Google-Motorola "Phone X"

[onthecouchagain]

Definitely something to keep an eye on.

"To summarize - come May 15, we could be looking at project X, the first Motorola phone with direct input from Google, which might sport a Kevlar back, screen in the 4.8"-5" range, quad-core processor, 3,000+ mAh battery, microSD slot (up to 128GB), good amounts of storage, stock Android and an eventual Sony camera sensor. Sounds like a winner from Moto, but lets wait and see if and what of all this will materialize, and will there be any novel features with it, brought on by Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie, which the X is said to be the first phone with."


If it's a Verizon-exclusive, however, that would blow. EDIT: The rumor is that it'll be for Verizon on contract, and also available unlocked from the Play Store. Yet won't be considered a Nexus device (da heck?).


http://www.phonearena.com/news/More-...Kevlar_id39368

[maflynn]

I expected this ever since google purchased moto, though I think moto designs are a bit too square-ish. HTC, and Samsung have better lines on their phone, perhaps with google's input it will be more visually pleasing then some of Motorola's prior phones.

[Dr McKay]

I'll wait to see what it looks like but I'll be sorely tempted. If it recieves updates directly from Google and not Motorola that'll be a big seller.

[maflynn]

Originally Posted by Dr McKay

I'll wait to see what it looks like but I'll be sorely tempted. If it recieves updates directly from Google and not Motorola that'll be a big seller.

Three things could tempt me.
1. If it has vanilla android
2. A Verizon version - it seems the current Nexus phones are GSM only.
3. The phone is rootable.

The last droid I owned had an encrypted boot-loader. I want the ability to load custom roms, have a vanilla version of android and that it runs on VZW - Am I asking too much? I hope not.

[TG1]

Moto needs to up their game on the camera and display quality as well. If they do, this could be a winner.

[maflynn]

Originally Posted by TG1

Moto needs to up their game on the camera and display quality as well. If they do, this could be a winner.

I purchased the droidx back in the day because on paper the camera was supposed to be great, mechanical, not electronic, high quality, etc. Nothing could be further from the truth. While it did use a mechanical shutter the quality of images were disappointing.

[LSUtigers03]

If they sell it on the Play Store then I'm assuming it won't have LTE. Does Moto have a contract to make their best phones Verizon exclusives? If not they really need to take a page from Samsung's book and put their flagship phones on all major carriers.

[Dr McKay]

Originally Posted by maflynn

Three things could tempt me.
1. If it has vanilla android
2. A Verizon version - it seems the current Nexus phones are GSM only.
3. The phone is rootable.

The last droid I owned had an encrypted boot-loader. I want the ability to load custom roms, have a vanilla version of android and that it runs on VZW - Am I asking too much? I hope not.

Would that Verizon exclusivity be for US only? Would there be an international model? Doesn't seem to make sense to sell it on the play store if it only works on 1 network on the US. The UK and Europe operate on GSM mostly.

[ChrisTX]

Honestly, my next phone will be a Note III. I'm tempted to use my Nexus 4 full time with Key Lime Pie coming, but the next phone I purchase will be a phablet.

[maflynn]

Originally Posted by Dr McKay

Would that Verizon exclusivity be for US only? Would there be an international model? Doesn't seem to make sense to sell it on the play store if it only works on 1 network on the US. The UK and Europe operate on GSM mostly.

I agree, but other makers like HTC, Samsung, etc sell both GSM and CDMA phones.

[onthecouchagain]

To be honest, I don't have much faith in Google-directed phones anymore. Google has much to learn when it comes to their own phones. The Phone X will definitely be on my radar, but I'll be looking at Xperia Z or S4 most likely this year...

[gto55]

More about this smartphone

http://www.androidauthority.com/goog...launch-168464/

Google / Motorola X Phone specs, features and image leaked ahead of Galaxy S4 launch



he Google / Motorola X Phone is a rumored Nexus-like-but-not-a-Nexus flagship smartphone that the Search giant is said to unveil at Google I/O in mid-May, and it looks like we have a new leak for you today detailing some of its specs and features but also showing us how the handset could look like.
The coincidence

Before we dive into the actual leaked hardware, let’s go back in time for a few moments, to recap some of the recent events in the mobile ecosystem starting with MWC 2013; events that could be relevant to today’s leak.

While the Galaxy S4 wasn’t officially part of the mobile show – although some rumors suggest the phone was unofficially present in Barcelona, Spain – it certainly did cast a long shadow over this year’s MWC edition via various leaks but also thanks to Samsung’s confirmation of the announcement of the March 14 New York-based Galaxy S4 media event. In case you forgot, Samsung issued the Galaxy S4 Unpacked event invitations right during MWC, further building anticipation for one of the hottest handsets of the year.

At the time, we speculated that this could be a well-coordinated attack from Samsung’s marketing department, or a serious attempt to generate extra buzz around the handset, at the expense of Samsung’s competitors that were displaying new hardware at MWC.

During the same show, we also heard that Google may have a serious problem with Samsung grabbing more and more market share from rival Android handset makers, right alongside most of the profits based on Android device sales, and we wondered whether the Galaxy S4 vs X Phone will be one of the battles for Android this year.

We ended up that particular article asking ourselves whether “Google [has] reason to crash Samsung’s Galaxy S4 party in the coming weeks and months with more X Phone rumors primed to hit the web on a more regular basis.” Such actions could potentially suggest that Google isn’t entirely happy with Samsung’s progress, even though officially Google has denied having a Samsung problem since that report appeared in the Wall Street Journal.

Well, call it a wild coincidence or not, but on the first day of the week the Galaxy S4 gets official, the X Phone made an appearance, specs, features and image included. Is Google making a move against Samsung?

samsung-galaxy-s4
The hot stuff

We have no way of knowing whether Google’s marketing team is indeed targeting Samsung with such leaks, so in the mean time let’s get right down to business and check out today’s Google / Motorola X Phone rumor!

According to AndroidWorld, an “anonymous tipster” sent the publication details about the X Phone, so here’s what the device could offer, once it becomes official:

• 4.7-inch Full HD display
• NVIDIA Tegra 4i processor
• 16-megapixel camera
• 5-megapixel front-facing camera which also serves as a light sensor with eye scrolling features

dimensions: 131.2 x 66.7 x 7.9 mm

It is said that the battery capacity will be promoted to larger 4200mAh from the 3300mAh. In addition, X Phone will be built in wireless charging function.

Obviously, we’re taking everything with a grain of salt here, because there’s no way to confirm the hardware or the leaked image right now. But again, it’s worth pointing out that the X Phone rumors have started to appear in time to somehow attempt to ruin Samsung’s party this week.

Interestingly, assuming the specs above are based on the real deal, the device does not feature a 5-inch Full HD display as most 2013 flagship devices will have to offer. Instead we’re looking at a 4.7-inch display, which would put the device on par with the HTC One and the rumored Xperia C670 (although the latter is said to sport a 4.8-inch display).

Also interesting is the fact that the X Phone could be among the first, if not the first, handset to come with a Tegra 4i SoC under the hood. And check out those monstrous cameras – someone clearly didn’t get the UltraPixel memo. However, the X Phone may offer users its own eye tracking technology, a feature that seems to be already confirmed for the Galaxy S4.

We’re also quite intrigued with that slim 7.9mm profile and can’t but wonder what battery life will the device have to offer. Comparatively, the Motorola Droid RAZR Maxx HD, which also comes with a 4.7-inch display, has similar dimensions (131.9 x 67.9 x 9.3 mm), but it’s slightly thicker.

As for that render above, it doesn’t exactly reveal a bezel-less handset, although we could be looking at just a placeholder image.

Other details are not available at this time, and we’ll notice that, strangely, the Android OS version is not mentioned. Previously, the X Phone was said to run a vanilla version of Android, just like Nexus devices – and yes, those rumors do say that the handset will come with Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie out of the box. Considering that Google is already removing clutter from current Motorola Android Jelly Bean upgrades, it would make plenty of sense to see Moto launch devices running Nexus-like Android versions in the future, whether the X Phone is real or not.

And what’s up with that Motorola NXT branding? Is it a play on Nexus and X Phone?

We have lots of questions that can’t be answered at this time, and we’ll remind you once again that this is an unconfirmed rumor so far. We’re certainly going to keep you posted on future X Phone rumors in the coming weeks, and we’ll certainly be interested to see whether Galaxy S4 sales will have to suffer as buyers await Google’s I/O event.

What smartphone would you rather buy this year, the Samsung Galaxy S4 or the Google / Motorola X Phone?

[ChazUK]

I believe all the Motorola leaks recently were faked.
http://androidcommunity.com/motorola...inue-20130311/

[mattopotamus]

Originally Posted by ChazUK

I believe all the Motorola leaks recently were faked.
http://androidcommunity.com/motorola...inue-20130311/

good b.c that giant motorola at the bottom would be awful

[onthecouchagain]

Originally Posted by ChazUK

I believe all the Motorola leaks recently were faked.
http://androidcommunity.com/motorola...inue-20130311/

Good find.

I wouldn't be surprised if we don't see the Phone X (aka the Nexus 5, IMO) until Fall/Winter, per usual of Google's phones.

Especially since Google recently and publicly said they aren't happy with Motorola's offerings so far.

Google has said their weapon to fight Samsung's growing claim over Android is Motorola. They better haul their butts if they plan to really compete. S4 in April/June... Phone X in Fall/Winter? That's a heck of a head start.

[Liquorpuki]

Factoring in their Motorola purchase, Google has made no money off Android. They've basically been developing and giving away Android as a charity to companies like Samsung and Amazon to get rich off of for the past few years.

This Google Motorola phone is a last chance opportunity for Google to monetize off Android through branded hardware. If it's not a hit, I'm really curious what will happen to Android

[tjl3]

Originally Posted by Liquorpuki

Factoring in their Motorola purchase, Google has made no money off Android. They've basically been developing and giving away Android as a charity to companies like Samsung and Amazon to get rich off of for the past few years.

This Google Motorola phone is a last chance opportunity for Google to monetize off Android through branded hardware. If it's not a hit, I'm really curious what will happen to Android

What?!

Google benefits on each and every phone that runs Android OS... Not to mention that Google is primarily a software company (with bits and pieces of hardware projects here and there, no not the Nexus devices) and most of their products exist on Android OS and are present on ICS and beyond.

[Liquorpuki]

Originally Posted by tjl3

What?!

Google benefits on each and every phone that runs Android OS... Not to mention that Google is primarily a software company (with bits and pieces of hardware projects here and there, no not the Nexus devices) and most of their products exist on Android OS and are present on ICS and beyond.

No they don't. Far as the phone market goes, they only make $$$ if someone uses that Android phone to access the internet and use G-services. Which is why it doesn't matter that Android is growing marketshare by becoming popular in places like China and India where people can't even afford a data plan in the first place. They make no money off those handsets and basically just gave away their OS for free. Speaking of which, you wanna know why Apple is going after the low end market, it's because they know Google is not gonna fight them for it

And they're an advertising company. They don't make money off software so you can't call them a software company. They make money off ads baked into services and the software they give out for free is just a gateway to their services. You don't use their services, they don't get paid, simple as that.

They got a monetization problem on Android. You wanna know why they paid 12 billion for Motorola, it's because they're hoping getting into the hardware business can fix it.

[onthecouchagain]

Potential design cues? Video in link:

http://www.theverge.com/2013/3/13/40...gle-phone-leak

[dkersten]

Originally Posted by onthecouchagain

Potential design cues? Video in link

Looks good. I would buy that. I'm not really a fan of current Motorola phones because they look to box-y to me. But if Google put out a phone like that with Nexus like pricing and good specs I would buy it

[MacRumorUser]

Originally Posted by onthecouchagain

Potential design cues? Video in link:

http://www.theverge.com/2013/3/13/40...gle-phone-leak

Image

Image

Saw this earlier on Engadget too.

It actually reminds me of a hybrid of the HTC one (rounded tapered back) & galaxy nexus. Looks quite nice actually to me, but not 'revolutionary' or anything. I'd hope the google x pushes the design envelope far more.

If this turns out to be a cheaper motorola nexus device - it looks good though.

----------

Originally Posted by dkersten

Looks good. I would buy that. I'm not really a fan of current Motorola phones because they look to box-y to me. But if Google put out a phone like that with Nexus like pricing and good specs I would buy it

Yeah the less in your face motorola branding is much more pleasing than the usual motorola devices.

[grkm3]

I hope that's not the new x,thats running a themed android that looks exactly like all the other moto cells.

If the google x phone ever comes out it will have vanilla android right from google and not a themed version of it.

This is prolly a new cell that will come out soon,maybe a new moto razr with better specs

[AutoUnion39]

At&t??

[mattopotamus]

Originally Posted by grkm3

I hope that's not the new x,thats running a themed android that looks exactly like all the other moto cells.

If the google x phone ever comes out it will have vanilla android right from google and not a themed version of it.

This is prolly a new cell that will come out soon,maybe a new moto razr with better specs

What makes you say that? I thought I remember reading it would not actually be a nexus phone. I could see it having some motorola theming to it, but maybe just no carrier bloatware.

[grkm3]

Originally Posted by mattopotamus

What makes you say that? I thought I remember reading it would not actually be a nexus phone. I could see it having some motorola theming to it, but maybe just no carrier bloatware.

Carrier bloat ware lol the theme over android is the bloat ware.