UPDATED 13:00 EDT / AUGUST 01 2013

NEWS

The Moto X: Here’s What We Know, Just Hours Before the Big Reveal

Motorola and Google are set to unveil their newest flagship smartphone, in an event to be held in New York at 3PM ET/12PM PT.

The big reveal has got everyone talking about what to expect. We’ve heard quite a few rumours over the last few weeks, but there’s sure to be one or two surprises when we finally get our hands on Google’s new phone. Even so, let’s take a look at some of the rumored features and specifications of the Moto X and see how accurate these turn out :)

Stripped down to the core

 

We all know that the Moto X will be customizable in some way, since that’s what Motorola was bragging about in its July 3rd advertisement.  According to sources, the Moto X will have a 4.7-inch screen with a 1184×720 resolution, Moto Magic Glass – that would allow the Gorilla Glass to wrap around the edges of the device joining seamlessly with the laminated aluminum case – a 1.7GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, and Adreno 320 GPU, and 2GB of RAM. In addition, the device will pack a 2,200mAh battery, a microSIM, a 10MP rear camera, a 2MP front camera, plus a new UI that would let you swipe right for the settings and swipe left for the gallery. Finally, the device will of course run the latest Android 4.2.2 version.

Sources have also claimed that Google plans to price the device in the Nexus range, which would be $299 and $349 off-contract.  If this is true, the Moto X could put Motorola back in contention within the mobile market, as people, especially those who’re considering shifting from feature phones to smartphones, love nothing more than high quality products at a very affordable price.  Most OEMs today price their devices somewhere in the $500-$700 range. So a smartphone that offers customization at a very affordable price will be seen as a great deal.  Also, if Motorola uses its $500 million ad budget correctly, I’m sure people will not think twice about taking a chance on the Moto X.

Motorola has been in the news quite a bit in the past weeks, not only because of leaked images and specs of the Moto X but because of spying, privacy intrusion and other iffy practices:

Motorola Releases New Ad for Moto X, Another Device to Spy on People

Engineering expert Ben Lincoln discovered that Motorola has been collecting email addresses, usernames, passwords, GPS coordinates from pictures taken, and other information from users of Motorola devices for some time now.  The worst part about this is that data gathered is not even encrypted, so anyone with the right knowledge can easily intercept the data and wreak havoc.

The Moto X Will Be “Always On”… Always Spying On You Too?

Another leak revealed that the Moto X will have a voice control feature that will be “always on”.  This means that users will be able to talk to their device to make it do whatever they want – sounds useful, but given MoMo’s history of collecting user’s data without their knowledge, who’s to say that the “always on” voice control feature won’t be used to spy on people too?

The Real Meaning of Moto X

SiliconANGLE contributor Anton Wahlman recently discussed the potential of Google’s and Motorola’s flagship device in some detail. He answers questions such as, will it be able to deliver a better user experience? Will price dictate its fate?  Or will the customization offering be the one to entice consumers?

For SiliconANGLE Senior Managing Editor, the customization aspect will play a role in the success of the device but the Moto Magic Glass may also be a game changer if the Moto X is really equipped with this.

“The customization factor – is the back going to be interchangeable?  Will it come in several different colors?  How much can this phone be personalized and that goes for both the hardware and the software.  This is something that is going to be extending the services that Google is offering and where that personalization comes into play will be a very important part of how well this phone does,” Kristen stated during her appearance on this morning’s Live NewsDesk Show with Kristin Feledy.  See the entire segment below.


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