Verizon will sell the Moto 360 with a metal band on November 11th
If you refuse to wear a Moto 360 smartwatch until it’s equipped with a metal wristband, you now have a firmer date than “fall” to mark on your calendar. Verizon says that it will ship this slightly ritzier version of Motorola’s wearable in both black and silver on November 11th for the expected $300. It’s not certain that Verizon will be the first out of the gate with the extra-shiny 360, but its timing should serve as a good yardstick even if you don’t plan to buy your watch at Big Red. And don’t forget: if two months is simply too long to wait, you can always buy the leather edition now and upgrade to metal later for $80.
Filed under: Wearables, Google, Verizon, Lenovo
Via: 9to5Google, BGR
Source: Verizon
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Motorola Migrate just got more powerful
The worst part about getting new phones is having to recollect all of your contacts. Well Motorola decided to make that easier. Motorola Migrate is a powerful tool by Motorola that enables users to transfer data from their old phones to their new Motorola handset. Initially, it would only work with your old Android phones, but a update later added compatibility for iPhones. Now in this latest update, you can also transfer your contacts from any Bluetooth enabled device!
This is especially useful because it is doubtful that your none smartphone device could sync your contacts with Google or has a SIM card that would fit into your new Moto phone. Now just about anyone can make sure that they retain all of their contact information when moving to a Motorola device.
With this update, Motorola also introduced a new icon for Migrate along with a new UI that is cleaner and easier to follow.
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[Download] The new Moto X wallpapers are available here now for your viewing pleasure
Motorola went all out last week, announcing its full range of new devices to great effect. Chief among these releases was the new Moto X, which was joined by the release of the Moto 360 smartwatch, the new Moto G, and the nifty Moto Hint Bluetooth earpiece. Motorola’s latest flagship is every bit the evolution we expected it to be and this time actually has the hardware to silence its detractors, most notably housing a Snapdragon 801 2.5GHz processor. But with every device release, arguably the real stars of the show are the new wallpapers offered on the device, so without further ado, here are the new Moto X wallpapers for you to gawk at – be sure to click through and view the full resolution image:
As is Motorola’s style, all of the wallpapers, some of which we’ve seen before on previous Motorola devices, incorporate a wonderful contrast of colours and unique photography to create memorable wallpapers. The new Moto X has a 5.2-inch 1080p display, so naturally these wallpapers are 2160×1920 to accomodate – except for one. Interestingly, wallpaper_21 (used at the top of this post) has the resolution of 2880×2560, which is better suited for a device with 2K resolution – whether this means Motorola has a 2K display device in the pipeline is up for debate, but that’s food for thought.
What do you think of the new Moto X wallpapers? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: TalkAndroid
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The post [Download] The new Moto X wallpapers are available here now for your viewing pleasure appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
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Motorola launches trade-in program for new Moto X and Moto G
Eyeing up a new Moto X or Moto G? Then Motorola have just launched a trade-in program that will reduce the outright cost of the new handsets that will help you get that new handset.
The trade-in program allows customers to send in their old devices for a Visa prepaid card which is sent out after purchasing a new Moto X or Moto G within 30 days of receiving a quote for your old device.
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Behind the watch: the Moto 360 story
“It’s not a smartwatch,” said Iqbal Arshad, Motorola’s Senior VP of Global Product, to a roomful of journalists in Motorola’s Chicago headquarters. Instead he, and by extension the rest of Motorola, prefer to think of the Moto 360 as a reinvention of the humble wristwatch — more of a modern timepiece than a futuristic gadget. It’s with that philosophy in mind that Motorola made the 360 the way it is. That’s why its face is round. That’s why its leather strap is sourced from the Horween Leather Company, a premium tannery located in the Windy City. That’s why Motorola took care to encase the 360 in polished stainless steel. That’s why it’s providing a premium metal band option later this year. The Moto 360, as far as Motorola is concerned, is watch first, fancy mobile computer second.
That’s not to say Motorola didn’t consider the square shape. In a behind-the-scenes tour of Motorola’s spacious facilities, we were shown early prototypes of the 360 that were decidedly rectangular. Design director Dickon Isaacs explains that it was simply the only option for smartwatches at the time. However, when they tested the square mockups with plastic wrist trees — rough approximations of male and female wrists — they saw that the fit was clunky and awkward. “They just weren’t very wearable,” he said. Further, he said that when most people think of a watch, they think of a circle with straps attached. It’s what he calls a “stored shape” — a universally accepted idea of what something should look like.
So the team decided to go all-in on a round watch. But even that had its challenges. Beyond working with Google to come up with an Android Wear UI that’d play nice with a circular screen, they also wanted a round face that was wide enough to accommodate “glanceable information.” So instead of creating a round watch with a thick bezel, they opted for as much screen as possible — it’s why the 360’s glass goes almost edge-to-edge. Unfortunately, that meant they had to house the watch’s display drivers and ambient light sensor in a rather noticeable black slice at the bottom of the display. That was the price Moto was willing to pay to get more screen out of a round display.
The result is the watch that got arguably the most buzz when Android Wear was announced earlier this year. Sure, LG and Samsung came to market first with their square iterations, leaving Motorola to be third out of the gate. But seeing as LG is also now dabbling in the round watch territory (and Samsung too apparently), Moto’s instincts might not be off the mark. For more on how the Moto 360 came to be, take a look at the gallery above where we walk you through the early mockups, the 3D printers they used for the initial prototypes and more. As for our final thoughts on the 360? Well, that will have to wait for our full review. Stay tuned.
Filed under: Wearables, Mobile
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Download the Moto X (2014) wallpapers
Motorola has launched a bunch of new devices at this year’s IFA. Their new Moto X and Moto G smartphones along with the long-awaited Moto 360 smartwatch and Moto Hint bluetooth headset. Moto X is Motorola’s new flagship and sports a 5.2-inch 1080p AMOLED display along with 2GB of RAM and 16 or 32GB of non-expandable internal storage. The device is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 801 chip clocked at 2.5GHz and comes with Adreno 330 GPU for graphics processing. 13MP camera can be found at the back of the device while there’s 2MP shooter up front. Android 4.4.4 KitKat and a 2,300mAh battery are also part of the package.
Many of you are probably interested in the wallpapers which come with the phone itself while you don’t plan to buy the phone (it’s not even available just yet). You can get those wallpapers if you follow THIS link. Note that the download size is approximately 37MB.
Source: Android Central
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The ugly truth about wearable technology
When it comes to putting computers on our bodies, everyone’s an armchair Anna Wintour. Take a look at the comments on any story about wearable technology, just about anywhere. Ugly is in the eye of the beholder. And with good reason. While some of us view our PCs, smartphones and tablets as status symbols, our clothing and accessories are more closely tied to our identities than anything else.
Over the past few years, the frenzy for wearables has reached its peak. This week alone, Sony, Samsung, LG and Motorola have all shown off their next attempts at wrist-worn technology. And with each announcement comes a new set of sartorial critiques.
And yet, despite a seeming consensus from the tech press about the aesthetic appeal of devices like the Moto 360 and Pebble’s Steel, the world is still waiting for the one wearable that will have us all strapping a computer to our wrists, faces, waists or whatever. But the real obstacle to wearable adoption isn’t a matter of style; it’s a matter of taste.
The real obstacle to wearable adoption isn’t a matter of style; it’s a matter of taste.
New York Times tech-scribe-cum-style savant, Nick Bilton recently penned a speculative editorial proclaiming the as-of-yet-unannounced iWatch as the device that could finally take wearables mainstream. Apple will no doubt roll out a beautiful piece of machinery — it has an excellent track record and a proven team of designers, engineers and businesspeople on board — but the truth is, no matter how good the software, no matter how innovative the functionality, no matter how versatile and beautiful the design, there will never be one wearable for everyone.
Almost every player in the wearable game thus far has proven an ability to produce successful consumer technologies. Some of us can even agree that they’re starting to get the style right, but the truth is we all fancy ourselves individuals when we get dressed in the morning. No single company, whether it’s Apple or Motorola or even Swatch is ever going to make a single device that we all want to wear.
Apple’s wearable device, whether it’s a watch or a fedora or even a condom, will no doubt be a meticulously designed piece of hardware, but it’s going to take a much more robust and diverse market, full of choice for wearables to really take off. It’s going to take more than NFC, fitness tracking and Jony Ive’s magic touch. It’s going to take more than killer features and refined hardware.
It’s going to take time.
[Images: Evgeny Dubinchuk and Fuse, Getty]
Filed under: Wearables, Apple, Samsung, Sony
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At least ten U.S. wireless providers in line to carry the Moto X
Now that the new Moto X is official and no longer rumor it’s time to look at which carriers are in line to offer the device. We swung by the Motorola website this morning to see who might be listed as having the phone on its radar. We expected to find most, if not all, of the top five providers but were pleased to see even more.
As of today there are at least carriers listed under the registration page. Suffice it to say, you should be able to get the Moto X with your provider of choice. It’s just a matter of how long it takes for some of them.
- AT&T
- Boost Mobile
- Cricket Wireless
- MetroPC
- Net10/Tracfone
- Sprint
- T-Mobile
- U.S. Cellular
- Verizon
- Virgin Mobile
If you’re looking to add your name to the list, be sure to swing by Motorola’s website to learn more about the Moto X availability.
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Hello Moto: when are Motorola’s new products coming to the UK?
Like many other phone makers at IFA this week, Motorola has shown its hand, introducing a new flagship and a revamped version of its highly-rated budget smartphone. It’s even told us when its circular smartwatch will go on sale. It’s unleashed the Moto X, Moto G and Moto 360 on the world, but when are they coming to the UK and how much will they cost? Let us explain.
Moto X
Yup, the Moto X is back. It has the same name, but don’t worry, things have upscaled quite a bit. With a 1080p 5.2-inch AMOLED display, it’s ever-so-slightly bigger than its predecessor, and it’s a little weightier too. Inside you’ll find Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 801 processor with a 2.5GHz quad-core CPU, an Adreno 330 578MHz GPU and 2GB of RAM. There’s also a 13-megapixel camera (up from the 10-megapixel sensor in the older model) and it’s powered by a 2,300 mAh battery. While it runs Android 4.4 KitKat now, expect an Android L upgrade in the very near future.
Although Motorola is now owned by Lenovo, the popular Moto Maker customization service is important to its new owner as it was to Google. It’s back and there’s an added bonus: it’s also coming to the UK. That’s right, you’ll now be able personalise your Moto X with a bespoke design and even deck it out in leather (if that’s what excites you).
Whether you buy a ready-made 16GB Moto X from Amazon or design your own using Moto Maker, the phone will cost £419.99 when it goes on sale at the end of September. If you’re looking to ramp up the quality, however, both the wood and leather options will set you back a little extra, meaning you’ll pay £439.99 for your unlocked handset. The same can be said of the 32GB model, which starts at £459.99 and rises to £479.99 if you want that premium feel.
Moto G
Like the X, Motorola has also decided to stick to what it knows with the new Moto G. Given that it’s Motorola’s best-selling smartphone of all time, there’s no reason to mess with success. Again, the company has decided to improve things a little, first by equipping the G with a bigger 5-inch 720 HD IPS display. That helps make it a touch bigger and heavier than its older sibling.
While it features the same 1.2GHz Snapdragon 400 processor, Motorola has upgraded the G’s sound output by including two front stereo speakers (up from the one rear-mounted speaker on the original) and enhanced it’s photo-taking abilities with an 8-megapixel rear camera and a 2-megapixel front-facer. As before, it’ll come with 8GB or 16GB of internal storage and let you add more with its expandable memory slot.
With more new than old, it’s reassuring to see that the new Moto G isn’t going to cost much more than the original. Amazon will sell it to you for a tenner extra from today (although we’re not seeing it yet), pricing it at £144.99. While you won’t enjoy the delights of Moto Maker with the G, Motorola’s coloured shells will be available and go on sale from October.
Moto 360
While we’ve got our hands on the Moto 360 before, Motorola kept specifics like release dates and pricing under wraps. We now know that the circular smartwatch will go on sale at O2, Tesco, Amazon and John Lewis from “early October,” starting at £199. It’ll ship with grey leather and black leather straps initially, but Motorola has said it will offer sleeker silver and black metallic options later this autumn.
Moto Hint
Motorola’s new stylish Bluetooth headset is designed to be discrete as possible. It’s so discrete that it’s not even got a UK release date or price yet. While we hunt for more details, here’s a photo of the Moto Hint to keep you entertained.
Steve Dent contributed to this article.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wearables, Software, Mobile
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Motorola announces Moto X, Moto G, and Moto 360 pricing and availability
Motorola on Friday announced the details, pricing, and availability for its Moto X, Moto G, and Moto 360 devices. Instead of worrying about X+1, X2, or any other silly names, we’re just getting the “new Moto X”. If you ask me that’s the best thing they could do. It works for the car industry and other tech products so why not a smartphone?
As the subjects of plenty of leaks and rumors over the last few months, we were glad to see these become official. Lets hop right into it!
Moto X and Moto G
The new Moto X builds on the flagship design introduced just over a year ago. Key improvements include the bigger 5.2-inch 1080p display, a 13-megapixel rear camera, Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor, and 2300mAh battery.
Instead of a plastic frame around the device we get an aluminum trim (sexy, I might add), and new case options. Motorola has updated its palette to include new shades of colors; various wood and leather options are also available for the rear. There are 10 points of accent customization this time around, including the speaker grill.
The Moto Maker experience is bolstered with new options such as starter designs, comparison tools, and a more realistic color.
In terms of software, the Moto X is all stock Android with very few added touches. The stuff that is included, however, is really impressive and should see us physically touching phones even less. Between Driver Mode, Meeting Mode, Motorola Assist, and the others, there’s plenty here to enhance the experience without pushing an agenda. Motorola Migrate gets a handy update to allow for transferring of contacts from non-smartphones, a plus for those baby boomers who have yet to make the jump.
The new Moto G also steps things up on a number of fronts all the while retaining the same attractive price point. For your money you now get a 5-inch HD display, an 8-megapixel rear camera, microSD expansion card slot, 2-megapixel front-facing camera, and double speaker setup. Toss in some nice touches in the camera department and it’s easy to see why Motorola is so excited about the new Moto G. Fun fact: the first generation Moto G is the best-selling Motorola smartphone of all time.
Availability
The Moto X will be offered for $99 with a two-year service agreement via select carriers later this fall. Motorola will also sell an unlocked bootloader and unlocked SIM version for $499 through its website.
The new Moto G is available starting today unlocked and off-contract for $179.99 USD through motorola.com as well as via U.S. retailers. Moto G also goes on sale today in India, France, UK, Brazil, Spain, and on motorola.de in Germany.
Moto 360
At long last we finally get to see the Motorola smartwatch find its way to retail stores. Available on Friday, September 5, the watch can be purchased in a choice of three leather bands. Pricing, as expected, is $250 for the device. Later this year there will be an option to buy the Moto 360 with metal wrist straps for $299.99. Those who buy the leather version can buy metal straps for $79.99 at that time; leather straps are $39.99 each.
Motorola Hint
Motorola also introduced a new, albeit clever, Bluetooth accessory for your ear. Taking up about as much space as a hearing aid, the Motorola Hint connects to your smart phone and allows for all of your normal A2DP functions. Pair it with a device that offers Motorola Voice Assist, such as the Moto X, and its even better.
Features include the ability to have messages read aloud, search Google Now, reply to messages and calls, and much more, all without touching your device. Battery life is rated at 3 hours of talk time but the carry case punches things up with an additional 7 hours worth of juice, too. This guy will be available in six color options on motorola.com and select retailers in the US for $149.99 later this fall.
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