At today’s unveiling of the RAZR 2, Motorola used its bat-wings logo to designate not only is corporate name, but the entrance for the men’s restroom. For the women’s restroom, they simply turned the bat wings upside down — how very versatile.
Motorola has finally outdone its best-selling handset on nearly all counts. This reminds me of when Apple unveiled the fifth-generation iPod; it was a no-lose situation for consumers. However, Motorola will certainly look to the RAZR 2 to boost its margins and the product will likely command a premium. I’ll throw my hat in for $299 with a two-year contract.
Will consumers bite? I think back to the StarTAC and how Motorola tried to succeed it with the V that never became as much of a phenomenom. The V was to the StarTAC as the KRZR was to the RAZR. Maybe history won’t repeat itself, though, as consumers are still snapping up RAZRs faster than, say, Katanas or other thin clamshells.
While today’s media event included a lot of review for those familiar with Motorola’s announcements from 3GSM or even CTIA booth, the RAZR 2 made good on the extended messaging to focus more on the digital DNA of handsets in addition to their form factors. Some of its legacy spinoffs from the RAZR (like the ROKR or even Z8) may not be so inspiring, but if Motorola can execute this well on a feature phone that will ultimately be available for under $50, its high-end should become more energized.
That said, Motorola needs to rethink its convergence marketing. “Your next television won’t be a television.” That’s pithy, but beyond the state of most consumers’ acceptance of mobile video and not up to their understanding of television.