A multitude of leaks may have revealed much of the Moto X ahead of Motorola's big unveiling today, but that doesn't mean that the X's official unveiling isn't a big deal for the company. Motorola today took the wraps off of the Moto X, its latest flagship smartphone. The Moto X's price will be set at $199 with a two-year commitment for the 16GB model, while the more capacious 32GB version will cost $249.99.
When it comes to specs, Moto X buyers will be getting a device with a 4.7-inch 720p AMOLED display and a Motorola X8 Mobile Computing System (1.7GHz dual-core Krait CPU, quad-core Adreno 320 GPU) powering the whole package. There's a 10-megapixel ClearPixel camera with flash on the X's backside, and around front rests a 2-megapixel shooter.
Rounding out the X's spec list is 2GB RAM, 16GB/32GB storage, 50GB of free Google Drive storage for 2 years, Bluetooth 4.0 LE and a 2,200mAh battery. Motorola has chosen to preload Android 4.2.2 on the Moto X.
Besides prompt updates, one of the big Moto X features that Motorola is touting is its customizability factor. The company says that there are over 2,000 different combinations that customers can create using the Moto Maker online studio. Consumers will be able to select different colors for the front and back of their device as well as an accent color for the power and volume keys as well as the camera ring. Motorola is also planning to offer a wood backing option in the future. Other customization options will include message engraving and unique wallpapers.
The Moto Maker customization studio will only be available to AT&T customers at launch. However, Verizon says that it will also offer Moto Maker to its customers "later this year." In stores, consumers will be able to choose either a woven black or woven white Moto X.
Speaking of customization, Moto X will include a few special software features that users will want to be aware of. Just like Verizon's new Droid phones, the Moto X will sport Touchless Control, allowing users to say the words "Ok Google Now" in order to check the weather, get directions or perform one of several other actions. The Moto X also features Active Display notifications, which quietly displays alerts on-screen as they come in. Finally, Moto X's Quick Capture capability will allow users to activate the phone's camera with two twists of the wrist.
So when will this thing launch? Motorola says that the Moto X will be available in the U.S., Canada and Latin America starting in late August/early September. Most carriers are holding off on making any announcements regarding availability, though Sprint does promise that its model will be released "later this summer." The Verge has learned that there will also be a Google Play edition of the Moto X available that will be sold unlocked and bloatware-free and will also receive updates before the carrier-branded models. There's no word yet on how much the GPe Moto X will cost, but it's said to be launching "soon."
The Moto X looks like a nicely-designed phone, and the fact that consumers will be able to customize their own unit with different color options (including that awesome wood back) is pretty cool. At $199 on contract, though, the Moto X is going head-to-head with the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S 4, HTC One and Apple iPhone 5, all of which are pretty serious competition. The customizability of the Moto X is one point in its favor, but there's no question that Motorola will have its work cut out for it, and it'll be interesting to see how it tries to sway consumers in its dierection. Until we hear more, you can find a full gallery of Moto X photos right here.
UPDATE: Motorola has posted a video demonstrating its Moto Maker customization tool that shows off some different color combinations and other ways that users will be able to personalize their Moto X. Check it out below.
