Hasta La Gadget!

Well, you’ve gotta hand it to Motorola — the company has managed to build an unprecedented amount of buzz surrounding what’s turned out to be a relatively mundane mainstream smartphone launch. The Moto X is likely to be a big hit, don’t get us wrong, but many of the device’s banner features debuted last week, with Verizon’s 2013 Droid lineup. The major differentiator here is that the X is uniquely customizable, and available through multiple carriers. At the core, there’s Moto’s new X8 Mobile Computing System. It’s not simply a custom SoC; there’s a Snapdragon S4 Pro under the hood, with a 1.7GHz dual-core Krait CPU and a quad-core Adreno 320 GPU, positioned alongside two unique Motorola processors, including one to handle language interpretation (Google Now without the associated battery drain) and a contextual computing core, which manages the smartphone’s sensors.

From there, we’re looking at a 4.7-inch 720p (316 ppi) AMOLED panel, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of base storage (there’s a 32GB option with AT&T), a 2,200mAh battery offering up to 24 hours of “mixed” usage and your standard suite of 4G radios. On the imaging front, there’s a 10-megapixel Clear Pixel rear camera and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera, both of which shoot 1080p video. As for connectivity, there’s Bluetooth 4.0, USB 2.0, 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, GPS and GLONASS, a standard 3.5mm headphone jack, Miracast Wireless Display, NFC and a nano-SIM. Beginning at the end of August, the 16GB model will retail for $199 with a two-year contract on AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, US Cellular and Verizon, while the 32GB flavor (an AT&T exclusive) will ship for $249. Only AT&T customers will have access to additional color options — those on other carriers can choose from black and white.

You’ll be able to pick up a standard Moto X at carrier retail and Best Buy stores, or you can configure your own at the Moto Maker site, available exclusively for AT&T customers. There you can select from multiple case and accent colors, which you can pair with a black or white faceplate. There’s also an option to add custom text to the rear, such as an email address in case you lose your device, and you can pre-select a wallpaper and power-on greeting as well. Finally, several wood backings are set to be available in the future, assuming you don’t mind waiting until Q4 to configure your phone. Motorola hasn’t detailed global availability, but the device is expected to launch in several other countries soon, albeit without customization options and Texas assembly. Check our our Moto X preview, spec comparison, Moto Maker walkthrough and unboxing video (after the break) for more.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Google

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Customization — that’s the big story revolving around today’s Moto X reveal. When Motorola’s breezy, made-to-order Moto Maker site goes live later this summer, AT&T users will be able to sift through a bevy of color options to put their individual stamp on the device. But that’s just part one of the new Motorola’s trailblazing direction, the next is making that design social. At some unspecified future point, the company plans to launch a Facebook polling page littered with numerous colored and patterned variants (e.g., one of the options we saw, a gold brown hue, was labeled “The Dude”) that users can vote on via existing social means. While Motorola’s still working out the specifics of the polling process and potential launch window, it’s safe to assume users will be able to pin (via Pinterest), like, or even +1 design candidates. Not much more detail was given — again this is merely an indicator of the company’s revamped product portfolio approach. For sure, it has a built-in hook: user engagement. And what company doesn’t love a user base that’s paying very close attention?

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, Google, Facebook

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Source: Motorola

And then there were three. What you see above is the Moto X along with its SIM tray and a matching nano-SIM. According to GSM Insider, this picture (which we’ve enhanced) recently popped up in Hong Kong. We’ve checked the left side of Motorola’s upcoming flagship in other leaked images, and the dimensions of the SIM tray opening appear to be correct. A such, the Moto X is poised to follow the iPhone 5 and PadFone Infinity as the third-ever handset to adopt the nano-SIM (4FF) standard. It’s unclear why the company chose the new SIM form factor (the phone isn’t particularly small), but we’ll be sure to ask at Thursday’s launch event.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Google

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Via: Ubergizmo

Source: GSM Insider

There’s been a deluge of Moto X reports, and it shows no signs of stopping. We’ve seen the device’s press shots, camera UI and benchmark results, and most recently, we’ve even watched the T-Mobile version waltz past the FCC. Now, we’re treated to purported press images and unannounced features from Taylor Wimberly, formerly of Android and Me. According to Wimberly, a sheet of specially treated Gorilla Glass covers the phone’s entire face and wraps around its sides, forming a nearly seamless gap with the rear shell. Apparently, it’s special enough that Motorola will call it “Magic Glass.” As another nod to the phone’s toughness, he also claims a laminated aluminum structure makes its frame even stronger, despite being thin and lightweight. Check out the images to decide the report’s veracity for yourself, but don’t sweat it too much — we’ll be able to confirm it in a few days when the phone launches on August 1st.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Google

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Via: Droid Life

Source: Taylor Wimberly (Google+), 2, 3

We learned a few things about the Moto X’s camera interface in that leaked Rogers promo video, but we didn’t learn everything. Android Police is more than willing to fill in those blanks by posting screen captures that reportedly show Motorola’s new camera software in action. The images suggest a stripped-down, swipe-driven UI reminiscent of a Google Play Edition phone, but with an extra bit of polish. In addition to the flick-based launching and tap-to-hold burst shooting that we’ve seen, the Moto X depends heavily on a hidden settings carousel with a few features above and beyond stock Android, such a slow motion mode. While the screenshots say little about the cameras themselves, it’s reasonable to suspect that we’ll learn more about those within a few days.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Google

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Source: Android Police