Motorola president states obvious: Apple charges too much

In a recent interview with the BBC, Motorola President Rick Osterloh took a moment to respond to criticism from Apple’s lead designer, Jony Ive. Ive, in an interview with the New Yorker, stated that the Moto-Maker allowed Motorola to abdicate its responsibility as a designer (note: Ive did not actually mention Motorola by name).

Osterloh told the BBC that Motorola believed in a different philosophy involving consumer engagement with the design process.

Ive’s full comment to the New Yorker was as follows: “Their value proposition was, ‘Make it whatever you want. You can choose whatever colour you want.’ And I believe that’s abdicating your responsibility as a designer.”

Osterloh did not take kindly to the assault on the Moto-Maker and fired back, “Our belief is that the end user should be directly involved in the process of designing products. We’re making the entire product line accessible. And frankly, we’re taking a directly opposite approach to them [Apple].”

The Motorola exec then went on to criticize Apple’s exorbitant pricing scheme for its devices: “We do see a real dichotomy in this marketplace, where you’ve got people like Apple making so much money and charging such outrageous prices. We think that’s not the future.”

Motorola’s budget devices, the Moto G and Moto E, and especially Motorola’s flagship, the Moto X, are all devices that offer feature-rich experiences to consumers at prices that fall well below that of Apple’s. Speaking of the Moto G and Moto E, Osterloh went on to say:

We believe the future is in offering similar experiences and great consumer choice at accessible prices.

The mobile phone industry’s greatest failure is also its greatest opportunity: to make really good, affordable devices for people who don’t want to spend a lot of money.

A great smartphone, and a great mobile internet experience, shouldn’t be an expensive luxury. It should be a simple choice for everyone.

Source: BBC

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