August 13, 2007
US mobile carriers spill Razr2 beans
Motorola had been hoping to make a big splash tomorrow morning with the announcement that five US mobile carriers will launch customised versions of its flagship next generation Razr handset, the MotoRazr2.
But somehow the carriers, led by Verizon Wireless and Sprint Nextel, lost the plot and broke the news embargo on Friday spoiling Motorola’s show - a pity because the struggling US handset maker has a lot riding on the success of the Razr2.
Motorola, which has been losing market share hand-over-fist to rivals including Finland’s Nokia since changing its strategy to focus on margins and profitable growth at the start of the year, is betting that the Razr2 - one of its first 3G-enabled handsets - will help halt the slide.
Tthe flip-phone-style Razr2 is slimmer and, Motorola claims, stronger than its predecessor, and includes several interesting innovations including a touch-sensitive external screen, ‘CrystalTalk’ technology designed to improve voice quality and stereo Bluetooth connectivity for that ‘wire-free music experience.’
Aside from Verizon and Sprint, Alltel, AT&T, T-Mobile USA and US Cellular will launch versions of the Razr2 over the next few weeks mostly priced around $250 with a new service agreement. Each of the carriers has a slightly different take on the new phone with some emphasising its music or video capabilities while others focus on its text messaging and voice features.
No word on how Ed Zander, Motorola’s beleagured CEO, reacted when he was told about the embargo breach, but I can’t imagine it was pretty.
