Although Motorola has pledged that they aren’t throwing all of their chips in with Android and still supporting Windows Mobile, it’s safe to say they’re making a hefty bet on Google’s mobile platform, and investors are saying that it’s a hand Motorola will lose.
“I’m bullish on the stock, not at all on the handsets,” said Goldman analyst Simona Jankowski. “I feel their position in handsets is awful and will get worse.” … “Motorola has never shown it can innovate in software, ever,” said Current Analysis analyst Avi Greengart. … “If you come out with a plain vanilla Android phone in the second half, you’re no better off.” … “My sense is that handset employees are more concerned about job security than getting the new products out,” said American Technology Research analyst Mark McKechnie.
Youch. I don’t think anyone’s going to argue that Android is a good move for any manufacturer, even if it’s just to save on OS licensing costs in a chilly economic climate. This does leave you to wonder, what does Motorola need to get back into the game? Palm, if anything, has proven that even the most dead-in-the-water company has a shot at coming back to life, but something tells me that an Android phone won’t have the impact of the Pre.
[via Reuters]