I’ve had the amazing opportunity to speak with Motorola’s VP of Customer Experience and Design, Ruben Castano, regarding the brand’s future and current plans, as well as hot takes on current smartphone trends and competition which were very interesting, in an exclusive interview for PhoneArena. Buckle up!
Motorola rented a huge arena in Belgrade to present its new mid-range and entry-level devices - Image by PhoneArena
The Motorola Edge devices challenge the market
With the Edge 50 and 50 Neo making their debut on the old continent, I was interested in what went into designing the devices, and what Motorola thinks are their biggest strengths.
According to Mr. Castano, the new additions to the Edge 50 family bring a lot of focus on fit and finish, as well as their looks, with very modern and bold color options, while keeping a common design language across both the Moto G and Edge series and accessible price tags.
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With the Edge 50 Neo, we are done with curved displays and in with some amazing-looking color options curated by Pantone: Pantone Poinciana, Pantone Grisaille, Pantone Lattè, and Pantone Nautical Blue.
"The entire Edge family brings premium features to a broader set of consumers. They (Edge phones) challenge the market. Users should look at what they are getting with an Edge device and compare it with our competitors." - Ruben Castano
Ruben also had some thoughts regarding the more entry-level Motorola phones announced in Belgrade:
"We are bringing some very premium features down to lower price points in the areas that matter most to consumers: cameras and display. That's always been the vision of the Moto G franchise." - Ruben Castano
Putting such a big focus on appearances with all of Motorola’s color options, I couldn’t help but think of Moto Maker from back in the day. This was a US-exclusive online store from Motorola that let you configure your OG Moto X to your liking with vast choices of back designs, different colors of elements, etc. This level of customization was never seen before or since in the smartphone market, and I had to ask whether Motorola has plans to bring it back in some capacity.
"It’s a great idea. Color has really been a success to us in terms of talking in a different way to consumers… making the Motorola brand relevant to younger and traditional consumers. Being able to personalize it (the phone) would be amazing. We’ll see." - Ruben Castano about Moto Maker possibly making a comeback
The Edge 50 Neo on Belgrade's basketball courts in all its color options - Image by PhoneArena
Motorola offers the RAZR and Apple doesn’t, won’t mess with Google’s Android experience
Speaking to Ruben Castano, I told him it is now safe to say that Motorola has conquered the Samsung smartphone world successfully. But then I dared to ask how the brand plans on tackling Apple, with its cult following in North America and Europe.
"A great example of what Motorola offers and Apple doesn't is the RAZR franchise. Since we launched the RAZR Plus 2023, we have seen great reception from Apple users. Around 20% of people who buy a Motorola RAZR device are coming from Apple. Now, our current RAZR line of products, they really don’t sacrifice anything anymore compared to a traditional form factor.
The future will be a very careful balance between digital and physical aspects, we have to be very good at both. Apple balances very well especially on the software side." - Ruben Castano regarding the iPhone against the RAZR
It might be surprising to some, but 20% of new RAZR buyers come from an iPhone. - Image of the last two generations of RAZR Plus phones by PhoneArena
Still, if we are thinking about distinguishing the Motorolas in the world on the software side as well as the hardware one, we can’t not think of taking different approaches to user interface design and exclusive features.
"We have always been very proud of saying we are pure Android. We don’t see any value in competing with and reinventing Android. We compliment (the OS) with things we see consumers need and want.
One example is our Smart Connect platform, which allows the Motorola user to connect their phone with any Windows 10 PC seamlessly and run the Android experience there." - Rubert Castano is sure Motorola will keep the Vanilla Android experience
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Iskren, a former tech journalist at PhoneArena, has been passionate about technology since his childhood, sparked by his early experiences with phones like the Ericsson T28 and Sony Ericsson P910i. After earning a bachelor's degree in Media and Journalism, he turned his fascination with smartphones into a career, with a particular interest in Apple and Motorola. Outside of his tech pursuits, Iskren enjoys watching TV series, movies, driving, and has a deep passion for cars and Formula 1. He looks forward to the future of mobile tech, particularly the potential of rollable smartphones.
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