Official: Everything you need to know about the Moto X
Visit the Moto X section at AndroidForums.com to discuss everything about the hot phone!
The folks at Motorola have finally officially announced full details about the Moto X. This mystical phone was fabled to be many different things, but leaks and rumors in recent weeks have given us more of an idea of what to expect. First, the specs — is this the stuff champions are made of or is it another drop in the bucket? Let’s take a quick look:
- Motorola X8 processor system (1.7GHz Snapdragon S4 Pro optimized for Motorola software)
- 2GB of RAM
- 16GB or 32GB of internal storage (latter only available through Moto Maker — more on that later)
- 4.7-inch Super AMOLED HD display, 720p HD resolution
- 2,200 mAh battery
- 10 megapixel Clear Pixel camera
- 2 megapixel front-facing camera
- NFC, Bluetooth 4.0, WiFi N, Miracast, aGPS
- and more
All of this is coming to us starting at $200 on a two-year contract, and will be available on all of the “big five” carriers here in the United States. Each carrier will get at least black and white, and some carriers will also offer additional color variations of their own. So what about the other dozens of colors we were promised? Well, that’s where the Moto Maker comes in.
Moto Maker
So what is the Moto Maker? It’s what folks will be using to order their phones in the many different color options you see above. Everything — from red and green, to pink and (eventually) real wood grain finish — will be available through this site. The front of the device can only be black or white, but the back can be any of the other options available. You can customize the color of the backplate and any of the accents individually, so you can mix and match to your heart’s and style’s content.
More than just looks, though, you can customize some of the software aspects of the device and it will come preconfigured with whatever you choose (ala the Amazon Kindle line). Stuff like a personal start-up greeting, a line of text / engraving on the back of the phone, and your Google account settings can all be customized here, and Motorola will set all of that up for you so it truly is your phone from the moment you open the box.
All of this comes t no extra charge. Users can also take that time to choose which accessories they want bundled with the device, though you will have to pay extra for those. In all, the Moto Maker is supposed to afford folks over 2,000 different combinations. We’re not sure if that’s just color alone or if Motorola is using the accessories to go along with that, but we’ll be looking to find out either way.
There is one bit of bad news — the Moto Maker customization is an AT&T exclusive to start, though we’ve been told that other carriers will be able to offer the same service to their customers shortly afterward.
Software and Features
Not unlike the DROID phones Motorola just announced for Verizon, the Moto X has Touchless Control, which uses voice and gestures to get you to what you need. It’ll also feature Active Display, which will show you the information you need on a small portion of the display instead of your typical notification light. The Moto X’s 10 megapixel Clear Pixel camera will also feature Quick Capture, which allows you to take photos in quick bursts to make sure you never miss a moment.
Built in America
Of course, such customization might normally add on a great deal of time to the shipping process. Fortunately, that isn’t the case. Because the Moto X is being built in America, the phone can be turned around (from the time you place the order until the time it ships) in just four days. We’re not sure what that would mean for folks in other parts of the world if the Moto X eventually makes it out of America, but for now international details are being kept under lock and key.
The device is being built in a new facility Motorola built in Fort Worth, Texas, where over 2,000 new employees are enjoying work. That makes us feel all good inside, and although it’s not a tangible factor for the end-user, it should still make you feel proud about owning the phone and supporting Motorola’s made-in-America movement.
Pricing and Availability
The phone will be available starting at the end of August or early September in the US, Canada, and Latin America, and will be coming to us for an on-contract price of $199.99 for 16GB, or $250 for 32GB (Moto Maker only). That’s a bit more expensive than what we thought it would be at first, but there it is anyway.
Folks on T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and US Cellular in the US will all get in on the phone. Details specific to Canada and Latin America haven’t been announced yet, though we’re sure those goods will be on their way as we approach the launch date.
No off-contract pricing details have been given just yet, but as soon as those details are made available to us we’ll be sharing them with you right here on Phandroid. Stay tuned for more Moto X coverage, including video hands-on and more details straight from the New York City event going on today!
Are you buying?
And that’s pretty much everything there is to know right now. So the phone is officially outed, it’s been priced, and we know just how much of a “revolutionary” phone it really is. The question — are you looking to buy it? I must admit, when the device was first rumored it sounded like the greatest thing since sliced bread and definitely had my attention.
But at this price point I can’t say it has a strong spot on my radar yet. Perhaps that’ll change once we learn more about the off-contract price of this thing, but for now I’m more interested in the DROID options coming our way later this month. Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below, and why not leave a vote in the poll while you’re at it?
[polldaddy poll=7292360]