Moto X

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Verizon Moto X (2014) users can now unlock their device’s bootloader

Chance Miller Jan 11 2016 - 6:29 pm PT

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If you’re still using a 2014 Moto X on Verizon, some good news has emerged today. A Motorola Forums Manager revealed today that the company will now allow bootloader unlocks for the 2014 Verizon Moto X, although it will still void the warranty.

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• Android
• Moto X
• Moto 360
• Motorola
• smartphones

Motorola offering $100 discount when you purchase new Moto X Pure and Moto 360 together

Cam Bunton Jan 7 2016 - 5:22 am PT

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Running up to the holidays, Motorola was offering some great discounts on its older Android and Android Wear products. Sadly, those same deals didn’t apply to the newer and rather fantastic Moto X Pure and Moto 360 from 2015. That changes this month, as the Lenovo-owned company begins offering money off for customers buying both products together.

Anyone buying the new Moto X Pure Edition (2015) and 2nd gen Moto 360 together will get $100 off at checkout. There’s no promo code to remember, just add the two products to your basket at Motorola.com in the US and the discount applies automatically. That means a package deal combining the two devices will cost you $599 for the base models, rather than the usual $699. Of course, adding extra storage to your phone or choosing a more premium material for the phone’s back or the Moto 360’s watch strap will cost extra.

This is the first time we’ve seen either of the new products with a significant discount anywhere in the US. The deal is available until January 12th, 10:59 Central Time.

• Android
• Moto X
• Android 6.0 Marshmallow
• update

Moto X (2014) getting its first taste of Android Marshmallow as software rollout begins in India

Cam Bunton Dec 16 2015 - 5:01 am PT

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Motorola has something of an advantage over other Android OEMs when it comes to pushing out software updates. Because its phones run a virtually stock version of Android, there’s very little to test and optimize before the update can be made available to users. Android Marshmallow has already started its rollout for users of this year’s Moto X Pure/Style, Play and Force, and now the software is being pushed to users of last year’s Moto X in India.

According to Android Central, the update weighs in at just under 885MB in size and comes with all of Marshmallow’s software features like Now on Tap, Doze Mode, granular app permissions and better volume/media controls.

With it now being available in India, we can expect it to be pushed to customers in other regions soon. Motorola’s software update list states that Moto x (2014) users in Latin America, Canada, Europe and Asia will all receive the update, while only Pure Edition users will get the software in the US. Of course, plans can be (and have) changed depending on customer demand when it comes to software rollouts, but as things stand, only Pure Edition models of the Moto X 2014 will get Android 6.0 in the States.

• Android
• Moto X
• Android 6.0 Marshmallow
• Moto E
• Motorola

4G LTE Moto E will be updated to Android Marshmallow in select markets, along with DROID Turbo 2, Maxx 2 and X Force

Cam Bunton Dec 9 2015 - 6:17 am PT

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Motorola first announced its Android 6.0 Marshmallow rollout plans in October. At the time, 11 devices were included in the list that was mostly made up of devices from 2015 and 2014. One notable absence was the Moto E, the company’s entry-level smartphone. Thankfully, the list has since been updated and now includes the budget device, although if you have one in the US, you’re out of luck. The update seemingly won’t grace US shores.

Puzzlingly, Motorola has left the States and China out of its list of markets due to receive the Marshmallow update. The 2015 Moto E with 4G LTE will get Android 6.0 in Canada, Latin America, Europe and Asia (excluding China). Moto could still change its plans, and does state in the list that the China upgrade is still being evaluated, although no such statement is made about the US market.

Other handsets added to the list are those which were announced and released after the original list was published. As well as the Moto E, Motorola will bring Android 6.0 Marshmallow to the Moto X Force (which is currently part of a soak test), and the Verizon-exclusive DROID Turbo 2 and DROID Maxx 2. The full updated list of devices runs as follows:

• 2015 Moto X Pure Edition (3rd gen)
• 2015 Moto X Style (3rd gen)
• 2015 Moto X Play
• 2015 Moto G (3rd gen)
• 2014 Moto X Pure Edition in the US (2nd gen)
• 2014 Moto X in Latin America, Europe and Asia2 (2nd gen)
• 2014 Moto G and Moto G with 4G LTE2 (2nd gen)
• DROID Turbo
• 2014 Moto MAXX
• 2014 Moto Turbo
• Nexus 6
• Moto X Force
• DROID Turbo 2
• DROID Maxx 2
• 2015 Moto E with 4G LTE in Canada, Latin America, Europe and Asia excluding China (2nd Gen)

• Android
• Moto X
• Android 6.0 Marshmallow
• update
• soak test

Motorola is now soak testing Android 6.0 Marshmallow for the 2015 Moto X Pure Edition

Stephen Hall Dec 2 2015 - 4:19 am PT

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Motorola’s David Schuster recently came out on Google+ to mention that the company is now soak testing Android 6.0 Marshmallow for the Moto X Pure Edition:

I’m pleased to announce that today we are starting the soak test period of Android 6.0 Marshmallow upgrade for the 2015 Moto X Pure Edition (3rd Gen) in the US. We will monitor the soak for next week and with good results, proceed to full launch.

The soak test period, which means that certain devices will be receiving the update early to test its reliability, will last about a week. Assuming nothing goes wrong, a full launch will follow.

Motorola is known as being one of the fastest third-party manufacturers to update their devices to the latest version of Android, and it seems they’re maintaining that reputation this year.

The latest Android distribution numbers (from last month) show Android 6.0 Marshmallow on just 0.3% of devices, and that data is expected to be updated at some point today without much improvement.

• Android
• Google
• Moto X
• Motorola
• moto

Motorola and Jonathan Adler team up to offer 3 new special Moto X Pure designs

Stephen Hall Nov 18 2015 - 12:40 pm PT

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Well-known designer Jonathan Adler has put together a new Moto X Pure Edition collection, all intended to capture the “spirit” of Moto Maker. The designs most definitely also have a holiday feel to them, so they might make a great gift if you know someone panning for the latest Moto X.

This holiday season, Motorola has something for every style lover on your list, including an all new Moto X Pure collection designed by the iconic Jonathan Adler. The limited-edition collection features three eye-catching, stylish phones that Jonathan felt captured the spirit of Moto Maker, our online phone design studio.

The collection will be available for pre-order at Motorola.com/JonathanAdler beginning November 24, and will officially go on sale December 3 for $474.99 (32GB). To help round out the rest of your shopping list, we asked Jonathan to share his top holiday gifting tips for the style-obsessed friends and family in your life.

Here’s what the three new phones look like:

• Android
• Google
• Moto X
• Motorola
• Video

Motorola proves that we’re physically incapable of not touching our phones [Video]

Stephen Hall Nov 16 2015 - 8:56 am PT

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In a clever new video, Motorola has proven — albeit while also advertising its Moto X — that we just can’t keep our hands off of our phones for as much as one minute. It’s perhaps not the most well-designed scientific experiment, but it’s interesting nonetheless the temptation we have to reach for our phones when they start buzzing, even in situations where we probably shouldn’t.

In this case, Motorola (or, more accurately, Ashton Kutcher) told unknowing victims that they were “running an experiment” that required them to keep their hands in two circles on a table. After they closed the door to leave the suspects in the room by themselves, they started sending notifications to their phones. As might be expected, the participants just couldn’t wait to check them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qUZai-kGgA

• Android
• Moto X
• Android 6.0 Marshmallow
• Motorola
• update

Motorola begins rolling out Android 6.0 Marshmallow to Moto X Style & 2014 Moto X

Jordan Kahn Nov 12 2015 - 12:36 pm PT

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Motorola announced today that it’s beginning to roll out Android 6.0 Marshmallow starting with two devices in select markets. First to get the update is the 2015 Moto X Style (3rd gen) in India and Brazil and the 2014 Moto X (2nd gen) in Brazil.

I am happy to announce that we are starting initial deployment of the Android 6.0 Marshmallow upgrade for the following devices and channels:  2015 Moto X Style (3rd Gen) in both Brazil and India retail,  2014 Moto X (2nd Gen) in Brazil retail…  It is not yet available for pull, you will receive a notification on your phone when you are able to update your phone

In addition to the two devices mentioned above, Motorola says it will begin to rollout the update for the 2015 Moto X Pure Edition (3rd Gen) in coming weeks. It also confirmed that a “full deployment will proceed in stages over the next few weeks.”

Motorola offered a breakdown of some highlights in the update:

– A new Memory Manager that lets you check memory usage of all your installed apps
– Volume controls have been greatly improved
– Do not disturb button has been added to the quick settings panel for easy access.
– System UI Tuner will appear in the settings menu at the very bottom once enabled. It provides a few simple UI tweaks.
– Google Now on Tap allows contextual information to be delivered based on content on your screen with a long press of the home key.
– Doze is a battery management feature that detects when your device is not in use and it  will automatically go into a deep sleep state which saves your battery.
– App Standby reduces battery drain by putting seldom-used apps into a reduced activity state.
– Expandable Storage support allows for microSD cards to be used either in a portable storage or an internal storage mode. Portable storage allows your pictures, videos, audio and other media files to be stored. Internal storage allows both media storage along with apps and games but can not be used by other devices.
– RAM manager in settings which allows a consumer to view memory used by the system or an individual app over different time frames
– Automatic App backup not only backs up your apps but their associated data so when restored they will be the same as they were before
– Text selection has been improved

The company has full release notes for the update on its website here.

Check out our Moto X Style/Pure and Moto X Play/DROID Maxx comparison video.

• Android
• Google
• 9to5Toys
• Moto X
• Deals

9to5Toys Lunch Break: 2nd generation Moto G (unlocked) $119, USB power deals, more

Stephen Hall Oct 26 2015 - 1:57 pm PT

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Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Unlocked Motorola Moto G (2nd generation) 8GB white: $119 shipped (Reg. $180) | Amazon

USB Roundup: Aukey 5000mAh Charger + MFi Lightning Cable $15 (Reg. $21), Lumsing 13400mAh Power bank $23, more

Giveaway: Polk Audio’s Omni Whole Home Music System – Soundbar w/ subwoofer and S2 Speaker ($880 value)

Best Buy lands the first major blow in this year’s battle for holiday shoppers

Amazon thinks leaving your house is over-rated, expands Prime free same-day delivery service

Dell Black Friday Ad Leak: Gears of War Xbox One w/ Fallout 4 + controller $300, VIZIO 60-Inch 4K HDTV $800, more

More new gear from today:

Fashion deals at Amazon – extra 20% off fall athletic/outdoor shoes: Caterpillar boots $52, ASICS running shoes $40, more

• GoPro HERO4 Session action camera w/ $40 Amazon Gift Card: $275 shipped ($340 value)
• Headphones: Audio-Technica Over-Ears $135, JayBird Bluetooth In-ears $102, more
• Protect your new iPad mini 4 with this folio smart case: $3 Prime shipped (Reg. $10)
• Daily Deals: Garmin Nüvi 5-inch GPS $150, Foscam HD Wireless Plug & Play IP Camera $60, more
• Games/Apps: Fallout 4 pre-order (Prime only) $50, Nathan Drake PS4 bundle w/ Destiny $350, iOS freebies, more
• $100 iTunes Gift Card for $75 with email delivery from PayPal (25% off), more
• The eora 3D scanner uses your iPhone to create 360-degree models of anything
• Belkin’s new lightweight QODE Ultimate Keyboard Case for iPad Air 2 is now available

More deals still alive:

Gift Cards up to 20% off: JCPenney, Sports Authority, more

App Store Free App of the Week: Dr. Panda’s Mailman ($4 value)

• proXPN VPN: Premium Lifetime Subscription for $39 ($375 value)
• Get started with Google’s Express delivery service: $35 credit for $10
• Marvel’s limited edition 13-disc Phase Two Blu-ray collection arrives just in time for the holidays
• Freebies: Nightmare Before Christmas soundtrack + METRO 2033 eBook + Redbox movie/game rental + More!
• Seagate 4TB Portable USB 3 Hard Drive w/ 200GB Cloud: $150 shipped
• Netflix November Preview: Marvel’s Jessica Jones, Seven Deadly Sins, Aziz Ansari, more
• Focusrite Scarlett 2i4 interface + Sennheiser HD600 + Condenser Mic $400 shipped ($655 value)
• TP-Link Archer C7 802.11ac Router + DOCSIS 3.0 Cable Modem $130 shipped ($155+ value)
• GoPro HERO4 Silver Action Camera w/ built-in LCD display: $329 shipped (Reg. $400)
• VIZIO 2.1 Sound Stand w/ subwoofer & remote $100 shipped (Orig. $250)
• KMASHI 10,000mAh Battery $9 (Reg. $14), 6-Ft. Braided MFi Lightning Cable $8.50, more
• Media: Spider-Man Blu-ray Trilogy $14 (Reg. $32), $1 HD movie rentals, more
• 2.1-Ch. Home Audio: LG Soundbar 120W (refurb) $65 (Orig. $149)
• Acer Chromebook 1.50GHz/4GB/16GB SSD: $249 shipped (Reg. $279)
• Amazon and Toys R Us give a peek at this year’s must-have holiday gifts
• Ticket To Ride goes free on iPhone for the first time in years (Reg. $2)
• 50% off Fashion Sales: PUMA – Down Jacket $75 (Orig. $150), more
• Samsung Smart 4K HDTVs: 40-inch $550 (Reg. $700+), 50-inch $699 (Reg. $1,000+)
• Jawbone UP Move Activity Tracker: $20 w/ in-store pickup (Reg. $50)
• Display your iPhone 6/s w/ this Mpow Car Air Vent Mount $5 shipped (Reg. $9)
• Adjustable iPad mount for $17 Prime shipped (Orig. $30)

New products & more:

Dyson’s pricey 360 Eye robo-vac finally sees the light of day

Use your smartphone as a controller for these AirConsole Mac/PC browser games

• The MiniBrew launches on Indiegogo as an iPhone-connected way to make your own beer
• Bird of Prey’s prone-style bicycle puts the rider facedown while riding
• Garmin drops the bulk and adds color with its new Forerunner wearables
• D-Link’s latest surveillance cameras go wide-angle with “less distortion” than the competition
• Libratone introduces multi-room audio alongside two new colorful ZIPP speakers
• Guitar Hero Live lands on iOS with a new mobile instrument bundle
• Gold is Best: This one-off Macintosh is a must see with its walnut enclosure and shiny keyboard
• This mini Segway hopes to take-off with its affordable price tag and compact design
• You’ll have to hurry to grab one of these limited edition Fallout 4 Xbox One controllers

• Android
• Moto X
• smartphones
• Verizon
• teaser

Verizon teases the DROID Turbo 2, will likely laud its drop-proof nature

Cam Bunton Oct 20 2015 - 12:25 pm PT

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Even before Motorola officially announced the Moto X Play and Moto X Style/Pure, the rumors surrounding the Lenovo-owned company’s new devices also included new DROIDs for Verizon. Since the launch, the evidence has been pointing towards a rebranding of the X Play as the new DROID Turbo, which perhaps explains the decision not to launch the X Play in the US.

While we’ve already seen a fairly official looking render leak, it doesn’t come more official than Verizon tweeting a teaser from its official handle. Today, the company posted a video clearly showing the design of the phone, as well as insinuating that it’ll be okay to drop on the floor, it can handle it. The tweet reads “introducing the perfect phone for imperfect people” before following up with “The new Droid is dropping soon”. Get the hint?

[tweet https://twitter.com/verizon/status/656505056116781056 align=’center’]

While the company is clearly focussing on the durability of the phone, it’ll be interesting to see how specs and performance are compromised, or if they’re not. While we don’t know a huge deal about the new DROID(s), it’s not likely to be a carbon copy of the X Play. The Moto X Play’s biggest turn-on is the huge 3,630mAh battery which can power through two days of moderate use on a full charge. In the past, the DROID Turbo and DROID Maxx series’ phones have had great batteries too, so we’re not expecting that to be any different this time around.

Verizon and Motorola will announce the new DROID phones at an event on October 27th, and we’ll be there in person to bring you coverage.