9 New Colors Added to the Moto Maker for the Moto X
Even though Motorola was sold to Lenovo in a deal no one really saw coming, the Moto X is still one of the best phones that came out last year. Even though many people, for some reason, felt like their Moto X was rendered useless after the acquisition, Motorola still plans on keep the Moto X line alive, and they have recently added more color options in the Moto Maker.
You now have 27 colors to choose from when designing your Moto X. That is way more than any other phone competitor out there, which is something we all love. Options. Android is known for its options, and Motorola still wants to give you those options. So If you haven’t quite yet pulled the trigger on a Moto X, or you felt like you shouldn’t because the company if now part of Lenovo, head over to the Moto Maker to check out all the colors. Maybe it will change your mind.
Republic Wireless rings up Moto G for April
Republic Wireless on Thursday announced the upcoming availability of the Moto G smartphone from Motorola. Priced at $149, the 8GB version of the handset is free of contract obligations and can be paired with plans that start as low as $5 per month. Those who need more storage can double down at 16GB for $179; same rate plans and options apply. Without divulging an exact date, the carrier promises the Moto G will be available starting in April.
The Moto G is the Republic Wireless of smartphones – proof that a world-class experience can come at a low price. The reviews are nearly unanimous in their praise, and the G is enabling millions of people around the world to experience the mobile internet for the first time.
To help kick things off Republic Wireless is hosting a giveaway which sees a Moto G & 12 months of FREE 3G service awarded weekly.
The post Republic Wireless rings up Moto G for April appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Moto X gets new college colors and a lower price in time for March Madness
When you’ve got Moto Maker, you don’t always need accessories to show support for your favorite sports team. With March Madness only days away, Motorola has thrown nine new back colors and three new accents into its Moto X paint pot to create the “College Collection,” a set pre-configured color combinations that’ll match upwards of 40 school teams. It’s no secret that Motorola’s flagship is struggling to sell, so it’s embarking on yet another price reduction, this time giving students the chance to snag an off-contract Moto X for just $339 (regular price $400) with a qualifying .edu email address. Incidentally, Motorola won’t print your school’s logo onto the back of your fresh Moto X, so you’ll have to buy one of Uncommon’s $35 clear cases instead — because phones need lettermans too.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile
Via: Motorola Blog
Source: Moto Maker College Collection
Motorola adds 9 new colors, college options to Moto Maker
Motorola on Friday announced that the Moto Maker experience has gotten even better. A post on the handset maker’s blog tells us that college students, alumni, and fans can now create Moto X designs that more closely mimic their beloved institution’s colors.
Available immediately, the Moto Maker now includes nine new colors and three new accent colors as well as pre-configured school combos. These combinations, it should be noted, employ clear cases with school logos for up to 40 schools. With more on the way, there’s even more to be had for college students. Anyone who registers with a valid “.edu” email address can receive the Moto X for $339, a $60 savings.
Those looking to pick up a school logo case with their Moto X can do so for a $34.95 fee. Oh, and if you’ve got a case of decision paralysis, head to the design gallery to see some inspirational color combos curated by Motorola.
The post Motorola adds 9 new colors, college options to Moto Maker appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Samsung Galaxy S5 versus Moto X
The Samsung Galaxy S5, introduced at Mobile World Congress 2014, will likely go on to become one of the top-selling Android smartphones of the year. And why not? It’s the latest in Samsung’s flagship line of devices and it’s better than ever. But, how does it fare when you compare it to other top smartphones of the day?
Let’s stack the Samsung Galaxy S5 up against another key Android handset, Motorola’s Moto X. We’ll take a look at how they match up in terms of hardware, yes, but we’ll also touch on some of the differences in software and user experience.
 |
 |
|
| Operating System | Android 4.4.2 KitKat (w/ Samsung UI) | Android 4.4.2 KitKat |
| Display | 5.1-inch Super AMOLED (1920×1080) | 4.7-inch AMOLED (1280×720) |
| Storage | 16GB, 32GB | 16GB, 32GB |
| Processor | Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 | Duad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro |
| RAM | 2GB | 2GB |
| Connectivity | 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, HSPA+, NFC | 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, HSPA+, NFC |
| Camera (Rear) | 16-megapixel | 10-megapixel |
| Camera (Front) | 2.1-megapixel | 2-megapixel |
| Battery | 2800mAh | 2200mAh |
| Weight | 145g | 130g |
| Size (mm) | 142.0 x 72.5 x 8.1 | 129.4 x 65.3 x 10.4 |
| Bluetooth | 4.0 | 4.0 + LE |
| Expansion Card | Yes (up to 64GB) | NO |
| Fingerprint Scanner | YES | NO |
| Water Resistant | Yes (IP67) | NO |
| Charging | USB 3.0 | microUSB |
General Hardware
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand the hardware differences in the two devices put the Galaxy S5 heads and tails over the Moto X. This makes a lot of sense when you consider how many months have passed since the Motorola smartphone debuted.
Samsung’s bigger, faster, and more powerful in nearly every sense of the word. But, does that mean you should rush out to buy it? Not really. Motorola’s phone is one of the best we’ve used in the last year and is more than adequate to suit the needs of your average customer. If you want the latest and greatest, Samsung is both of those. If you’re looking for something that works wonderfully and has mass appeal, Motorola becomes more attractive.
Let’s also not discount the fact that you can go to Motorola’s website and create a custom designed smartphone. It’s there you can mix and match colors for the front, back, buttons, and accents with thousands of possibilities. Samsung, for its part, will offer the Galaxy S5 in four color options at launch.
Camera
Based on pure specs, the Samsung Galaxy S5 has an edge over the Moto X. But, as many of you know, it’s not just megapixels that constitute a great camera. Suffice it to say, this is where Samsung pulls away with the lead. Features like the fastet-yet shutter speeds, HDR, and selective focus just add to the experience. And, while we might not yet be able to take full advantage of it, the Galaxy S5 can record in video at 4K resolution. Should you have a TV or display capable of displaying that resolution then you’ll definitely be in business.
User Interface and Enhancements
Indeed, the Samsung Galaxy S5′s water resistance is a nice touch this time around and helps protect the phone from life’s accidents and spills. It’s not quite ready to go swimming all day but a spilled glass of water is not the end of the world.
We also like that Samsung has opted for the USB 3.0 option in charging as it opens the door to added functionality. No, not every user will take advantage of it, but we like future proofing devices.
Fingerprint scanning is likely to find a place in most of the bleeding-edge smartphones going forward. It’s not a perfect tool, yet, and has limited capabilities. Samsung, for its part, is playing nice with the SDK and letting developers hardness the technology.
You know what else matters to a lot of users? Freebies and value-added bundles. To that end, Samsung is giving upward of $500 worth of apps and services away with each Galaxy S5. Not all stuff that every user will want or need, but it’s pretty darn appealing nonetheless.
On the opposite side of the coin, Motorola’s added few custom touches like Motorola Assist, Motorola Migrate, and Touchless Control. Each of these gets better with successive updates and provides value to the Moto X.
Android
If there’s one thing that matters to heavy Android enthusiasts, it’s the software experience. While Samsung has added plenty of wonderful features, apps, and services, the edge still goes to the Motorola handset. That is, of course, if you care a great deal about timely upgrades and no carrier interference.
Motorola has impressed a great deal in the months that the Moto X has been out. Updates to Android are timely regardless of carrier and the phone is as current as it gets with 4.4.2 KitKat. Things are less certain down the road now that Google has sold Motorola to Lenovo. We’re cautiously optimistic that the phone will be supported just as well down the road, but won’t know for some time. On the other hand, the lack of bloatware of carrier-branded apps and services give us a reason to believe.
Availability
The Moto X is currently offered through Motorola for $399 (16GB) and $449 (32GB) in tons of color options. Pricing has yet to be determined for the Galaxy S5 but we’re thinking the $200 range is in order. The key difference, however, is that the Moto X does not require you commit to a two-year service agreement at that price. You can, of course, sign up for a contract with a host of carriers and get the phone for much cheaper – sometimes as low as a penny.
We expect that you’ll be able to procure an unlocked Galaxy S5 (and likely a Google Play Experience, too), but it will be in the order of hundreds more.
The Samsung Galaxy S5 will be sold starting in April in four color options and should be available through just about any carrier you can imagine. All of the major players are expected to sell the device as are a number prepaid arms.
Which is right for you?
Something should consider before purchasing any Android is whether you need to be on the cutting edge of software updates. Things have slowed on the overall platform front and features are coming at a slower pace. Truth be told, most smartphone users cannot identify the exact build of their OS or its respective code name. If you don’t know the difference between a Jelly Bean and a KitKat release then it should not bother you to go with a modified UI.
Average consumers are going to flock to the Samsung Galaxy S5. Those who are coming out of contract with their Galaxy S3 are looking at this device as a huge step forward. At this point there’s nothing to stop the Galaxy S5 train; others may slow it a bit, but it will be the top-seller of 2014. For great reason(s).
Motorola, on the other hand, is off to a great resurgence with the Moto X. We have had no problem recommending it to anyone and everyone. The battery life is out-of-this-world and the little Motorola touches give it a slight edge over stock Android. Shh, don’t tell the fanboys this, but we love the experience. It’s really hard to pass up the Moto X, especially if you can get it for a penny with a service agreement.
Note: Pieces of this post were excerpted from Samsung Galaxy S5 versus Nexus 5.
The post Samsung Galaxy S5 versus Moto X appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Ask select Motorola phones ‘what’s up?’ to hear notifications read aloud
Motorola’s Touchless Control app just got an upgrade that’ll make perpetually busy people happy. Now, the app can read notifications out loud when you ask “what’s up?,” which sounds especially useful for hectic morning commutes. If you’re feeling extra dull and unfriendly, though, you can always tell it to “read notifications” instead. The new feature’s fully available in English, Italian and Spanish, but it might be available in other languages in the future. Other than adding touchless access to notifications, the upgrade also enhances the app’s ability to detect when you’re done issuing commands.
If you just bought a Motorola phone, you may also want to check out the company’s Migrate app, which just got the capability to make more customized content transfers. As a bonus, it now automatically imports SIM contacts to a Google account of your choice, though these new features will only work if you’re moving from another Android device. Unfortunately, both apps are still only compatible with the Moto X, Droid Ultra, Mini and Maxx (Migrate’s list includes Moto G, though), so everyone outside that exclusive circle will have to look for alternatives.
Filed under: Mobile
Via: Android Central
Source: Touchless Control, Motorola Migrate
“What’s Up” Command added to Motorola Touchless Control Update
Motorola pushed an update out for the Touchless Control app for the various supported Moto devices tonight. The update adds quite a few little things that are pretty cool. In addition to the usual bug fixes listing, the update also offers up enhanced end-of-speech detection for improved accuracy and faster responses.
While those are nice, it is the two new voice commands that were added that are really interesting. Now you can say “What’s Up” and “Read notifications”. The new voice commands are fully supported U.S. English, Spanish and Italian. While it is in beta in other languages. To clarify a little, you still need to say “OK, Google Now” prior to the new commands, so “OK, Google Now, What’s Up” or “OK, Google Now, Read notifications.”
What is a bit more interesting, and some what irritating, is that the updated commands are only supported on Android 4.4 KitKat. Which leaves a possibility for some users to not bea able to use it yet until their device gets updated. Obviously the app is only available legitimately for the Moto X, DROID ULTRA, DROID MAXX and DROID Mini.
Motorola’s Touchless Control gets updated with ‘What’s up’ hotword
Motorola is hip. You want proof?
Touchless Control, Moto’s ‘always listening’ app, just updated with an awesome feature. If you have a new notification, you can now say “What’s up?” or “Read notifications” and your phone will read your notifications aloud.
Keep in mind that if you have multiple new notifications, it will read all of them, not just the most recent. Kudos to Motorola for adding functionality to an already awesome app.
They also added end-of-speech detection, allowing users to voice type normally, rather than saying “period” after every sentence.
Be sure to update if you have a compatible device!
The post Motorola’s Touchless Control gets updated with ‘What’s up’ hotword appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Watch ‘An Evening with Motorola’ from MWC
For those of you that might have missed the half hour long sit down with Motorola executives, Moto was kind enough to upload the video for you to watch at your disposal. Many questions are answered by the men of Moto. Questions that involved future plans of the company, and the recent acquisition by Lenovo. There was also mention of a new Moto X coming out this year, but a lot of you probably read all about it. So if you feel like seeing what the newly bought company had to say at MWC, check it out below and let us know your thoughts.
A new version of the Moto X is coming this summer
After Lenovo’s recent purchase, questions immediately arose surrounding Motorola’s planned device launches for 2014. In a Twitter Q&A surrounding the events at Mobile World Congress, the handset maker revealed that the next version of its popular Moto X is coming in “late summer.” Unfortunately, that’s about all the outfit was willing to spill for now, but we’ll be curious to see how things like manufacturing play out in the coming months.
Q from twitter: When is next version of Moto X? A: Keep posted – hint – late summer. #MotoMWC
– Motorola Mobility (@Motorola) February 25, 2014
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile
Via: Android and Me
Q from twitter: When is next version of Moto X? A: Keep posted – hint – late summer. #MotoMWC
— Motorola Mobility (@Motorola) February 25, 2014
” target=”_blank”>Motorola (Twitter)
AIVAnet 