While it's not quite curtains for Verizon's Droid line, Motorola's upcoming Moto X may mark a change of course in the chummy relationship between the two companies.
According to sources speaking with The Verge, Motorola's next flagship smartphone will break from tradition and not be marketed under the Droid line as a Verizon exclusive.
Unlike previous tie-ups between Motorola and Verizon such as the Droid RAZR HD and Droid RAZR Maxx HD, the Moto X will be marketed on its own merits, free of the carrier's macho Terminator-style brand and advertising.
Instead, Motorola will market Moto X as "the first smartphone that you can design yourself," starting with a splashy ad campaign appearing today in major U.S. newspapers. It all looks very Tommy Hilfiger-esque, to tell you the truth.
Droid lives on
Aside from Motorola's reported efforts to expand its Moto X ambitions beyond Verizon, the longtime partners appear to be cooking up other handsets to fill the void.
According to a Verizon web page that briefly appeared yesterday morning, Motorola is building a new line of Droid Ultra handsets for the nation's largest carrier.
Described as "extremely thin and available in several colors," Motorola plans to market the Droid Ultra in the same timeframe as the Moto X in the coming weeks.
Motorola's Moto X campaign also taps into some Made in the States sentiments by touting the device as "assembled in the USA" using a Ft. Worth, Texas factory which Motorola expects will employ more than 2,000 new workers by the end of summer.
- Find out more details on the upcoming Moto X!
