Saturday, Nov 27, 2010
Gulf News
Company launches two new Android models for both genders to heat up competition
Dubai The Android landscape is certainly getting crowded. Within two years of the launch by T-Mobile G1, almost all the major vendors have launched Google’s mobile operating system in the Middle East.
Motorola Mobility, a subsidiary of Motorola, on Wednesday launched two new models — Flipout and Defy — in the UAE to boost its market share and heat up the smartphone competition. Flipout is designed for women and Defy for men.
“In 2009 we were thinking of how the future was going to look like, but in 2010 we launched 42 devices globally. We are on a strong comeback. Even though our market share is small, it is ticking upwards,” Mahmoud Sayed Ahmad, marketing director, Middle East, Motorola Mobility, told Gulf News after the press conference.
He added: “What we are trying to achieve as a company is to make consumers buy. Every device we launch into the market has to have a customer element. We think ... before we say here is the device.
“Then we find who the consumer is and where is the gap. Once we identify where the gap is, then we see what the consumer needs on a device. That is our strategy.”
When other vendors are focusing on glamorous mobile phones with sleek lines and glossy exteriors, the rough-and-tumble nature of everyday life quickly dulls that perfect sheen, forcing users to spend additional cash on bulky cases and screen protectors.
Defy, however, is dust-resistant, waterproof and capable of withstanding almost anything thrown at it.
During the press conference, a Defy phone was immersed in a glass of water and it worked out fine.
It runs on Android 2.1 operating system with a 5 megapixel autofocus cam, LED flash, 800MHz processor, and a 3.7-inch touch screen with an 854 x 480 display. Its screen is made of super-resilient Gorilla Glass, designed to prevent scratches.
Motorola has launched 16 models this year, he said of which seven are Android handsets in the MEA (Middle East and Africa) region.
Motorola has no plan in the near future to launch Windows mobile 7 handsets. Ahmad said the company is very focused on Android as it is the future.
From the uptake of devices around the globe, he said operators and customers are welcoming the return of Motorola, which was strong once upon a time.
Launching during the festive season, Flipout also runs on Android 2.1 and features an innovative square pivot design that opens to reveal a five-row qwerty keypad with a separate row for numeric keys. It is priced at Dh1,399.
Motorola Defy will be available in January and the price is not yet fixed.
Supplied picture
Strategic comeback
Mahmoud Sayed Ahmad, marketing director, Middle East, Motorola Mobility is upbeat as customers welcome the return of Motorola which had a strong presence in the past.
In 2009 we were thinking of how the future was going to look... ?Even though our market share is small, it is ticking upwards.”
Mahmoud Sayed Ahmad
Marketing director, Middle East, Motorola Mobility
By Naushad K. Cherrayil?Staff Reporter
Gulf News 2010. All rights reserved.
