, you guys really hit it out of the park. Bravo.

Anyone who thinks this isn't a great looking phone needs their vision checked.

Next on the list: screen. This is by far and away the most important part of a phone, these days (though there are a few contenders for a very, very close second). Your screen needs to impress, to awe; to make a grown man cry from its sheer beauty.

And it needs to be huge. No hyperbole, here; I'm dead serious. The majority of people that seem to "prefer" a smaller screen are those who haven't used a larger one. People knocked the HTC Evo's screen for being practical-joke big, and now it's the standard size for smartphones (and it made HTC a dollar or two).

Of all the panels out there, one that is currently in production comes to mind.

Take note: I like puns.

The 5.3" sAMOLED panel on the Galaxy Note is nigh perfect. Take this screen and make it non-pentile matrix and you're set.

Next: radios. You guys are the standard for radios, so do this portion in-house. Use one of the smaller die processes for your LTE radios (28nm, preferably). This is paramount because of our next point:

If I had a dollar for every time I saw this screen, I'd try to see this screen more often.

Battery life is key. What you've done with the Maxx is a step in the right direction, but if you pair that with 28nm die LTE modems (and other parts, obviously), you would take this into the stratosphere. This isn't exactly an epiphany, so expect other manufacturers to be hard at work on the same thing. Get to market first and you'll be known for it.

Of course, Andy's already been to the stratosphere.

Next up: CPU/GPU. I know you all like to play nice with Texas Instruments, but their combo screams "compromise!" So does nVidia. For that matter, so does just about everyone. Samsung is the only company I can think of that doesn't, and that's only with their Exynos processors. Be our hero, Motorola. Come out with an A15 dual core that has a killer GPU.

Software is also important, and I must commend your choice in using Android (since you've been acquired by Google, I'm doubtful this will change). However, I also have a bone to pick; two, in fact. Blur and bootloaders.

"Blur" rarely makes one think, "that must be really polished and awesome."

Blur is actually not bad, but you really ought to focus more attention on serving add ons to the OS rather than a complete refresh of it. I know you think that it "differentiates" your device, but you've misunderstood. The consumer couldn't care less about Blur, Sense, TouchWiz, etc. No one goes from a Samsung Galaxy SII to a Droid RAZR and says, "Wow! This new theming is the best!" Go ahead and make a new launcher and do a few small tweaks like allowing swipe to camera from the lockscreen on Gingerbread, but leave it at that. Spend your time on making Smart Actions more polished (and who cares if it ends up a pirated *.apk; that means you're making something others envy!).

For the bootloaders, unlock them (well, decrypt the signature). The people that want it will love you for it, and they are few. The people that would be trouble with an unlocked bootloader won't be doing anything that requires one. Keeping it locked up is basically a no-advantage scenario. If you're worried about more tech support issues, just be sure to send a new device, pre-release, to the heads of some of the usual suspects of awesome ROMs and they'll handle the tech support side (AOKP, CM, MIUI, etc.). It'll cost you a grand total of something like $4500 retail (less, since it'll just be your cost plus shipping), and it'll also be free advertising to boot. That will probably be the best $4500 you'll ever spend, equating to thousands if not more handsets sold. This is a no-brainer and a really, really easy and cheap way to be the #1 make amoung the tech and Android enthusiast blogs and forums.

And please, none of that stupid "developer device" crap sold without a warranty and no carrier subsidies. That just pisses people off and makes you look cheap (remember: no compromise perception).

You could be King of the Nerds, Motorola. Embrace your destiny.

Last but not least: the camera. This is an easy one: use a Carl Zeiss lens and a Xenon flash. Yes, the Xenon will take more juice than an LED. It won't matter. People don't use the flash enough to make a giant dent in battery life, but they will notice the difference in their nighttime photo quality. That's also why you'll use the Zeiss lens: picture quality, picture quality, picture quality. This is key. You'll need competitive MP so that you don't fall short on silly spec sheets, but the picture quality will make you a legend in the blog world. And, since you're Motorola, you'll find a way to make it look sexy and not like, well . . . a Nokia.

This is one of the few things Nokia got right, and they're universally praised for it.

The rest is fluff. MicroSD slot vs. internal memory, HDMI port vs. PDMI, etc. don't mean too much. If Apple's shown the world anything, it's that you can compromise on connectors and most people won't care.

So, to sum up, make us a device with the following:

• RAZR Maxx build (battery included)
• A15 with a killer GPU (a real benchmark-buster)
• 5.3", HD, sAMOLED+ screen
• Carl Zeiss lens with a xenon flash
• Vanilla Android with a custom launcher and some basic tweaks
• Unlocked bootloader
• Advance devices sent to leading devs in the ROM scene

Do this, and you'll be awesome. Do it not, and every one of your handsets will die this day.

True story.

The iPad 2 Cometh

As some of you know, I'm a little obsessed with tablets. Since even those not obsessed with tablets took note of the presentation Apple made on 3/2/2011, it goes without saying that I took particular note of it. I know what you're thinking, consequently: "If it goes without saying, then why did you say it?" Because it's my blog, and I'll say what I want. I'll even have mock arguments with myself over minutia. Deal with it.

Back to the point. I'm talking about Apple's unveiling of their successor to their uber-successful: the iPad 2. 

<cue Handel's Messiah>

Though I didn't want to purchase the OG iPad, due mainly to its price and lack of functionality, I still loved using it. As a big touch-screen interface aficionado (I left out the commas because I mean it in both senses of the phrase), the tablet form factor resonated deeply with me. Internet browsing, video watching, email checking, etc. are all as they seem meant to be. Even my Cr48, which is built as a simple window to the web, doesn't give anything close to the same kind of immersive experience.

I want a tablet so badly that I even purchased one: the Archos A70HDD.

<cue, well, something a little less impressive than Handel's Messiah>

You'll notice that this is the first I've talked about the A70 on my blog, and there's a reason for that. I don't have it anymore. After about two weeks, back to Amazon it went. Another story for another time.

Suffice to say, though, I've got a fever. And the only prescription I know of is more tablet.

Gotta have that tablet, baby!

After my brief foray into the world of slates, I decided I should wait to see what the real players were coming out with next. One of the many factors that forced the return of the A70 was that it was still running a Cortex A8, single core processor. It would soon be obsolete; or, at least behind the times and unable to play with the new software inevitably coming out. Heck, my OG Droid is a lowly, Cortex A8, single core processor. So is the OG iPad, iPhone 4, Droid X, Galaxy S, Nexus S, and a bunch of other stuff I don't have but wouldn't mind getting my hands on. Knowing that 2011 will be The Year of the Tablet, patience is a particular virtue right now.

But some things make it really hard to hold out.

Doncha' wish your handset was hot, like me?

The XOOM is pure radness, but two things kept me from standing in line (possibly by my lonesome) at 5AM in the snow in front of Best Buy:

1. Price. It's expensive, pure and simple. $799 is a lot to ask, even if the product delivers. WiFi only will be coming out for $539, but that's still a chunk of change. I'm just a lowly working guy; I'm looking more in the sub-$400 range.

2. iPad 2. Even as someone who's not really an Apple fan (though I really like my Mac, and loved using the iPad), I would be a fool to purchase something so close to the imminent release of what will be the top dog, sales wise, for the next six months or more.

But now, the wait is over. iPad 2 is announced, and will soon be in the wilds of malls everywhere just waiting to be snatched up. So, what did the wait bring? Let's explore.

Apple's last slate offering was a 3G or WiFi, 9.7", 1024x768 affair and was running iOS 4, which, though full of nice apps, had the same basic UI as a 2002 Nokia.

But it's so intuitive!

The new rig, though, will not only be rocking iOS 4, but will also have a 9.7", 1024x768 screen. And it not only has the option of WiFi, but 3G, too!

OK, so there's a little bit of tongue-in-cheek there. The screen on the OG iPad, though a "lowly" 136ppi, was always a very pleasant experience. I have zero issues with Apple keeping the same screen. Also, since iOS doesn't handle different screen sizes and resolutions as elegantly as Android, the iPad would have had to go up in resolution a ridiculous amount in order to avoid apps looking downright silly on the new screen. Suffice to say, the screen is fine as is (as anyone who has used an iPad can attest to).

As for iOS 4.3 and 3G . . . well, we'll get to that in due course. Another thing that's remained unchanged, thankfully, is the price. iPad 2 will start at just $499, albeit for a WiFi only, 16GB (non-expandable) party. Also, the battery life remains the same, best-in-class longevity you're used to on the OG iPad. 

So, what has changed? I'm glad I asked, because now I get to tell you. First, let's start with the processor.

Apple has ditched the old, cortex A8, single core chip (made by Samsung) and gone with a brand spankin' new, cortex A9, dual core chip (also made by Samsung, I believe). They've presumably bumped the RAM from 256MB to 512MB, too; which will be a great boon for next-gen type gaming. If this is running the PowerVR SGX543 GPU (which it most likely is), that's also a gift to gamers. All in all nothing surprising, but certainly everything welcome.

FaceTime < FaceManTime

Another new for '11 feature, at least in the Cupertino camp, are cameras front and rear. iPad can now not only take photos, but video chat, too. This was a much needed upgrade, and really something that ought to have come on the first gen model. Still, better late than never. No word yet on the actual camera specs, other than the rear eye can do 720p video, but I would expect a VGA front and 5MP rear. Apple could surprise us with a 1.3MP front and an 8MP rear, but I wouldn't hold my breath.

Though the iPad 2 may look just like its predecessor, it's actually a complete redesign. The new slate slides in at a very tantalising 33% thinner than the previous model, at 8.8mm vs. 13.4mm. In fact, it's even thinner than the iPhone 4, which sits at an already skimpy 9.3mm. It's thinner than the thinnest smartphone, which is the LG Optimus Black (from the makers of the iPhone 4 display), which has a widest point of 9.2mm (though a slimmest point of a mere 6.1mm).

It also has a new cover. I'm trying to get excited, because Steve Jobs turned the RDF all the way to 11 with this one, but it's a cover. It's nice and all, but I wouldn't pay $40-70 for one.

It's a very smart cover.

But, if you ask InCase, it's not exactly novel.

So, where do I land with the iPad 2? In Disappointville, that's where. Even more than the OG iPad, this thing had potential.

Now, before you go spouting off how many iPads were sold last year and how this is going to outsell all the other tablets and marketshare revenue blah blah blah, let me tell you what I care about: how will this benefit me? I don't give two craps about a corporation making a pile of cash, and neither should you. Gadget apologists are some of the weirdest people ever. You do know that Apple, Google, Microsoft, HP, etc. only like you as long as you're paying them, right? Heck, Apple's not even philanthropic with the cash they get from you (not that they have to be; I just don't get people loving on a company that only loves on themselves). Apple makes some nice devices, to be sure, but they're still just a computer company at the end of the day. They need to provide me a product I want in order for me to like them.

Going from that perspective, the iPad 2 is quite a letdown. It's faster, lighter, and thinner, to be sure, but that's not going to lift it above the competition. The Nvidia (Tegra 2), Samsung (Orion), Qualcomm (dual 1.5GHz Scorpion), and TI (OMAP 4) equipped tablets out and coming out are just as fast, while some have more RAM (most will be getting 1GB), better cameras, higher resolution (though I don't count this as a big plus, since the iPad screen is already quite nice), and the same weight (the Galaxy Tab 10.1 will be a whopping 8g lighter, like it matters). Suffice to say, the hardware of the iPad 2 will not be anything that draws me away from the competition.

Then there's the real kickers: what the other guys have that the iPad 2 doesn't.

No matter how good you look, we all know what happens when you bring a knife to a gunfight.

First and foremost, for a guy like me, is 4G. Whether it's WiMax, HSPA+, or LTE (I know some have theoretical advantages over others, and none ought to be technically called 4G; but they all perform about the same in real life usage and are 3-5x faster than 3G). I cut the cord almost a year ago; I'm all 3G, now. 4G is a huge seller for me, since it takes my speed back up to what it was when I had Comcast.

Second, screen size. This one I'll concede to Apple as not a real factor, because it's my qualm alone and not something they ought to have brought to the iPad 2. During my brief affair with the Archos A70, I decided that I didn't like Archos, but I love the 7" tablet size. I'm going to ditch my phone and netbook for one. Seriously.

The cameras are a bit of a bummer if the hype on them is true (VGA front, 3MP or less rear), but we don't know yet so I'll give Apple the benefit of the doubt. If they use the same, rear shooter as the iPhone 4, it's all good.

Now for the real, end all, be all gripe I have with the iPad 2: the OS. It's a wall of icons and, well, more icons. The notification system sucks. There's no homescreen functionality. It's boring and not very useful to boot. In short, it's an OS made for a completely different form factor.

I really like Android's UI on their phones, but I could see how someone would be fine with iOS on the iPhone or iPod Touch. It's far more simple, sure, but most people don't want any more going on with their 3.5" screen. I like to have live weather, a Bible verse of the day, a clock, live calendar, and music players on my 3.7" screen, but I could see how people would be cool with just a simple grid of colourful icons and a custom background (though live wallpapers are certainly a lot of fun, too).

You could always go with ye olde wall o' apps.

 But why would you want to? 

For tablets, though, it's a different story. With the greater screen real estate, there's just so much more you can do than tap on an app. Android already is ahead of iOS when it comes to the notification system; I fully expected Apple to step it up for iPad 2. I would even have liked to see them surpass Android's offerings. What they did, though, was nothing. Android, however, revamped the entire notification system for Honeycomb (their tablet UI). Here's a little taste:

I love how you get your music controls, people's avatars, etc. right there in the notification box (which you pop up when you have alerts). The multitasking interface looks pretty slick, too:

I got to play with a XOOM at Costco and, though I don't want a XOOM, I definitely want a Honeycomb tablet. The WebOS tab and the BlackBerry PlayBook look like they have a good tablet UI, too (none to play with, yet).

HP TouchPad

RIM PlayBook

Great use of the screen real estate on all of these (WebOS, PlayBook, and Honeycomb). It's the perfect mix of desktop UI and smartphone OS. This is the future of portable computing, I believe. Maybe Apple will wow us with iOS 5.x (and I sincerely hope so), but this is what they present right now:

Come on, Apple. You can do better than this.