There has been quite a bit of information leaked about the Moto X, the next smartphone coming from Motorola, that will be announced on August 1. The are some great expectations around the specs, release and details of its release.
We already know that the Moto X will have customizable options and a 4.7" touchscreen that is 720 x 1280 pixels. This should make not be confused with the 4.3" Droid mini or 5" Droid Ultra/MAXX. It will definitely run Android, Jelly Bean 4.2.2 or later. Other specs include front facing camera, GPS and Wi-Fi. The Moto X in retail stores will come in Black or White. Meanwhile a Googler was seen with one in green.
One leaker, Taylor Wimberly started off showing a photo of Eric Schmidt's Motorola X. He contends that a new unique feature of the Motorola X will reportedly be Magic Glass that covers the face and sides of the smartphone. He also stated that it will have aluminum zero-gap construction.
The aluminum body helps signal strength by acting as an antenna. The Motorola X is smaller than the Droid RAZR HD, Samsung Galaxy S4 but bigger than the iPhone 5.
A photo from Hong Kong show the smaller iPhone 5-sized nano-SIM which is smaller than the micro-SIM used in most Android phones, today.
Moto X supposedly features a 10MP Clear Pixel camera, for better low light performance. The pixel size is 1.4 microns that is smaller than the HTC One (2.0), but larger than the GS4 (1.1) It records 1080p HD video at 60FPS. There are three microphones for 3D recording.
The Moto X is reportedly already shipping to carrier stores. The camera software was leaked to show simple interface.
As previously announced the Motorola X will be assembled in Texas from components made in Asia. Marketing research shows that Americans are will to pay a premium for things made in America. However the aborted $299 Android Nexus Q media player that was made in America but cost more than any competitors. It was named one of the top 10 fails of 2012 by CNN.
We expect to see many of the software features found on the Droid Ultra, MAXX and mini. Motorola has partnered with Verizon Wireless to be the exclusive maker of the Droid line of smartphones. Previously, the Droid DNA was made by HTC as was the Droid Incredible.
There will most likely be gestures control for turning it on, operation the camera, and more. A demonstration video from Rogers showed always-on voice control on the Motorola X . One example use the term "OK Google Now." The video claims that you can get weather, directions, set alarms and more without touching the screen.
Motorola is expected to spend $500 marketing the Moto X for Sprint, Verizon, T-Mobile and possibly AT&T. Leaked documents showed an August release date for the Motorola X at Verizon. Other rumors suggest a release on August 1, along side the big announcement in New York City.
Motorola CE Dennis Woodside has stated that the prices of the Moto X should go down substantially over time.
The Moto X could have a dual LTE MIMO antenna, that will ensure good reception. Other specs include customizable colors, engraving and special sensors.
The most important thing for buyers is how much it is going to cost. Dreamers want it be priced without a contract at $299 like the Nexus 4, then there would be a ton of interest. If the Moto X is priced at $599 like the Droid Ultra or iPhone, there will be less excitement.
The fact that made-in-America keeps getting mentioned could be a higher price but worth it for some who want to give more Americans jobs.