Motorola Doesn't Love Android That Much After All
Talking to the WSJ about the new Motorola, CEO Sanjay Jha had some interesting stuff to say. Like, if Motorola wasn't poor, they'd develop their own OS. And now that Windows Phone doesn't suck, they're open to using it again.
Context & Ripple Effects
Motorola spent 2009 positioning Android as the stronger option than Windows Mobile and courting Android developers. Its confirmed Android handset pipeline—including the Backflip, Devour and China models—gave that strategy tangible distribution.
Jha’s reported willingness to revisit Microsoft software reframes Android as a pragmatic product choice rather than an exclusive platform commitment. The stated desire for an in-house OS if Motorola had the resources also highlights the company’s preference for greater control over its software layer.
First-order effects
- Motorola can preserve negotiating leverage across Android and Windows Phone rather than tying its handset roadmap to one outside platform.
- Microsoft gains a prospective handset partner if Motorola follows through on the reported openness to Windows Phone.
Second-order effects
- Google must compete not only for Motorola device launches but also for Motorola’s developer and product attention, despite the company’s earlier public preference for Android over Windows Mobile.
- Motorola’s carrier partners face a broader software mix as the company brings Android devices such as the Backflip to market while keeping another platform option open.
Third-order effects
- The episode points toward handset makers treating mobile operating systems as interchangeable supplier relationships, while reserving the option to build proprietary software when scale and capital permit.
The trend: Smartphone manufacturers are seeking more bargaining power by avoiding exclusive dependence on a single operating-system provider.