As it turns out, Motorola’s teaser invites did have a hidden message, and the company went out and announced three phones today. We already told you about the Moto G (3rd gen) and as it appears, the constant leaks surrounding it were mostly a distraction from even more intriguing announcements.
Motorola unveiled today the Moto X Style and Moto X Play – a flagship and an upper-midranger with plenty of “best-in-class” features, as the presenters were keen to point out on numerous occasions.
Motorola Moto X Style
The Moto X Style is the top model of the bunch, with the specs to prove
it. It comes with a 5.7-inch QHD display with an exemplary 76%
screen-to-body ratio. Motorola has managed to retain the front-facing
stereo speakers as well, which makes the comparison to the Apple iPhone
6s and Samsung Galaxy S6 even more impressive.
The smartphone is powered by Snapdragon 808, a notch below Qualcomm’s
flagship S810, but also LG’s choice for their current top model, the G4.
There’s a 1.8GHz hexa-core CPU inside the chip, complemented by 3GB of
RAM. Three storage options will be available, and the built-in
16/32/64GB will be expandable by up to 128GB via microSD.
The Moto X Style sports a 21MP primary camera, with an f/2.0 lens and
phase detection autofocus, joined by what's dubbed a Dual Color
Correlated Temperature (CCT) flash. Of course, the camera is capable of
recording 4K video, in HDR too.
Motorola stresses that DxO rated the Moto X Style’s camera as one of the
top three cameras in the world. No such claims are being made about the
front snapper, but it does feature a 5MP sensor, 87-degree wide-angle
lens, and a front-facing flash.
The smartphone comes with a 3,000mAh battery, which isn't record
breaking but Motorola pointed out that the Moto X Style offers fast
charging with a bundled TurboCharger 25, which will get you 34% of
charge in as little as 15 minutes.
Now, there’s a reason why it’s called the Style, and part of that lies
in the smoothly curved back with finely textured silicone rubber. A
multitude of colors will be available, but also real wood panels as well
as high-quality Horween leather backs. Not only that, but you’ll be able
to choose among three different frame color options.
Exclusive to the US, there will be a Moto X Pure Edition, basically a
Moto X Style, targeted at the free-spirited customer. It will be a
carrier-unlocked version, sold directly from Motorola and it will
support the LTE networks of all four major carriers in the country.
A recurrent theme throughout Motorola’s keynote was pricing, though
obvious regional considerations prevented precise numbers. Still, the
Motorola Moto X Style will cost $399 in the States, unlocked. Perhaps
the only fly in the ointment is that you won’t be able to get one until
September.
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Motorola Moto X Play
The Moto X Play is the lower-specced of the two Xs but it does
offer a balanced package geared towards better longevity.
This model comes with a slightly smaller 5.5-inch FullHD display,
Snapdragon 615 chipset and 2GB of RAM. Only two storage options are
present - 16GB and 32GB, but the microSD slot can provide an additional
128GB.
The 21MP f/2.0 camera has been carried over from the Style, though video
capture is limited to 1080p (the S615 doesn’t support 2160p on a
hardware level). The front shooter is a 5MP unit again, though it’s lost
the flash in this model.
It is battery life Motorola is after with this one, and it comes with a
3,630mAh battery, which the company claims is good for 48 hours of mixed
use. There’s fast charging supported, though the Turbo Charger 15 is
optional.
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