What to expect from Lenovo’s Tech World event this week
Lenovo is pulling out all the stops this year. While it’s no stranger to big launch events, this company is hosting a Tech World keynote on June 9th that promises a little bit of everything, including Motorola’s latest flagship phones and the first commercially available device using Google’s Project Tango mapping technology. But exactly are we going to see? And are there any wild cards in store? We’ve rounded up the leaks and rumors to give you a good idea of what to expect when Lenovo and Moto take the stage in San Francisco this Thursday.
Moto Z
This is the main reason why you’re here, isn’t it? You’re probably wondering how Motorola will follow up the Moto X Pure Edition, especially now that Lenovo is putting more of its mark on the iconic phone brand.
From all indications, the answer is to drop the Moto X name completely… along with some of the things you associate with Motorola’s top-of-the-line smartphone. You might instead see the Moto Z Play and Style, a pair of 5.5-inch devices that would focus on personalization even more than you’ve seen with past Moto phones. You’ll reportedly get modular backplates (MotoMods) that let you change the functionality of the phone — JBL speakers, a projector and even a Hasselblad-branded camera would be just a quick swap away. However, you’d lose the curvy back that made the Moto X so easy to grip, and a fingerprint reader on the front would do away with Motorola’s historically compact front bezels.
If the rumors are accurate, Lenovo would repeat the split between high- and low-end models. The Moto Z Style, like the Moto X Pure/Style, would be the star of the show with its quad HD display, 32GB of storage, 3GB or 4GB of RAM and an 0.2-inch thick body. It’s likely to pack a speedier Snapdragon 820 processor, too. The Moto Z Play, meanwhile, would be for the budget crowd with a 1080p screen and choices of either 16GB of storage and 2GB RAM or 32GB of space and 3GB of RAM. Verizon is expected to have at least one Droid-branded variant, although it’s not clear what you’ll get besides flashier designs (metallic hues may be the main theme) and lots of carrier branding.
Lenovo’s Project Tango phone
In a sense, the other high-end device due at Tech World is no mystery at all: Lenovo already promised to formally launch its Project Tango-powered smartphone at the event. The large (under 6.5 inches) device will revolve around Tango’s signature 3D mapping tech, which should both measure your environment and bring augmented reality worlds to your screen. The exact nature of what you get might be up in the air, however. Lenovo has promised a sub-$500 price, a summer release and a Snapdragon processor, but the finished design and performance haven’t been nailed down. We’d expect at least a few changes to the prototype Tango phone teased back in January.
Don’t expect a RAZR comeback
Sorry to dash your hopes, but one of the biggest stories for Tech World is what isn’t happening. Despite Lenovo and Motorola fueling expectations of a RAZR revival at the show, they warn that they’re “not re-releasing” the iconic clamshell. That video really exists to remind you of Motorola’s ability to change the cellular landscape, apparently.
Not that this comes as a total shock. Outside of Japan and the occasional smart flip phone, the RAZR’s form factor doesn’t have a huge following in 2016. The once ubiquitous name doesn’t mean that much in the 12 years following its launch (even the Droid-branded models didn’t last long), and Lenovo isn’t in a financial position to gamble on cellular nostalgia. The Motorola team may need to sort out its future before it dwells on the past.
Wild cards
What else? Lenovo has promised “freshly minted concepts” from its labs, so you should see some out-there technology that grabs headlines. Whether or not the tech translates to shipping products is another matter, but Lenovo is no stranger to bringing clever ideas to fruition.
Besides that, it’s hard to know what’s coming. We wouldn’t count on smartwatches when the second-generation Moto 360 is less than a year old. Lenovo might use this mid-year media gathering as an opportunity to announce new PCs, although the phone focus makes that seem less probable. The one certainty is that you can’t rule out a surprise or two: Lenovo is fond of pulling rabbits out of its hat.
[Image credits: HellomotoHK, Lenovo, Justin Chin/Bloomberg via Getty Images]
The best smartphones on the UK High Street
Picking the right smartphone can be tough. With Apple, Samsung, LG, HTC and plenty of other manufacturers releasing handsets at a steady clip, it can be difficult to keep up with each and every launch. We use our smartphones for work, play and everything in between, so it’s important to settle on the right blend of hardware, operating system and price tag that makes sense for you.
After all, you’re likely going to be spending anywhere from 18 months to two years of your life with your new handset, unless your budget allows you to upgrade on whim. Deciding between so many candidates can be a bit of a struggle, but we’re here to help with our guide to the best smartphones around.
Article prices are based on the RRP, but more up-to-date listings can be found in the buyers guide widget below.
Apple iPhone 6s
Score: 91/100
Apple’s follow-up to the iPhone 6 isn’t as much of an incremental update as some were expecting. The 6s is more powerful and carries a pressure-sensitive display, not to mention significant improvements in the camera department. As well as simply being another easy-to-use iOS device, new features include the “3D Touch” panel, which lets you “peek” inside apps, surfacing information and actions without opening the app fully. The upgraded 12-megapixel camera has a few tricks of its own, too, like the new 4K video mode and animated “Live Photos.” New Rose Gold option aside, though, the iPhone 6s is practically identical in looks to its predecessor. It’s not cheap either, so iPhone 6 owners might find it hard to justify an upgrade.
In a sentence: Apple’s iPhone 6s is a great phone and safe bet, especially for anyone moving from an older 5 or 5s.
Price: £539 and up
Samsung Galaxy S7
Score: 90/100
Samsung’s Galaxy S7 takes everything that made the S6 great and improves upon it. The outcome is a flagship with a gorgeous Quad HD display, outstanding performance and subtle design tweaks that make the marriage of metal and glass that bit more appealing. Those already leaning in Samsung’s direction will be thankful for the return of expandable storage, with cards of up to 200GB capacity finding a microSD slot to call home. An IP68 water- and dust-resistant rating only sweetens the proposition. Only minor progress has been made in the imaging department, but the S7 has a capable and versatile camera nonetheless. A steep price is one of the only downsides of the device, but you’re paying for premium.
In a sentence: Easily one of the best Android smartphones available.
Price: £569
Moto X Style
Score: 90/100
Motorola’s made a name for itself putting out great devices at reasonable prices, and the Moto X Style is a perfect example of that philosophy. A fondness for larger displays is a must. If that’s the case you’ll get a pleasing 5.7-inch Quad HD display to poke at, and Moto Maker means you can customise an already expedient design with whatever colour and texture combination you see fit. Purists in particular will enjoy the vanilla Android build with a light drizzle of Motorola chocolate sauce on top. The Moto X Style has a great camera, too, even if it isn’t quite as good as those on some rival devices. Similarly, the handset offers flagship performance, but it’s not the most powerful device around. There are compromises, but none that should tempt you to overlook the Moto X Style considering its relatively low price.
In a sentence: An expert lesson in striking the balance between user experience and price.
Price: £369 and up
Apple iPhone SE
Score: 89/100
Many people felt left behind by Apple’s turn to bigger-screened iPhones, and the SE is an attempt to regain their favour. The 4-inch form factor feels both familiar and fresh in its design — like an iPhone 5s with softer curves — and the SE benefits from the inclusion of the same internals found in the iPhone 6s, meaning it’s lightning fast. The two also share the same, excellent camera, though the iPhone SE lacks “3D Touch” functionality and possesses an older, slower Touch ID fingerprint sensor. Still, it offers fantastic battery life and happens to be the cheapest iPhone Apple’s ever sold. Oh, and lest we forget: Rose Gold.
In a sentence: A no-brainer for champions of the 4-inch form factor wanting to upgrade from an older iPhone.
Price: £359 and up
HTC 10
Score: 88/100
The HTC 10 marks the end of a few uneventful years at the company, defined by a series of unremarkable flagships. But what a return to form. The HTC 10’s sleek, all-metal design packages a 5.2-inch Quad HD display and internals that are almost unmatched in their performance. While its competent 12-UltraPixel camera isn’t the best on the market and battery life is distinctly average, HTC has cleaned up its Android skin and included a few attractive extras like hi-res audio support and AirPlay compatibility. HTC has again created a flagship handset that can hang with the best of ’em, but that means you’re looking at premium pricing to match.
In a sentence: On the podium as one of the top Android smartphones on the market.
Price: £570
Google Nexus 6P
Score: 87/100
The Nexus 6P is another device for those who prefer a larger-than-average screen. The 5.7-inch, Wide Quad HD display isn’t all the handset has to offer, though, with an abundance of processing power and impressive battery life. Being a Google device, the Nexus 6P also receives Android updates as soon as they become available, so you’ll always be on the latest version. Combine all these features with a solid camera, and you get a large-screen smartphone at a pretty competitive price. However, it’s worth bearing in mind the Nexus 6P lacks a microSD slot to expand storage, and its all-metal design is like the smartphone equivalent of Marmite.
In a sentence: A great option for people who like a larger screen that also benefits from the most up-to-date Android software.
Price: £449 and up.
Moto G
Score: 87/100
When Motorola launched the first Moto G a few years ago, it immediately stood out as offering unparalleled value for money. Now in its third generation, the Moto G is still one of the best all-round smartphones for anyone on a budget, or those that would rather not pay for bells and whistles they’ll get little use out of. While it doesn’t excel in any one area and ignores flagship-grade components to keep costs down, there are no particularly uninviting compromises either. The Moto G’s outward appearance can also be heavily personalised using Moto Maker, at which point avid mobile gamers and users of more demanding apps might want to pay a little extra for more RAM and internal storage.
In a sentence: A decent, affordable Android smartphone that makes minimal sacrifices to hit its low price point.
Price: £149 and up.
OnePlus 2
Score: 86/100
OnePlus is in the business of making serious smartphones and selling them for a fraction of the price of competitors. Case in point: the OnePlus 2. It has all the guts and performance of a market-leading flagship, with style and build quality being far from an afterthought. Those features alone make the price tag easy to justify, and that’s without mentioning the versatile 13-megapixel camera. OnePlus has held back in a couple of areas, understandably, such as opting for a 5.5-inch 1080p display instead of a Quad HD panel. Other compromises include a lack of expandable storage and NFC, which are likely to be either deal-breakers or features you can easily live without.
In a sentence: A inexpensive, near-flagship device that prioritises performance and price.
Price: £249
LG G5
Score: 81/100
LG has released some excellent flagship smartphones in the past, but this year the company has skipped an incremental upgrade in favour of something much more adventurous. Top-tier performance and fun, flexible dual-camera array aside, the bottom bezel of the device is completely removable, making space for a couple of modular accessories LG calls “Friends.” These include a hi-res audio attachment and a camera grip that also extends battery life, which is pretty average otherwise. At this point, however, you have look beyond the few accessories currently available and hope others will explore the potential of the modular design even further.
In a sentence: A powerful Android smartphone that dares to be different
Price: £449
Sony Xperia Z5
Score: 80/100
The Xperia Z5 is either another of Sony’s beautiful, polished products, or a slightly lazy attempt to tweak its tired “Omnibalance” design. Regardless of which side of the fence you find yourself on, you can’t dispute the build quality and high waterproof rating. The Xperia Z5 offers the kind of performance you’d expect from a genuine flagship, but pairs that with a 5.2-inch 1080p display. Gorgeous it might be, but it does fall short of competitors’ higher-resolution screens. What your money is primarily going towards is the 23-megapixel rear camera, which happens to be one of the best on the market. The Xperia Z5 isn’t cheap, but it won’t disappoint serious smartphone photographers.
In a sentence: Another lovingly built Sony smartphone with one of the best cameras around.
Price: £469
Wileyfox Swift
Score: 79/100
Fledgling British brand Wileyfox has made an extremely good first impression with the Swift. Like the Moto G, the Swift is all about crafting a low-cost smartphone that still provides an excellent user experience. With a relatively charming, all-plastic design, a bright 5-inch, 720p display and easily customisable Cyanogen software, there’s plenty to like. You also get a decent amount of processing power for an affordable device, though the 13-megapixel camera leaves quite a lot to be desired. However, aside from its underwhelming camera, the Swift deserves serious consideration if you’re after a good smartphone that doesn’t weigh heavily on your wallet.
In a sentence: An affordable Android smartphone that represents excellent value for money.
Price: £129
Lenovo’s new Droids might be shiny and metallic
See those phones above? They might be three versions of the Droid Lenovo’s launching in an upcoming event in June. Evan Blass (aka evleaks), well-known source of device leaks, has posted the photo on Twitter, and people seem to have anointed the black-and-bronze model as the Beyoncé of this trio. While the image only shows the Motorola and the Droid logos, the phone will likely have Verizon’s branding somewhere, since the line’s exclusive to the carrier.
Blass also tweeted out an image of three swappable backplates called MotoMods, which could be compatible with the upcoming handset. He said the three backplates have different features: one has a projector, another has JBL speakers and the third one has a Hasselblad camera. Those backplates will definitely make the phone more interesting than comparable competitors, but we won’t know for sure until the company launches them on June 9th.
The DROIDs you’re looking for? pic.twitter.com/j5zqq73Zh2
— Evan Blass (@evleaks) May 25, 2016
By the way, these are (from L to R) the projector, JBL speakers, and Hasselblad camera. https://t.co/7FIk9wA8zx
— Evan Blass (@evleaks) May 26, 2016
Via: The Verge
Source: Evan Blass (Twitter)
Motorola’s legendary RAZR flip phone is making a comeback
The year was 2004, and Motorola had just announced what was then an insanely thin flip phone, the RAZR V3. It was — and still is — a head-turner, and eventually over 130 million units were sold in total. Such were the glorious days of Motorola. Twelve years later, the now Lenovo-owned brand appears to be prepping a relaunch of this legendary model, according to its teaser video of a nostalgic walkthrough at a high school. “Flip back to the Razr days of yesteryear and get ready for the future.” Well, our money’s on an Android refresh of the RAZR flip phone, and we’re already quite stoked about that. The big unveil will take place at Lenovo Tech World on June 9th, and we have a feeling that this new RAZR may overshadow the new Moto X devices that are also expected there.
Via: T3
Source: Motorola (YouTube)
Up close with the Moto G4 Plus, the best from a puzzling new lineup
I’ve been spending my time here at Google I/O hoping to catch a Google exec pull a supersecret VR headset out of a coat pocket. Instead I ran into one using Motorola’s new Moto G4 Plus — the highest-end of the three new Moto G models announced earlier this week. Said exec was surprisingly cool about letting me give a personal phone the full hands-on treatment too. After a few minutes of play time, I can say that Motorola once again has an impressive device on its hands. It’s too bad, though, that a confusing lineup of Moto Gs suggest Motorola’s priorities have shifted in some unsettling ways.
First things first: To quickly recap, the G4 Plus runs Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow with an octa-core Snapdragon 617 chipset, and either 2GB or 4GB of RAM. The pricier 4GB model is paired with either 32GB or 64GB of storage, while the lower-specced version has only 16GB of storage. It’s a good thing, then, that the microSD slot takes cards as large as 128GB. This particular Plus was a 4GB/64GB model, making it a terribly snappy little machine. Swiping through home screens, launching apps and some furious multitasking all felt instantaneous.
Two software factors probably helped here: Motorola once again used a near-stock build of Android, and fortunately the exec who loaned me his phone hadn’t yet loaded up his device with many apps. This level of performance would’ve been flagship quality not that long ago, and now we’re squeezing it out of a mostly midrange phone. The overall experience — complete with mostly clean Android and useful extras like an always-on display — make the G4 Plus a compelling choice compared with other Snapdragon 617-enabled phones, such as the HTC A9.
And, speaking as a phone-design nerd, the slim G4 Plus actually feels pretty great in hand. It’s an entirely plastic phone with a nicely textured removable back (hiding a nonremovable 3,000mAh battery), and its surprisingly skinny frame reminds me a bit of the Galaxy S4. That’s not to say, however, that every design choice Motorola made works well. Consider the square fingerprint sensor below the bright, 5.5-inch TFT LCD screen: It looks like a home button but doesn’t work as one, making the placement feel odd and clumsy. This isn’t something the old Motorola would have done.
At the very least, the 16-megapixel camera seems impressive. Besides the fingerprint sensor, this camera is the only difference between the G4 Plus and the regular G4, which instead comes with a 13-megapixel camera. DxOMark puts it slightly ahead of the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus in terms of image quality. I wasn’t able to snap photos with this phone — mostly because I didn’t want to accidentally look into this guy’s camera roll — but the phase-detect and laser autofocus worked remarkably well.
So yes, the Moto G4 Plus is a fine phone. It’s also part of a confusing trio of Moto Gs, including one — the Moto G Play — that felt noticeably less powerful than the others. Potential Moto E replacement? Maybe, though Motorola said earlier this year it has “no plans to retire” the E. What was always nice about the Moto G was how uncomplicated its ambitions were: If you wanted an inexpensive, undeniably good Android phone, the Moto G was your best choice. That clarity is now gone. You’ll be able to get a good Moto G, or a better Moto G or a slightly worse Moto G.
It’s a sign of pragmatism, I suppose: The company can reach different customers with different needs, but it’s also a sign that Motorola has lost some of the focus that once made it so special. With any luck, I’m totally wrong. Maybe everything is great under Lenovo, and Motorola President Rick Osterloh’s return to Google doesn’t mean the company’s vision has been muddled. We’ll see.
For all the latest news and updates from Google I/O 2016, follow along here.
Motorola just announced three new Moto Gs
Motorola has just announced a new generation of perhaps our favorite budget smartphone. Presenting the Moto G4, the Moto G4 Plus and the Moto G4 Play. It’s a confusing lineup, with the G4 and G4 Plus being riffs on one thing, and the G4 Play being an different device entirely. For now, let’s focus on the G4 and G4 Plus. There are numerous changes from the 2015 G, but the most notable is the display. The G4 and G4 Plus have a 1080p 5.5-inch panel, which is a bump from the last phone’s 720p 5-inch offering. The additional pixels are welcome, but the new screen makes the duo larger phones overall when compared to their predecessor. If you consider that the first Moto G (launched just two and a half years ago) had a 4.5-inch display, that’s a significant increase in size for someone who’s skipped a generation or two.
Powering that display is a more-powerful Snapdragon 617 octa-core processor paired with 2GB or 3GB of RAM depending on how much storage you opt for. Battery life will hopefully see an improvement too: the Moto G4 and G4 Plus have a 3,000mAh battery, up from 2,470mAh last year, and fast charging functionality.
The Moto G4 Play is more like last year’s model. It’s got a 5-inch 720p display, a Snapdragon 410 processor and a 2,700mAh battery. This is essentially the 2015 G in a new shell with a slightly larger battery.
While the G4 and G4 Plus share the same basic spec, where they differ is in the details. The Plus has a fingerprint sensor and a 16-megapixel rear camera with an f/2.0 aperture, “big pixels” and laser and phase detection autofocus. The regular G has a 13-megapixel unit (likely the same as in the current G), and no biometric magic. Both have a 5-megapixel front-facing camera and will be customizable with the company’s Moto Maker service.
Motorola is making a lot of noise about the new 16-megapixel camera in the Plus — that seems to be the real incentive to spend the extra money on the pricier model. The independent image analysis company DxOMark has apparently rated the Moto G Plus’ photo quality ahead of iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S Plus. That bodes well, although it did have to concede that this rating only pertained to images, implying that the video and overall scores were lower.
As we mentioned, there are some slight RAM differences between the models, depending on which storage option you go for. The vanilla Moto G4 comes with 2GB RAM and 16GB internal storage. The G4 Plus will have the same, unless you opt for the model with 32GB of storage, in which case you’ll get 3GB of RAM. Those opting for a G with less storage will be happy to know the Micro SD slot remains, and now supports cards of up to 128GB. Incidentally, one thing that didn’t make it over was the Gs excellent front-facing stereo speakers. There’s now just a single speaker up top.
Both phones represent a decent upgrade over the current generation, and at not much of a premium. They’re coming to India and Brazil (the company’s largest markets for the G series) first, with the G4 debuting today in Brazil and the G4 Plus in India. After that, they’ll arrive across North America and Europe. We’re still waiting on US pricing, but the UK versions will start at £169 for the regular and £199 for the Plus, with both models arriving in June.
There’s not much value in translating those prices into dollars, but what we can do is point to the original starting point for the current Moto G: the 8GB model started at £159 in the UK, and $179 in the US. The pound has weakened significantly since then, so we could see a $179 entry point from the new £169 pricing, or perhaps it’ll increase by $10 or $20.
As for the Moto G Play, there’s no firm pricing or release date. It’ll launch globally this summer, and we’d expect it to undercut the rest of the range.
Update: This article has been updated multiple (!) times because Motorola decided to announce the three phones at different times and places over a period of several hours. Now the news flow seems to have stemmed, we’ve rewritten it entirely for clarity, but we wouldn’t rule out more information being added soon.
Fitbit’s lead in the wearable world shrinks due to newcomers
Fitbit has ruled the wearable roost for a while, but it’s clear that the activity tracker maker can’t become complacent. IDC has released estimates which show that Fitbit lost a significant amount of market share in the first quarter. While its shipments were up 25.4 percent (to 4.8 million), its share plunged from 32.6 percent a year ago to 24.5 percent at the start of 2016. Simply put, the market is much more crowded than it was a year ago — it has to contend with the Apple Watch, China’s BBK and Lifesense, as well as a slew of smaller brands jumping into the field.
Not that some of the other incumbents can complain too loudly. Xiaomi and Garmin also lost share (they’re down to 22.8 percent and 5 percent respectively), but their shipments surged by more than a third.
As for smartwatches specifically? Apple was still out in front by a hefty margin, with 46 percent of the high-end wearable market. The next closest was Samsung, which fell to 20.9 percent. With 1.5 million shipments, though, Apple had less than a third of Fitbit’s clout — and that number was a sharp drop from the 3.9 million watches it shipped in the last quarter of 2015. Such a dip isn’t surprising (there was no holiday demand to boost sales), but it’s notable that Fitbit’s unit count didn’t fall. It’s clearly easier to justify a relatively inexpensive tracker like the Alta outside of gift-giving season than a smartwatch that costs more than twice as much. Apple’s price cuts weren’t in effect for much of the first quarter, mind you, so it’s too soon to say whether or not you’ll see a repeat performance this spring.
Source: IDC
New Moto X phones reportedly feature modular accessories
Rumor mountain is rumbling this week with news about the next phones under Motorola’s Moto X brand, and VentureBeat today says that the new devices will be modular, allowing users to swap out backplates with various capabilities. Yesterday, HellomotoHK posted images of new Moto X phones that appeared to show one phone with a metallic body and laser auto-focusing features. VentureBeat reports that there are actually two new Moto X phones, the Vertex and Vector Thin, and they both feature customizable, modular bodies.
Here’s what the site reports: The phones’ backplates have a line of 16 dots near the bottom and these are not speaker ports — they’re connection pins. Motorola has designed six “Amps” (modules) that add new features to the phone, including stereo speakers, a battery pack, a camera grip with flash and optical zoom, a pico projector and a rugged cover with wide-angle lens attachment. The cameras on these two new phones jut out a fair bit, but they should lay flush once the modules are attached.
LG’s G5 smartphone recently launched with modular capabilities, but it requires removing the actual battery every time you want to add a new attachment. The Vertex and Vector Thin apparently circumvent this problem by attaching modules directly to the back of the phones, rather than inserting new tools into the phone’s base.
VentureBeat also reports the following specs for the new Moto X phones: Both have 5.5 inch AMOLED displays, while the Vertex has a full HD display and Vector Thin features Quad HD resolution. The Vector Thin will have 32GB of storage and either 3GB or 4GB RAM, while the Vertex will have 16GB of storage and 2GB RAM or 32GB of storage and 3GB RAM. The Vector Thin is also — appropriately — extra thin at just 5.2mm thick.
Motorola hasn’t yet confirmed these details, but the company is expected to announce its new phones at Lenovo Tech World on June 9th, Droid Life reports.
Source: VentureBeat
Creative pushes for US bans on several smartphone makers
Creative has a long history of wielding its patents against other tech companies (just ask Apple), but its latest effort might top them all. The US International Trade Commission is investigating Creative’s complaints that seven smartphone makers (BlackBerry, HTC, LG, Lenovo/Motorola, Samsung, Sony and ZTE) violate its patents. Allegedly, all of the companies are imitating Creative’s hierarchical menu system for media playback, much as the iPod supposedly duped Zen players a decade ago. If successful, the ITC dispute would ban the sale of at least some of these companies’ devices… and given the sheer scope of the complaint, you’d probably notice the absences on store shelves.
None of the companies involved have commented on how they’ll respond to the move. Also, it’ll be a while before there’s a conclusion — as with any other ITC case, the Commission will have to review any initial decision. However, Creative’s strategy is already fairly clear. It’s gambling that at least some of its targets will settle rather than risk seeing some of their most important products banned in the US. It’s not as though there’s a simple fix, either — the media interface that Creative describes is both very generic and near-ubiquitous, so avoiding it would require a major software redesign.
Via: Reuters
Source: US ITC
The next Moto X may pack a smarter, metal-clad design
Way back in December, rumors suggested that Lenovo’s next big Motorola phone would go in a very different than ages past, including a metal chassis and a curious camera bump. Well, those rumors just got some validation. HellomotoHK has posted images of what appears to be both the next Moto X and its Droid-branded Verizon equivalent. Sure enough, they hint at a flatter, metallic body with a more elaborate camera array — are those dots on the side a clue to laser autofocusing? There’s also a fingerprint reader on the front, which puts the kibosh on the Pure Edition’s front-facing stereo sound… sorry, folks.
As for what’s inside? That’s less than clear, but supposed benchmarks from late last month hint that the top-end Motorola phone will carry a Snapdragon 820 processor and 4GB of RAM. It’s par for the course among 2016 Android flagships, then. You might not have to wait long to see how accurate these leaks are, though, as Lenovo has been teasing the launch of new Motorola devices on June 9th. The only question is whether or not you’ll see this particular phone among them. Although a high-end Moto seems like a good fit for that event, we won’t be surprised if you see something else on stage (such as the next Moto G) in a month’s time.
Source: HellomotoHK (Google+), Evan Blass (Twitter)
AIVAnet 