Motorola
Both the OnePlus 2 and the Moto X Pure Edition were announced this week, showcasing the best that these two Android OEMs have to offer this year. Both of these devices were horribly-kept secrets in their own ways, so there weren’t many surprises — we already knew almost every detail about both phones before they were announced.
But now that they’re here, which one do you think you’ll be getting? Or if you’re not in line for an upgrade right now, which one would be your pick? Let’s take a look at a few of their differences…
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In an interview in Engadget, Motorola’s SVP of Software Seang Chau spoke briefly about the focus the company had chosen for the development of its latest Moto X smartphone, and where he saw the next generation of smartphones heading.
Chau said that Google “levels the playing field every time” by adding to Android features that were once device-specific. It’s for this reason that Motorola has chosen to focus on the ‘always on’ capability of the Moto X Style (or Moto X Pure Edition, as it is known in the U.S.).
We’ve got Moto Voice, where you just talk or make motions and gestures or you just approach it and [it] wakes up — those kinds of things, you can’t copy in software and if you try, you’ll just kill your battery. We put a lot of effort into always-on, and I think that’s where we’re going to continue focusing a lot of our software efforts.
The future would, he said, be in making intelligent assistants like Google Now, Siri and Cortana significantly more capable. So far, he considers them to be at the “getting there” stage …
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The Moto X Style — called Moto X Pure Edition in the US — phones we got to play with at the end of today’s event were obviously very pure Android and with their much larger displays and heavy batteries very much reminiscent of the Nexus 6 that I’m carrying around. The one big and important difference is the Sony 21MP shooter on the back that in limited testing makes all the difference.
Motorola announced two new Moto X variants this morning, but the company didn’t do a great job of clarifying in its multi-national livestream exactly how the phones would be marketed in the United States. First, as we mentioned, there aren’t any plans to bring the Moto X Play to the US at all at this point. But secondly, and perhaps more confusingly, the Moto X Style isn’t really coming to the US, either. In the United States, the equivalent of the Moto X Style will simply be called “Moto X Pure Edition”.
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As part of a launch event for its new Android smartphones, Motorola has announced two new Bluetooth headphones compatible with most Android devices.
The $59.99 Moto pulse are stylish-looking on-ear headphones with beefy 40mm drivers, fold-flat ear cups for portability and a claimed 18-hour battery life. The $69.99 Moto surround earbuds are aimed at sports and fitness use, being both waterproof and sweatproof and equipped with a collar band designed to be light yet remain in place during exercise.
A companion Android app provides easy pairing, battery notifications and a location function to reunite you with either pair of headphones if you lose them.
Motorola has officially unveiled the Moto X Style, its top-of-the-line offering for those looking for a good-looking powerhouse. The company also unveiled a second Moto X called the Moto X Play, which is more rugged and offers better battery, but is less powerful in terms of tech specs.
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It’s early but we’re here at the Moto ‘Choose a Better Relationship” event in NYC. We’re obviously expecting a new Moto X and Moto G but we’re really excited to see what a better mobile relationship entails. We’re live! Head below for the latest.

Motorola has at least a few major announcements scheduled for tomorrow, but it looks like there aren’t going to be many surprises when it comes to the new Moto G. We’ve seen almost a dozen leaks already (including renders, more renders, real photos, more real photos, and even more real photos), but now we have what is essentially a full reveal. The packaging is in another language, but this unboxing is probably the clearest look we’ve had yet at what the company is going to be showing off tomorrow…
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A new report claims that Motorola will be launching its next budget-friendly Moto in stores on July 29th, just one day after its launch event. But that’s not the most exciting part of the story. If the leaked retail memos are genuine, customers will be able to walk in to stores and order their personalized Moto Maker device from a physical, brick-and-mortar store…
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A new video has surfaced that claims to showcase the upcoming 3rd generation Moto G. The clip, which appears to be a promo video straight from Motorola, shows the device in all of its glory and reveals several specifications.
We read rumors a while back that Motorola would be adding this year’s upcoming Moto G to its popular Moto Maker customization service. Like the Moto X, you’ll be able to order the Moto G with your choice of front or back color, as well as various metallic accent hues.
Thanks to a recent leak that made its way to Reddit, we now have a better idea of all the options available. First, you’ll be able to choose either white or black on the front housing. There will be a total of ten rear housing colors to choose from, including cherry, cabernet, blue, raspberry, turquoise, black, gold yellow, white, lime and navy. Metallic accent options will also include ten colors. These will presumably be on the front speaker/earpiece, and metal camera housing on the back.
Unlike the Moto X, there doesn’t seem to be an option to add a luxury material like wood or leather. However, it does appear that we’ll get a choice between an 8GB or 16GB model. The latter will also have 2GB RAM. There’s also going to be five FlipShell cases, costing just under $20 and a number of wallpapers to have pre-loaded on the home screen. You can see the leak in all it’s glory below:
The entire Motorola lineup is expected to get something of a design refresh this year. Although the general shape and look of the phones will largely be the same, the camera and Moto ‘dimple’ housing on the back will be changed. While the design between the Moto G and Moto X is likely going to be similar, as it usually is, this will be the first time that both have been available on Moto Maker.
Although we can’t take any leaks or rumors as being concrete evidence, there’s perhaps enough here to start piecing together what Motorola might announce at its event on July 28.
Update: We now have a really attractive new render showing the device in white and gold, too…
Motorola has not had any success keeping its handsets a secret this year. We’ve seen half a dozen leaks of the company’s upcoming 2015 Moto G, and now — thanks to Android Peru on Facebook — we have yet another look at a device that purports to be the company’s upcoming Moto X. Previous leaks have been very sketchy, but these appear to be as legit as it gets. In fact, we had our hands on a prototype Nexus 6 last year, and it had identifying barcodes and labels almost identical to the ones seen in these pictures…
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For reasons unknown, AT&T has just suspended the rollout of Android 5.1 to the first generation Moto X. Motorola announced the update last month, and it first began rolling out to AT&T Moto X (2013) owners on July 7th.
Here’s what AT&T says on its support website:
UPDATE SUSPENDED
Effective July 20, 2015, the Android 5.1 (Lollipop) software update for the Moto X (XT1058) has been temporarily suspended. We apologize for any inconvenience and are working to resolve this issue as quickly as possible.
As mentioned, it’s not yet clear why AT&T has pulled the update for now. The company does say that it is working to resolve the issue as soon as it can, and the rollout should continue soon.

As Motorola’s July 28th event draws near, more and more leaked images and renders of the upcoming Motorola handset refreshes continue to hit the Internet. This time we’re getting a look at leaked images (via MobileSyrup) of what is assumably a 3rd gen Moto G display dummy unit, and there just so happens to be a sticker affixed that confirms some previously rumored specifications of the device…
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Motorola has announced today that it is holding an event on July 28th. And yes, this all but surely means that we’ll be seeing the much-rumored 2015 Moto X and 2015 Moto G, and maybe even the next Moto 360 as well…
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Motorola is preparing to refresh its lineup of Android smartphones and will do so with the new Moto G, Moto X and a couple of Droids if recent rumors and leaks hold any weight. While we’re waiting for the official announcement, a handful of new images have shown up on a Facebook page clearly showing what appears to be the 2015 Moto G.
According to the leak, this is one of the pre-release final test models. The post claims the device features a Snapdragon 410 processor, 2GB RAM and runs Android 5.1.1 (as seen on the settings screen above).
Pictures of this prototype virtually confirm everything we suspected about the next mid-range smartphone from Motorola. Especially from an aesthetic perspective. It has the long pill-shaped housing for the camera and Motorola dimple on the back and a shape which is very similar to the current Moto lineup. The one thing this can’t confirm, however, are reports that Moto G will be available to customize on Moto Maker for the first time.
There is one important — and easily ignorable — piece of information on these leaks that throw them in to doubt somewhat. On the settings screen you’ll see SKU number XT1542. Do a quick Google search on this model number and you’ll discover articles and leaks of the upcoming Moto X, a phone which is expected to have a 5.2-inch QHD resolution screen. As shown off in an early leak at GSMArena. It’s a curious leak, to say the least. Previous leaks suggested that the Moto G would have SKU number Xt1543.
There are several explanations for this. One that comes to mind for me is the leak which I recently called ‘sketchy’, with the Moto X “Sport”. It’s lack of metal means it doesn’t really look like a Moto X. Perhaps this is the rumored ‘Sport’ model. Or, perhaps Motorola has disguised its appearance to look different to the finished article. Perhaps – even – this Moto G prototype just has the wrong SKU in its software somehow.
It’s all speculation for now, but this is probably our best look yet at an unreleased Motorola phone. I just wish we knew for sure which Moto it was.
A leak published on the HellomotoHK Facebook page appears to show four unreleased Motorola phones, or at least the rear covers from four Moto devices. From left to right we allegedly have the upcoming Motorola Droid mini, Moto G, Moto Droid and Moto X. If you’re excited to see Motorola‘s wares for 2015 then these are the Droids you’re probably looking for. Sorry, couldn’t resist (not sorry at all).
Android 5.1 is available to download over-the-air on to the unlocked original Moto G LTE smartphone for the first time. Motorola started rolling out the update for the 1st gen Moto G over the past 24 hours or so. As with almost every modern Motorola device, the software is essentially stock Android.
Motorola states in the release notes that you can’t downgrade to a previous version after installing and that it contains a number of improvements and fixes. Along with some of the user interface changes in 5.1, the new software also includes a bunch of bug fixes including:
If the update doesn’t show up for you right away, be sure to check your settings menu and search for updates manually. It appears that only unlocked Moto G LTE models in the U.S. are receiving the update right now. If you’re in another country, be sure to let us know when it lands for you.
If a recent — slightly sketchy — report is anything to go by, Motorola could be set to announce new versions of its popular stock Android phones. A new Moto X “Sport” and a new Moto G have shown up in leaks which come from Chilean operator, Entel.
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If you’ve been waiting to buy a Moto 360, now might just be the worst time to do so. As can be seen on both Motorola and Google’s websites, the smartwatch is now starting at $100 less than it was yesterday—as low as $150. You can buy the low-end model directly from the Google Store, or you can head over and make one that’s souped up at the Moto Maker for an additional cost.
We’ve been saying this for a month now, but it seems like the 2nd generation Moto 360 must be imminent. The device has been seeing scattered price drops across all major outlets for quite some time now, and this is the first time that the device has actually seen an official price drop. Amazingly, this puts the device at $200 less than the current “flagship” Android Wear device, the LG Watch Urbane.
Motorola has a way of saying software is ready when it isn’t, and publishing release notes for major upgrades long before they actually begin rolling out. It can often feel like deja vu to see the announcement of an update rollout multiple times, so we of all people know that it can be frustrating. That said, Motorola’s David Schuster has posted to his Google+ account this morning to announce that the 1st-generation Moto X is receiving Android 5.1 starting today in a whole host of countries…
After some false starts and an accidental reveal, Motorola’s David Schuster posted last night to his Google+ account to confirm a soak test of Android 5.1 has begun for the Verizon DROID Turbo. Here’s what he said:
I know this is going to make some people happy…. we have started the DROID Turbo soak test for the Android 5.1 upgrade this evening with our forum registered users. If all goes well we will open it up later this week.
The full release notes are up on Motorola’s website as well. Aside from the normal stability improvements and 5.1 features like ‘interruptions’ for deciding which apps can make your phone buzz with notifications, there’s some Motorola-specific stuff in there like the Moto Action that turns the flashlight on and off with two chopping motions.
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The Moto G is set to get a refresh sometime over the next couple of months, likely alongside the company’s flagship Moto X. We first saw some leaked shots of this Moto G (2015) a couple of weeks ago, but that was a sketchy (and blurry) barely-lit picture taken with a potato. Now, we have our first look (via TechnoBuffalo) at what look to be PR renders of the refreshed budget handset…
The Motorola update train continues rolling on. Today, we’ve got more information on updates to two of the company’s 1st-generation budget phones, the Moto E and Moto G.