Everyone should own at least one external battery pack. They allow charging from anywhere even when a wall outlet is not accessible. Sure, external battery packs can be expensive. However, the long-term value is tremendous. Today, a Motorola external battery pack with 3000mAh that normally costs $50 is available for $8.99. Furthermore, the two-pack is available for $14.99 with free shipping. The latter would cost $100 and now it is obtainable for much less.
[Motorola Power Pack 3000 – eBay] [Motorola Power Pack 3000 (two-pack) – eBay]
Come comment on this article: [Deal] Motorola Power Pack 3000 discounted to $8.99
Following Lenovo’s Motorola acquisition, we assumed Moto would make its way back to other markets where they’ve been scarce in the past, specifically China. In a post today, Motorola has announced their return to the Chinese smartphone market set for early sometime this year, and the devices they’re bringing with them are pretty interesting. Among the Moto X (2nd Generation) and the 2014 Moto G with LTE, Motorola is returning to China with a handset called the Moto X Pro, which is basically a Nexus 6 sans Nexus logo.
The Moto X Pro (pictured above) should look familiar, since it’s the same chassis we got with Google’s Nexus 6 handset. Aside from the exclusion of Google services and the Nexus logo, we’re seeing basically the same specifications as we did on the Nexus 6: a 6.0-inch QHD display, 2.7GHz Snapdragon 805 processor, a 3220mAh battery and a 13MP rear-facing camera with OIS. This device should also come with Motorola’s suite of apps and software enhancements, instead of Google’s.
The Moto X (2nd Gen.) will go on sale in China sometime in early February, while the Moto X Pro and LTE-capable Moto G won’t be available until after Spring Festival, which is toward the later half of February. What’s more, Motorola is also bringing Moto Maker to China, but customers will have to wait until after the Chinese New Year to get their hands on a customized Moto X.
Under Google ownership, Motorola Mobility saw its presence in China diminish exponentially. At the time, Google was pushing to refocus Motorola on the US market and on US manufacturing, and the result was a nearly 80% reduction in Motorola’s Chinese workforce and a borderline indifference to the Chinese market.
Now, with Motorola under Chinese firm Lenovo’s control, Motorola is back in China in a big way, announcing the arrival of its Moto X, Moto X Pro, and Moto G phones for the Chinese market.
The Moto X and G are exactly as you have known them. One is a customizable flagship. The other is one of the best budget smartphones available. So what is this Moto X Pro, then? It’s pretty clearly a rebranded Nexus 6. Per Motorola:
Designed by Motorola and providing the latest Android, Moto X Pro gives you bigger images and better sound with a 6-inch Quad HD display and front-facing stereo speakers for immersive sound. A 13-megapixel camera with optical image stabilization takes high-quality photos in all lighting. Top it off with the latest 2.7GHz Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 805 processor and a 3220 mAh battery that delivers more than 24 hours of power.
Yep. Those seem like Nexus 6 specs to us. Interestingly, though, the Moto X Pro doesn’t appear to have the customization options available to the regular X. This makes sense from a production line standpoint, of course, as it’s economically dubious to offer X-style customizations on what really is just an assembly line Nexus 6.
But Nexus users don’t expect customization. Rather, they expect a good phone that can be purchased unlocked and at a fair price. By rebranding the Nexus as Moto X Pro, however, Motorola is setting up the Pro not as a Nexus alternative to the X, but as a superior device in the same family, yet without some of the aesthetic bells and whistles of the “lesser” X.
There’s no word yet on price, and it will be interesting to see if the price difference between the X and X Pro is similar to the X and Nexus 6, or if the X Pro will be promoted as a more premium device with a sticker to match.
Source: Motorola
Come comment on this article: Nexus 6 Rebranded as the Moto X Pro in Motorola’s Return to China
Well, we’re starting to see the fruits of Lenovo’s purchase of Motorola. Now that the acquisition is complete, Motorola will be bringing their newest Android handsets to China. The Moto X, Moto X Pro and the Moto G will all be available in China soon.
First up is the Moto X, which will be available in early February. Motorola is actually asking people in China to vote on the initial designs that will be available to the public (Visit this Motorola page on January 7th, 2015 to vote). If you are in China and want to design your own Moto X, you will have to wait for the Moto Maker Design tool to become available after the Spring Festival (The Spring Festival runs from February 19th to February 25th this year).
Next up are the Moto X Pro and the Moto G. The phablet sized Moto X Pro and the affordable Moto G, will hit the market following the Spring Festival in China. The Moto G will include some colorful shells that give the smartphone a personality all it’s own. It will be interesting to see how Motorola’s offerings fare compared to Lenovo’s in the long run.
Source The Official Motorola Blog
The post Motorola returning to China in a big way appeared first on AndroidGuys.
The uniquely designed Galaxy Note Edge will make its way to Verizon Wireless on the 8th of January, according to a new leak. Big Red will also bring the Motorola Nexus 6 to its retail outlets, but not until mid-February, the leak says.
Pricing for the Galaxy Note Edge has been set at $799.99 off contract or $33.32 per month via Verizon Edge. You can also get it with a two year contract agreement for $399.99, which is quite a lot to pay for a contract device.
There’s no word on the pricing of the Nexus 6 yet, but it should be on par with what we’ve seen from the likes of Sprint and AT&T, which is somewhere around the $299.99 mark. It is important to note that there’s no real incentive to get the Nexus 6 from Verizon considering that activated SIM cards already work with the device.
But if you’re planning to activate a new account with the Nexus 6 and don’t mind relying on Verizon for future software updates, getting it from the carrier shouldn’t be a big concern.
We’ll keep a close eye on Verizon for more details on the arrival of the Nexus 6. But if you’re in the market for a phablet and don’t mind experimenting with the form factor, you might want to check out the Samsung Galaxy Note Edge which will be available starting Thursday.
Via: Phandroid
Come comment on this article: Verizon bringing the Galaxy Note Edge on Jan 8, Nexus 6 launching mid-Feb
Verizon is in a rather unique position with its dependence on CDMA network standards, for most phones – namely those designed for the global market – make use of GSM technology. While the carrier has had some nice exclusives in the past (see the Motorola Droid line, for example), those customers who want more international products are often out of luck. Such was the case for Verizon and the Samsung Galaxy Note Edge. Until now, that is.
Thanks to a tipster, Phandroid has obtained a leaked screen capture allegedly from Verizon, and indicating the Note Edge will launch on the 8th. The source – which has supposedly provided legitimate information on a number of instances – has also claimed that the curved wonder will cost $399 on a 2-year contract, and $33.32 per month on Verizon’s Edge installment-based payment plan. The device can also be had for $799 off-contract (some $70 less than the commitment-free T-Mobile version). It is worth pointing out that one of the two Japanese variants carrying the Edge (KDDI au) is in fact, CDMA-based, and thus Samsung has apparently decided to make further use of the modified internal antenna for a larger market.
The titular tipster has also indicated that the Nexus 6 won’t be launching on Verizon until sometime in mid-February, thus ensuring an even longer wait for those who want to buy on-carrier. (The unlocked Nexus 6 can still be used on Verizon’s network, for reference).
Please note that as Verizon itself has not confirmed either of these two leaks, some degree of skepticism should be accepted in the event the phablet doesn’t edge itself into stores this Thursday.
The final days of 2014 were quiet, but 2015 is starting off with a bang. International CES is about to begin in fabulous Las Vegas, and companies are already drumming up their products. In the past week, we went through the finest apps of 2014, learned about the LTE version of the Moto G (2014), got a peek at Samsung’s Lollipop ROM for the Note 3, talked about a longstanding memory bug in Android, heard rumors about upcoming devices from Samsung, HTC, and Xiaomi, and got the first CES announcements.
Welcome to Android Authority this week.
Here’s Jayce’s video take on the events of the week.
The end of the year is the time to look back, draw the line, and lay the roadmap for the year to come. Android developed dramatically in 2014, extending to wearables, TVs, and cars. It’s been an amazing year for Android Authority as well. Our traffic grew steadily throughout, but really took off over the last few months. On the video side, our YouTube channel hit the one million subscribers milestone and we’re now a top 25 Science & Tech channel. We have 36,000 forum users and almost two million social followers. We added new team members, and several contributors joined full time.
All in all, we’re proud of what we achieved in 2014, and deeply humbled and grateful at the same time. We have lots of things to improve in 2015 and we want to know your opinion on where we need to work first. To give us your feedback, take a minute to fill out our yearend survey here.
As you’re reading this, the AA team is already on the ground in Vegas, attending pre-briefings, talking to manufactures, and working to bring you the best coverage around. Stay tuned for a tons of news and hands-on coverage throughout the week.
As always, check out our Sunday Giveaway: today, the excellent Nexus 9 is up for grabs – good luck everyone!
Here are some interesting posts for your Sunday reading:
And here are the top news in the Android world this week:
Moto G 2014 LTE
Samsung Lollipop
Lollipop memory leak fix
Samsung rumors
New Xiaomi devices
HTC Desire tease
Alcatel
We always want to hear your feedback. Whether it’s criticism or praise, feel free to tell us what you think about Android Authority’s content, design, and community. Comment here or get in touch with us on our social channels:
Happy Sunday!
Everyone may be winding down their day as they get ready to ring in 2015, but that has not stopped Motorola from posting one last surprise for 2014 on their web site. They have added a new option to Moto Maker that let’s buyers interested in the Moto X (2014) select 64 GB of memory to stuff into their smartphone. In order to take advantage of this expanded memory option, buyers have to get the Pure Edition version, which is probably not a bad option either. Pumping up the memory to 64 GB does add $100 to the price of the device, so the cheapest you can get the device for is $599.99.
The Moto X 2014 made it to the TalkAndroid short list as one of the best smartphones of 2014 and it benefited from receiving the Android Lollipop update super fast. This additional memory option can only sweeten the deal for buyers who want a lot of onboard memory.
If you want to place an order, or at least price out a Moto X (2014), hit the source link below to visit the Motorola Moto Maker site.
source: Motorola
Come comment on this article: Moto X 2014 now available with 64 GB of memory
If you want to buy a Moto X (2nd Gen.) off-contract, your best bet is to go with the unlocked Pure Edition. However, that unfortunately means you’ll be stuck with only 16 or 32GB of on-board storage. And remember, the Moto X doesn’t have any room for expandable storage, so 32GB is the most you can get… well, up until now.
On Twitter earlier today, Motorola announced that the Pure Edition Moto X now comes in a 64GB variant. In fact, the 64GB model is a Pure Edition exclusive, so anyone trying to grab extra storage will need to make their way off-contract. You can purchase the new Pure Edition Moto X variant right now from Moto Maker for $599.99. That’s quite a big price tag, but we’re assuming many users won’t mind paying the extra $100 to up the storage.
Motorola’s Moto X was one of our favorite phones that released in 2014. It features a perfectly-sized 5.2-inch display, speedy software updates, a slew of Motorola’s software enhancements and customizable hardware. If you’d like more information on the Moto X, check out our full review below!
Have you been waiting for a 64GB variant of the Pure Edition Moto X? Let us know if you’re picking one up!
Do you lose your phone and or keys often? We’ve all done it and it is very frustrating sometimes. One minute, you have your phone, the next minute it is mysteriously gone… Today, Motorola announced their solution to all of our troubles: Motorola Keylink.
Motorola Keylink is a device you attach to your key chain that can help you locate your phone, from upwards of 100 feet away. It can also go the other way. Say you misplace your keys, using the Motorola Connect app on your phone, you can make the Keylink ring.
What makes this device unique is that it is compatible with both Android and iOS devices, costs $24.99, and the battery will last upwards of a year. The device operates on a button battery, similar to ones found in car key fobs.
The device can be purchased from Motorola or T-Mobile starting today.
The post Lose your keys and phone often? Motorola Keylink is your solution! appeared first on AndroidGuys.
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