Will Design Be Enough for Motorola's Q?
I'm just about out of patience. I've been waiting for Motorola's super thin, lightweight, full Qwerty, Windows Mobile 5.0 enabled device. Complete with a camera phone and video options of course. Motorola announced yet again that the roll out will be delayed. So here's the deal. I'm going to start tracking some of the major milestones related to this product. Why? Because, similar to the RAZR—it's success relies so heavily on the design and marketing of the product (the marketing is yet to be seen—but I'm curious as hell to see what it will consist of).
Already the delay could potentially cost Motorola. When the product and it's specs were initially announced, the Q boasted the thinnest profile for a full Qwerty smart phone. The Samsung i320 has matched the Q In profile and some similar features. So what does Motorola have going for it? Design. The Q, promises to be a great experience if it can deliver both technically and with carriers. Visually appealing—small enough to finally deliver on the "pocket test" and sporting a usable keyboard, it seems to have all the right stuff. But will design be enough to compensate for market delays, competition parity and a hefty price tag? Time will tell. This is where experience, brand, marketing and product excellence all need to work together.
