Motorola decided to break a trend that has been a relative constant within the Android world for quite some time. Instead of creating a device that was meant to try and win the "the best possible hardware" race, of which Samsung and HTC are obviously dominant, they took a different route. They created a hero device that doesn't have the best display, or even the largest one for that matter. It doesn't have the best processor, or the fastest. And the camera isn't lauded as the next best thing in mobile photography.
Their flagship device for the year, the handset that's supposed to be the direct result of Motorola's relationship with Google, isn't the "next best thing" when it comes to hardware, but that was obviously never the goal. Motorola wanted to make a phone that's ultimately built for you, in just about every way possible.
This is the custom device you may, or may not have, been waiting for.
As a bit of a refresher, Motorola's Moto X features a 4.7-inch AMOLED display, with a resolution of 720x1280, and a pixel per inch count of 316. It's running Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean out of the box. It comes in options of 16GB or 32GB, and has 2GB of RAM. The battery is measured at 22mAh. Inside, there's a dual-core processor that Motorola's calling the "X8," and it's clocked at 1.7GHz. On the back, there's a 10MP camera, and on the front a 2MP shooter.
The Moto X will be launching for Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile, and U.S. Cellular. However, if you want to customize your device, using Motorola's "Moto Maker," then you'll need to be an AT&T subscriber, as the carrier has an exclusive deal for that particular option right at the start. It won't last long, though, according to Motorola executives.
It's about the customization with the Moto X. The fact that you can change the front and back panel color, the side button color options, the wallpaper you see out of the box, as well as include a custom engraving all lead to the idea that the Moto X really is designed and made specifically for you. It's a made to order phone. If you're an AT&T subscriber (for now).
And while it's great that Motorola's new flagship device has all that personality, and you can help to unleash it upon the world, we know that specifications do play a role in what lands in a buyer's pocket. Especially when the pricing for the Moto X is similar to handsets like the iPhone 5 and the Galaxy S 4. So Motorola's gamble is the customization, as well as the "near stock" version of Android that's running on the handset.
Will it be enough? It's an intriguing question, that's for sure. Will Motorola's U.S.-based assembly of the device, which is promised to create a quick turn-around for orders placed and delivered, work out? We won't know the answer to those questions until the phone launches, and Moto Maker is made available on other carriers besides AT&T.
But, I can ask a pretty simple question right now that you can probably answer well enough, even if the phone isn't available quite yet. With everything that we know about the Moto X, are you interested in picking up Motorola's Moto X? Is the company's hero device what you've been waiting for in your next smartphone? Are you impressed with the customization? Is the Moto X going to be your next phone? Let me know!
