Moto X Details: Colors, Wallpapers, Engravings & More Customizable from Factory

[dgstorm]

Most of the "customization" details of the new Moto X have been revealed. Apparently, a large variety of features will be user customizable from the factory before you purchase the device. You can either purchase standard versions at your local carrier, or you can order a customized version online. The customization options are massive. As far as hardware, you will only be able to choose which storage size you want for the device, with likely ranges of 16GB, 32GB & 64GB.

The primary customizations are aesthetic personalizations. You will be able to choose colors, custom wallpapers from photos you send in, and even have custom names or messages engraved on the back of the device before shipping. As far as the color customizations are concerned, you can even select different trim levels from a large palette of different color combinations. For example, you can choose one color for the front of the phone, and another one for the back.

The phone will be coming on all the major US carriers and has been confirmed as coming to Verizon as well. The Verizon version will not have the familiar Droid naming convention. Here's a quick quote with a few more details,

The biggest tricks of the phone come with what Motorola has been doing with the hardware sensors, sources say. Instead of having to fumble to find the camera icon or button, users will be able to flick the phone to launch the camera. There are also added voice capabilities, which leverage Google's advanced voice recognition technology. The phone is said to be smart enough to know when you are driving and will automatically launch the speakerphone function.

Motorola announced in June that the Moto X would be made and assembled at a 500,000-square foot facility in Fort Worth, Texas. Sources told ABC News that this will allow Motorola to ship the fully customized phone within days to users.

Motorola would not comment directly on these details when reached by ABC News, however, the company did say that the location of the production facility would allow for speedy delivery to American customers. Most smartphones are made overseas, which makes it more difficult to quickly ship customized phones to customers in the U.S.

"Yes, we are making the phone in the U.S. We did that because of speed and access to end users in the U.S. It opens up some really cool possibilities," Motorola spokesperson Danielle K. McNally told ABC News. McNally added that it plans to hire over 2,200 employees at the Fort Worth facility by August.

Incidentally, we also know that the phone will initially run Android 4.2.2 out of the box, but since Android 4.3 is likely coming soon it should be upgradeable a short time after launch. It looks like Googorola is really trying to shakeup the slightly stale smartphone industry with some new and fresh ideas.

Source: ABCNews

 

[pc747]

Nice idea and it will sell. I will not buy because of the specs. Can not justify going from note 2 with quad core, 2 gigs ram, 5.5 inch screen, 3100 mah removable battery to the rumored specs for the motorola x.

 

[dgstorm]

Nice idea and it will sell. I will not buy because of the specs. Can not justify going from note 2 with quad core, 2 gigs ram, 5.5 inch screen, 3100 mah removable battery to the rumored specs for the motorola x.

Your PC roots are showing brutha! That kind of thinking makes sense if this was a PC you wanted to do some serious gaming with, but ultimately, the internal hardware on a smartphone is really irrelevant when it comes to its functionality. If the OS and the features are designed with a minimalistic footprint and are optimized for the hardware, then the "mediocre" specs will be perfectly capable of handling everything this phone intends to do.

A prime example is the new Nokia 925 or 928 Windows Phones. Everything runs silky smooth with the equivalent of last year's mid-level specs. I am not trying to sell ya on it, but just pointing out that maybe today's "computer" technology needs a fresh perspective. I have had to adjust and twist my thinking on this issue lately myself after we got to play with a Lumia 928 extensively.

Personally, I am still not a fan of the Windows Phone UI, but that is a different discussion entirely. Also, keep in mind, that the Moto X will supposedly have two separate custom chips for handling the special AI-like features. That's where it's high-end hardware really lies. At any rate... it's just food for thought.

 

[dgstorm]

Welp... if the pics in this story I have here are accurate, then some of the customization options for the Moto X may not be that exciting. In the story below there are some pics of what are supposedly some of the custom backplates for the Moto X. Of course, this is just my opinion, but they look kinda cheesy.

Maybe it's just the bright child-like neon colors turning me off, but they also look kinda cheap. What do you think?

Source: First image of Moto X colored backplates arrives | Pocketnow

 

[pc747]

Your PC roots are showing brutha! That kind of thinking makes sense if this was a PC you wanted to do some serious gaming with, but ultimately, the internal hardware on a smartphone is really irrelevant when it comes to its functionality. If the OS and the features are designed with a minimalistic footprint and are optimized for the hardware, then the "mediocre" specs will be perfectly capable of handling everything this phone intends to do.

A prime example is the new Nokia 925 or 928 Windows Phones. Everything runs silky smooth with the equivalent of last year's mid-level specs. I am not trying to sell ya on it, but just pointing out that maybe today's "computer" technology needs a fresh perspective. I have had to adjust and twist my thinking on this issue lately myself after we got to play with a Lumia 928 extensively.

Personally, I am still not a fan of the Windows Phone UI, but that is a different discussion entirely. Also, keep in mind, that the Moto X will supposedly have two separate custom chips for handling the special AI-like features. That's where it's high-end hardware really lies. At any rate... it's just food for thought.

Like your comment.

But what you are saying is android the software on all of our devices (those who have android devices) will have a smaller blueprint. Ok ...Ok lets play devils advocate and say android 5.0 klp will be google's best work in optimizing their software since jb and we see a smaller blueprint.

Now we have that out there what software does the motorola x suppose to be running (rumored) upon release? 4.2 .2 4.3 at best (but knowing how motorola rolls I am going to expect 4.1.2) . So with the current software we have in place motorola would have to kick out a bone dry device with no bloatware or features to slow it down (which we all know that will not happen) on top of that they would have to improve the code to handle the optimization. Now yes the galaxy s3 is dual core with 2 gigs of ram with tw on top of it but I can not say that it is a smooth as the quad core note 2. So your point about optimized software would have been right IF motorola was working with google to release it with a new software that was optimized for the device (ie 4.4 ). Because that is not going to be the case the device will either try and have a few features to compete with tw and sense causing the device to show it's age or go nexus like and lose the glitter factor which will lose the average users (as its spec already scared away the hardcore users). This would make the X nothing more than a middle of the road device which is not good enough to compete with the high end devices htc and samsung is putting out in the states and LG and sony (along with htc and samsung) overseas. Like I said, nice device, nice idea but not for me and if the specs end up being what was posted I can bet you it will be a flop (unless they market it as a mid range smart phone parents can buy their kids who would buy to have a customized device).

DG good article by the way :biggrin:.

 

[pc747]

Welp... if the pics in this story I have here are accurate, then some of the customization options for the Moto X may not be that exciting. In the story below there are some pics of what are supposedly some of the custom backplates for the Moto X. Of course, this is just my opinion, but they look kinda cheesy.

Maybe it's just the bright child-like neon colors turning me off, but they also look kinda cheap. What do you think?

Source: First image of Moto X colored backplates arrives | Pocketnow

Interesting

 

[dgstorm]

Like your comment.

But what you are saying is android the software on all of our devices (those who have android devices) will have a smaller blueprint. Ok ...Ok lets play devils advocate and say android 5.0 klp will be google's best work in optimizing their software since jb and we see a smaller blueprint.

Now we have that out there what software does the motorola x suppose to be running (rumored) upon release? 4.2 .2 4.3 at best (but knowing how motorola rolls I am going to expect 4.1.2) . So with the current software we have in place motorola would have to kick out a bone dry device with no bloatware or features to slow it down (which we all know that will not happen) on top of that they would have to improve the code to handle the optimization. Now yes the galaxy s3 is dual core with 2 gigs of ram with tw on top of it but I can not say that it is a smooth as the quad core note 2. So your point about optimized software would have been right IF motorola was working with google to release it with a new software that was optimized for the device (ie 4.4 ). Because that is not going to be the case the device will either try and have a few features to compete with tw and sense causing the device to show it's age or go nexus like and lose the glitter factor which will lose the average users (as its spec already scared away the hardcore users). This would make the X nothing more than a middle of the road device which is not good enough to compete with the high end devices htc and samsung is putting out in the states and LG and sony (along with htc and samsung) overseas. Like I said, nice device, nice idea but not for me and if the specs end up being what was posted I can bet you it will be a flop (unless they market it as a mid range smart phone parents can buy their kids who would buy to have a customized device).

DG good article by the way :biggrin:.

You make some great points.

I am crossing my fingers that it goes the other way.

 

[bkdodger]

Anyone know if these phones come with a custom pair of Nike ID sneakers? We can match them to go... Lol

N2 Tap'd

 

[wicked]

Anyone know if these phones come with a custom pair of Nike ID sneakers? We can match them to go... Lol

N2 Tap'd

That'd be cool! I spend way too much customizing Nike ID sneakers! I've gotten like 6 pairs in the last year and a half!

 

[pc747]

Anyone know if these phones come with a custom pair of Nike ID sneakers? We can match them to go... Lol

N2 Tap'd

They sold me.

I can roll up to the niner game in a red, black, and gold phone with some nikes with my niner jersey.

 

[bkdodger]

Haha.. Wicked I need a new pair.. I stack up on sneakers.. PC.. Niners good color and with a matching phone you would be pimping big time..

N2 Tap'd

 

[djspy]

Wow, my interest in this phone and Motorola just went down the drain. Choosing a different color is the freedom to "DESIGN" our phone? 720p display? Lame and battery draining gimmicks? No thanks. And I was a hardcore Motorola fanboy.

 

[Dalvik_Cache]

It looks like a revamped Bionic! Eeek!!

 

[pc747]

Wow, my interest in this phone and Motorola just went down the drain. Choosing a different color is the freedom to "DESIGN" our phone? 720p display? Lame and battery draining gimmicks? No thanks. And I was a hardcore Motorola fanboy.

Have to agree. Look the thing will sell if they advertise and market it right . And the market has to be the teenage crowd who wants a smart phone but can not get a high end device. The ability to change colors and wallpaper will appeal to them.
Now someone above noted that this is meant to go after the iphone crowd. Excuse me while I laugh (not at the person who made the comment but at motorola. Samsung chose the s3, note 2, and s4 to compete with the iphone, htc chose the htc one and motorola chose this for the x?
The iphone is still a top of the line device and though its software may be stale the device design and build (especially the 5) is not. The iphone is still a top player in the industry and people can tell between the and whether or not another device is on the same playing field. Motorola may indeed release a device that is a top player but this is far from it. I personally am a little disappointed because I was really hoping Motorola had something with this x. I guess I allowed the hype to lure me in.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk 2

 

[cereal killer]

I'm going to wait until an official announcement is made about the software features and customization options before judging the handset a flop or success. Some innovative and cutting edge features along with some excellent customization options will swing the pendulum, but on the opposite end of that spectrum if these hyped features and custom options are nothing more than what is rumored Moto has a problem on their hands.

We'll see.......