David Pierce takes an early look at the new Moto X and speaks with Motorola brass about the philosophies that went into the design of the phone and the company's relationship with Google.
I'm glad Motorola didn't go the 'spec-whore' way. I think this would have been a killer product if the price was somewhere between that of the Nexus 4 and the more ('spec-whorry') premium phones.
11 ปีที่แล้ว +3
Diego De Barbieri Medium range? The Moto X is the smartest phone available. And I did say smart because because Motorola has taken into account a lot of variables to make a good phone with an all-day battery.
Can't wait for the review. I was initially disappointed that this doesn't have a 1080p display, but honestly compared to a 720p display you can't see the difference and you get much better battery life which is something that I REALLY need. Can't wait for the review.
You don't have to twist your wrist so intensely like that to activate the camera.. Just give a fairly light double twist and it should open almost 99% of time.
There are a number of reasons to buy this phone. 1) 720p is more than enough pixel density for a 4.7" screen. It allows for a good balance of image quality, quicker performance and greater battery life. 2) According to people who have used the phone, it has pretty good battery life, even though it's always listening for your voice and keeping its motion sensors on for the camera and wake gestures. 3) The "Ok google now" feature and the notification reveal thing are cool. 4) Assembled in USA
Really contemplating getting this phone... I like that the video gives an in depth personal presentation from the people who make it. I just hope the specs match up with the competition and it doesn't turn into a crossbreed between Android and iPhone.
Amazing production as always. Thanks for actually taking the time to make a nice, cohesive video, rather than just uploading 5 clips of random information. *cough* TechnoBuffalo *cough*
I could care less about the phone right now, I like the way the video was done. Keep them coming David. It was very informative and interesting, and we weren't just staring at the same thing the whole time
Motorola and Google are doing something that no one else is doing. They are keeping things simple, making it work for the user end, and keeping all their operations here in the US. Their Texas operation alone gives work to 2000 people. I don't know about you guys but the MotoX outperforms any phone in the market right now. The only reason you don't hear about it is because it's not Samsung or Apple. Keep up the good work Google and Motorola!
Customization, actual USEFUL voice commands, it's not just about having the highest possible pixel count that you can fit on a screen, it's about making a beautiful display that also thinks of conserving battery life
Really, so much respect for motorola about changing your covers if you didn't like them, I see no other brand making this, changing something just for your taste, it's amazing that they get into this level of attention for the user.
The twist to open the camera works great and the screen doesn't look pink at all. And Motorola even said that google is just a funder they don't make any choices other than a few company based choices.
those phones you mentioned are sold at around $600 off contract ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD. in fact here in Indonesia, where NO phones are sold on contract, the iPhone 5 is sold for around $800, the Galaxy S4 is $750, the Blackberry Z10 is $700 and so on. they may cost $200 to assemble but don't forget that the companies have other costs such as research, design, marketing and so on. true that they sell it at high margin, but that's how things work for every other fancy item you have anyway.
Cost is important! 720p is perfect, under 5 in is smart. The dedicated cores is genius! I don't need the most powerful chip, just efficient and long battery life. No SD expansion and poor camera is the only minor aspects, but this may not matter to me at the moment. My top choice for my next smart phone.
5) The minimalistic design and the edge-to-edge screen are gorgeous. 6) Really compact body for a 4.7" screen (compare to HTC One for a good idea of this). 7) Stock Android UI for the most part, which is prettier than Touchwiz and Sense in my opinion. 8) Customization options (which are AT&T exclusive for now, but hopefully will be expanded to all carriers in the future). 9) Software buttons. 10) I'm done, I just wanted to get to ten. PS: I have a GS3, but I wish I could get a new Motorola
I actually like the phone. Hmmmm might have to check out out, even though I like top of the line specs on my phone. Anyway, the verge is always getting the inside story. Awesome job guys!!
I'm confident this phone will run great until your next upgrade. When I got my gnex it didn't have a good CPU, GPU, or really anything except for its software and it has actually improved in speed over time.
is it realistic that an android update could potentially make the photo quality better? or is it pretty much stuck? are the specs on the camera subject to an upgrade?
For all of you that think this phone isn't an upgrade for whatever phone you have because of the specs of the Snapdragon4, you really need to read into the Motorola X8 architecture they built for this phone. Other than the Snapdragon4 there are: 4 Graphics Cores, 2 Application Processing Cores and 2 Low Power Cores (voice and gyro/accelerometer). No other phone does this and not only makes it perform better than that Galaxy S4 or iPhone 5 it allows it to have a 24 hour battery life.
2 storage options (16 or 32) 2 front color panels (black or white) engraving and back panels changes. thats every other phone, mostly apple. send it to a factory and have the back panel changed, in gold if you want! the only key feature for me is the voice command, given that it actually works like i think it would
I have it. And the camera twist motion is two turns not three. thats why it wasn't working. and the voice activation is great. To be able to talk to your phone when it is locked is a lot bigger than people think until they use it. I love putting my phone down in the car and just tell it what song i want to listen to or where to navigate me and its reads my text to me and responds with an "im driving at the moment text" back to the other person. I like it.
Anybody else think the curved back looks exactly like the one in the Lumia 720? I really loved the Lumia designs and colours and thank god the rest of the market is adopting it.
I hoped for a lot more when the Moto X was first rumored. Google seems to be pretty happy with making just mid range phones. First was the Nexus 4 now it's the Moto X. I would almost put the Moto X in the low end category. Because mid range phones still have removable batteries and expandable storage. The 720p display is the only thing that keeps this phone up at mid range level
They're probably checking whether customers want the customization options enough, so they're keeping it AT&T exclusive for now. It's likely expensive to produce all those colored parts, so hopefully it's just a case of on-the-fly market research. If the response is positive, they should bring the customization options to all the carriers.
Right on the money, but why have all the color combinations when most users will cover up with a protective case, why not build with an impact resistant outer edge that maintains the slim profile/thickness of the phone.
Technically, each of the parts combined may cost close to 200 but you have to factor in R&D, manufacturing, QA, distribution, advertising and labor (and I'm sure I forgot a lot of other MAJOR costs to make/distribute a phone). Nexus 4 is probably breaking even or taking a loss at sale (might be wrong).
$199 on contract applies to the 16GB flavor only. If you want the 32GB version, you have to sign up to AT&T which has an exclusive contract for that model and which is priced accordingly at $249 on contract. Also, considering that Google owns Motorola, it's a bit odd that the phone runs Jelly Bean 4.2.2 and not Key Lime Pie 4.3 which Google released recently on its own Nexus devices.
The quick-launch camera feature is really meant for smashing the phone. It's an awesome feature not many phones have. Just shake your wrist like jimmying an lock and voila, ALL OVER THE FLOOR.
I really like the Moto X... I'm still an apple person because of how it fits into my life, but I kinda want the moto x anyways. It's such a cool phone, especially the customization, that's the best part.
X8. Instead of having one big processor that handles everything, there are several low-power processors that allows it to have a 24 hour battery life and present more functionality that would absolutely kill the battery of a iPhone 5 or S4 If you were to try to port the Moto X's features to those devices. Plus the phone can go anywhere, it virtually has all antennae which means it can be used with just about every carrier: GSM GPRS EDGE UMTS HSPA+ CDMA EVDO 4G/LTE. Those are what sets it apart.
From all that I have read and seen; yes. This phone comes with options (Assist being one of them) that no other phone has. The price point is spot on and you can customize the phone at Motorola's "Moto Maker" website to suit your flair and style. Republic Wireless has a great relationship with Motorola where you can get any of the Moto phones (G/X) fully customized and with 3G-4GLTE unlimited everything for the ground breaking MAXIMUM price of $40 per month. Other plans are $5/$10/$25. They can do this by using WiFi wherever possible and using the cell network at other times. I don't own one as I am waiting for the Note 4 to come out first before I decide to purchase a new phone. This phone is in my top 3 right now, with the LG Flex number 2.
I don't know how to feel about the Moto X... Being on Verizon I have so few choices of great phones anymore aside from Samsung. I think it has such AMAZING potential despite cynicism for it's specs, but that price is a killer... Look at the iPhone people, its specs are even lower than the Moto X but it still provides a smooth experience. If Moto optimized everything properly for this device it could be a home run. Everything fell in place perfectly I think, except price.
Maybe the reason the screen has a pinkish tint is because of the differences between color aging in OLED screens. It may be designed to have a truer white during the middle, longest portion of its 2-3 year life.
is their service reliable? i heard people aren't getting signals on their phones. and how does their no-contract work? so you can buy a phone from them at a discounted price and cancel the plan a month later and keep the phone? many thanks.
Some say the moto x needs a finger print scanner so you don't have to type in a password. But Motorola has a few answers to automatically log you into the phone. Moto skip uses NFC, and Bluetooth trusted devices.
Yes, my sentiments exactly. Lots of blurb about design, but virtually nothing of substance. And do users in the US really turn their phones off and on again 60 times a day? I find that very hard to believe. It was mentioned at 3:10.
As someone who has been an apple and IOS fan for years, i gotta say that android, and people who make phones such as motorola, samsung, LG, etc, is now better than apple. The Moto X is just an amazing phone and beats the iPhone 5 in probably every aspect. Goodbye iPhone, hello Moto X and android.
"Motorola's fighting fire with glow sticks here." Loved that. Maybe it's time to bring new 'features' into android phones rather than new 'spec sheets' :D More power to Google and it's OEMs!
A US based company, assembling (some of it) in the US, selling to the US market. For just once, I am kind of happy for this. I at least know that some of the money I am spending on this phone isn't going to a horrible conditioned workplace somewhere I am never going to see.
Customization was a key selling point for me when i switched from iphone to my GS3, now saying that it has "plagued" android users rather confuses me 4:20.
Good luck with that, bro. A fair price for a device like this off-contract would be around $350-450 dollars. Just look at the Nexus 4 and then add a price jump for LTE and other various software/hardware features. Unfortunately with the Google Play Edition devices this will hit the Play Store for sale but keep the over-inflated carrier pricing to make it seem like you're getting a good deal in a retail store when you're trading your higher monthly bill for a less expensive phone.
David Pierce takes an early look at the new Moto X and speaks with Motorola brass about the philosophies that went into the design of the phone and the company's relationship with Google.
Heard David's piece via the RSS feed. Very good work. The Verge is killing it.
Motorola "yesterday", now that is model name right there.
I'm glad Motorola didn't go the 'spec-whore' way. I think this would have been a killer product if the price was somewhere between that of the Nexus 4 and the more ('spec-whorry') premium phones.
Diego De Barbieri Medium range? The Moto X is the smartest phone available. And I did say smart because because Motorola has taken into account a lot of variables to make a good phone with an all-day battery.
Great video!
I think what makes the Verge so top-notch is its amazing editing and production quality of every video.
Every video from The Verge is pure class.
These guys can really edit their videos man. Sweet stuff.
Can't wait for the review. I was initially disappointed that this doesn't have a 1080p display, but honestly compared to a 720p display you can't see the difference and you get much better battery life which is something that I REALLY need. Can't wait for the review.
You don't have to twist your wrist so intensely like that to activate the camera..
Just give a fairly light double twist and it should open almost 99% of time.
OH MY GOD THAT SUITCASE IN THE BEGINNING I WANT THAT SO BAD WITH ALL THE PHONES hahha so beautiful!
In love with the transparent navigation bar.
There are a number of reasons to buy this phone. 1) 720p is more than enough pixel density for a 4.7" screen. It allows for a good balance of image quality, quicker performance and greater battery life. 2) According to people who have used the phone, it has pretty good battery life, even though it's always listening for your voice and keeping its motion sensors on for the camera and wake gestures. 3) The "Ok google now" feature and the notification reveal thing are cool. 4) Assembled in USA
May I ask what camera you guys used for the video ? Looks awesome !
Really good review, Verge. You are by far my favorite tech news company.
Really contemplating getting this phone... I like that the video gives an in depth personal presentation from the people who make it. I just hope the specs match up with the competition and it doesn't turn into a crossbreed between Android and iPhone.
Amazing production as always. Thanks for actually taking the time to make a nice, cohesive video, rather than just uploading 5 clips of random information. *cough* TechnoBuffalo *cough*
I could care less about the phone right now, I like the way the video was done. Keep them coming David. It was very informative and interesting, and we weren't just staring at the same thing the whole time
verge videos are not like anything else glad to be a subscriber!
Motorola and Google are doing something that no one else is doing. They are keeping things simple, making it work for the user end, and keeping all their operations here in the US. Their Texas operation alone gives work to 2000 people. I don't know about you guys but the MotoX outperforms any phone in the market right now. The only reason you don't hear about it is because it's not Samsung or Apple. Keep up the good work Google and Motorola!
Brilliant review / showcase, loved it. Well done guys.
Customization, actual USEFUL voice commands, it's not just about having the highest possible pixel count that you can fit on a screen, it's about making a beautiful display that also thinks of conserving battery life
Really, so much respect for motorola about changing your covers if you didn't like them, I see no other brand making this, changing something just for your taste, it's amazing that they get into this level of attention for the user.
The twist to open the camera works great and the screen doesn't look pink at all. And Motorola even said that google is just a funder they don't make any choices other than a few company based choices.
those phones you mentioned are sold at around $600 off contract ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD.
in fact here in Indonesia, where NO phones are sold on contract, the iPhone 5 is sold for around $800, the Galaxy S4 is $750, the Blackberry Z10 is $700 and so on.
they may cost $200 to assemble but don't forget that the companies have other costs such as research, design, marketing and so on.
true that they sell it at high margin, but that's how things work for every other fancy item you have anyway.
Cost is important! 720p is perfect, under 5 in is smart. The dedicated cores is genius! I don't need the most powerful chip, just efficient and long battery life. No SD expansion and poor camera is the only minor aspects, but this may not matter to me at the moment. My top choice for my next smart phone.
i absolutley love my moto x honestly this video undersold it its just that good.
Yeah... gotta love The Verge for these awesome video productions! And hell those phones look sweet. If only they we're better spec-wise...
5) The minimalistic design and the edge-to-edge screen are gorgeous. 6) Really compact body for a 4.7" screen (compare to HTC One for a good idea of this). 7) Stock Android UI for the most part, which is prettier than Touchwiz and Sense in my opinion. 8) Customization options (which are AT&T exclusive for now, but hopefully will be expanded to all carriers in the future). 9) Software buttons. 10) I'm done, I just wanted to get to ten. PS: I have a GS3, but I wish I could get a new Motorola
I really hope this succeeds. If I was anywhere near my next upgrade I'd totally hop on to this.
That phone will be my next phone.. so stylish, beautiful, complex and complete.. I love voice command supported by Google the Giant
I actually like the phone. Hmmmm might have to check out out, even though I like top of the line specs on my phone. Anyway, the verge is always getting the inside story. Awesome job guys!!
Love it! Motorola just might have a homerun here :) great vid verge
I'm confident this phone will run great until your next upgrade. When I got my gnex it didn't have a good CPU, GPU, or really anything except for its software and it has actually improved in speed over time.
love the active display thinking about getting this phone
is it realistic that an android update could potentially make the photo quality better? or is it pretty much stuck? are the specs on the camera subject to an upgrade?
For all of you that think this phone isn't an upgrade for whatever phone you have because of the specs of the Snapdragon4, you really need to read into the Motorola X8 architecture they built for this phone. Other than the Snapdragon4 there are: 4 Graphics Cores, 2 Application Processing Cores and 2 Low Power Cores (voice and gyro/accelerometer). No other phone does this and not only makes it perform better than that Galaxy S4 or iPhone 5 it allows it to have a 24 hour battery life.
2 storage options (16 or 32) 2 front color panels (black or white) engraving and back panels changes. thats every other phone, mostly apple. send it to a factory and have the back panel changed, in gold if you want! the only key feature for me is the voice command, given that it actually works like i think it would
Omg all colors is gorgeous
That one dude be pimpin! The one with the glasses and colourful shirt.
This phone looks awesome, i'm excited!
I have it. And the camera twist motion is two turns not three. thats why it wasn't working. and the voice activation is great. To be able to talk to your phone when it is locked is a lot bigger than people think until they use it. I love putting my phone down in the car and just tell it what song i want to listen to or where to navigate me and its reads my text to me and responds with an "im driving at the moment text" back to the other person. I like it.
Very good review, THANKS! Seriously considering this phone.
Will this be available internationally?
Maybe you should look up the terms "manufacturing cost" and "markup"
Anybody else think the curved back looks exactly like the one in the Lumia 720? I really loved the Lumia designs and colours and thank god the rest of the market is adopting it.
Anyone knows what camera "The verge" uses? video quality is awesome!
I hoped for a lot more when the Moto X was first rumored. Google seems to be pretty happy with making just mid range phones. First was the Nexus 4 now it's the Moto X. I would almost put the Moto X in the low end category. Because mid range phones still have removable batteries and expandable storage. The 720p display is the only thing that keeps this phone up at mid range level
it just feels good to have a great product with USA marked on the back
will it be available outside the U.S. sometime in the future?
Awesome video. The phone looks awesome.
It's videos like these that make me forgive The Verge for starting their livestream late.
That phone looks awesome! As a Galaxy Nexus user I´ve gotta say, if that phone comes to the EU, i want it!!!!
They're probably checking whether customers want the customization options enough, so they're keeping it AT&T exclusive for now. It's likely expensive to produce all those colored parts, so hopefully it's just a case of on-the-fly market research. If the response is positive, they should bring the customization options to all the carriers.
Right on the money, but why have all the color combinations when most users will cover up with a protective case, why not build with an impact resistant outer edge that maintains the slim profile/thickness of the phone.
The thing I really like about this phone is that, it's shape and, I believe, it has great battery life?
Awesome video! I like the look of the phone :)
I love that active screen! It's quite helpful!
So The Verge is doing ads for Google/Motorola now?
might have to check this out when i get my upgrade
Wow, nice video production.
This is a good comeback for Motorola from its other rivals , great job Motorola .
I was going to type this and seen your post. Thanks.
Technically, each of the parts combined may cost close to 200 but you have to factor in R&D, manufacturing, QA, distribution, advertising and labor (and I'm sure I forgot a lot of other MAJOR costs to make/distribute a phone). Nexus 4 is probably breaking even or taking a loss at sale (might be wrong).
$199 on contract applies to the 16GB flavor only. If you want the 32GB version, you have to sign up to AT&T which has an exclusive contract for that model and which is priced accordingly at $249 on contract.
Also, considering that Google owns Motorola, it's a bit odd that the phone runs Jelly Bean 4.2.2 and not Key Lime Pie 4.3 which Google released recently on its own Nexus devices.
The quick-launch camera feature is really meant for smashing the phone. It's an awesome feature not many phones have. Just shake your wrist like jimmying an lock and voila, ALL OVER THE FLOOR.
Is Motorola better now since Google bought them?
I had a Motorola V360 and V9 and they both stopped working and wouldn't turn back on.
So is this phone just locked to the US regions at the moment?
I would like really like to get a hands demo with it in the EU.
I really like the Moto X... I'm still an apple person because of how it fits into my life, but I kinda want the moto x anyways. It's such a cool phone, especially the customization, that's the best part.
So when is this out?
X8. Instead of having one big processor that handles everything, there are several low-power processors that allows it to have a 24 hour battery life and present more functionality that would absolutely kill the battery of a iPhone 5 or S4 If you were to try to port the Moto X's features to those devices. Plus the phone can go anywhere, it virtually has all antennae which means it can be used with just about every carrier: GSM GPRS EDGE UMTS HSPA+ CDMA EVDO 4G/LTE. Those are what sets it apart.
After 7 months is it still worth buying?
From all that I have read and seen; yes. This phone comes with options (Assist being one of them) that no other phone has. The price point is spot on and you can customize the phone at Motorola's "Moto Maker" website to suit your flair and style. Republic Wireless has a great relationship with Motorola where you can get any of the Moto phones (G/X) fully customized and with 3G-4GLTE unlimited everything for the ground breaking MAXIMUM price of $40 per month. Other plans are $5/$10/$25. They can do this by using WiFi wherever possible and using the cell network at other times. I don't own one as I am waiting for the Note 4 to come out first before I decide to purchase a new phone. This phone is in my top 3 right now, with the LG Flex number 2.
Motorola, u hit the right spot this time,
im in
After 11 years, TH-cam algorithm recommended this to me! 😂
It uses a kevlar backing, I've had previous moto phones with kevlar on back, never had to use a case and it's super durable
I don't know how to feel about the Moto X... Being on Verizon I have so few choices of great phones anymore aside from Samsung. I think it has such AMAZING potential despite cynicism for it's specs, but that price is a killer... Look at the iPhone people, its specs are even lower than the Moto X but it still provides a smooth experience. If Moto optimized everything properly for this device it could be a home run. Everything fell in place perfectly I think, except price.
Now big question will this be available to the UK/europe?
Maybe the reason the screen has a pinkish tint is because of the differences between color aging in OLED screens. It may be designed to have a truer white during the middle, longest portion of its 2-3 year life.
The colours look great, I want a turquoise one
If you want to purchase this unlocked through AT&T, the company stated that it would cost $575 - $600 unlocked.
Thank you for keeping it in America
is their service reliable? i heard people aren't getting signals on their phones. and how does their no-contract work? so you can buy a phone from them at a discounted price and cancel the plan a month later and keep the phone? many thanks.
when can we buy?
Some say the moto x needs a finger print scanner so you don't have to type in a password. But Motorola has a few answers to automatically log you into the phone. Moto skip uses NFC, and Bluetooth trusted devices.
Best review out there.
Loving the design and colors of this phone! just hard to jump from a HTC one to this...
so the customization thing will be very less in moto x compare to nexus 4 or other google nexus phone ?
With the buildings in the background you shouldn't have tilted the camera upwards, it looks like the whole city is falling over O.o
Agreed. Useful things it actually does vs what it could do like he said. I think Moto is on to something here.
Seems worth taking a look at
I agree with you about the nexus, but the thing that I couldn't understand is why wouldn't they add SD card slot to it?
Yes, my sentiments exactly. Lots of blurb about design, but virtually nothing of substance.
And do users in the US really turn their phones off and on again 60 times a day? I find that very hard to believe. It was mentioned at 3:10.
As someone who has been an apple and IOS fan for years, i gotta say that android, and people who make phones such as motorola, samsung, LG, etc, is now better than apple. The Moto X is just an amazing phone and beats the iPhone 5 in probably every aspect. Goodbye iPhone, hello Moto X and android.
The Moto X is by far the Phone that has caught my Attention the most this year. Sadly its not Available Internationaly.
"Motorola's fighting fire with glow sticks here." Loved that. Maybe it's time to bring new 'features' into android phones rather than new 'spec sheets' :D More power to Google and it's OEMs!
I liked that glowstick analogy. lol
A US based company, assembling (some of it) in the US, selling to the US market.
For just once, I am kind of happy for this. I at least know that some of the money I am spending on this phone isn't going to a horrible conditioned workplace somewhere I am never going to see.
Still can't beat my few months old HTC One.
Wow, looks like that I should give Motorola a try next time, after my Samsung Galaxy S3.
Nice review about the glow sticks..
Customization was a key selling point for me when i switched from iphone to my GS3, now saying that it has "plagued" android users rather confuses me 4:20.
Good luck with that, bro. A fair price for a device like this off-contract would be around $350-450 dollars.
Just look at the Nexus 4 and then add a price jump for LTE and other various software/hardware features.
Unfortunately with the Google Play Edition devices this will hit the Play Store for sale but keep the over-inflated carrier pricing to make it seem like you're getting a good deal in a retail store when you're trading your higher monthly bill for a less expensive phone.
so if u just click anywhere to take a picture, is there no manual focus?
Great glow stick analogy haha :)