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An article from the Wall Street Journal says that Motorola is in talks to bring the Motorola CLIQ to other operators in the United States besides just T-Mobile, the launch partner. Motorola CEO Sanjay Jha spoke at a financial analysts conference in San Francisco and this excerpt from the WSJ says it all:
Motorola Inc. (MOT) Co-CEO Sanjay Jha said Monday his company is in talks with large U.S. operators other than initial partner T-Mobile USA to sell its Cliq smartphone, but wouldn’t elaborate on key elements about the new product, including pricing.
Jha said Motorola is “in talks with all large operators in U.S.” and is “fairly hopeful we will begin to engage with all the U.S. operators.”
We already know the Motorola Sholes is headed to Verizon Wireless soon and will likely be announced on October 7th or thereabout. We’ve seen Motorola handsets rumored to be heading to AT&T and Sprint but perhaps nixed. I’m not sure Jha’s comments can be taken literally and here is what I would expect:
- Motorola CLIQ will launch EXCLUSIVELY on T-Mobile and if it DOES land on other US networks it won’t be until well after
- Motorola’s “talks” with other carriers are likely for OTHER Android phones based on BLUR and not the actual CLIQ itself
Regardless of direct implications, I think we can assume that Motorola has a full court press on mobile carriers in the states as it readies to let its full portfolio loose. Motorola NEEDS Android and they are poised to regain dominance with Android’s help, but they can’t do so if the carriers won’t offer the phone.
Look for a LOT more Motorola Android news over the next 3 months. This is gonna be fun!
I really want to see this phone on AT&T. I cannot understand why AT&T has not jumped on this cutting edge tech. There is life after iPhone.
That’s all well and good. I just want to know how much this phone is going to cost me without having to rely on rumors or bullshit.
I really, really like the look of the Cliq, but I just want vanilla android on it. I don’t use facebook or twitter or any other social networking sites so Blur is a complete bust for me.
I’m also Canadian which means my only legit way of getting my hands on Android is through Rogers (and there’s no fing way that’s happening).
Can phones be “flashed” (is that even the right word?) to vanilla android?
cutting edge tech? What cutting edge tech? I wish they would start spreading phones to several, or all, carriers. The sholes looks promising, but there’s no way I’m moving over to Big Red, and spend Bigger Green on the same service I can get on any other carrier.
Didn’t the announcement at Mobilize09 say “Only from T-Mobile”? I would take that to mean that there will be other devices for the other networks.
Morrison/CLIQ for T-Mobile.
Sholes/???? for Verizon.
Perhaps a vertical slider for AT&T ???
By the way since Sholes will be a Google Experience phone Motorola cannot change the UI. However, they can have BLUR on it since this is not a UI/skin. It is just four new widgets/android apps that communicate with the Motorola blur servers and pull data for the services you sign up to only when there is activity on those services.
What’s your source for Oct. 7 on the Sholes. Most places are saying Dec. How sure are you of the Oct. 7 date with Verizon?
Yea seriously… is Oct 7th legit? I was thoroughly disappointed that there was no sholes info at Mobilize
Also, Crypto, what’s your source for it being a Google Experience phone?
Also, dont tell me its that “leaked” verizon document citing the Sholes in October. Seems doubtful considering the lack of information.
@BK
verizon definitely has better coverage than any other operator in the US. i had it for 2 years. but personally i would rather pay less for an open handset, even if it does have poorer coverage.
@FBN
He says announced Oct 7 or thereabout.. And then that doesn’t even state announced by Verizon.. If you look at the TMobile phone they just announced, that doesn’t have a date for sale with TMobile yet on their web page yet.. If Verizon follows what seems to be everyones sales model.. you announce and show off, then you give some vague statement of coming soon to X-carrier, then it shows up on the carriers web site as “coming soon”, and then sometime after that the carrier may or may not take pre-orders that are weeks away… The thing is, that if they really want to have some decent holiday sales they need to release some weeks before the target holiday sales, so that some buzz on “how good it is” can be made. I imagine they have some sweet spot delivery time in mind. I wouldn’t be surprised to see something similar in the works with AT&T come out in the coming weeks as well.. perhaps from HTC.
@Brak,
Here are a few of the references I found discussing the Sholes as a Google Experience phone:
On this BGR page, the Verizon slide shows “Google phone” rather than saying Android phone when referring to the Sholes:
http://android-center.com/2009/08/24/verizon-roadmap-reveals-motorola-sholes-to-launch-in-october/
On this page, below the article and before the comments is a P.S.
http://androidandme.com/2009/08/news/motorola-sholes-for-verizon-new-predictions-and-cpu-specs/
Also here, the last comment from “D” sounds like a Motorola insider:
http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2009/07/30/renders-of-android-powered-motorola-shules-fly-in-from-mother-russia/
I still believe it will have the BLUR service Motorola are using the standard Android UI.
@Brak,
Also if it is going to be a showcase for Android 2.0 (Eclair) and if Motorola want to prevent Verizon for “gimping” the phone, then it makes sense to have Sholes as a Google Experience phone.
I’m *desparate* for an Android slider on either AT&T or Verizon. The first one wins. While the CLIQ looks fine, the specs for the Sholes look much more compelling. I just wish Verizon would get out in front of this and look at it as their opportunity to finally have something quasi-competitive with the iPhone, and promote it as such.
So what are the odds that the Sholes will actually be truly available, in my hands, on Verizon before the end of the year? I’m thinking 50/50 at best.
One of the reasons ATT is picky about Android is that they have some vested interest in Yahoo. Any phone they carry has Yahoo apps on it and I don’t think they’re too crazy about Googles apps. on on of they’re phones yet.
@Crypto,
Hmm your comment about it showcasing Eclair (which is very highly likely at this point) makes sense. It would be in the interest of Google as well that it not be molested.
I saw that leaked doc, but i guess back then i didnt take it as Google Phone = Goog Exp phone…thx
@Soylibre
Android can be installed on phones with varying levels of “Googlefication”.. all the way to the point of zero Google apps.. There are some Yahoo related apps in Android Market, but none made by Yahoo themselves… Nothing to stop that from happening either.
this mite b a bit off topic, but i wuz wondering if the cliq on tmoblie can also be used 4 verizon wireless to, because its an AWESOME fone n i want it oh so BADLY!!!!!!!!