Motorola offering a Moto X (32GB) $100 off as part of their summer promotion
The Moto X is Motorola’s flagship for last year and yet it is still a great phone. Moto X promotions are something Motorola does often and this one might interest you.
As part of “Save Because It’s Summer” promotion Motorola is offering a 32GB Moto X smartphone for $349, which is a $100 lower than its usual price. That is still a great deal if you ask us. You’ve got until Thursday 11:59PM ET to decide if you want to get it or not. They’re not mentioning anything about limited stock, our guess is that they want to clear stock of Moto X in order to prepare for the upcoming refresh of Moto X. Don’t forget Moto X is about to get 4.4.3 update this week.
Anyone going to buy it?
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Motorola updates Moto G, Moto X, Moto X with Android 4.4.3
Motorola this week commenced the Android 4.4.3 KitKat update for a number of its smartphones.
This week we begin rolling out to:
- Moto X T-Mobile users
- Moto G users who bought online in the U.S. (includes Moto G 4G LTE) and at retail in Brazil
- Moto E users who bought online in the U.S. For Moto E users, you are still up for the next major Android update as well. Consider this the cherry on top.
According to the handset maker, the update includes a new dialer, multiple theme color options, security and stability enhancements, and more.
Motorola users will also enjoy:
- Improved camera image quality for Moto X including better consistency of exposure, more realistic flash coloring, and improved photos in low light conditions using front camera.
- For Moto X and Moto G, pausing for video recording with a convenient pause/resume button on the viewfinder.
- Motorola Alert in this update for Moto X and Moto G users. This new app helps give peace of mind by sending periodic messages to the contacts you choose.
Free to download and install, the update should also come to the other Moto X models in the near future.
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Various Moto X, Moto G and Moto E Devices to See Android 4.4.3 Updates This Week
Motorola has announced via their official blog that they will begin rolling out Android 4.4.3 to the Moto X, Moto G and Moto E this week. The breakdown is a bit more interesting though, here is what Motorola had to say in regards to which version of the devices will be getting it.
- Moto X T-Mobile users
- Moto G users who bought online in the U.S. (includes Moto G 4G LTE) and at retail in Brazil
- Moto E users who bought online in the U.S. For Moto E users, you are still up for the next major Android update as well. Consider this the cherry on top.
Not as cut and dry as you would think. The update will include the fancy new dialer that has been talked about to death already in the last 24 hours. Not to mention several stability, framework, security fixes and enhancements to the power profile capabilities. All that means is it should be faster with less issues and stay charged longer.
In addition to the boost to 4.4.3, there are a number of little changes that will be made to each device during the update process as well. The Moto X will see better image quality, more realistic flash coloring and improved photos in low light conditions with the front camera. Both the Moto X and Moto G will gain a “pause/resume” button while taking videos and motorola Alert.
Source: Motorola Blog via Phandroid
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Moto Stream, a New Audio Streaming Device, Released by Motorola for $50
Motorola has announced and released a new little device called the Moto Stream. The icosahedron sided orb, which reminds me of the Nexus Q with a slight design change, gives you a quick connect to your home theater or speaker system. In the video you see that you simply plug it in to the power source and connect the 3.5mm audio jack and you are done.
Motorola incorporated NFC into the Moto Stream to make it super easy for all your friends to connect to the device without having to individually pair every device. Nothing is more annoying than holding a button for pairing mode in hopes they can connect the first time. Once connected you can have free range of up to 300 feet, when connected with a class 1 Bluetooth phone, to control all the tunes while you mingle. The video, below, and the Motorola accessory page for it doesn’t make any mention of a specific application needed. All the imagery depicts Google Play Music. Naturally we assume since it is just Bluetooth that once you connect your given devices the Moto Stream will take action when one of those devices issues a command.
Heist Mode allows up to five devices to control any speaker. There’s no setup and it’s universally compatible with all Bluetooth® devices, so anyone can jump in and drop a track. And if you don’t like what’s playing, heist it.
It is a pretty interesting little device for just $50. The streaming audio market is getting pretty heavily saturated and competitive. This single room, single speaker set up isn’t anything new. While the NFC quick connect, design and lights are a nice touch there are plenty of other options out there, like the Rocki which goes over Wi-Fi for the same $49 or the more expensive Phorus PR1 that also runs over Wi-Fi and allows you multi room controls.
If you want more detailed information, or just want to order one, then head over to Motorola’s site.
Source: Motorola Via: 9to5Google
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Moto Stream turns any regular speaker into a shareable Bluetooth one
You’d be forgiven if you looked at the Moto Stream and were immediately reminded of the Nexus Q. But there’s a couple of key differences here. One, this does not connect to your TV and two it’s only $50. The Stream is a pretty basic accessory that turns any speaker or stereo you already own into a wireless audio system. Not only that, but you can connect up to five phones, tablets or computers to it simultaneously using Bluetooth. If you can’t stand that damn Foster the People track your friend insists on looping, you can enter “Heist Mode” and fire up the new Trash Talk record instead. Of course, you probably shouldn’t do that too often, since anyone can connect and hijack the stream if they want. (Just imagine how quickly that could deteriorate into a contest over who has the worse taste.) While you can pair it the old fashioned way, there’s also NFC inside so you can quickly tap to connect. And it’s super tiny, so you can take it with you almost anywhere. You can order it today through Motorola’s website, or pick it up at Radio Shack on June 6th.
Filed under: Peripherals, Mobile
Source: Motorola
Moto X+1 to sport 5.2-inch 1080p display
The successor to the original Moto X is turning out to be a pretty decent phone, based on the plethora of rumors we’ve received so far. Possibly due out towards the end of Summer, the “Moto X+1″ should be toting 2GB RAM, a quad core CPU, and a 12MP camera. We’ve also heard of the phone bringing us a 5.2-inch, 1080p display. Well, thanks to this new leaked image, we’re getting closer and closer to “confirming” some of these specs.
Let’s be honest, we know that until Motorola steps out on stage and releases the specs nothing is actually confirmed. But that doesn’t stop us from fishing around for leaked images or a reported spec sheet. This particular leak, however, was brought to us by a Baidu forum user, that shows the display of what appears to be an unreleased Motorola phone.
From one shaky photo, there’s no way of telling exactly how big the screen size actually is, or whether or not it sports a 1080p display. But what we do know is this: obviously Motorola will want to bump up some specs this time around, and these leaks are making us believe it more and more.
Who knows whether or not any of these leaked photos are actually the real thing. It would make sense, though, especially because this phone looks like it would be a successor to the Moto X. We’ll have to wait until the end of summer to find out.
What are your thoughts on all of these Moto X+1 rumors? Do you think any of them are true?
Source: Baidu forums, Via: Slash Gear
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Motorola confirms Moto Maker isn’t dying, despite US factory closure
Today’s revelation that Motorola is shutting down its sole American plant is an indication that its latest flagship didn’t do as well as expected in the US and the costs of operating the Texas factory were simply too high to continue operations. Since the facility focused heavily on shipping Moto Maker products to US consumers, speculation arose that the feature — which gives you the ability to customize the color and trim of your Moto X — would die along with it. Upon reaching out to Motorola, a spokesperson confirmed to us that Moto Maker is not going away as a result of the factory’s closure.
There are still plenty of questions about Motorola’s future, most significantly how its product strategy will change under Lenovo’s leadership. Unfortunately, we won’t hear more details on Lenovo’s plans until the acquisition (barring rumors, of course), so exactly how the Moto X and Moto Maker will change is up in the air for now.
But just because the Texas factory is shutting its assembly lines doesn’t necessarily spell the end for Motorola’s latest flagship or its customization options. Let’s look at the bigger picture: The company has plants in other countries around the world, and the US plant merely assembled parts that were already made in China, so Motorola may not even experience much of a squeeze on production. Additionally, Motorola confirmed in February that Moto Maker should come to Europe and Mexico this quarter; there’s no word on if or how the closure will affect expansion.
The primary concern to US folks is that even though Moto Maker isn’t technically dying, the company’s withdrawal from the country is likely to strongly impact shipping time, which may adversely affect sales even more. Thanks to the Texas factory, Motorola was able to send out custom orders to consumers within two to three days, but international shipping from one of the company’s other factories will undoubtedly take more time. Motorola’s rumored to be preparing a follow-up to the X known as the “X+1,” however, so we’re curious to see if it will offer custom options with longer wait times or just limit the feature to a handful of other markets or regions.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, Google, Lenovo
Motorola to close factory in Fort Worth by year-end, a sad day for American manufacturing
Motorola started as an American company and recently had a dream of bringing a product assembled in the USA to the masses when it opened its new facility last year, but it’s all coming to an end.
According to the Wall Street Journal, also confirmed by The Verge, Motorola will be closing its Fort Worth, Texas, factory by the end of 2014. The plant was created to be able to build custom Moto X’s designed though Moto Maker and has about 700 workers.
“What we found was that the North American market was exceptionally tough,” said Motorola President Rick Osterloh. “The decision potentially leaves hundreds of American workers out of a job.”
Motorola told The Verge that it will continue to offer the Moto Maker service, but it’s not clear as to how it will continue that work with manufacturing moving overseas, as the close proximity to customers ensured the fast shipping time, usually around eight days, not bad for a made-to-order smartphone built in the U.S.
At least that means we should all still get to order a custom Moto X+1 once it releases sometime this summer, but it will probably be the last we’ll see of a company trying to move these type of operations to the U.S. Who knows though.
The plan to close the factory shows that the Moto X wasn’t the success Motorola wanted. Hopefully with the successor, it can be a bigger hit if it has specs to match the other flagship devices. Specs aren’t everything, but with devices like the HTC One, Samsung Galaxy S4 (and now 5) and the LG G2, outselling the Moto X, specs and marketing must matter to most.
Via The Verge
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Motorola to close its Moto X plant in Texas by the end of the year
Motorola became part of a growing trend when it opened a plant in Texas to build its flagship Moto X, but just a year on, its now decided to shut down its US manufacturing operations. According to The Wall Street Journal, employee numbers have plummeted from nearly 4,000 when it was in full swing to only 700, and the plan is to close the factory by the end of the year. Motorola’s intention was to offset the inherently higher cost of manufacturing in the US, compared with places like China, by being able to get handsets to customers quicker, and manage the Moto Maker customization process on home turf. But, despite churning out 100,000 Moto Xs a week at one point and progressively making the handset cheaper, the ‘born in the USA’ vision hasn’t paid dividends.
Motorola’s in ownership limbo at the moment, as Google has essentially sold the smartphone-maker to Chinese company Lenovo, but the deal is yet to be fully executed. Motorola President Rick Osterloh told the WSJ “the decision to close the plant was independent of the planned sale,” which isn’t hard to believe given Lenovo is one of the champions of stateside manufacturing. It has a PC plant in North Carolina, and like Motorola, believes there’s a competitive edge in being close to your customers and able to customize and ship computers quicker. Perhaps, then, there’s scope for Motorola to return to the US under Lenovo’s leadership. The Moto X will continue to be made elsewhere, and with Moto Maker being one of the main attractions of the handset, we imagine this’ll still be available on the next edition of the X due this summer, even if it takes much longer to ship.
Beyond what it means for Motorola as a company, the fact it’s had to pull the plug on its US plant after such a short time raises much bigger questions about the viability of manufacturing electronics in the US. Last year, the company convinced us it was going to make it work, so how long before others begin changing their tune as well?
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Google, Lenovo
Source: The Wall Street Journal
Motorola encourages creativity in Moto 360 Design Face-Off contest
Earlier this year, Motorola unveiled its vision for the future of smartwatches and now it’s opening up a design contest to see ideas for watchfaces that will take the iconic round watch into the 21st century.
In the Moto 360 Design Face-Off contest, all are welcome to enter, but only one person will win and receive their very own Moto 360.
All submissions must be either a JPEG, PNG or GIF and created from one of the official PSD templates, which you can get here. All submissions are due by 3 p.m. CT June 10.
Check out the Moto 360 community on Google+ for more details and to view submissions.
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