It's hard to deny the excitement that's currently surrounding around the hopeful release of Motorola's Moto X sometime in the very near future. Interestingly enough, it's the first time in a long time that I've seen a phone create so much hype that is rumored to feature specs that were popular last year; it may not sound like a lot of time on paper, but when it comes to technology a lot of changes have been made within that short time frame. In other words, this phone has aptly been described as "average"; nothing special, nothing huge, and nothing we haven't already seen before. So why is it such a big deal?

For starters, there is a lot to say about this phone. Presumably this is one of the first phones that you'll be able to customize if you so choose to; while you can't customize everything, it does give you a lot more options than we are used to when it comes to phone customization. Choosing the color, trim and even the type of material the back is made out of is something that this phone is rumored to feature. If you wanted a purple iPhone, you could certainly do so if you wanted to but you better be willing to jump through hoops with a very high risk of damaging your device if you wanted to. If you wanted an aluminum Galaxy S4 or a plastic HTC One, well, that's cute but it's not going to happen. The Moto X takes away this risk by giving you the option to make your phone that way from the get-go. That's pretty awesome.

Secondly, and something that I'm not exactly stoked about but do find the feature worth discussing, Moto X is supposed to feature a lot of sensors that are always on. It's an intriguing concept because this supposedly lets your phone learn more about you and thus able to tailor to your specific needs more than we ever thought possible; but at the same time, the entire concept seems off-setting to me. But just because I'm not a huge fan of the concept doesn't mean that it's not what other people wanted to see in the phone, and it is still one of those features that keep people talking about the device.

While I'm not a huge fan of the sensors that Moto X is supposed to feature, I have found myself satisfied with other aspects of the device; namely, the size. As many of you know, I'm not exactly a huge fan of giant phones. Although I have found myself to currently be a proud owner of the HTC One, it is still a lot larger than my iPhone 4S and in some cases is not very comfortable to hold. The Moto X, however, actually seems like a perfect mid-size device that also possibly features a 4.7" screen (or 4.5", but recent leaks seem to point towards 4.7"), which is the same size screen that the HTC One has. Although the two may share the same screen size, the housing is certainly different. Not only is Moto X shorter than the HTC One, but the device also looks to be slightly narrower as well. This is great for people who prefer smaller phones but wish to have bigger displays.

Not only am I pleased with the housing on the device, but I'm also finding myself to be less dissappointed with specs than I initially was. After all, the "X Phone" was supposed to be the phone to end all phones, and then it comes to light to be much less than that. But the more I think about it, the more it sounds reasonable. A report from The Verge claims that Moto X is sporting a dual-core 1.7 GHz Snapdragon MSM8960T processor, 2GB RAM, and runs on a 2,200mAh battery. And really, if these leaks are correct, the only thing mid-range I see about this phone is the fact that the processor isn't quad-core. 2GB of RAM is the same as any other flagship device and a 2,200 mAh battery could give what many consider to be great battery life. The specs aren't bad, they're just not the best. Also, you are presumably getting a nice trade-off by being able to purchase this device for a lot cheaper than most phones cost unsubsidized.

This phone definitely seems like a home run when it comes to additional customization and design, not to mention getting a bang for your buck, but it all really narrows down to how well people react to the "always on" sensors in the device (which may or not actually be always on, as it turns out). Of course, all of the details will (hopefully) officially be announced on August 1st.

What are your thoughts on the rumored customization of Moto X's back plate? Do the mid-range specs of the device turn you off from the device, or is this exactly the kind of device that you've been looking for? Share your thoughts with me in the comments below!

Images via Reddit, CNN, Mashable