In a move that is most welcomed from the agonizing handset manufacturer, Motorola announced today at the pre-launch CTIA party its new line of devices, the BLDIT or “Build it” if you prefer to call everything by its name. We won’t complain about the naming scheme, since we have grown to know the various issues Motorola has had with vowels recently (read: RAZR, ROKR, KRZR…)
Basically, with BLDIT Motorola is allowing each and everyone to build their handset according to their needs. From CPU power to battery life, passing by RAM, internal memory, everything can be customized. You even get to choose between a 2 or 3.2 Motorola Camera or 5MP Kodak lens camera. Other options include a front facing camera, all sorts of connectivity like EDGE, 3G and Bluetooth, as well as a choice between a 3.5mm or 2.5mm earphone plug, and many many others.
The BLDIT should sport a Z10-like form factor (the kick slider), as well as Motorola’s own touchscreen-less version of the new UIQ3.3 . Prices will vary from 119$ for the very basic model to around 400$ for the most superior model. This reduced price tag is mostly due to the lack of any option to add an internal GPS, a Xenon flash for the camera or an HSDPA connectivity. Availability hasn’t been disclosed yet, but you should rest assured that once ordered online, a BLDIT would find its way to your house within a couple of weeks.
Despite these limitations, and the fact that each hardware customization gives 2 or 3 options at best, we are confident that this might just be Motorola’s new bestseller (the new RAZR). Custom-made devices concepts have been here for a while now though they haven’t been pushed forward by a global manufacturer such as Motorola. The fact that you can get rid of the hardware you barely use and put your money on getting the best options in the items that you constantly use is an enticing idea, and we are confident that this is a step in the right direction from Motorola to get over the splitting news and the recent departures.
During the live demonstration of the ordering process, Greg Brown, Motorola CEO, assured that the company’s handset division isn’t dead yet, and that the BLDIT is here to prove it: “The handset has been in the works for quite a while now, and they had finally got over the limitations of having to build different hardware options into the same physical unit.” The launch video hasn’t been published yet, but we grabbed a couple of screenshots for you during the live demonstration.
What do you think of the BLDIT? Is it a step in the right direction for the company, or do you think because of the difficulties of having to explain each hardware usage to the average Joe, it won’t pick up as fast and as efficiently as the RAZR? And what other phone manufacturers would you like to see adopt this custom-made handset scheme?
