Motorola revealed to CNET on Saturday, August 13, that it has abandoned its Webtop concept, which allowed its phones to serve as the brains of a laptop or television entertainment hub.
“While consumers around the world have adopted Webtop and the concept spurred a lot of innovation in the industry, the adoption has not been strong enough to justify continued resources being allocated to developing Webtop on future devices,” the company said in a statement.
(Photo: ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images)
A Motorola Atrix smartphone is plugged into its keyboard and screen dock accessory at the 2011 International Consumer Electronics Show January 6, 2011 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The laptop shell or “webtop”, since it has no processor, has an 11.6-inch display, two USB ports and a full keyboard. The Atrix phone runs on Android 2.2. CES, the world’s largest annual consumer technology tradeshow, officially runs from January 6-9.
Killing The Webtop
With the help of the software known as Webtop, a Motorola smartphone, such as the Atrix 4G for AT&T, could be docked into a specialized laptop adapter and run some computer programs, including the browser.
However, sales were disappointing because the execution wasn’t very good, according to CNET. Motorola said that the project’s adoption was insufficient to warrant extra funding.
Starting with the Photon Q, Droid Razr M, Droid Razr HD, and Droid Razr Maxx HD, Webtop won’t be accessible on phones anymore.
(Photo: Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
HANOVER, GERMANY – FEBRUARY 28: A visitor tries out a laptop enabled with the new Motorola Atrix cloud computing system at the Vodafone stand at the CeBIT technology trade fair on February 28, 2011 in Hanover, Germany. CeBIT 2011 will be open to the public from March 1-5.
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Additionally, Motorola stated that Webtop would become less necessary as the Android operating system began incorporating more functions similar to those found on a desktop.
When Motorola debuted its top-tier Atrix 4G smartphone at the Consumer Electronics Show in 2011, the laptop dock was a major selling point, according to CNET.
When the device was ready to launch, Motorola and AT&T executives discussed how it could be used in the office and eliminate the need for a laptop for mobile workers.
However, AT&T and Motorola’s $500 pricing for the phone and laptop dock stopped its initial momentum, causing many people to pause and consider the product’s potential.
Even though newer devices still supported Webtop and had their own laptop docking station, the hype waned over time, as noted by CNET.
Now led by CEO Dennis Woodside, Motorola will concentrate on a few fundamental ideas, such as greater battery life, a concentration on LTE, and ensuring that its most recent smartphones receive the latest Android updates. Webtop is merely the most recent victim of the company’s relentless cost-cutting measures.
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Written by Joaquin Victor Tacla
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