Samsung, Sony and now Motorola is next in the month of continuous launches. The former Google-owned brand has increased its mobile family by three, adding the X, the G and (finally) the Moto 360 to its stable. Alongside the important additions, the company has also unveiled a Bluetooth earpiece (yes, one of those things) and a mini-power brick — which works like any other external power brick.
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But to the interesting hardware we go.
The Moto X is by far the most exciting prospect. Slathering the phone in wood or leather is part of the customer’s choice, but something one cannot chose is the 5.2″ OLED 1080p screen, giving it a dense 423ppi. It’s also waterproof (but no rating is given) and covered in Gorilla Glass, which will make its screen a bit more difficult to break.
But its internals really makes the X teem with promise. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 (running at 2.5GHz) is employed, alongside 2GB RAM, and 32GB storage for the “Motomaker” option. Around the back lies the 13MP camera and a 2MP selfie-cam combo up front. A 2300mAH battery keeps everything juiced and Android 4.4.4 keeps the UX in order.
It’ll make pockets across North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia around US$499 lighter.
The Moto G, on the other hand, is a budget orientated delectable starting off at US$179.
Boasting a 5″ 720p display, it will likely give Sony’s Xperia offerings a run for its money. Also running Android 4.4.4, it uses a 1.2GHz quad-core SoC with around 1GB RAM. Other niceties include a microSD expansion slot (16GB baked-in storage is offered) with stereo sound and twin microphone inputs. The battery stands at 2070mAh, which should offer some good battery life.
And now to the Moto 360, undoubtedly the best looking smartphone out today. Apart from that hideous bar on the bottom piece of the screen, the 360 remains practically the same since we last previewed it. It also costs US$250, with a metallic option adding a further US$50 onto that.
Finally, we get to the awkwardly named “Hint” — a Bluetooth headset that Motorola has turned into a phone remote. Essentially, it’s a wearable for the ear, but instead of using visual cues like a smartwatch to notify wearers about weather, it whispers in your ear like a meteorologist with personal space issues.
Even though it’s a Bluetooth headset — a device that has been out of fashion longer than bell-bottoms — it’s gorgeous. It resembles more a fashion accessory than a useful companion, and most buyers may purchase it based on aesthetics alone.
It connects to smartphones via Bluetooth 3.0 LE and remains alive for around 10 hours of talk time. Motorola is also quoting 100 hours standby. Whether Motorola will be able to revive the Bluetooth headset is definitely the most interesting question, but I give it kudos for trying.
