Motorola has confirmed that it is working on a new range of smartphones, and to our surprise the company looks set to ditch its Motoblur system and adopt the Nexus way of stock Android software.
Speaking recently to PC Mag, Moto’s design chief Jim Wicks confirmed that the company is going down the stock Android route for its next phones. This is exactly what Google does with its Nexus range, offering Android as it is meant to be, with no skins or themes over the top.
“From a software and UI perspective, our strategy is to embrace Android and to make it the best expression of Android and Google in the market. It will be the unadulterated version of Android, and I feel really good about our embracing Android and being the best Android experience.”
Motorola previously skinned its Android devices with widgets, apps and themes of its own. Many weren’t fans of the Motoblur system, and so the switch to stock Android will likely make Motorola’s new devices appealing to the hardcore Android fans out there.
The switch to stock Android is likely a decision that has been helped by the company being bought out by Google, which of course produces the Android operating system. We suspect that Google has encouraged Moto to ditch its own software and go with plain Android, but you won’t see us complaining.
Wicks also believes that the smartphone spec race is getting out of control, with companies relying on figures better than last year to impress potential customers. He reckons that screens are becoming too big, and that there’s a “sweet spot” in terms of size that will please customers. It’s this sweet spot that Motorola is aiming for, along with quality over simply higher specs, with its next range of phones.
Just what that sweet spot is, is open to discussion. We love a sleek phone with a 4.3-inch screen, but some with smaller or bigger hands may prefer a smaller or larger device. What size would be your ideal phone?