Motorola beat analyst expectations with their third quarter financial results today. Overall sales for the quarter reached $5.5 billion, translating to $616 million in positive cash flow and$0.01 per share. Their mobile devices division specifically shipped 13.6 million units (4.7% market share, down from 25.4 million last year), and reduced operating loss to $183 million, versus a loss of $840 million in Q3 ‘08. Motorola (NYSE: MOT)’s first quarter this year cast quite a shadow on their 2009, but between these relatively bright results, the burgeoning cliq and the promising droid devices, Q4 is looking pretty good. Here are some quick analyst reactions to the report:
“In the third quarter the upside is primarily driven by their enterprise business and continued cost rationalization in the mobile devices business.” – Matthew Thornton, Avian Securities
“They have been very effective in cost cutting and the Droid really is the best device Motorola has come up with since 2005.” – Tero Kuittinen, MKM Partners LP
“Motorola will get a waiver from investors as long as it shows directional improvements in its financial model.” – Mark Sue, RBC Capital
For more financial news and keeping an eye on wireless stock, take a gander at our Finance section.
Arvin Singh, Verizon (NYSE: VZ)’s Illinois-Wisconsin director of data sales, is feeling pretty confident about their network handling Motorola droid demand.
“We’re anticipating the Droid will be a blockbuster, but we’re not adding any new backhaul or new EV-DO carriers for the launch. We’re not anticipating the network will take a hit on this.”
That’s big talk, considering VZ still has no idea just how popular the droid will become, but even then, if they’re trying to take a jab at AT&T (NYSE: T)’s network buckling under iPhone traffic, it’s not exactly a fair comparison considering droid sales won’t come anywhere near iPhone’s, and the network strain will be proportionally minuscule. In any case, the confidence is a good sign – just remember, we’ll be holding you to your promise, VZ.
The Motorola (NYSE: MOT) droid has been turning a lot of heads since its launch yesterday, and no doubt some folks are hankering to pick up the super-thin, full-QWERTY, Android-powered slider as soon as possible. The officially-announced launch day was November 9, but apparently Best Buy has it in stores today for $199.99 on contract. Considering the hype and the early release, I doubt stock will hold up for long, so get ‘em while they’re hot. If you’ve had a chance to swing by your local Best Buy store, what’s the inventory like? For those that can’t get out to a brick-and-mortar store to pick up a droid, keep an eye on Best Buy Mobile’s online store, or if your palate isn’t sufficiently whet, take a look at our hands-on impressions.
Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) is one lucky company to have such a dedicated community of users. On that note, we spotted a fan-made video which we call “iDon’t Care” and which, as you can presume, answers to Verizon’s Droid commercial. The main point of the clip is “iDon’t buy brands who bash other brands.”
Personally, I’m impressed with the Droid and see it as one of those devices I’ve waited for so long to appear. However, will iPhone users switch sides is another story. What do you think?
Google (NSDQ: GOOG)’s announcement of turn-by-turn GPS navigation this morning was big. Verizon (NYSE: VZ)’s Motorola Droid announcement was bigger. Combine those two into an orgy of Android 2.0 and Droid goodness, and you’ve got the makings of a truly impressive smartphone. Just how good is Google Maps Navigation? Why don’t take a video tour of the new turn-by-turn GPS navigation feature from Google, by way of the first Android 2.0 phone to support Google Maps Navigation, and find out?
What you’ll see in the video below is Google’s solution to serve up turn-by-turn directions to your smartphone, even if it lacks a digital compass. As a bonus, Google Maps Navigation will show you your route in Google Maps’ satellite view or street view. Judging by our initial experience, Google Maps Navigation might be just the thing to finally unseat dedicated GPS navigation devices. It’s that good.
The Motorola (NYSE: MOT) Droid went live as Verizon (NYSE: VZ)’s first Android phone earlier this morning. Then, Google (NSDQ: GOOG) announced that their Google Maps app for Android 2.0 now supports GPS turn-by-turn directions with voice guidance. The two announcements merged, like that those really big storms in that one movie involving a fishing boat of some sort, to form one of the biggest product launches of the year. I just got a chance to put my hands all over the Motorola Droid and thought I’d let you in on my initial impressions (and from-the-hip pics). The short version: Verizon’s Motorola Droid is badass. Keep reading for the long version (and a massive hands-on photo gallery.
Don’t ask, don’t tell, that seems to be the policy in Vietnam where somehow gadget site tinhte.com gets the latest stuff before the western world. Oh sure, Verizon customers will enjoy the CDMA version of the Droid come November 6th, but the real meat and potatoes to be had is in Asia. If the GSM version is already up and running, and already approved by the FCC, you can bet that we’ll probably see the Droid making a global attack by the end of the year.
Photos after the jump, oh and before you hit play I have to warn you. There is a lot of Michael Jackson:
It finally happened. After months of speculation, a new name, and a very big leak, Motorola (NYSE: MOT) has officially announced the world’s first Google (NSDQ: GOOG) Android 2.0 (Éclair) device: Droid. This monster will be available on Verizon (NYSE: VZ) Wireless starting November 6th for $200 (after $100 mail in rebate) on a 2 year contract. You’ll have to sign up for a nationwide voice plan, which starts at $40/month, and an “Email and Web for Smartphone” plan which is another $30/month, so you’re looking at a minimum of $70/month to own this sucker.
And finally the dimensions: 60 mm x 115.8 mm x 13.7 mm; 169 grams
Editor in Chief Will Park is in New York City, along with several other technology bloggers, getting more information that we’ll bring you throughout the day. Stick to IntoMobile for further updates. Now please excuse me while I go curl up in a little ball and cry in my room as I wait for the GSM version to hit Europe.
Verizon (NYSE: VZ) is set to unveil their new Android hotness tomorrow, and we’ll be there to witness history in the making. If you’re calendar isn’t already marked, remember to keep an eye out for out of Motorola (NYSE: MOT) Droid coverage from Verizon’s Android shin-dig!
For those of you that haven’t yet caught wind of the Motorola Droid or Verizon’s Droid advertisement blasting across all forms of media, the Motorola Droid is the first (of many) Android phones from Verizon. And with the way things are shaping up, the Droid could very well turn out to be the baddest Android smartphone on the planet!
In just a matter of hours, well be putting our crusty fingers all over the Droid’s 3.7-inch touchscreen, 5-megapixel camera outfitted with dual-LED flash and low-light shooting capabilities, and the Android OS 2.0. Will the Droid have what it takes to reign supreme among worthy Android competitors like the HTC Hero. Will it give the iPhone something to lose sleep over? Well see soon enough…
Verizon (NYSE: VZ)’s Droid lineup will apparently be launching November 6, according to tipsters. Motorola (NYSE: MOT)’s Droid (a.k.a Sholes) and HTC’s Eris (a.k.a Desire) will be the first members to the family, with more on the way. The Droid has a 3.7-inch 480×854 touchscreen, 5-megapixel autofocus camera, GPS, Bluetooth 2.0, WiFi, 256MB RAM/512MB ROM and a microSDHC slot supporting up to 16GB memory cards. The only thing we really know about the Eris is that it’s packing HTC’s Sense user interface – we’re definitely looking forward to hearing more about the specs. If you haven’t seen Verizon’s teaser campaign making tongue-in-cheek comparisons between Android and iPhone operating systems, it’s definitely worth a watch.
Motorola beat analyst expectations with their third quarter financial results today. Overall sales for the quarter reached $5.5 billion, translating to $616 million in positive cash flow and$0.01 per share. Their mobile devices division specifically shipped 13.6 million units (4.7% market share, down from 25.4 million last year), and reduced operating loss to $183 million, versus a loss of $840 million in Q3 ‘08. Motorola (NYSE: MOT)’s first quarter this year cast quite a shadow on their 2009, but between these relatively bright results, the burgeoning cliq and the promising droid devices, Q4 is looking pretty good. Here are some quick analyst reactions to the report:
Arvin Singh, Verizon (
The Motorola (
The Motorola (
