We're Naming It the Motorola STNKR, After Our Q1 Earnings …

Carl Icahn was right. Motorola really is desperate for a new product. How else to explain a patent the company was awarded last month for a “communication device having a scent-release feature and method thereof.” Outfitted with an aromatic gel packet, this smellophone releases fragrance much like a plug-in air freshener. The question is, why? Motorola’s answer: “Some cellular telephone users are the same individuals who enjoy having plug-in scent units located around their homes, and may miss not having a nice-smelling fragrance while they are on the go. Therefore, a need exists for a communication device such as a cellular telephone that can address some of the above-mentioned problems.”

Now, admittedly, fragrance is a multibillion-dollar industry that’s expected to continue its rapid growth through 2007 and beyond. But will that growth extend into the portable-electronics industry? Honestly, I have no idea what Motorola is thinking here. No wonder the company has lost about one-third of its market value since last October.