The Moto X was part of the new business direction of the company that slashed jobs and its stable of phones from 30 devices to just two: the Moto X and the Moto G. “I think we learned a lot with Moto X in the US,” said Andrew Morley, vice-president and general manager of Motorola UK. “We launched with one partner. Here, we’re launching with wide distribution from day one.”
That launch will see the same Moto X specifi cation as the US variant but Motorola won’t be providing access to the Moto Maker software for Europe. Moto Maker is the online customisation portal that lets prospective customers choose the colour, pattern and fi nish of the Moto X. Hence, UK owners will only have access to black or white models, instead of customising their own. For some, that choice will be further restricted because the UK retailer, Phones 4u, has indicated that it has a three-month exclusive contract on the white model.
So will the Moto X be a success? This might depend on how prospective buyers respond to the launch price that is set to be a pretty hefty £380, which is around £135 (in currency converted terms) more than the US equivalent for a SIM-free model. That’s not all, however, since the initial summer 2013 release of the Moto X, LG has released the Google-supported Nexus 5. “You can get the Nexus 5 for £299 and the specs don’t justify the £80 difference,” said Francisco Jeronimo, director of European consumer wireless and mobile communications for research fi rm IDC.
The Motorola Moto X is a phone with a range of interesting, although hardly ‘killer’, features that may attract gadget enthusiasts and the curious. Add to that the exclusion of the headline Moto Maker service in the UK, its relatively poor value for money quotient when compared to rivals such as the Nexus 5, and uncertainty about the company’s future direction, and the Moto X may receive a rough ride in the UK. Only time will tell whether Lenovo can turn the struggling giant around.
Key features
-The installed Gorilla Glass screen uses a nanotechnological waterproof coating on the inside and out making it water repellent.
-Intelligent screen lighting and power use provides an ‘all-day’ battery.
-Touchless, voice control enables voice control of the phone at any point, even while the screen is off.
-Twist the phone like the twist-grip accelerator on a motorbike a couple of times for a novel way to open the camera.
technical specs
» Operating system ...............Android 4.4 KitKat
» Processor ................................... Dual-core, 1.7GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processors
» Memory .......................................16 or 32GB
» Dimensions ..............................129.4 x 65.5 x 5.7mm
» Weight ..........................................130g
» Display size ...............................4.7-inch AMOLED screen
» Display resolution ...............HD, 720p
» Expansion slot ....................... micro USB
» Camera ........................................High-resolution, 10-MP camera
