@Sean Connery HUGE fan, sir. Could anything possibly coax you out of retirement, or are you done for good?

@Chris Ziegler

Perhaps a box of Behikes! Ha, maybe Ill reconsider my decision..

On another note, I do enjoy the site.

@Sean Connery
I watched you in 'Cuba' last night and you definitely made that point in the film.

@Sean Connery I'm not afraid to beg, sir. Come on out of retirement!

On-topic: Whoa. Somewhere, Google is slowing the process for 2.1 to hit the DROID that much more.
:)

@AlienSix Not by want it doesn't lol

@AlienSix

And the Andoroid did Bing, did it hard.. then googled all over its face.

What? a new low for commenting you say?

Meh.

@AlienSix I don't think it's really that surprising. I mean it'd be a pretty big headache for Motorola if Google really backed out of the Chinese market but all of Motorola's handsets there depended on Google maps and Google search since everything would stop working on the phones and result in a support nightmare for Motorola.
I'm guessing the reason why it's going to be global is because 1) They probably get paid to partner with Bing anyway and 2) Less support headaches if you don't have to support 2 totally different sets of software depending on region. You really can't blame Motorola for not wanting to load their phones up with software that might stop working at any moment.

@Jimbojones

To get their AdMob on.

@gerrrg except they have no way to enforce so and Microsoft and Yahoo and riding the bus for free

To prevent apple from utterly controlling the wireless space, thus controlling the Next Big Thing in advertising.

@Jimbojones Google wants to shake things up - it knows that eventually it will come up with a killer product to take over the market, but until it does, it needs to make sure the status quo never settles down.

@Jimbojones

I'm starting to ask myself the same question. We all know that Google has money to burn from the wild success of its search engine, but to go as far as to let stuff like this happen? The only point for Android even existing is to push their services. If they let the industry run over them, they aren't going to have a very long future. Technology is cut-throat these days.

@Jimbojones they simply have NO business model. It sounds insane, but that's the way it is.

They just couldn't let Apple win the phone market like they did on the audio market with the iPods, because everyone know that mobile browsing will soon be the main internet experience (it is already the case in japan), and PCs will be left behind. But they still have no business model, no way to put some glorious ads on our pocket screens...

@Jimbojones To expand the use of google products. Gmail, Google Maps, and and the Google brand are all central to the Android experience, and have the net effect of locking in PC users with and Android device. For Google, the potential benefits of expanding the user base of their ecosystem more than outweighs the insignificant (for Google) costs, even if their search isn't included.

@I was swhite237 I lost my passwo

I kinda disagree with you. Google created decent OS, but I don't think they did things right with the licencing. As you can see Motorola is turning their back away, I'm sure other brands might do the same and simply take a search provider who pays the most. With so many new UI on top of Android menus, there is no real Android experience. I think we see the fragmentation to happen more and more. I'm a bit worried.

I get why Google came with Android, but I think they did not really expect somebody like Motorola turning to other search provider so quickly.

@Jimbojones I kind of disagree with you too. I fully concur when you say that their should be android experience devices. Google needs to be more than the provider of a core that can be built on, it needs to push forward mobile use paradigms. However, other companies (HTC, or even Motorola) have equally valid ideas about how to interact with a mobile device. Building a user interface on top of Android keeps the market from further fragmenting into disparate, competing smart phone platforms. Google needs to push it's user interface by providing partners with the latest version first (like they did with the Droid) in exchange for the manufacturer leaving the Android install clean, not modifying the license.

@Steven not*

@Steven Amen, brother

@Steven - Completely agree! The DROID is the only Moto Android powered phone that I'm actually interested in so far.

@Steven The Droid was the only good Motorola Android phone. Eclair, no Motoblur, decent specifications.

@Steven What does Motorola's relationship with Google have to do with the success of the phone? Abandoning Google and playing around with Android is not always a bad thing, just look to Sense. In fact in certain cases, such as enabling playback of certain protected files, a break with the big G becomes necessary. The Droid didn't succeed because of it's relationship with Google, it succeeded because of a combination of good software (the first appearance of Android 2.0), solid hardware, and a very good network provider who backed their new device with a solid ad campaign. On the flip side, Motorola's BLUR devices aren't succeeding because they have inferior software and incredibly cheap software. I simply don't believe that affiliation with Google is necessary for success in the Android space. If it was, the Nexus One would be the best selling Android phone to date.

@I was swhite237 I lost my passwo

You bring up a very good point. The advertising and marketing behind the droid...

@Steven Look at it from the eyes of Moto CEO. The company is trying to gain their market share. For that they dont have to release Droid1 Droid2 Droid3 etc. Agreed that Droid is a very good phone. But the company is trying to sell phones to all kinds of audience(techies, corporate, students, teens) and at different price ranges and also from different carriers on different wireless technologies(CDMA, GSM, iDEN). Im not a big fan of MotoBlur but a cheaper device like BackFlip/CLIQ(which will sure sell for free on 3rd party sites in few weeks) on ATT/TMobile(most preferred by teens) , good for social networking will definitely go into many teenager's pockets who cannot afford an iPhone but need a touch phone.
For this Topic, Android is Open Source... does it tightly bind manufacturers to use only google services? No kidding me !.
@ Author(Nilay Patel) : check this http://www.fiercemobileit.com/story/motorola-open-using-windows-phone-7/2010-02-23
Motorola is open on considering Windows Phone 7. You have outdated info.

@trainwrecka Yup! And it's Payback time! Google did something similar to MS last year: http://www.mobiletechworld.com/2009/11/17/microsoft-verizon-google-won-round-1/

@Matt l - My issue is that it seems extremely hard, if not impossible to add Google back as the default service on Moto's latest Android powered phones. I don't give a crap who they set as the default, so long as I can go right back to Google.

@shu8i Google kinda screwed moto first they let them release droid as the flag ship phone and then two months later basically said that all android phones aren't the real deal get the nexus one so you can really see what android can do.

@shu8i That approach kind of explains why Motorola has problems with profitability. If you do something, you should be firm about it, otherwise you just alienate customers. I am along time Nokia fan. I like them for being themselves. If I buy a Nokia phone, every time I know what I will get. Maybe their phones do not have the most fashionable fancy UIs (yes, UIs is fashion, not technology, there is nothing high-tech about few hundred lines of code), but their technology is rock solid. Add to that a huge applications base compatible across the range of Nokia's products and you get a really really solid device.

@JonNRb I agree. Google needs to start reigning in these manufacturers and ensuring that the Android experience remains a "Google Experience". This whole idea of being open is great but there is such a thing as too much openness and Motorola seems to be intent on going that route. If it weren't for Android they'd be relegated to the "who gives a f*ck" section of the cell phone industry.

@JonNRb
I completely agree. I honestly would not be opposed to Google doing something like making all Android OS updates install the relevant Google apps as the default or primary apps, or even just writing a clause that says to be allowed to receive and install Android OS updates, the phone has to have Google apps installed as the default or primary apps. Of course, some people would see this as going in the face of their open-source stance, but they are a business afterall. They don't necessarily HAVE to provide updates for free.

@foxh8er2

The end will come when motorola adds pocket internet explorer

The headline should read: Motorola uses Bing search and maps in Chinese, proves Motorola doens't get Android.

@xirsteon Kinda like schmidt did to apple huh. Sat on the board for years and watched how things went then stabbed in the back it's about time it happened back to google