The new Moto X, with high-end specs, metal frame, and leather back, is a real contender
Motorola
has unveiled its second-gen flagship phone: the Moto X. It keeps the
same name as last year’s offering, and also the same kind of
factory-level customization as its predecessor, but everything else is
much improved. The new Moto X has high-spec, flagship-level internals, a
glorious Super AMOLED 1080p display, and the chassis now has a metal
frame/edge. The Moto Maker customization tool remains, but the
second-gen Moto X now has the option of having a real leather back
— and according to early hands-on impressions, it feels fantastic. In
short, the new Moto X is now a bona fide flagship phone that actually
stands a chance of competing against the likes of the HTC One M8 and the
upcoming iPhone 6.
Last year’s Moto X, despite being rather novel – have your phone customized by real live Americans at a factory in Texas!
— was a commercial flop. Ironically enough it was the mid-range Moto G
that ended up being Motorola’s best-selling smartphone to date. It’s not
entirely clear why the first Moto X didn’t do very well, but it
probably didn’t help that it was priced like a flagship phone ($200
on-contract) but had last-gen hardware
(a 720p screen, a dual-core Snapdragon S4 SoC). On paper, except for
the whole customization thing, the Moto X was soundly trumped by the
Galaxy S4 and iPhone 5S.
The
second-gen Moto X has a much more contemporary spec. The Super AMOLED
screen is now 5.2 inches at 1080p, up from 4.7 inches at 720p. There’s a
2.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon 801 SoC under the hood. The weight stays
virtually the same (144 grams), but the chassis is a little larger to
accommodate the new display. The battery is slightly larger (2300 mAh
vs. 2200 mAh), but still a bit on the wimpy side (the Galaxy S5 is at
2800 mAh; the One M8 is at 2600 mAh). There’s Android 4.4.4 on the
device, with a promise to release Android L
when it becomes available. There are some new front-facing infrared
sensors that enable hands-free Active/Moto Display and air gestures. You
can now wake your phone with a name of your choosing, too; you don’t
have to say “OK Google Now.”
Some things sadly don’t change: the
battery isn’t replaceable, and there’s no micro SD card slot. The
camera’s image quality, despite stepping up to 13 megapixels, is
reportedly not very good (there is a new “ring flash” that I’m eager to
try out, though).
On
the Moto Maker side of the equation, the second-gen Moto X retains all
of the same customization as its predecessor — you can change the color
of the two front speaker grilles, the metal strip that goes around the
phone, and the back cover. Along with various plastic backs and the same
wood back cover as the first-gen Moto X, the second-gen Moto X can now
choose from four different colors of leather. Apparently it’s real
leather that looks and feels good.
Amusingly, though, the “made in the
USA” tagline no longer applies to the new Moto X: customization will now
be done in a factory in China rather than Texas. (Don’t forget that Motorola was acquired by Lenovo earlier in the year.)
Second-gen Moto X, in blue
Second-gen Moto X, in… wood
In
a world of mostly identikit Android phones — it’s either a plastic
monster like the Galaxy S5, or a glass-and-metal slab from HTC or Sony —
the Moto X is a unique opportunity for consumers to inject a little personality
into their device choice. The high-end specs should mean that the new
Moto X can compete on all-important bullet-point comparisons, too. It
would’ve been good if Motorola had squeezed the Moto X out earlier in
the year, alongside the Galaxy S5 and One M8, but it should still enjoy a
few months of being “high end” before the next superphones from Samsung
and HTC arrive. The iPhone 6, which will be unveiled next week, will
probably take some wind out of Motorola’s sails, however.
The new
Moto X’s pricing is pretty good as well: $500 off-contract, $100
on-contract (for the 16GB version, with an extra $50 premium for the
32GB version). It will be released some time in September, and won’t be a
carrier exclusive in the USA. Motorola also announced an updated Moto G
today — and, at long last, the Moto 360 smartwatch went on sale in the
US at $250.
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