Motorola Posts $3.6 Bln Loss, CFO Leaves

By Geoff Duncan Published February 3, 2009

Motorola Posts $3.6 Bln Loss, CFO Leaves

Troubled mobile phone maker Motorola has announced its financial results for the fourth quarter of 2008…and the results are not pretty. The company reports fourth quarter sales of $7.1 billion, but a net loss for the quarter of a whopping $3.6 billion. Most of the loss isn’t actually in cash, however: instead, it’s calculated from impaired goodwill of existing assets and an increase in deferred tax asset valuation, and Motorola still has $7.4 billion in cash. Without those charges, Motorola would have only lost one cent per share.

Motorola’s mobile phone business continues to struggle, with a net loss of $595 million for the quarter.

Recommended Videos

The company has also bid farewell to CFO Paul Liska, who is departing with no reason given. Motorola’s co-CEOs praised Liska for his work in preparing the company to spin off its cell phone business, but that separation was postponed last year as the unit’s finances worsened. Motorola corporate controller and senior VP Edward Fitzpatrick will take over CFO duties.

Motorola is now engaging in belt-tightening and cost reductions designed to save the company roughly $1.5 billion in 2009.

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…

Mobile

The Motorola Razr 3 is expected to arrive in June 2022

A close-up of the first generation Motorola Razr with its foldable display seen clearly.

Motorola is preparing to launch a third Motorola Razr phone in June 2022, according to a new report from German tech site TechnikNews. In the final days of December 2021, the existence of the Motorola Razr 3 was confirmed via a Weibo post from a Lenovo executive. Now this report (and another from the folks over at XDA Developers) purports to share more precise time frames and spec details. Lenovo's Chen Jin already confirmed that the Razr 3 would be far more powerful than existing Moto Razr phones, and this backs it up. The upcoming device will reportedly be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor, which is currently the most powerful model in the Qualcomm series.

This processor has been employed recently by the Honor Magic V and will soon appear in the OnePlus 10 Pro handset. The RAM available would be a solid 12GB, though variants with 8GB and 6GB respectively could also be available with up to 512GB of storage. In contrast, the Motorola Razr 5G came with a pedestrian Snapdragon 765G, the same processor that powers the budget Pixel 5a 5G. The previous Motorola Razr came with an even weaker Snapdragon 710. This would represent a significant improvement over both those efforts if true, and it'll make the Razr a viable alternative to the more powerful and critically acclaimed Galaxy Z Flip 3.

Mobile

Google’s 3-year update promise for the Pixel 6 is disappointing but predictable

Pixel 6 Pro in the pocket

With the launch of the Google Pixel 6 and Google Pixel 6 Pro, Google announced that its phones would be getting up to five years of security updates. While that was initially leaked as four years of major software updates, Google has clarified that its newest Pixels would have at least three years of operating system updates -- so Android 13, 14, and 15. Google also clarified that it provide will five years of security patches for Pixel devices, as opposed to the three years which it currently guarantees.

Google shifting over to its newly minted Tensor chip was seen as the company taking a path toward Apple-esque support timelines, allowing it to support the Pixel with software updates without being limited by support from the chipset maker. Obviously, this is not going to be the case, but it's also not without precedent. Google has promised to speed up updates by removing the barriers both for Android as a whole and its Pixel devices in particular.

Mobile

Upcoming Fossil Gen 6 swartwatch won’t run Wear OS 3 until 2022

fossil gen 6 specs leak

Fossil this week unveiled its next-generation smartwatch lineup, called the Fossil Gen 6. While fans were excited for the launch, the company revealed that the much-anticipated Fossil Gen 6 will be launched with Wear OS 2 rather than the new Wear OS 3 seen on the latest Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic and Watch 4. This is a surprising and disappointing revelation about the new hardware.
Users eager for the OS 3 update will have to wait till 2022, when it will be available after a full factory rese is performed, which is something we haven't typically seen required for an OS update. The Gen 6 will also be the first device to have the Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 4100 Plus Platform, unlike the new Galaxy Watches, which use the Exynos W920 processor. The company says the new chipset will offer a 30% performance boost compared to Gen 5 devices and more efficient power consumption.

A notable addition is the SpO2 sensor, which monitors blood oxygen levels with an “upgraded heart rate sensor to allow continuous tracking and improved signal accuracy.” The Gen 6, like its predecessor (the Fossil Gen 5), offers a microphone and speaker functionality for Android and iOS, so you can take calls and use Google Assistant on the go. The Gen 6 also lets you access the Google Play Store to download Google-based apps like Google Pay. You can also download third-party apps like Spotify, which recently started supporting offline playback for Wear smartwatches. This could be a key feature for runners and music lovers who enjoy working with custom playlists.
Along with the Gen 6’s upgraded features, users can enjoy 8GB of storage and 1GB of RAM with super-optimized battery life (up to 24 hours) for an improved experience that will likely be boosted by the aforementioned Snapdragon Wear 4100+ improvements. It is said to charge twice as fast, “reaching 80% in only a little more than 30 minutes of charging.” The company says this feature is helpful for tracking your sleep, as users can have a fully charged device ready within minutes of waking up after a full night’s use.
The Fossil Gen 6 features a 1.28-inch, AMOLED touchscreen display with 3 ATM water-resistance, making it safe to use when swimming. The Gen 6 comes in two sizes: A 44mm case offering a choice of four colors and a 42mm case offering three colors for added variety and style options. Users also have the option to customize dials and buttons for a more personalized look.
The Gen 6 is priced starting at $299 and $319, which seems to be consistent with Gen 5 and other Wear smartwatch prices. You can pre-order the Gen 6 on Fossil’s official website, and the company says your order will ship around the end of September if you order now.