Isn't it ironic that the original iPhone vision was for everything to be a web app?
Apple was probably on to something, but realized that there was no money to be made. Motorola, on the other hand, wasn't making money on software anyway. So this approach could be good for them.
I think it's indicative of either (a) Apple's willingness to quickly realize they were wrong, or (b) their willingness mislead to downplay a delayed but vital feature. Personally, I enjoy the latter.
Apple was probably on to something, but realized that there was no money to be made. Motorola, on the other hand, wasn't making money on software anyway. So this approach could be good for them.