With the IFA 2014 bringing us the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and Sony Xperia Z3 its time for Motorola to shine. Today they have launched their much anticipated flagship android device for the year 2014-2015 and it’s “Stunning”. The new Moto X goes with the name “Moto X 2014” which is what HTC did with their HTC One from last year, similarly the budget friendly cousin of the Moto X, the Moto G 2014 making proud Motorola’s most sold Handset from last year. Apart from the name the phones also share a similar design language and price tag, making the Moto G 2014 already sweeter than it already was. To accompany the 2014 Smartphones, Motorola launched their Android Wear Moto 360 Smarwatch, one thing you can trust us on is that the Moto 360 is the most simple looking Android Wear so far, yet elegant.
Motorola Moto X 2014 & Moto G 2014 – Overview
Moto X 2014
The Moto X 2014 edition is an upgrade in all aspects over the Moto X, there is a Full HD 1080p Screen that now measures 5.2 Inches Diagonally and the processor is a Quad Core Snapdragon 801 clocked at 2.5Ghz with the updated Adreno 330 Graphics Processor. The Moto X 2014 also outshines the Moto X 2013 in the camera department where the resolution is now bumped to 13MP from the earlier 10MP unit, there is 4K video recording too and the flash is Dual LED wrapped around the camera in a circular ring. Internal storage options remain same with either 16GB or 32GB Storage out of the Box and sadly there is no MicroSD card slot nor a user replaceable Battery (2300 mAh). The RAM Amount is also 2GB like the original Moto X, though its enough to supply all the needs of Stock Like Android 4.4.4 Experience on the Moto X 2014.
The Moto X 2014 doesn’t fail to impress us with its form-factor either, at 72.4mm x 140.8mm x 3.8-9.9mm and 144 grams it holds the 5.2 Inches Super AMOLED display very well, oh yeah there are now dual front facing speakers too that are fairly loud if not HTC Boom Sound killers. The Smart Notification, Motorola Assist and Touch-less voice control features are now improved, there are new sensors that wake up the Active Display just by Swiping your palm (in the air) over the Display gently (Like in the Galaxy Note II).
Apart from these the looks of the Moto X 2014 are very appealing, there is now a Metal frame that runs around the device, also serving as an antenna. The Moto Maker Tool is active again, but this time there are also Leather Back-panels apart from those Bamboo/Wooden finish you saw in the original Moto X. The Price has been officially released and US Carriers like AT&T will be offering the Moto X 2014 at $99.99 when you sign up a new 2 year contract or you can pay $499.99 ($50 more for 32GB Model) upfront for a Unlocked unit. In case of United Kingdom the Price for an Unlocked 16GB unit with a Plastic Back is £420 (£40 more for 32GB Model), while the Leather/Wood Back will cost you £440. The Price for the Indian Market hasn’t been disclosed yet but it’s expected to go on sale later this month Exclusively by Flipkart.
Moto G 2014
The Moto G 2014 is certainly an upgraded Moto G 2013 but in this case some major aspects like the Processor, Graphics and Ram amount have been left unaltered. There is still a Quad Core Snapdragon 400 Clocked at 1.2Ghz, Adreno 305 Graphics Processor and 1 Gig of Ram. Now before you start pointing the knife at Motorola’s throat you must understand that the price this device maintains is very low and similar, or even lower in some countries like India compared to the original Moto G. It still costs $179.99 for a 16GB Unit, and this time there is a MicroSD card (Upto 32GB) to supply the storage hunger.
Talking about the updates in the new generation of Moto G the screen is now 5 Inches diagonally with a 720p HD Resolution and there is Corning Gorilla Glass 3 over it for protection. The Front Camera is now 2MP, while the Rear Unit is bumped to 8MP’s and HD (720p) Video Recording stays as it was. Another big change is the Dual Front Speakers that are marginally louder than the original Moto G but won’t blow you away by any means. Markets like India and Malaysia will also get a Dual SIM variants, with Micro SIM Card Slots. Dimensions and Weight go as 141.5 x 70.7 x 11 mm at 149g, while the Battery Capacity is now 2070 mAh which isn’t user replaceable.
The Software Package also remains nearly vanilla android 4.4.4 with several Motorola Goodies like Motorola Migrate, which helps to migrate from your old phone to the new Moto G, other features are reserved for the flagship offerings so no luck there. If you live in India you can Buy the Moto G 2014 Exclusively from Flipkart at 12,999 Rupees starting midnight today, it is also available in United Kingdom for a Price of £145 from Amazon UK.
Moto 360
The Moto 360 is no surprise here, it was long known but the important details like the Price and Specifications are only now exact. The Motorola Branded Android wear will cost $249.99 in the States, however Moto 360 will be available in three variants – Light stainless steel case with gray Horween leather band, Light stainless steel case with stone Horween leather band, and Dark stainless steel case with black Horween leather band. The Metal Band option is also speculated to cost around $50 more, but it’s not confirmed as of now.
In terms of Specifications the Moto 360 sports a 1.56 Inches 320×290 resolution (205PPI) semi-circular display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection. There is IP67 certification, hence it can be submerged in water for 30 minutes at a depth of 1 meter.It is also pretty ligh at just 49g. The built-in pedometer in the Moto 360 along with the optical heart rate monitor will help in fitness related tasks that Android (Samsung) and iOS seem to be after these days. The heart of the Moto 360 is a TI OMAP 3 processor with 512MB Ram, while the internal storage goes upto 4GB.
There is a single button on the side for waking up the device, vibrator motor for notifications, and dual microphones. Motorola claims an all day battery life (12 hours) with the Moto 360. The internal 320mAh battery can be wirelessly charged using the wireless charging dock provided with it. The Moto 360 is compatible with Android devices running Android 4.3 and above.
