Motorola boss Dennis Woodside on Thursday finally confirmed the existence of the Moto X, the first Motorola smartphone that will launch with heavy influence from Google. Few details were shared by the executive while on stage at the D11 conference, but the tidbits he did offer were very intriguing. Woodside said the phone will be manufactured in the United States in a Fort Worth, Texas facility that used to build Nokia handsets. He also said the Moto X will feature two processors and numerous sensors that help the handset respond to context. For example, it will know when the user is driving a car, or when the phone is taken out of a pocket. Finally, he said the Moto X will launch by October and will be available across several carriers. As great as all this sounds, will any of it matter?
The Moto X sounds like it might be Motorola’s most impressive smartphone to date, and it’s no surprise considering Google’s hand in the phone’s development. As is often the case with smaller smartphone vendors, however, timing might be everything.
If Motorola and Google launch the Moto X in the late summer or early fall, it will face steep competition and deep pockets. Samsung is expected to debut the Galaxy Note III in early September, and Apple’s next-generation iPhone 5S will likely be released later that month or in early October. A launch around the same time as these two inevitable show-stealers could be devastating. And to make matters worse, albeit only slightly, we’re hearing that HTC may debut a new high-end smartphone in early fall, as well.
If nothing else, Motorola’s new handset will be our first look at the new Motorola, whose handsets will finally be influenced heavily by parent company Google. Woodside did note that the Moto X will not feature stock Android though, which is news that upset some smartphone enthusiasts. Of course, the majority of smartphone users will be unfazed — handsets running stock versions of Android are hardly best sellers.
The full video of Woodside’s D11 appearance follows below.
