Don't you dare die on me now, Motorola, you hear! (part 2)

3.1 Make better solutions

Let me use the ROKR E8 as an example again. What does it have going for itself?

- One of the best music solutions in a phone

- Cool dynamic keypad.

But is that enough, what are the drawbacks?

- No 3G (linux drawback)

- No WiFi

- Unimpressive 2mp camera

- "Average" phone experience = otherwise no psazz for the standard user

As much as I think the E8 is an awesome phone, and had thought about it to be my very own. It's expensive and has direct rivals in the N81 (N95 8Gb), iPhone, W960 (+ other SE Walkmen). In comparison, you get a slightly better music experience, but lose out on a lot of other functionality. Thats means you're left with a very small target group. I would be one of them, but at this time I can't even get the E8 here, and when I can, it would be roughly 1½ times as much as what I got my N81 for.

I think Motorola placed itself between two chairs. They could have chosen one of two routes, or maybe even both: All "bells and whistles"; we're talking 802.11 b/g or n, HSPDA working on jiux and 5mp auto-focus camera (min 3.2 mp). Or maybe even something rare like a 16 million colour touch screen. Etc.

Now one might think that what I mentioned is pretty close to the ZN5 in specs. And yes it is, but like I mentioned before, had the ZN5 only been out sooner it would have been fine. As late as the spring, and it would have made a giant splash.

The other route was taking the music centric even further; and create the new N91 sort of speak.

Maybe as a bench mark taken a portable audio device, say the iPod, and beat that in terms of audio experience and quality. If at least Motorola could say, this is one of the best portable players on the market. They would have a strong brand.

They could have made the one, the other, or even a combo. And I am positive they would be able to reach a much bigger market.

Of course this is only one phone, but goes to show that it's difficult finding a single phone in their range that hasn't something missing in the specs. Seriously; find one, where you don't have to start a sentence with "Oh, but I wish it had..."


Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4