Motorola Boss Rebuffs Apple's Ive Moto Maker Slight
Whether you use Apple products or not, you have to admit; they're really gorgeous, masterfully crafted devices. Jony Ive and his crew dedicate a lot of time and energy into creating some really great hardware, so his views on the subject of design should be treated with a level of respect. I mean, the guy was knighted — he's probably worth hearing out. Still, the guy running Motorola was non-plussed about recent statements Ive made. Though he didn't specifically call Motorola out, Ive's comments were pretty transparent.
In a recent profile by The New Yorker, writer Ian Parker was asked to not designate the focus of Ive's commentary, but it was clearly pointed at Motorola and their Moto Maker 'design it yourself' scheme for the Moto X. Ive said "Their value proposition was 'Make it whatever you want. You can choose whatever color you want.' And I believe that's abdicating your responsibility as a designer."
Speaking to The BBC, Motorola president Rick Osterloh said Motorola has a "different philosophy", and added "our belief is that the end user should be directly involved in the process of designing products. We're making the entire product line accessible. And frankly, we're taking a directly opposite approach to them [Apple]."
Osterloh went on to say Motorola might just be the future, and Apple is missing out:
We do see a real dichotomy in this marketplace, where you've got people like Apple making so much money and charging such outrageous prices. We think that's not the future. We believe the future is in offering similar experiences and great consumer choice at accessible prices. The mobile phone industry's greatest failure is also its greatest opportunity: to make really good, affordable devices for people who don't want to spend a lot of money. A great smartphone, and a great mobile internet experience, shouldn't be an expensive luxury. It should be a simple choice for everyone.
Big-tech slapfight, or two guys who are just on opposite ends of the spectrum? The answer is yes. Ive and Apple make a home in premium device sales, while Motorola wisely chose to forgo the flagship dogfight and produce amazing phones that are customizable, all without the heavy price tag.
Is the 'future' low-cost phones we design ourselves? Time will tell. For now, Ive — excuse me, Sir Jony Ive — and Apple are in total control of technology, especially when it comes to design.
Source: BBC