Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc. will delay the launch of its first 4G smartphone, the Droid Bionic, to make tweaks to the device.
Motorola said the Droid Bionic will launch with Verizon Wireless in the summer.
Motorola pushed back the timing of the launch to incorporate new features into the phone, which was originally slated to launch in the second quarter. While the phone may ship to carriers in time, a launch may occur in the third quarter.
“Based on compelling feedback since the show, we are incorporating several enhancements to make this an even better consumer experience,” a Motorola spokeswoman said.
The push into 4G smartphones and devices with high-end components is part of Motorola’s plan to turn itself around. The company also sells the Xoom tablet, which is expected to be upgraded to 4G capabilities later this year.
Many had speculated that the Droid Bionic was scrapped in favor of another Motorola phone. It was one of four smartphones that Verizon Wireless held up during the Consumer Electronics Show in January during the presentation of its 4G service. Motorola Chief Executive Sanjay Jha also touted the device during his CES presentation.
Verizon Wireless so far has only one 4G smartphone, the HTC Corp. Thunderbolt, available to customers. It also has a number of other devices, including laptop cards and a recently released portable Wi-Fi hotspot.
Verizon Wireless is jointly owned by Verizon Communications Inc. and Vodafone Group.
Motorola shares fell 2.3 percent to $23.03 in recent trading.
They should have done the same with the Droid X. That thing is simply not ready for prime time. Just browsing the Android forums gives a clear picture of the frustration of many, like me, who went for a gadget that was released before it should have been.
That was the very last time I get anything from Motorola.
I agree with the 1st comment. Motorola should stick to hardware and stop wasting time with their annoying user interface overlay, Blur. I don’t like my hardware manufacturer and service provider telling me when and IF I’ll be able to upgrade my phone’s operating system. Imagine if Comcast told me when I could or could not install a Windows 7 Service pack on my computer.
Our mobile phone ecosystem is a joke because of control-happy providers using communication services as a means to nickel and dime their customers with confusing plans, fees, price gouging (via SMS), locked down hardware, intentional service degradation, exclusivity and other shady marketing tactics.
The Droid X was and still is riddled with all sorts of bugs, but one can’t expect Motorola to worry about their current customer base, they’re busy trying to release what seems like a new phone on a daily basis.
I had a Droid X and I also agree with the first poster. I had to do so many battery pulls and got too many FC it wasn’t even funny. Replaced with a HTC Android device, so far so good.
@Chris, what you quoted in regard to Moto in your last paragraph, a Verizon rep basically told me the same thing, I was never a fan of Moto anyway, their phones were always buggy.
Thanks for the warning, prior commentors. I have the exact same feelings about my Palm Pre+ and would like my next phone to not be the same.