Schaumberg, Ill. –
CEO Sanjay Jha promised a
slew of new mobile devices in the second half, including a greater variety of
tablets and more handsets like the Atrix 4G.
Atrix 4G, available with AT&T
service and dual-core 1GHz processor, docks with a laptop-like Lapdock with screen
and keyboard to provide big-screen access to the smartphone’s content and to a smartphone-powered
web browser.
In an investors’ conference call,
Jha also disclosed that Motorola pushed back the launch of its Bionic 4G LTE
phone for Verizon Wireless until the summer from a previously promised early
second quarter and will push back the launch of the 4G LTE version of its Xoom
tablet to coincide with the launch.
A 4G software issue was “probably
the main matter” responsible for the delay, he said, but the delay will enable
the company to add new features. “We worked with Verizon to re-feature the
device” and make it “much better,” he said.
The “upshot” of the 4G Xoom and
Bionic is an “aberration,” Jha said, contending that “the company’s execution
track record has been good.”
In tablets Jha said Motorola plans
“multiple [tablet] form factors” in the second half, which include 4G and Wi-Fi
tablets. In a previous investors’ conference call, he cited plans for a 7-inch
tablet. He didn’t disclose additional details.
For the full year, Jha forecast
that Motorola will sell 1.5-2 million tablets, compared to the 250,000 sold in
the first quarter, when the WiFi+3G Xoom became available on the Verizon
network on Feb. 24 and the Wi-Fi version became available March 27.
In new Atrix-like phones, Jha said
he would expand the Atrix concept to more price points ranging from the premium
business tier to the consumer tier.
The current Atrix retails for
$199, with the Lapdock sold separately at $399. AT&T also bundles the Atrix
and Lapdock at $499 after $100 mail-in rebate.
In May, Jha said, AT&T will lower the
price of the Atrix-Lapdock bundle to $399 after $100 mail-in rebate.
Jha also said Motorola is expanding
distribution of its Xoom Wi-Fi through Sprnt’s direct channels, including
company-owned stores. Sprint will launch it on May 8 at $599.
