It's time for the ecosystem Android to abandon the visual heritage iPhone and find its own original 'face'. About design in style Motorola and not only ..
Change is the only constant
You may not agree with this statement, but it illustrates very well what is happening in the mobile electronics market. Nothing stands still, there is no existence without development, innovations give a new impetus to improvement. Self-respecting manufacturers seek out the best ideas, bringing them to life with the help of talented designers, programmers and engineers, being in constant search. Stopping is tantamount to admitting defeat and is fraught with completely unfavorable consequences.
A quick glance at the smartphone market is enough to see a kind of stagnation in such an important aspect as the appearance of a smartphone. “Well, how could it be otherwise, Apple patented a rectangle with rounded corners, setting a standard in design,” a common man who is bored in the world of faceless smartphones sarcastically complains. In some ways he will be right, the revolution began in Cupertino, the first smartphone with an 'apple' confused the cards for absolutely everyone, partly thanks to him, the generally accepted form factor of smartphones was formed in Android. Let's not hide the fact that many large and not so manufacturers, let's say, were inspired by the ideas of designers Apple, to one degree or another using various elements of i-devices in their gadgets. The trend can hardly be called positive, however, so far nothing better Android – manufacturers cannot oppose.
In terms of the design of modern Android smartphones, in my opinion, it is important to strike a balance between premium / top-end materials and usability / reliability in use. And as much as I was not impressed by the new products from Samsung, their flagships clad in glass (S7 Active does not count) do not withstand any competition with metal smartphones from other manufacturers. Looks great, but in practice the durability is lame. Therefore, I often look at my Note 4 and do not dare to change it to something glass / ceramic, since the device still has a margin. If you think about it, then of all the manufacturers Android – smartphones only a few have the potential to create the next 'bomb', in the language of Western marketing, the 'next big thing' in terms of design.
I asked myself the question “ Who would I entrust the creation of such a design? '', After a short reflection, only one answer came to my mind – Motorola, which became part of a large Chinese concern. The mobile division of the company, to my great regret, lost its independent status, having managed to 'shoot' with the help of Moto X in the direction of spiteful critics and envious people under the control of Google and soon moved under the wing Lenovo, which, in turn, retained the remnants of its former glory in the Moto line and actually brought the company back to our market. I will give several reasons to support my idea.
Industry pioneers
As many readers know, in a dozen years the company would have celebrated its centenary, even if it did not work out, but nobody canceled the tradition, for many Motorola it symbolizes several significant milestones in the history of mobile technologies – the first radio, the first portable walkie-talkies, the first pager, the first cell phone, not to mention the devices that forever staked out a place for Motorola, if not in a museum, then in people's memory for sure. Yes, the company could not adequately accept the challenge of the new millennium and cope with the frantic speed of development of the industry, but if everything happened differently, and many would confidently continue to choose devices with the already familiar nameplate.
History Motorola in ten steps
Experimenting with design
Many devices Motorola were remembered, first of all, for their appearance, which did not leave indifferent and contributed to the subsequent acquaintance with the devices. The list is impressive – from the legendary RAZR V3 and the galaxy of 'clamshells' that followed, to the quite possibly ahead of the design thought of their time Aura, RIZR V8 and, finally, Moto Maker, to which we will return. The company has some groundwork, it's a pity that the chief designer has left the mobile department, let's see what the designer has to offer Lenovo.
Customization
I might be wrong, but the Moto X was one of the first smartphones to offer color customization and a choice of back cover materials. I remember that I could only complain that the device was not officially sold in Russia, it was completely unprofitable to look for resellers, so I had to be content with other smartphones. It seems to me that it was with Moto Maker that the fashion for replaceable covers of different colors began, and for many budget smartphones they have become standard components of the package.
Strength
I am sure many will remember the devices Motorola with a Kevlar and ballistic nylon case. The move was bold and the wow effect was not long in coming. The icing on the cake is the Moto X Force announcement, proven in countless ingenious crash tests. In this parameter, Moto is more than good.
Moto ShatterShield technology – how and why?
Resources and emotions
The new 'guardian' of Moto's legacy cannot be counted among the newcomers to the market: the company has many successful acquisitions and sold series of devices under its belt. Observing the more than active involvement of the company in the work on the segment of mobile devices, I would like to believe that Lenovo will try to approach potential buyers as much as possible and will carefully work on the image component of device perception. If only it did not turn out another rectangular 'remnant' with a faceless 'face'. Under these circumstances Lenovo, I hope it will start a large-scale experiment / study of new design trends based on the glorious past of Moto.
You can't do without an emotional component. Time after time, with the announcement of devices from the then Motorola, I wanted to run headlong to sell my smartphone and take a mega-novelty, which seemed to be able to squeeze the products of many manufacturers in terms of a combination of practicality and a unique exterior. Wow effect? Undoubtedly, this is what modern Motorola Mobility devices lack. Of course, X Play Force has significantly improved the situation, but you can and should fight for the minds of users.
Instead of output
Yes, even if Motorola left the technological world in the form in which we all remembered it, even if the 'reincarnation' was not successful the first time and there is no understanding of the new vector of movement in terms of design, but I would like to hope that the company will succeed to squeeze an orderly boring and already perceived as a reference design a la iPhone, so that it becomes the lot of a purely middle price segment of the Chinese market. I would like to believe that the remaining market is at the breaking point of this 'apple' paradigm and that Android will finally acquire its own unique and memorable design, which may later be parodied by various craftsmen from the Middle Kingdom.