Motorola boss fights back against Jony Ive's Moto Maker criticism

Motorola President Rick Osterloh disagrees with Apple designer Jony Ive's criticism of the Moto Maker phone customization program. In a recent profile of Ive, the designer sharply criticized an unnamed competitor that allowed customers to "make it whatever you want," saying that that "I believe that's abdicating your responsibility as a designer." Osterloh wasn't about to take that sitting down.

In an interview with BBC, Osterloh said:

"Our belief is that the end user should be directly involved in the process of designing products. "We're making the entire product line accessible. And frankly, we're taking a directly opposite approach to them [Apple]."

Additionally, Osterloh took a shot at Apple's pricing, calling it "outrageous". A 16GB iPhone 6 runs $649, while a 16GB Moto X (2014) (with a 1080p screen, nonetheless) prices in at $399.99. Even the highest-tier Moto X (64GB storage, wood or leather back) costs less than the first-tier iPhone 6.

Clearly the two strategies are quite different. Apple offers the iPhone 6, iPad Air 2, and their other iOS products in silver with a white front, gold with a white front, or dark gray with a black front. That's it.

Motorola, on the other hand, allows customers to pick-and-choose the color and even material choice of every outward-facing component of the Moto X. You can have a black or a white front, your choice of color for the trim, and options for the back of various colors, leathers, and woods.

While Jony Ive would never let you have an iPhone with a leather back (you'll have to buy a case for that, and Apple will gladly sell you one), it's worth noting that the Apple Watch will offer numerous options for personalizing the look — multiple versions of the body, two sizes, and several choices (in multiple colors) for the band. So perhaps Sir Jony Ive and Moto Maker aren't that far apart after all.

Source: BBC