Google (nasdaq:GOOG)'s Moto X with X8 Sensors to Rival iPhone
If you're looking for a less conspicuous smartphone than the Samsung Galaxy S4 or iOS-operated iPhone such as the iPhone 5S or 5C, Moto X from Google's Motorola might wet your appetite for smartphones. If you're in the U.S. and you're an AT&T customer, you can pick one out in black, white or opt for a Moto X card to be used with Moto Maker at AT&T. It will also be available in Canada. The phone is slated for release from August to September.
A Google+ post from VP of product management at Motorola, Punit Soni, said, "the AT&T release of the Moto X is just step one of the rollout, and we will see 'dev editions, other carrier versions rolling out in days'."
Motorola, which has lost smartphone market share to Samsung and Apple Inc., is adding more buzz to Moto X by advertising the technology inside the phone. The mobile technology firm that first launched in Japan has gone out of its way to let the media know that the X8 is no ordinary smartphone chip.
It has sensing technology that detects you're going to take a photo by turning on the camera and opens a custom-tailored driving option after sensing who the driver is.
Incidentally, Google's acquisition of Motorola for $12.5 billion is not as profitable as iFixit analysts had hoped, but the Moto X gives fans something to write about on their Facebook walls, since it is the first Motorola phone to be made in the U.S.
The objective of the X8 has to deliver outstanding performance combined with low power.
Motorola said during an interview with CNET, the touted X8 chip is a 1.7 GHz Qualcomm S4 Pro and, so far, Motorola has collaborated well with Qualcomm. The X8 takes care of the contextual computing processor that manages language and gestures.
According a review by ifixit, the internal parts of the Moto X include a Toshiba 16 GB eMMC Nand Flash and 2 GB ram. Adding to that, the Moto X hosts a 10-MP rear camera, which is a good 25% higher in megapixels than Apple Inc's iPhone 5 built on iOS.
The Web site's review also said that the internal make-up of the Moto X was more complicated. "To our dismay, the unexpectedly flexible rear panel, though clipped to the device, is also adhered."
However, analysts said the Moto X's "design choices are nothing if not unique."
In July, the Wall Street Journal reported that Google will spend $150 million on marketing of the Moto X, a variant of the Nexus series.
The Moto X is also due for release in the UK and Australia in October 2013, according to Google.
The release overlaps those of rivals like Apple Inc's iPhone 5 and a cheaper version of the iPhone, the Nexus 7 also made by Google, and a rumoured Samsung Galaxy 12 tab release.
The deciding factor for the Moto X over its rivals is bound to be its CPU and the RAM, more than sleek looks.