Motorola Inc is an American, multinational, Fortune 100 mobile phone manufacturer based in Schaumburg, Illinois. In addition to handsets, the company manufactures mobile phone-related infrastructure, and other products like set-top boxes, digital video recorders, and network equipment used to enable video broadcasting, computer telephony, and high-definition television.
Motorola cell phones are known for being stylish. Lately, however the company has focused on adding more functionality such as 3G, or third-generation, network support and multimedia features. Still, many critics assert that Motorola’s new products are merely upgraded versions of the company’s existing phones.
They are still working the style angle, however, and followed up their popular Razr with an even thinner phone called the Razr2. Motorola’s Razr was intensely popular, and will sell its 100 millionth unit in the next few weeks. This has helped Motorola increase its market share, but Motorola have been criticized for commoditizing the phone by allowing mobile providers to slash prices on the phone. They also offer the popular Rokr, which doubles as a music player. These days, many Motorola phones, including the Razr, are available from every major carrier in the United States.
If you are interested in buying a Motorola mobile phone, make sure it is compatible with your mobile network provider. Cell phone carriers in the US operate over two completely different types of network: CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) and GSM (Global System for Mobile communication). Both technologies are fully capable of transmitting both voice and data, but they do so in different ways. Thus, they are completely incompatible with each other. The USA is predominantly CDMA, but GSM coverage is constantly improving.
The GSM standard is primarily advantageous for people who travel a lot. If you travel a lot then you can get your phone “unlocked” so it will work with any carrier. Then, when you arrive at your destination country, you can buy a phone number—and a chip—at almost any phone store or minimart. It’s the cheapest way of having a cell phone when you travel. Today’s cell phone networks offer many services beyond the ability to make calls. Many phones allow you to access your email, provided the network coverage includes it. If you have kids with cell phones, they’ll probably install games on their cell phones.
There are approximately 200 million cell phone subscribers in the United States today. According to a 2005 survey published in Consumer Reports, about a third of them are so dissatisfied with their mobile phone service they are considering switching to another mobile network provider. Calls are dropped for no apparent reason, and spotty network coverage means that even in a major city, where you stand may make a striking difference in how good your coverage is—or whether it exists at all. You might have a strong signal in your living room and no signal in your bedroom. You’d think that the industry, as riddled with problems as it is, would be unable to survive—yet cell phones remain wildly popular.
