Motorola’s Xoom, powered by Google’s Android 3.0 ‘Honeycomb’ OS fine-tuned for tablets, was supposed to be Apple’s worst nightmare and a reawakening for the venerable handset manufacturer. Instead, one Wall Street analyst estimates Motorola Mobility has sold between 25,000 and 120,000 Xooms, recalling Microsoft’s jab at Apple as ‘just a rounding error.’ What’s the solution for Motorola?
Sue ’em. Global Equities analyst Trip Chowdry thinks Motorola Mobility would earn more by suing Google for what he termed the “dead on arrival” Honeycomb tablet software.
In what Fortune describes as a “depressing proposition” but what Chowdry views as a “better strategy,” Motorola should begin “selectively attacking with patents other Android phone OEMs.” That’s right, forget about out-innovating Apple (which the analyst describes as a “competitive fixation” of Motorola’s), sue handset makers for patent-infringement.
On what grounds? The analyst describes the Google app store as “a disaster.” Meanwhile, Honeycomb is variously viewed as “incomplete” and with a “poor UI.”
He divides OEMs into three categories: those he sees suitable for a full intellectual property attack (such as HTC, or Acer), those deserving “selective engagement” (such as Sony Ericsson and Toshiba) and larger targets he sees as “deterrence” (such as Samsung and LG.)
Ed Sutherland is a veteran technology journalist who first heard of Apple when they grew on trees, Yahoo was run out of a Stanford dorm and Google was an unknown upstart. Since then, Sutherland has covered the whole technology landscape, concentrating on tracking the trends and figuring out the finances of large (and small) technology companies.
16 responses to “Motorola’s Next Big Thing: Patent Lawsuits Against Android?”
Wait – sue Google because their FREE software isn’t the best thing ever? Pathetic.
Yes I understand what the grounds are for a lawsuit. Unless there was a contract for Honeycomb listing specific features that Google didn’t get to.
Meant to say “…I don’t understand…”
This whole Android tablet thing is like a slow-motion train wreck.
It seems to me that Apple are being ignoramus’ again and blaming other people for problems. I wish there WAS an tablet like the iSanitaryTowel which could directly compete against Apple and smash them into the earth where they belong.
Let’s see what happens’ with this, iReally think Apple are going to plummet like my testicles when I see Jan Bailey. I’ve got balls like water melons and my gawd I’d love to ram ’em up Steve’s hairy cancer filled ass.
GaryGlitter x
Well congrats to you Gary…. you just took the word “stupid” to a whole new level.
Motorola are sore losers. They shot themselves in the foot with the price tag of the Xoom tablet.
LoL