Motorola posts $80 million Q4 loss

Motorola has announced a fourth quarter 2011 loss of $80 million, due to lacklustre sales of its smartphone devices.

Throughout the three month period ending December, the firm managed to shift just 10.5 million mobile devices – including 5.3 million smartphones and just 200,000 of its Xoom tablets. This brings Moto’s 2011 total to 42.4 million mobile devices sold, and a mere 1 millon of its Android-powered tablets. These sales bring the firm’s yearly loss to $249 million, compared to $86 million in 2010.

Sanjay Jha, chairman and chief executive officer, Motorola Mobility said: “In the fourth quarter, we received very positive consumer response to Motorola RAZR, which combined an iconic brand with ultra-thin in an innovative smartphone.

“Our Home business continues to be a leader in the industry’s transformation to all IP, with unique solutions that enable rich media experiences across any screen.”

“We remain energised by the proposed merger with Google and continue to focus on creating innovative technologies.”

With a plan to release less smartphone devices in 2012 to focus on “hero” devices – a similar strategy to HTC – here’s hoping 2012 is a better year for Motorola.