While the majority of smartphone manufacturers have already revealed and released their 2013 flagship handsets, Motorola hasn’t shown any real progress in this regard. The latest flagship device to come out of the company’s factory gates is the RAZR HD, a 720p smartphone powered by a Snapdragon S4 processor. Not too shabby, but definitely not up to par with the current “flagship” standards.
The good news is that Motorola is definitely planning on releasing a new smartphone this year. Codenamed the X Phone, or Moto X, this mysterious gadget has made the rounds on numerous occasions, most of the time in the form of leaks and rumors. However, most Motorola X Phone reports have a strong foundation, and even the most skeptical mobile enthusiasts have been reassured by Motorola’s CEO that the Moto X is in the works.
Motorola X Phone / Moto X – Official Data
Although the mobile world has been subject to a large number of leaks, rumors and unconfirmed data in regards to the X Phone, not long ago we were reassured, officially, that the device is indeed real.
Motorola’s CEO, Dennis Woodside, and Regina Dugan (Research & Development head) have been recently invited to an AllThingsD conference, where Woodside has shed some light on the subject at hand.
Although not a lot of technical details have been confirmed (despite the fact that the CEO claimed that he had the smartphone in his pocket, on stage), what we’ve learned during the conference is that the Moto X will be assembled in the U.S. According to Woodside, although certain components will be shipped from overseas (such as the OLED display and the CPU), roughly 70% of the X Phone will be manufactured in the States and assembled in Texas.
Other aspects on which Dennis Woodside has emphasized were that the Moto X will be “aware of its surroundings”. In other words, the gadget will “know” when the person holding it is walking or driving. It will also be aware of when it will be removed from a pocket.
Aside from this contextual awareness, the upcoming Motorola flagship seems to be designed around concepts like durability and extended battery life. This is something that we’ve witnessed before, as the Droid RAZR MAXX / MAXX HD smartphones are proof of Motorola’s focus on these particular aspects.
Last but not least, Woodside has also revealed that the Moto X will not be the company’s only device to be released this year. In fact, it will be the spearhead of a new handset line-up. And unlike in the past, the flagship will see a broader release in the U.S., across multiple carriers. Needless to say, the list could include AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, and most definitely, Verizon.
Although Woodside has mentioned a fall release for the X Phone, shortly after the conference Motorola issued a PR statement, revealing that the Moto X should go on sale in the U.S. this summer.
Motorola X Phone / Moto X – Rumors
Once again, it’s pretty obvious that the X Phone is real and on its way. But despite the confirmation, there’s still very little hardware-related information to go by.
Throughout the past several months, the Moto X has been rumored to be both an incredible flagship as well as just another mid-range handset. It has been speculated that customers will not only have the option of customizing their X Phones by choosing one of 20 different colors (or more), but that they will also be able to configure the device’s amount of RAM, screen size and more. Although having a wide range of colors to choose from doesn’t sound too far-fetched, having the ability to customize hardware components is highly unlikely.
On the other hand, certain benchmarks have “revealed” that the X Phone will pack hardware deemed unfit for a mid-late 2013 high-end smartphone, such as a Snapdragon S4 Pro CPU and a 4.7-inch 720 display. Not too impressive, but in truth, we need to keep in mind that the Moto X will be part of a new lineup. That said, even if these benchmarks are correct, there’s no real way to determine whether or not the handset that has been tested is the flagship X, or a more affordable member of the family. This would also explain the fact that numerous benchmarks, rumors and sources, seem to contradict one another more often than not.
In the end, I believe that Motorola knows how to make a top-tier smartphone. It’s a bit difficult to believe that the manufacturer would try and advertise a device that would basically be a mid-range smartphone, as a high-end flagship. I suppose only time will tell, but until then, don’t hesitate to share your thoughts on the Moto X by leaving a comment in the section below.
Vlad Andrici is editor for gforgames.com and writes about technology issues.