Why Motorola will be massive in 2015

With some excellent end-of-year results and a promising future under Lenovo, Motorola is a serious one-to-watch contender in the mobile market for 2015. Here’s what we’re expecting from the tech giant this year…

Over the last five years, Motorola has led a challenging and uncertain existence. Despite once being one of the biggest names in mobile tech, and making a number of solid devices in the recent times such as the excellent Moto G (one of the best-value handsets around), the company has endured a long-lasting spell in the shadows of Samsung, Sony, Apple et al.

Motorola’s misfortune was thought to be over when Google bought the company in 2011, but Moto continued to linger at the sidelines, with workers being laid off and reported losses, until the search giant finally sold up in 2014. Now though, under the ownership of Lenovo, things finally appear to be on the mend. And 2015 is already shaping up to be the year of the mighty Moto.

We just found out that profits have grown to $1.9 billion, a serious improvement over Google’s time in the hot seat, and that’s due in no small part to real interest in devices like the budget-priced Moto G and one of the best Android Wear wearables so far, the Moto 360.

And it looks like the coming months are shaping up for more of the same. First off, we’re hoping to see a 4G version of the excellent revamped Moto G land in the UK, bringing even more value to this classic handset.

Then there’s a new Moto 360 smartwatch reportedly in the offing. The next-gen wearable is expected to launch in Q2 of 2015 – perhaps at MWC in Barcelona next month – and will likely feature a number of improvements across the board. We’re personally hoping for a slimmer, sexier watch face made of solid metal, to truly rival the Zenwatch and LG G Watch R.

There are also rumours afoot of an exciting new Moto phablet, which gossip-mongers tell us will sport a 5.9-inch qHD display, Snapdragon 801 64-bit chip and 4GB RAM, as well as a gigantic 4000mAh battery.

Finally, we’re also expecting the 2015 version of the increasingly popular Moto X flagship, which should appear with some seriously innovative features. Motorla packed plenty of smart tools into last year’s Moto X, including a genuinely helpful assistant to rival Siri and Cortana, and we’d be surprised not to see some more clever additions. However, what we’re really hoping for is improved battery and camera tech, to make the Moto X a serious competitor for the likes of Samsung’s Galaxy S6 and the LG G4.

Overall, Motorola has gone from a brand which people may have had lukewarm feelings about, to one which people are actively seeking out. We’re pleased to see the company’s change in fortunes, in no small part because they’re making such killer devices now, and 2015 could well be Motorola’s year.