Motorola's upcoming products fall short of 'wow,' says Google CFO

Motorola
Motorola's current and upcoming products fall short of Google's standards

Google has certainly had an interesting week, what with co-founder Sergey Brin touting Google Glass as the next big thing for alpha males, and moving up the release date of the augmented-reality specs.

Not to be outdone by Brin, Google's Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President Patrick Pichette took time during his talk at the Morgan Stanley Technology Conference to put Motorola on blast.

Yes, even though Google purchased Motorola Mobility back in 2011, the internet search giant and Android OS provider isn't exactly thrilled with what it's inherited, according to Pichette.

Wow factor

Motorola, Pichette said, had 18 months worth of products to roll out when Google took over formally last year, which included the already announced Droid Razr Maxx HD and Droid Razr M.

We've heard about this 18-month backlog before as part of the reason why Google hasn't yet produced a phone with its acquisition.

Though both these Droids have fared well enough both critically and commercially, Pichette didn't shy away from expressing his exasperation with what he's seen and what's yet to come.

"The case with Motorola is that we've inherited a pipeline," Pichette said, according to The Verge.

"Motorola has a great set of products, but they're not really like 'wow' by Google standards. Dennis Woodside [CEO of Motorola Mobility] and his team have inherited 18 months of pipeline that we have to drain right now."

Not exactly a ringing endorsement of the company rumored to be helping Google develop its own device dubbed the X Phone.

Relationship woes

Motorola's inability to impress Pichette isn't necessarily surprising, but the way in which he acknowledged his disappointment so publicly was a bit shocking, especially considering whispers that Google and Samsung are on rocky ground.

However, Pichette was quick to dismiss any controversy brought about by the claims Google and Samsung aren't seeing eye to eye, and claimed both companies have a "terrific relationship."

Needless to say, we're curious what Google has planned for Motorola after that 18-month pipeline has been drained, particularly with Samsung's Galaxy S4 slated to unveil at the Unpacked event on March 14.

The bar could be raised rather high, and Google is certainly going to want to show up with its next phone, or maybe consider getting a new manufacturing partner.

TOPICS
Latest in Motorola Phones
Motorola Edge 50 Pro lavender
Your next Android bargain? Major Motorola leak teases details of multiple 2025 phones – including the Edge 60 series
The Motorola Moto G Power in grey and green on a desk
Motorola's new cheap phones offer flagship features for a quarter of the price of an iPhone 16
Motorola Razr 2024 orange folding phone on pink background with lowest price sign
The brand-new Motorola Razr 2024 has dropped to just $500 at Amazon
Motorola Razr Plus 2024 in green
The next Motorola Razr foldable might be able to close on its own with a motorized hinge
Motorola Razr Plus 2024 in green standing like a tent with a clock on its face
It looks as though another Motorola Razr flip foldable is about to launch
Motorola Razr Plus 2024 in green standing like a tent with a clock on its face
Motorola's next Galaxy Z Flip 6 rival just took another step towards launching
Latest in News
Garmin clippd integration
Garmin's golf watches just got a big software integration upgrade to help you improve your game
Robert Downey Jr reveals himself as Doctor Doom to a delighted crowd at San Diego Comic-Con 2024
Marvel is currently making a major announcement about Avengers: Doomsday's cast on YouTube, and I think it's going to be a long-winded reveal
Samsung QN90F on yellow background
Samsung announces US prices for its 2025 mini-LED TV lineup, and it’s good and bad news
Nintendo Switch Lite
Forget the Nintendo Switch 2, the original Switch is getting one last hurrah in a surprise Nintendo Direct tomorrow
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge on display the January 22, 2025 Galaxy Unpacked event.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge colors seemingly revealed in new video, and there’s another sign of an imminent launch
Microsoft Copiot Studio deep reasoning and agent flows
Microsoft reveals OpenAI-powered Copilot AI agents to bosot your work research and data analysis