Later today, Motorola will announce the Moto X. The Motorola Moto X. It's got a ring to it, right? Or maybe not. Either way, the device is finally official. Officially official and all that jazz. Not that it's necessarily been that big of a secret for the last few months, ever since a Motorola executive confirmed the device was real. Since then, we've seen bits and pieces, rumors and speculation, and just about every angle of the device we could imagine before it's final unveiling.

Not all that surprising, though. We usually have a pretty distinct picture painted for us before the release of a phone, anyway, so this isn't any different. Well, that's not true, actually. There is a big difference this time around, and now, just hours before the launch of the Moto X, I can't help but wonder one thing:

Why do the Droid Mini, Ultra and MAXX exist?

The easy answer would be that Verizon wanted new Droid-branded devices, and considering Motorola's dominant presence within the lineup already, these three devices were probably easy to come up with. It would probably be a safe bet to assume that Verizon's got a deal worked out with Motorola to release new Droid devices, and the timing just happened to fall in place with another hero device.

And, let's face it, based on what we've heard about the software side of the Moto X, it sounds like the new Droid-branded devices are essentially the same thing. To me, that means it's going to be the differences that matter the most, and not the similarities.

That's my main question, really. Is the Moto X really just a Droid Ultra, but with a smaller display? If so, why does the Droid Ultra exist? Because we know the Moto X is coming to Verizon, or at least that's what we've heard, anyway. Or, even if you're okay with the Droid Ultra existing next to the Moto X, with that slightly smaller display, then why does the Droid Mini exist? Just for that 4.3-inch 720p display? Because that 2,000mAh battery certainly isn't going to draw in the crowds.

Now, on the other end of the spectrum, the 5-inch display on the Droid Maxx may not be huge, but it's still big. And, more to the point, it's got a battery that *is* worthwhile. Measured at 3,500mAh, and with a quoted lifespan of 48 hours, that's impressive. So, that battery alone is a reason why the Droid Maxx should exist.

Which is why the Droid Ultra just seems so obvious for its blatant "look at the Droid branding!" battle cry. And why I can't help but wonder what features, especially when it comes to certain hardware elements, that the Moto X will pull from the new Droid lineup and call its own. Will it take the best of the three handsets? If so, which features would you like to see the Moto X carry over from the new Droids?

Don't get me wrong, I think it's great that Motorola is the sole manufacturer leading the DROID charge from here on out -- I just think it's bad timing with the Moto X's launch later today. But, I guess we'll see when the final product is shown. No matter what, though, I'm super excited to see what Motorola has coming down the pipe.

So tell me, what features are you most excited about with the new Moto X, based on what you've heard, and what you've seen in the new Droid lineup. Do you think the Moto X can stand up on its own when it's launched on Verizon, against the other Motorola-branded devices? Let me know what you think!