Did Meego Die in San Francisco?

September 18, 2011, Posted by chippy at 9:49 am

No, Meego didn’t die in San Francisco but something is happening.

Meegonews.com didn’t work out for me as part of my blog network. I haven’t written an article for it in weeks but that doesn’t mean I’m not interested in Meego. I see it as a critical, not just important, component of Intels strategy to move into the mobile market. I might have seen Andy Rubin waving about an Intel Android phone on stage in front of me at the IDF keynote last week but that still doesn’t mean that Intels customers don’t need another choice. Android comes with risks. It also comes with ready made ARM platforms. Intel need something else and that’s why Meego is still critical.

No-one in Intel that’s involved with Meego is talking Meego. There’s no Meego conference planned yet, there was no Meego representation in the IDF technology showcase and I even heard a ‘watch this space’ comment in one of the technical sessions. Everyone is keeping their mouths shut tight. Something is going on.

The scenario I am working over in my head has been influenced by rumors, I can not deny that, but it seems to make sense.

Intel needs a phone hardware partner, more so now than ever before simply because Intels phone hardware, Medfield is ready to go into handsets. Intel’s customers (and customers of customers) may be more interested to see Medfield in tablets today but Intel need a foot in the smartphone door badly. Ultrabooks might be a great strategy for the next three years but after that, phones, personal communicators are critical. Server sales may be on the up due to cloud services but that could level-off in 3-4 years too. Where next for Intel?

Intel will be doing everything they can to court a major partner. HTC are in the running of course and other large companies will also be looking for Android alternatives but the Samsung connection seems the most likely. Bada appears to be working well as a second-tier solution for Samsung but how about taking this recognised brand to the next level, and moving it beyond Android.

Meego has been well designed as a smartphone core. How about the Bada brand and UI on a Meego core? Remember, Meego really is just a core with a UI framework.

A company like Samsung would be the biggest win possible for Intel if they could just convince Samsung to break out a new range of Bada phones, based on a Meego core, and Intel hardware with Intel value-add silicon and services.

Wouldn’t it cut across their fantastic Android smartphones though? It would, but it could jump over the option into a higher-end solution for the future. It would give Samsung control of the stack, independence, a way to drive the Bada brand and get an App store in the bargain.

Could Intel trade technology, AppUp and a healthy donation to the Linux Foundation for Atom-love and a respected brand, respected manufacturer and the best possible partner in the world?

If this doesn’t happen it won’t be without Intel trying. It won’t be the end either. They’ll continue to work on a new partner. They have no choice. Well, apart from Windows Phone 7. Somehow I cant see that as a solution for Intel customers on the high-end despite how tidy a solution it may sound.

Whatever happens, the Meego core work will move forward but it seems that there’s now a risk to the UI layer and Meego brand. They could be sacrificed for the right partner.

  • Wilma Flintstone

    Hey @chippy:disqus Sorry to hear that this blog didn’t work for you.  I tried to help get people here but got banned from alot of sites for linking and people thinking it was spam, but its ok because I really am for Meego and all things supporting it.  I did actually get a few people to come.  Where are you going to be posting Meego related news?  I’ve seen a pretty active site called AllAboutMeego.  Then there’s always Meego’s official site.  Or I could design you a site.

    How have you been?  Any info on where Dhruv is too?  Hope all is going well for you and him as well.  You two make a great team and should start a Live Meego web show through Ustream, Justin.tv, BitGravity, etc.  I think you two are knowledgable enough to generate tons more positive interest in Meego.  Just a thought.  Also, you two should try to get on Leo Leporte’s webshow via Twit Live.  That would be a HUGE target audience to get feedback and generate more interest in Meego.

    I’ve sent you some info in the “Seeding Meego with Oaktrail Products” article about the new Meego netbook that is being sold for $226.  It’s an Asus Eee PCX101 and may be the Meego Netbook I grab.  It’s also info about how the N9 64GB has already sold out of the Pre-orders in Finland.

    Also, I’ve heard some of those rumors regarding Samsung and Meego as well and I agree it would be a great asset to both Meego and Samsung.  It would benefit Meego by having a major manufacturer actually implementing and bringing to consumers, some Meego devices all over the world and not just select markets.  It could benefit Samsung by adding a new Core OS to their lineup of not just phones but TV’s and other appliances they make.

    Now I’m not too fond of Samsung’s Construction and Build Quality using that plastic material and I have a HD2 (Which I’ve had to have replaced 6 times due to Hardware AND Software issues) so that kind of left a bad taste for me with HTC but at this point, I’d take them both if they can Bring Meego products to more consumers.

    I’ve kind of lost my support relationship with Nokia due to how Elop and crew have been treating Meego and the N9.  I still like Nokia but not nearly as much.  I’m much more of an Intel supporter now and wish them the best and I know Meego will be a huge success once consumers get it.

    I believe the three OS choices going forward are going to be Android, Meego and IOS as Windows seems to be losing its competitive edge lately.  That’s for Desktop OS as well as mobile OS.  But that’s just my personal opinion.

    Thanks for everything you and Dhruv have done here.

  • http://dhruvbhutani.com Dhruv Bhutani

    Hi ! 

    Thanks for all the support. It is definitely sad to see that the blog didn’t work out as well as @Chippy:disqus  and i had hoped but i suppose we have the uncertainty around the OS to blame for that. 
    I’m currently blogging over at FoneArena while Chippy will be at all the usual places :) I will be at the Intel AppUp Elements event next week and hope to hear something on the MeeGo front. You can follow me on Twitter : @DhruvBhutani:twitter for updates from the event. And yes , i do hope that i get to collaborate with @Chippy again in the future. It was wonderful working with him here even though the site did not work out as well as we had planned. -Dhruv

  • Wilma Flintstone

    True about the OS uncertainty.  Glad to hear that you’ll be at AppUp Elements.  You know I’m going to ask you for a Live Stream from there so you already have a heads up.  :D

    I need to get in on this stuff and these events.  How do you get to these events?  Is it invite only or a paid admission or general public type thing?

    I don’t really use Twitter but I’ll keep your info just to check in often.  I was really waiting on that LG GW990 but it never came out.  Ok cool, I go to FoneArena every now and then and will definitely keep an eye out for your articles.

  • http://jedibeeftrix.wordpress.com/ Jedibeeftrix

    “Meego has been well designed as a smartphone core. How about the Bada
    brand and UI on a Meego core? Remember, Meego really is just a core with
    a UI framework.”

    A UI framework based on QT………… Would Samsung be interested in making this switch?

    In which case Bada becomes nothing more than a Brand and a QT implementation of their Sense UI (?).

    I like the idea, but does Samsung?

  • http://www.carrypad.com chippy

    Its a good question. Is there any advantage for Samsung in re-writing bad UI in qt. Probably not but there’s still a lot of value in the rest of the build. Sharing subsystem, security, phone stack, kernel, sync subsystem, community.

  • Anonymous

    I really do hope Intel somehow manages to “pull a rabbit out of a hat”!