Motorola and Verizon team up for TV tablet
Motorola is developing a digital tablet device that will allow users to watch television on it, as the US mobile phone group attempts to chip away at a market established by Apple's popular iPad. — The device, which will have a 10-inch screen …
Context & Ripple Effects
Verizon had already been linked to a Google-backed iPad rival in May. Motorola’s television-focused tablet gives that broader challenge a hardware partner and a clearer use case, as Apple’s iPad had helped lift Apple to third place in portable PCs when tablets are included.
First-order effects
- Motorola and Verizon pair a 10-inch tablet with television viewing, giving Verizon a dedicated device through which to compete for screen time beyond smartphones.
- Apple’s iPad faces a challenger designed around carrier-delivered video rather than Apple’s existing tablet proposition.
Second-order effects
- Verizon’s device strategy raises the value of Motorola’s ability to tailor hardware around carrier services, rather than competing only on the tablet’s standalone specifications.
- Other mobile operators and handset makers face pressure to differentiate tablets through bundled services such as video, not merely by matching the iPad form factor.
Third-order effects
- If carrier-device partnerships become the standard tablet entry route, control of subscriber relationships and service bundles may matter as much as the hardware maker’s brand.
- The move points toward tablets becoming endpoints for mobile-service packages, tightening competition between device platforms and carrier distribution.
The trend: Tablets are becoming a new battleground where carriers use exclusive hardware and media services to counter Apple’s early platform lead.