Motorola s new Moto X phone the first smartphone that Motorola Mobility has built from scratch after Google s acquired the company may win out over other Android phones but isn t likely to do serious damage to Apple Inc. s iPhone market standing.
At least that s the take by Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster.
Despite strong launches in Android devices including Samsung s Galaxy S4 and HTC One we note that iPhone sales have continued to exceed investor expectations over the past two quarters said Munster after Motorola unveiled the new smartphone at an event in New York today. We do not view the Moto X device as significantly different than the aforementioned devices to change the current market dynamics between Android and iPhone.
Apple with its iOS mobile operating system and Google with Android are in a heated battle to win over smartphone customers with cool new hardware so that they ultimately buy into the ecosystem of mobile apps and services they provide. Apple is expected to update its iPhone as it s done every year and deliver a new model in the fall dubbed the iPhone 5S. Munster is also counting on the company to introduced a lower priced iPhone this year with a 3.5 inch display that has a lower quality screen resolution casing and processor and to follow that up in 2014 with a 4.5 to 5 inch model he s calling the iPhone 6.
A year in the works the Moto X features a high resolution 4 inch screen 16 gigabytes of memory and a 10 megapixel camera and starts at $199 for a base model (with a two year contract). Other Android phones have better specs Munster notes. Where the new Motorola device shines The consumer experience built around Touchless Control which lets users control the phone through voice commands by asking OK Google Now. But that and new color options just aren t compelling enough to draw users away from Apple s device and ecosystem he says.
In an Apple like move Motorola chose to make one of the core features of the Moto X the design. The company will allow users to eventually design custom phones including front face colors back colors and accessories like headphones. Motorola also plans on introducing wood as an option for the phone s back panel Munster added. The design as a feature puts the Moto X in a strong position against other Android devices (largely plastic) but may be unlikely to change customer desire for iPhones.
You can read and see all the details about the Moto X in a review by Forbes Alex Konrad as well as the thinking behind it in Parmy Olson s interview with Motorola CEO Dennis Woodside.
Hands On With The Moto X Motorola's New Phone Looks And Feels Like A Contender Alex Konrad Forbes Staff Motorola CEO Moto X Brings Us Back To Our Root In Innovation Parmy Olson Forbes Staff Should Apple Be Worried About The Moto X Smartphone Robert Hof Contributor
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