- Liquid fuel for future computers
- Global standard for street light products
- Panasonic capacitors handle high temperatures
- Plastic electrode stretches like rubber but carries electricity like wires
Welcoming the Moto Z onto the smartphone market is like a breath of fresh air. It’s super thin (the skinniest on the market as I write this), has a tonne of processing power, long battery life and a large display.
But there is one problem – Motorola’s lack of market share. Back in the day, the mobile phone pioneer – along with Nokia and Blackberry – was at the forefront of the mobile phone revolution. Then in 2008 came the smartphone in the form of Apple’s iPhone and Samsung’s Galaxy series and suddenly the major players were not only in catch-up mode, but bleeding customers. Fast-forward eight years, and you’ll find Motorola in the “Others” column when it comes to world market share of handsets, while Samsung has a massive 22 per cent, and Apple has up to 15 per cent.
So how do you try and sell a great product with a struggling brand? By adding a collection of accessories – designated Moto Mods – that are set to take the smartphone to the next stage of its evolution, claims the company.
Motorola Lenovo’s Product Manager – ANZ, Danny Adamopoulos isn’t fazed and is pushing the Moto Mods as the elixir to get it back into the market. These add-ons are a group of accessories that fit snuggly onto the magnitised back of the Moto Z. The range includes a projector, camera, 20-hour battery charger and speaker. And while they are of exceptional quality, they came at a price. For example, the projector will set consumers back a hefty $499.
“We know that people have a wide variety of expectations when it comes to their phones,” says Adamopoulos. “There’s a very large group of people around the world who expect the phones to not only fit in seamlessly with their life, but enhance it, too. That’s where we feel Moto Mods come into play. By allowing consumers to instantly turn their phones into whatever they need, whenever they need it, they can better enable their passions and interactions with others and the world around them.”
Lenovo Motorola Asia Pacific’s Marketing Director Sridhar Ramaswamy isn’t interested in what other companies are up to, and believes Motorola is now starting to set the pace.
“We don’t spend a lot of time focussing on our competition,” says Ramaswamy. “Motorola has to understand what the end user wants. Since Lenovo acquired Motorola we are in the process of re-establishing ourselves. We’re not really looking at who else is racing with us. There’s a lot of market out there for people who are looking and saying “Look? It’s the same old category. It’s the same old products.” They’re after something new. If you look from 2007, the smartphone hasn’t changed that much. What we’ve done is quite category changing. We think this is the next big thing as far as evolving the [smartphone].”
As well as adding extras to the phone, Motorola is also encouraging third-party hardware developers to create gadgets for the Moto Mod range and bringing them to market once approved by Motorola.
“The promise of the Moto Z Family is limitless with a number of mods currently in development,” says Adamopoulos. “Our Moto Mods Developer Program allows developers the opportunity to create the next generation of Moto Mods.”
Motorola is taking a risk by putting its eggs into the accessory basket. But question their marketing strategy and you’re met with firm determination that they are heading in the right direction.
“The Moto Z … is by far the most well spec’d and designed premium smartphone available,” says Adamopoulos, “but what really makes this range stand out is that the Moto Z Family phones are also the foundation for the entire Moto Mods ecosystem, transforming your mobile experience for the better in a snap.”