Articles about Moto X

With lots of apps and games coming in respectable sizes, those who are looking to buy a new smartphone have to pay close attention to the amount of available out-of-the-box storage, as otherwise they quickly risk running out of space. A microSD card can do the trick, but a slot is not offered on all smartphones. So what can you do?

Motorola believes that the best approach in the case of the Moto X is to increase the amount of internal storage. Considering the company introduced the Moto G with a microSD card slot not too long ago, this appears to be a strange call.

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Shortly after Google launched Android 4.4.3 and released new factory images for its Nexus devices, Motorola announced, earlier today, it too is rolling out the latest version of Android.

The upgrade is set to reach the T-Mobile Moto X, Moto G (purchased online in US and retail in Brazil, including the 4G LTE version) and Moto E (purchased online in US), starting this week. Here is what the update includes.

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Like lots of other people, overnight I pondered Google's surprise sale of Motorola to Lenovo. The timing sure seems odd. Conspiracy theories abound. Among tech bloggers, Samsung ranks as top reason, given the timing, just days after the American and South Korean companies cut a lofty cross-patent deal that also turns way down the extent of Android customization. Certainly the latter agreement is important to Google, for reasons I laid out two years ago in post "Google has lost control of Android".

Some conspiracy theorists contend that Google always planned to sell Motorola and rebuilt the brand only to gain leverage against Samsung, which arguably exercises more direct influence over Android than does Google -- at least from a user experience perspective. But I disagree. The Motorola unloading is a lot more about the search and information giant's acquisition of Nest than anything Samsung does. My reasoning follows.

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A few minutes ago, I finished listening to a presentation in London by Andrew Morely, vice president and general manager of Motorola Mobility (UK), in which he announced details of the European version of the Moto X phone which was, until now, only available in North and South America.

The main difference from the North American version is that in Europe the phone comes only in two colors (black and white) and the Moto Maker service, which allows buyers to customize the front/back/accent colors as well as add a personalized message to the back of the phone, is not available here (at least for now).

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Motorola's New Year's resolution gives notice to Apple and other Android phone manufacturers: We don't need stinking subsidies. Today, the Google subsidiary cut Moto X's off-contract to $399, even personalized, on all carriers. The permanent discount is $50 more than Motorola's glitchy Black Friday sale.

Google has a long history of selling unlocked, off-contract phones, starting with Nexus One four years ago. But in 2012, Nexus 4 brought the price down to something mere mortals could afford: $299. The Android's successor costs more, starting at $349.

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Even though just a little over a month has passed since Google released the Nexus 5, and even less since Android 4.4 started rolling out to compatible devices, KitKat has already made its way into the Android distribution charts. It is a very impressive achievement considering that it took the third Jelly Bean iteration more than twice as long to enter the charts.

Based on the number of devices accessing Google Play in the seven days ending December 2, the three Jelly Bean iterations continue to dominate the Android landscape with a whopping 54.5 percent share, up from 52.1 percent a month before. Android 4.1 is the most popular distribution, running on 37.4 percent of all registered devices. Its growth is barely noticeable, up from 37.3 percent in early-November.

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It is not out of the ordinary for a website to experience technical issues when a good deal is available for a very appealing product. It is a strong possibility on Black Friday and Cyber Monday in fact. Based on my personal experience, those who do not manage to get their hands on what they wanted are treated as collateral victims or just unlucky, and will not get a second chance at pressing that buy button.

A similar issue occurred during Motorola's Cyber Monday deal for the Moto X -- the site was barely usable, because the company did not conduct proper testing prior to launching the deal and due to "overwhelming demand". On Motorola's blog, CEO Dennis Woodside issued a public apology and announced a resolution, right before Cyber Monday ended.

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Of all top Android manufacturers, HTC and Motorola seem to be among the least likely players to release timely Android upgrades. Prior to the One and Moto X neither of the two has actually been quick to announce immediate roll-outs nor reassuring plans to do so for the foreseeable future. Yet here we are today with both HTC and Motorola doing just that. Interesting how their strategies have changed.

HTC's US arm has announced that the North American models of the HTC One will receive the Android 4.4 KitKat upgrade by the end of January 2014. This estimate also includes the Verizon version, which has yet to even get Android 4.3 Jelly Bean. HTC, however, says that this situation will not affect its plans.

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The Android operating system and school of thought are undergoing a major change; a sea change brought on by the Motorola Moto X and its voice interaction. After using it, I remarked that specifications and benchmarks melted away and I was enveloped in the experience. However, not everyone wants to interact with their smartphone using voice. Some people, myself sometimes included, just want to touch a big beautiful display and have the best specs and most bragging rights... and that's OK. People are different as is their usage.

The LG G2 represents Android's old-school, previous school of thought. It is fast and flashy and will trounce the Moto X in speed. However, the phone infamously has a new trick up its sleeve by assigning the buttons to the rear. This feature stole the focus from the device in the media and rightfully so. After all, it is an out-of-the-box approach that people just haven't seen before. I have been using this smartphone for a couple of weeks now and I finally feel ready to share what it is and what is isn't. At the end of this article, you will find out whether I can recommend it or not.

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Smartphone reviews today usually revolve around specs, benchmarks and feature comparisons, with little emphasis being placed on long-term usage scenarios. As a result, it is difficult for consumers to figure out which handsets they should buy knowing that their new purchase is likely to get into a couple (or more) accidents down the road.

According to a new breakability test, conducted by insurance company SquareTrade, if you are looking for the most durable new smartphone available on the market then you should get the Motorola Moto X. The handset surpassed the Apple iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c and Samsung Galaxy S4 in a series of tests which involved a five-foot drop, sliding the devices on a slippery table and submerging them in shallow water.

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I just have to ask, because the price irks me.

Late this afternoon, Guy Kawasaki, Motorola's chief evangelist, posted to Google+ that Moto X "Developer Edition now available". I've been waiting for this, being on T-Mobile, which doesn't directly sell the handset. But the phone isn't available for me, or likely you. Verizon model is $649.99. GSM X is "coming soon", presumably for same price. While the phone packs an "unlockable bootloader" and is contract-free, price busts my budget, particularly considering one major benefit -- personalized appearance -- isn't available.

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Mobile operator backing is instrumental in ensuring strong Motorola Moto X sales, as most US wireless subscribers are unlikely to switch carriers in upcoming months. AT&T leads the way, having offered the handset since late last week. And, now, another local mobile operator joins the Moto X bandwagon.

Starting today, Verizon officially carries the new Android handset. The Moto X is available at big red for $199.99, alongside the customary two-year agreement, but can also be had with month-to-month plans for $599.99.

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US mobile maker Motorola just announced that AT&T subscribers can now customize and purchase their Moto X handset online, through the company's Moto X "design studio". The program is aimed at just AT&T subscribers (and not Verizon ones, for instance), as the mobile operator is the only partner which allows buyers to create their own interpretation of the new smartphone.

The Moto X configurator lets you choose front, rear and accent colors, the internal storage capacity (16 GB or 32 GB), matching accessories, and link your Google account (you will only have to type in your password during the initial setup process, according to the Moto X design studio). Prices range between $199.99 for the base model, when purchased alongside a two-year plan with AT&T, and $629.99, for the off-contract, still AT&T-branded 32 GB version (various accessories will increase the overall cost).

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I am apprehensive about Googorola's choice to launch Moto X with AT&T -- the carrier that failed with HTC First (Facebook phone), like Verizon Wireless with Microsoft Kin, which were targeted at similar audiences. My concern: Death in childbirth. A device so different, in terms of responsiveness, must be experienced by many people fast to build excitement and demand.

In business and marketing perception is everything. Negative perception, or lack of any at all, can kill Moto X. Motorola's top priority should be fast sales and building social media buzz around touchless and personalization benefits. I don't see either coming from the exclusives given to AT&T.

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