Not too long ago, Google called out Motorola for failing to meet “the standards that Google would say are wow—innovative, transformative.” But that could all change with Motorola’s much speculated Moto X Phone, which is coming this summer and will be made in the USA. The device is rumored to come with standout features--such as a class-leading battery--and you'll even be able to design it yourself. Will the X Phone be enough to give Motorola the wow factor it needs? Read on to find out what may be in store for this upcoming flagship.
As much as we want to believe this rumor, it almost seems too good to be true. According to GSM Arena, which claims to have snagged an allegedly leaked spec sheet, the Motorola X Phone may come with a massive 4,000mAh battery. Motorola’s Droid Razr Maxx HD features a 3,300mAh battery that delivered more than eight hours of power during the LAPTOP Battery Test. An even bigger battery could be a total game-changer.
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In an ad scheduled to run over the July 4th holiday, Motorola says the Moto X Phone will be made in the USA. Meanwhile, the Apple iPhone is merely designed in California. Even more intriguing, the ad claims that the device will be "deisgned by you." We're thinking that this means you'll be able to choose your color and maybe your carrier online, but we'll have to stay tuned for more details.
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Leaked photos and information told to ABC News indicate that the Moto X's advertised customization features will include options for colored covers, personal message engraving a la Apple's iPods and personal wallpapers. And while the internal specifications of the phone, such as processor or memory, cannot be made to order, there will be various options for storage, according to The Verge.
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While rumors from earlier this year suggested that the Moto X phone would come with Android Key Lime Pie, a more recent leak from Android Police suggests it will run Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean. This has yet to be confirmed, but the website reportedly snagged images of the anticipated device's AnTuTu benchmark results.
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Looks like you won’t have to worry about dropping your X Phone in the toilet or spilling your Poland Spring on it. According to GSM Arena, the Motorola X Phone may be IP57-certified, meaning that it will be able to withstand up to a meter of water for as long as 30 minutes. In other words, it looks like the Sony Xperia Z won’t be the only water-resistant Android flagship in town.
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Recently leaked benchmarks published by Android Police suggest that the Moto X phone will pack a 1.7GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro-- the same chip found inside LG's previous-gen Optimus G smartphone. Earlier rumors suggested that the newer Snapdragon 800, which was just unveiled at this year's CES in Las Vegas, would power the upcoming Motorola handset.
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If using a touch-screen display to navigate your smartphone just isn’t cutting it, Google’s rumored Motorola X phone may have what you’re looking for. A patent from Google published earlier this year describes touch-sensitive rear controls that could be used to launch certain commands, such as turning the page of an e-book or article. It’s tough to say whether or not we’ll see this technology in Google and Motorola’s rumored smartphone, but an allegedly leaked photo of an unreleased Motorola smartphone depicted a round button on its back plate.
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The same source that may have supposedly slipped GSM Arena details about the X Phone’s processor also says the handset will feature a 4.7-inch, 1280 x 768-pixel display. Just like the HTC One, this size falls between the iPhone 5, which features a 4-inch display, and Samsung’s 5-inch Galaxy S4. However, such a low resolution in 2013 would be a bummer; we'd much rather see a full HD (1920 x 1080-pixel) screen.
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A recently leaked Rogers Wireless video highlights the Moto X's always on voice controls as one of its most interesting feature. In the video, a user is able to activate the function by simply saying, "Okay, Google Now," and stating their command. The video goes on to state that the phone will learn your speaking style over time and allow you to control nearly any of the phone's features.
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The same leaked video that showed off the Moto X's always on voice controls also pointed to a new Active Updates feature. According to the video, Active Updates will serve to replace the common LED indicators users see when they receive updates from Facebook, text messages, etc. The new updates will display a message on the Moto X's screen showing exactly what the notification is for.
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It seems as though the Moto X will be joining the ranks of other top-tier smartphones to offer a burst shot mode with its camera. According to the leaked Rogers Wireless video, the Moto X's burst mode will be accessible by pressing and holding the display while the camera app is open. Launching the camera will also be a snap, as users can just twist the phone in their hands to access the feature, rather than sorting through different apps menus. The phone's camera app is expected to come with a simple, gesture-based interface, according to Android Police. Within the app, users can swipe in from the left to launch a settings menu, and drag a single finger across the screen to zoom in. The Moto X is also rumored to come with a 10-MP camera and 2.1-MP front-facing camera, just like the newly announced Droid Ultra and Droid Maxx.
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Sick of your average black, white or grey-colored smartphone? You may not need a bright case to jazz up the Motorola X Phone if this rumor turns out to be true. Citing an unnamed source from Motorola, Phone Arena reports that customers may have more than 20 color options from which to choose.
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A reportedly leaked image that surfaced in Hong Kong shows the SIM tray and nano-SIM card that may turn up inside the Moto X phone. The image, published by GSM Insider, allegedly shows the side of the long-rumored Motorola phone’s body alongside the nano-SIM components.If true, the Moto X would join the likes of the iPhone 5 and PadPhone Infinity in adopting the nano-SIM standard, although this has yet to be confirmed. This marks more than a year after Apple proposed its nano-SIM card design to European Telecommunications Standards Institute last June, which is 40 percent smaller than the microSIM cards found in many of today's smartphones. This hints that the Moto X phone could come with a thin form factor, but we'll have to wait until Motorola unveils the device to know for sure.
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We're just days away from seeing exactly what Motorola has up its sleeve. The company is slated to unveil the Moto X at an August event in New York City, although there's no telling whether or not the device will actually become available that day.
