Motorola smartphones put Android on hold
Posted on March 11, 2009, under Google Android.
New EDA MC55 models fit in the mid-range among Motorola’s range of enterprise-grade smartphones, which it dubs “mobile computers,” and which include features like barcode scanners and ruggedized assembly. To keep up with the rest of the company’s EDA offerings, the two new MC55 units are built to withstand a four-foot drop on concrete. Both models have color QVGA (320 x240) display screens and are VoIP-ready, in addition to having 128MB SDRAM and 256MB Flash. The MC55 is based on the Marvell XScale PXA270 520MHz processor and Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1 operating system. A number of add-ons are also available, such as a 1D laser scanner, a 2D imager and a two-megapixel digital color camera.
The MC5590 is designed for employees who work indoors, for instance healthcare and retail workers, who rely on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections. It can also function as a mobile phone, two-way radio, bar-code scanner, digital camera and mobile computer. Pricing starts at $1,695. “In healthcare, the 5590, because of its sealed nature, it can be wiped down,” Safir said. “It is what we call a truly ‘pocketable’ device because it’s compact, and really can fit in a pocket.” He also said that the 5590 could be used for taking orders tableside at a restaurant or for curb-side check-in at hotels.
For people who work outdoors, for example postal carriers and maintenance crews, there is the MC5574. It includes the 5590’s functionality, and weighs in at 11.8 ounces, but also has wireless WAN capability and GPS.
If you’re wondering whether Motorola has plans for the MC55 line to support the Google Android open-source mobile platform — as is the plan in other areas of the mobile giant’s business — it’s officially under consideration, but only for the long-term. Motorola official statement is that they “Continue to always explore what makes sense in terms of operating systems, and We have for the moment settled on the Windows Mobile OS as our platform of choice, though we are always willing [to work with] customers who need a specific OS for a very large deployment.”