In the four decades since Motorola first showed off a prototype of the
world's first cellphone, the company has watched Apple, Samsung and
other innovators surpass it in sales. With Google as its new owner,
Motorola is introducing the Moto X, a phone notable for innovations in
manufacturing, as part of an attempt to regain its stature.
Yes,
there's plenty the Moto X offers in terms of software, including the
ability to get directions, seek trivia answers or set the alarm without
ever touching the phone. There's good hardware, too, including a body
that's nearly as slim as the iPhone 5, but with the larger, 4.7-inch
screen that is comparable to those found in rival Android phones.But what's really special about the Moto X has nothing to do with making calls, checking Facebook or holding it in your hands. Rather, it breaks from the pack by allowing for a lot of customization. You can choose everything from the color of the power button to a personalized message on the back cover.
To make those special orders possible, Motorola is assembling the Moto X in Texas, making it the first smartphone to be put together in the U.S. Motorola promises to ship custom designs within four days, faster than it would be able to if the company had chosen to make the Moto X halfway around the world in Asia, as other phones typically are. (Phones for overseas markets will be made overseas.)
You can still buy the phone the traditional way, in black or white. Walk into a store, pay about $200, sign a two-year service agreement (or installment plan with T-Mobile), and off you go with a brand new phone.
5 new features in Motorola's Moto X
1. Touch-less control
First seen in Google Glass and then in
voice search on Chrome, the feature lets users control the phone with
simple voice commands prefixed with "Okay, Google Now." This also lets
users access Google Now, Google's voice-based assistant that fetches
information and performs tasks like fixing appointments, setting up
alarms, and doing currency conversions. The interesting bit is that you
don't need to touch the phone or take it out of your pocket. If enabled,
it always actively listens to the user and follows commands.
5 new features in Motorola's Moto X
Anupam Saxena,
August 02, 2013
Google's Motorola has unveiled Moto X the first smartphone that's been developed with close collaboration with the Internet giant. While it doesn't really boast of high-end specifications, the much-hyped smartphone offers a few of differentiating features. Here's a look at 5 of the major ones. (Also see: Moto X review)
1. Touch-less control
First seen in Google Glass and then in voice search on Chrome, the feature lets users control the phone with simple voice commands prefixed with "Okay, Google Now." This also lets users access Google Now, Google's voice-based assistant that fetches information and performs tasks like fixing appointments, setting up alarms, and doing currency conversions. The interesting bit is that you don't need to touch the phone or take it out of your pocket. If enabled, it always actively listens to the user and follows commands.
2. Active Display
Motorola has put an AMOLED screen on the [Moto X](LINK TO PRODUCT DB), and these displays can be used to selectively display information without affecting the device's battery life. First seen in some Nokia phones, the display offers notifications for messages, calls and other events and the current time, without having to unlock the phone.
3. Quick Capture
The Moto X phone features a shake gesture that directly opens the phone's camera app. You need to shake the phone twice to turn on the camera to capture something spontaneously. You can then simply touch the screen to take a photo, similar to the Windows Phone camera app. One can also touch and hold to take multiple pictures quickly.
4. Authentication through wireless devices
You can also set the phone to authenticate when a trusted Bluetooth device is connected or if the phone is near a paired device such as a computer or a Bluetooth headset. This eliminates the need to unlock the phone every time. For example, if your Bluetooth-enabled laptop or speaker is around, your phone will know it's in a 'trusted' environment, and eliminate the need to manually unlock the phone.
5. Customisability
You can customise the body of the phone and choose from 18 back covers, different colour accents for the ring around the camera lens, accents around the volume and on-off buttons and get a personal message etched at the back of the phone. However, the customisation feature is limited to US carrier AT&T.
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