For the better half of the first part of the year we've been ranting and raving about Android flagships like the Samsung Galaxy S 4, the HTC One, and the Sony Xperia Z. But now that each of these devices is essentially old news, we're starting to look forward to what the latter half of the year will bring us. The lineup of the hopeful devices we are waiting to see is the next generation iPhone, the Galaxy Note 3, and for this article in particular, the Moto X.
In the middle of watching yet another comparison video between the HTC One and the Galaxy S 4, I decided I was tired of trying to figure out which one I liked best. I decided to close the video and scope out the Internet in search of more interesting subject: the mysterious Moto X phone, which is set to arrive on the market sometime later this year.
We've seen recent teasers emerge from the Google-owned company stating that the Moto X will be the "first smartphone you can design yourself", whatever that means. Evan wrote an article just the other day speculating what exactly that could entail, but until we know for sure it does make for an enticing marketing campaign to keep the dreamers a-dreaming. Even I was intrigued as to what it meant, but there is still one teensy weensy little issue that remained in the back of my head that turned me off from the idea of this phone in the first place: the "always on" sensors.
Ever since hearing about the "always on" sensors I've been pretty skeptical about the device. I guess it could be an ideal feature for some people, but then there are people like me who like to be in control of my own device on my own terms. Simply put, I don't want my phone to think for me, and it doesn't sound like there will be a way to turn the feature off. It's even been described as being "the perfect spy". That creeps me out. Not only do you have these sensors that are constantly monitoring your movements, but you also have the incorporation of Google Now that predicts what you want to do before you actually do it. This phone learns from you by reusing your information in nearly every possible way. This phone watches you. It's the perfect real-life premise for a Will Smith movie if I've ever seen one.
I can see the appeal in having this type of technology in a phone, especially because some parts of it are being used to try and better how we use our phones; but I also think it sounds flawed. I have read that if you're using a Moto X while traveling at high speeds, as if you were in a car, you wouldn't be able to text anybody. This is great if you're driving; not so great if you're a passenger and need to shoot somebody a text for whatever reason. I guess that would be about the time that you'd have to dust off the old dialer pad and learn how to make a phone call again. It's also my understanding that the phone does a lot of "predicting" when it comes to how you handle the phone. If you hold the phone out because you're getting ready to watch a YouTube video, the camera might pop up. Well, thanks Moto X, but I really just wanted to watch this YouTube video in landscape mode, but I guess I could take a picture while we're here.
I think that's weird.
I just don't think I could handle a device that tries to do everything for me. Granted, this is just speculation at this point considering we only have limited information on what this phone can really do. Until we know for sure, I'm going to remain skeptical of the device. Actually, I think the term I'm looking for is 'nervous'. Maybe I just don't understand how this technology works because I haven't seen it before. I suppose only time will tell what this mysterious device will really entail. One thing is for sure - Motorola sure does know how to keep a person intrigued about a device that we know nearly nothing about.
Readers, what are your thoughts on rumors and speculation of Moto X so far? Share your thoughts with me in the comments below!
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