Motorola - whose smartphones this year, especially the Moto X Play and the Moto X Style, have received a positive response from users and reviewers alike - has another interesting device up its sleeves for the Indian market. In an interview with IBNLive, Amit Boni, general manager, Motorola India, reveals, the company is going to launch the Moto X Force in India in the month of January. What makes the much-awaited phone stand out in the market is its shatterproof display, which is said to absorb shock and prevent breakage.
Besides sharing as to how Motorola aims to kick off the new year in India, Boni also talks about the company’s Android Marshmallow rollout plan for the Moto G and the Moto X Play in India.
IBNLive: Motorola has already started rolling out Android Marshmallow for the Moto X Style, but what is the company’s plan to make the latest Android update available for other Moto smartphones including the Moto X Play and the Moto G (3rd generation), in India?
Amit Boni: Moto G (3rd gen) and Moto X Play are soon going to get the Marshmallow update. In fact, they are around the corner. We generally look at a lot of stability factors before we roll out an update. I don’t remember the exact date, but it will definitely happen in the December-January timeframe.
IBNLive: Has the Marshmallow rollout to these device been started globally?
Amit: No. And actually for the Moto G, India is always the lead market. So, India will be one of the first markets to get it.
IBNLive: You recently introduced the shatterproof display technology with the Droid Turbo 2. When can we see that technology coming to Moto phones in India?
Amit: The Moto X Force will soon be introduced in India. It has the same Moto ShatterShield display technology. Also, the name "Droid Turbo 2" is exclusive to the US; the same phone will be introduced as the Moto X Force in India and other countries.
(Motorola recently introduced its shatterproof display technology - Moto ShatterShield - which is said to be an integrated system consisting of five layers designed from materials that absorb shock from impact and are guaranteed not to shatter.)
IBNLive: When?
Amit: In January.
The Moto X Force
Moto ShatterShield: An integrated system consisting of five layers designed from materials that absorb shock from impact.
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Moto X Force is shatterproof and "won't crack under pressure."
IBNLive: Like the Moto E, do you have any plans to start selling other devices offline as well?
Amit: We will look at what can work and what not for us. And if we think we should bring other products to retail as well, then we will do that.
IBNLive: So if it happens, when can we see other Moto devices being sold offline?
Amit: It’s not a time-frame specific question. I think it’s a matter of do we even believe that we need to go offline with other devices. The idea is if need be, we will.
There is no specific plan as such. It’s a question of the overall business plan. It’s a question of how do we see our channel strategy move around. We review that periodically, and if we think there is a need to take one product or multiple products offline, we will do that. But there are no plans as yet. We haven’t thought of going to retail with any other product.
IBNLive: Given that over a year-old Nexus 6 is selling at the same price point as the latest Nexus 5X, how are you planning to give the Nexus 5X a run for its money?
Amit: At the current price point, I think the Nexus 6 is better than the Nexus 5X.
IBNLive: Do you have any plans to discontinue the Nexus 6?
Amit: No, we have no plans to discontinue the Nexus 6 as there is a significant demand for the phone in the market.
IBNLive: Motorola has quite smartly placed its Moto handsets across segments in the Indian smartphone market. But the company still has no phone between Rs 20K and Rs 30K price tags. How are you planning to fill that gap?
Amit: I don’t see price segments in India the way you call them out. I think it’s a matter of having good products within certain price range. We do look at sub-Rs 10K, between Rs 10K-15K, and Rs 15K-20K, but then we think Rs 20K-Rs 30K is a very contiguous kind of price band. There are people with a budget range of about Rs 20K-25K, they have a product called the X Play, and then about people who have a budget of Rs 25K-30K can go for the Moto X Style. I do not think there has to be a product for every Rs 5000 price break.
IBNLive: What is your product roadmap for the Indian market for the next year?
Amit: Our portfolio is not going to be dramatically very different from what you have seen in a couple of year’s time. We focus on a very limited number of products. Our first product next year for the Indian market will be the Moto X Force. It is coming in January.
IBNLive: Both LG and Samsung have produced Nexus phones for Google for two consecutive years. Why was it that Motorola's partnership with Google couldn't run for another year?
Amit: Firstly, probably, I am not the right person to answer that. But then, if you see our products, they are in any case as close, from a stock Android perspective, to Nexus. For instance, if you look at the Moto X Style and compare it to the competition, you actually don’t need a Nexus.
IBNLive: But still, does Motorola have any plans to bring the next-gen Nexus with Google?
Amit: No, not that I am aware of.
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