Moto X appears in leaked Rogers video w/ always listening voice control, ‘Active Updates’, August release date

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBGU9t7NpaA

There’s a lot we already know about Motorola’s upcoming Moto X smartphone, and just the other day we got a glance at the device in white as Google’s Eric Schmidt appears to have already made the switch from his BlackBerry. While a leaked Verizon roadmap suggested the device would be arriving on August 23, today we get solid evidence with a leaked video from Canadian carrier Rogers (via Ausdroid) that not only confirms an August release in North America, but also shows off some of the unique features of the device.

As you’ll see in the video above, it appears Motorola will be making a point of highlighting the device’s always listening voice controls. Unlike other Android devices that require you to launch Google Now or hit a small microphone icon in order to initiate voice commands, the new Moto X appears to always be listening for voice commands, allowing users to initiate Google Now or other voice controlled tasks without ever touching the device. It will even apparently learn your voice, which will presumably make it so others can’t easily shout commands at your phone. 

Another feature shown in the video is an “Active Update” system that replaces a blinking LED with small icons for updates that appear quietly on the lock screen when the device is asleep.

The last feature highlighted in Rogers’ demo is the ability to launch the device’s camera with a double twist of your wrist as demoed towards the end of the video.

It sounds like Rogers will be carrying the device in black and white when it becomes available in August, but there’s no word on pricing, specific specs, or the colourful removable backplates and customization features we’ve heard in the past. Earlier this week Motorola teased that the device might have some significant camera upgrades in terms of speed.