Motorola adopts the AI craze: fiasco or flourish?،
Motorola is the latest brand to march in step with the latest trend: AI.
I'm willing to bet a fair amount that you're already sick of the two-letter phenomenon. Get ready though, because AI will be discussed non-stop in the coming months. Did I say “months”? Sigh…
A few days ago, Motorola announced its upcoming flagship, the AI-focused Moto X50 Ultra, and released a teaser video to hook fans.
This made me wonder: Is this a winning strategy for Motorola, or are there some sneaky obstacles in the way?
Why this rush towards AI?
AI is hot, very hot.
While you go shopping for your protective clothing and heat-resistant gloves, let's talk about what happens if a brand does not ride the AI wave. Enter Apple.
This week alone (it's March 7, 2024, Anno Domini), Apple's stock price hit its lowest level for this year, closing at $170.12 and trading below $170 in recent days . Long story short, there are many reasons why investors are pessimistic about Apple's prospects, such as:
This is why, although belatedly, Apple recently announced that major iOS 18 changes are coming, including deep AI integration and AI presence throughout the operating system.
Meanwhile, ChatGPT is more popular than ever, Google's AI has made headlines (but not without royal errors), Samsung's Galaxy S24 line is all about AI, and the Pixel 8 has also been touted as AI-oriented in fall 2023. Nvidia, a leader in AI-oriented chip manufacturing, saw brutal gains of 240% in 2023. Yes, AI is hot.
But is AI currently a major selling point, or is it just another marketing campaign from brands?
Let's explore both possibilities:
- AI is truly sought after by the public. Even those who hate AI have to admit that there are (many) useful tools that AI is responsible for. Generating images and videos can be fun, but there's more to AI than just that, including streamlining tedious tasks. Additionally, Circle to Search and Live Translate are useful!
…Or…
- AI is being imposed on us by businesses. On the other hand: AI is just a cover. I'm not a fan of conspiracy theories (although, since 2020, I've been very careful about calling something a “conspiracy theory”), but I definitely see how AI is used by brands as a smokescreen. After all, smartphone innovation has stagnated and phone makers can't resist the opportunity to show off something new, like AI whistles and bells.
Brands have been playing with AI for years now, from installing advanced virtual assistants in our phones, improving the camera experience, to offering the iPhone's predictive typing feature, and much more . Only now are they pushing the boundaries, sharing in the popularity and fame of ChatGPT.
AI: I can't live with it, I can't live without it
And then, there is another reason behind the craze for AI: it’s like wildfire. If others do, Motorola has no choice but to succumb and jump on the bandwagon as well. If a giant like Apple manages to injure itself by missing the AI train, imagine what damage would be to Motorola in the future.
You might think that businesses (just like humans) are all very different from each other, but it's the opposite.
Motorola is doing more than well without AI
Motorola executives better have a solid strategy and not waste a good thing: even without AI, Motorola has been doing very well lately. Motorola was the fourth largest smartphone shipper in Europe in 2023, with 6.4 million units shipped, an increase of 34% from the 4.7 million shipped in 2022. Motorola's European market share in 2023 was 5%, compared to 3% in 2022.
AI or Orderly OS Updates?
Many users say they would rather have a better battery, better camera, better build, better screen, or better camera. never mind on AI.
Here are some comments from PhoneArena users, all from the AI-centric Moto X50 Ultra report:
Let's be honest, the AI looks cool and anything but leaning or playing too deeply with it will cause bigger problems in the future.
All this hype about AI is just to hide that we've reached a plateau with the hardware. I think I'll go offline for a few years until this latest craze passes.
Motorola please listen to potential customers, give the software and updates some love, it's not too much to ask.
Obviously, we can't expect Motorola to push out software updates at the speed of Google and its Pixel phones, but a slight boost would be nice, right?
Towards AI or not towards AI, that is the question
In the words of Agent Smith (The Matrix, 1999): AI is inevitable, despite what Mr. Anderson, aka Neo, thinks.
AI is creeping into our lives – uh, Telephone(s) – as we speak, whether we like it or not. Motorola simply cannot afford not to jump on the AI bandwagon. Apple did it in 2023 and has been paying dearly for it ever since.
I think Motorola won't make a mistake integrating AI into its 2024 (and beyond) flagships. Things are a bit complicated when it comes to Motorola's mid-range, budget and cheap phones.
As noted above, AI is what floats one individual's boat, but can sink another's. If the prices of cheap and budget Moto handsets increase due to AI implementation, it would be a disappointment. Not to mention that the modest hardware found in such devices is not suitable for artificial intelligence tasks.
It would be a shame if an affordable price, but completely respectable phones like the Moto G54 Power Edition at around $200 (€180) or any of its future siblings are asphyxiated and strangled by AI.
