Motorola president Rick Osterloh rebukes Apple's ‘outrageous prices’ in Jony Ive design clash
The head of Motorola has clashed with Apple, after its senior vice president of design Jony Ive criticised the Moto Maker smartphone customisation platform.
Last week, Ive launched a scathing attack upon an unnamed company’s phone customisation options, apparently alluding to Motorola’s "build-your-phone" scheme in a profile piece for the New Yorker.
Ive said: “Their value proposition was, 'Make it whatever you want’, you can choose whatever colour you want, and I believe that's abdicating your responsibility as a designer.”
Rick Osterloh, president of Motorola, told the BBC, that his firm takes a "directly opposite approach" to Apple when it comes to design, adding "our belief is that the end user should be directly involved in the process of designing products".
Further establishing a divide between Apple and Motorola, Osterloh said: “We do see a real dichotomy in this marketplace, where you've got people like Apple making so much money and charging such outrageous prices. We think that's not the future.”
In a swipe at Apple’s high-end iPhone range, Osterloh concluded: “A great smartphone, and a great mobile internet experience, shouldn't be an expensive luxury. It should be a simple choice for everyone.”
The Moto Maker feature offers hundreds of smartphone customisation features and can also display the designs in 3D on compatible screens.
