Motorola DROID Turbo Review

"Rise to the moment: Amazing speed and performance. The sharpest display of any smartphone. Turbo charging for additional battery life when you need it most. You always have power to rise to the moment. DROID Turbo by Motorola. Only on Verizon."

After many leaks, Motorola has finally launched the Turbo Droid for Verizon. This device uses AMOLED display 5.2 "Quad HD resolution (2560 x 1440) with protective glass Gorilla Glass 3, on the back is made from Kevlar fiber with high strength, accompanied by 3900mAh battery with mixed usage of the extremely impressive: up to 48 hours. features quick charger is also fitted to the Droid Turbo to allow users to spend extra 8 hours to just 15 minutes plugged the machine power.

And despite long battery life but still owns a Droid turbo configuration with powerful Snapdragon quad 805, 3GB RAM, Adreno 420 GPU, 32GB of internal memory (64GB optional), camera key 21 megagapixel and 2 megapixel camera. Is there sufficient common connections such as Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, NFC, microUSB. Turbo will start selling Droid place on 30/10 for $ 199 (32GB) or $ 249 (64GB) comes a 2 year contract with Verizon.

Basic configuration of the Motorola Droid Turbo:
Screen: 5.2 "Quad HD resolution (2560 x 1440) with protective glass Gorilla Glass 3
CPU: quad-core Snapdragon 805
GPU: Adreno 420
RAM: 3GB
Main camera: 21 megapixe f / 2.0, dual flash
Secondary camera: 2 megapixels
Battery: 3900mAh, mixed-use time up to 48 hours
OS: Android 4.4.4 KitKat
Special Features: dorsum made ​​from Kevlar
Connectivity: NFC, Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi a / b / g / n / ac, GPS, microUSB
Internal Memory / Memory Card: 32GB or 64GB,
Dimensions: 143.5 mm x 73.3 mm x 8.3-11.2 mm (the black ballistic), 7.8-10.6 mm (the normal black and red)
Weight: 176g (black ballistic), 169g (normally black and red)

Source: Motorola, Via photo Phonearena

Moto X+1 benchmark pass reveals 5.2'' display, Snapdragon 800 processor

Rumors and leaks related to the Motorola Moto X have been fairly abundant, but it's been hard so far to piece together a more thorough expectation of the type of hardware that will be packed into the next Motorola flagship. A device with model number XT1097, believed to be the Moto X+1, made an appearance on Geekbench recently, and put the doubts that the Moto X+1 will stick to an older, Snapdragon 800 processor to bed. As it turns out, however, there's still some mystery left over.

According to GFXBench's database of devices that have passed its tests, the XT1097 will indeed come with a Snapdragon 800 chip. That said, the cores' clock speed of 2.5GHz indicates that this is actually the Snapdragon 801 (MSM8974-AC) -- the same chip packed into the Galaxy S5. Perhaps this is an unresolved issue on GFXBench's side, and their system doesn't yet understand the subtle differences between the two.

Anyways, moving on, the benchmark pass indicates a 5.2-inch, 1080 x 1920 pixel resolution screen, which would constitute a significant increase from the Moto X's 4.7-inch glass. Interestingly enough, the device currently known as the Motorola Shamu, believed to be the Nexus 6, will also come with a 5.2-inch screen, but a higher, Quad HD (1440 x 2560) resolution. Perhaps Motorola really has been tasked with producing the next Nexus phone? Time will tell.

The rest of the scoop includes a 12-megapixel rear camera (could be 13MP, as GFXBench has been known to mistake these) with support for 4K UHD video capture. At the front, there appears to be a 2-megapixel selfie snapper. Lastly, the device comes loaded with 2 gigs of RAM, and runs on the very latest Android 4.4.4 KitKat update.

Quite frankly, all of these do sound plausible, at least in a world where the Moto X is any benchmark -- after all, Motorola went easy on the hardware with the X, too. Thankfully, we're getting closer and closer to an actual announcement, so it won't be long until we're sure.

Source | Via

Motorola Moto 360 hands-on

Alas, while Motorola graced us with a presence to look at their beautiful smartwatch, the Moto 360, the reps were mum on all details about the device.

It is a lightweight device, and its different looks from the “square” devices on display from LG and Samsung add all the more intrigue to the little Moto. Even though the Motorola representatives were not able to share any details about the slick looking watch, were able to glean plenty from our brief time looking at it.

First, it is distinct among the Android Wear devices on display in that it has the classic round watch form factor, and that is a nice touch. Second, the round display does not seem to lose anything in terms of too much “wasted” display space that might be more efficiently served up by a square or rectangular panel.

Unlike the other two units on display though, the Moto 360 is not ready for prime time just yet, it will be available later this summer whereas, the LG G Watch and Samsung Gear Live are available for pre-order now.

The Moto 360 will come with a near suede-looking leather wrist strap which looks nice, and we presume that it has been treated to resist degradation due to body sweat and the elements. There is a single home button on the side were the crown of a traditional watch would be.

The display is wonderful looking. The images and text, even the small icons on the “watch face,” look clean. The demo mode worked without incident, just as smooth as the other devices from LG and Samsung.

That leads us to some predictions about the specs that are “officially” mum. The hardware under the hood is probably the same as what is found on the other Android Wear devices, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 CPU. There is probably 512MB of RAM and 4GB of storage. None of that is “official,” mind you, we are surmising that based on the other devices having identical spec sheets save for the display size, resolution, and heart rate monitor.

Why added intrigue for the Moto 360? Well it could be the fact that it is round, and it could also be the fact that we cannot have one yet. Will all the attention be worth it? We think so, but not if we are made to wait too long for it to come to market. Technology waits on no man, smartphone, or smartwatch. The Moto 360 is a nice looking device, it needs to be on shelves soon. “Soon,” we are told, is later this summer.

Check back with us as we will be getting a more in-depth demonstration of the Moto 360 during day two of Google I/O.

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Moto E Review: you get what you pay for and a little more

At some point, the "You get what you pay for" saying can't be stretched any further. We've seen advancements in technology make features once thought high-end become requisite. So when companies continue to push the limits of what can be accomplished at the bottom barrel of the pricing structure, it's expected that they'll eventually reach their breaking point and deliver a disappointment. The Moto E arrives at a time when companies are doing the opposite and delivering even lower priced smartphones with even higher performance. The Moto E is one of the cheapest notable Android phones in recent history, but how low can you price a phone and not release a terrible handset?

Hardware and Design
Motorola says that the E was built to last despite its cut throat price. The phone mostly lives up to the billing because after dropping the phone on the rocky hills of provincial Jamaica, the screen didn't crack thanks to Gorilla Glass 3 protection. The removable back cover still feels finicky and has since I first held the device, yet it has so far remained secure. Though the phone is water resistant, it's only meant to repel light splashes like rain drops or a small glass of water spilled onto a table. This is only for light water, so dropping it into a pool of water or puddle is a potentially fatal mishap.

Motorola's 2013 design language continues with the Moto E. You can draw a straight line from the Moto X to the G to the E and see how it regresses in terms of power but keeps some of the external strengths in tact. The phone is thick and short in its bite sized form, and the sloped back stays in a shape meant to form into someone's hand. The hard plastic coating gets dirty very easily so be sure to keep alcohol wipes handy for cleaning. For that reason, it makes a lot more sense to purchase a black Moto E rather than the other bright color options. The Moto E is also a nice change of pace for people who have grown tired of the super phone era where even devices with a 4.7-inch screen can be classified as "mini" handsets. It's a phone that's far more comfortable to hold.

Screen Quality
The Moto E manages to be so comfortable because it has a 4.3-inch display with qHD (960x540). There's nothing particularly spectacular about the IPS screen, and no one would reasonably expect it any other way. The Moto E's display is small and lands on the good side of being average thanks to strong brightness within its class and somewhat muted but solid color range. Looking not-so-closely can make the display somewhat pixelated -- take a look at the text of home screen icons to see the easiest example -- on the home screens but it's still of reasonable clarity. Within a few days of staring at the low-res screen, my eyes were fine making the adjustment because of the smaller overall display area. I would have preferred a screen better capable of outdoor visibility, especially when the Jamaican sun was at its brightest, but the display is acceptable.

Performance
The performance grade of the Moto E is in a similar territory. We saw with the Moto G that even a less powerful processor is still capable of being a consistently smoother performer with the right software optimizations, and the Moto E is like that to a lesser extent. While the Moto G was slower at loading games but still just as good as the Moto X in my experience, the E is a gaming liability that can load Riptide or Runbot comfortably, but the GPU won't deliver as strongly as other handsets. There was also some inexplicable cause of crashes. I installed the same set of apps that I normally use on every test phone and things were fine for one week, but I suddenly started getting frequent crashes on several apps, including preloaded options like YouTube. A factory reset was later necessary for me to get back on track and have a mostly headache-free experience.

Real world activity is much better at holding up its end of the bargain. Jumping in between apps and browsing the internet were headache-free, despite the seemingly anemic specs. The Moto E has a dual-core 1.2 GHz quad-core processor with 1GB of RAM and 4GB of internal storage. The software keeps things light and takes advantage of Android 4.4 KitKat's ability to run smoothly even with low memory, so it's able to accomplish more with less. I was able to enjoy using my device comfortably, and really only felt pressed once returning to the Moto E minutes after I cheated and reverted back to a higher-end device for a few hours. Someone who uses the device full-time will acclimate to the better than anticipated performance.

Key Specs - 4.3-inch IPS display w/ 960x540 resolution (256ppi)
- 1.2 GHz quad-core processor (Qualcomm Snapdragon 200)
- Adreno 302 400 MHz single-core GPU
- 1GB RAM, 4GB internal storage, 32GB microSD
- 1,980 mAh battery
- 5-megapixel camera
- Bluetooth 4.0 LE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, 2.4 GHz
- Android 4.4 KitKat
- Dimensions: 124.8 x 64.8 x 12.3mm (4.91 x 2.55 x 0.48in)
- Weight: 142g (5 oz)
Software As with any Motorola device, there's not much to say about the software other than to be content with how close it is to the regular versions of Android. Or, depending on perspective, complain about how close it is to the regular version of Android. Motorola's Android 4.4 KitKat software loaded on the device doesn't come with the value-added tweaks one might spot on an HTC, LG, or Samsung handset. It also doesn't come with the perceived lag or bloat associated with those devices either. Instead is a software package that's visually identical to stock Android and only has a few add-ons.

Sadly, hardware limitations mean the Moto E also does without the great Motorola enhancements like ActiveDisplay or always-on voice prompts. The only real enhancement is Motorola Alert, a new system designed to track close contacts and notify them in an emergency. Alert can be set to share location with families, so parents can know if their child made it to school or friends can know that Jane is heading out for an after-work drink. The app also has a one-tap "Emergency" button that sends messages to your desired contact or contacts emergency services if something happens.

Motorola also includes its Migrate app to help transfer content from an iPhone or Android device to a Moto E. The on-board software is otherwise standard Android with Google apps dominating all service needs and an understated dark black theme permeating throughout the menus. It makes sense that there isn't much else going on because this is a phone designed to fulfill the most basic needs at maximum value. Well, maximum within the parameters of an entry-level/midrange device. To that end, it lives up to the hype. You get a solid browser in Chrome, plenty of cloud services that sync with your productive or entertainment needs, and get a large number of apps to download from Google Play.

Camera
Every Motorola's flagship smartphone has a weak camera, so it shouldn't surprise anyone that the Moto E has a terrible camera. The 5-megapixel camera routinely struggles to focus and has dark colors when snapping photos. The only good photos I ever managed to take with the phone were when I went out in direct sunlight and there was absolutely no motion taking place. Even on the well-lit verandas of family and friends or inside, photos were fuzzy. The lack of flash means night time photos are out of the question, and there's no front facing camera for video chats or self-portraits. Lower your expectations when using the Moto E, and then lower them further when looking at the sample images below.

Data and Communication
I've spent one month with the Moto E and got a chance to test it with two networks in two different countries and several cities. The unlocked phone delivered strong 4G HSPA+ speeds in Kingston and Mandeville, Jamaica, and it was equally up to the task in New York City. There's no 4G LTE, but the phone is designed for markets that probably don't have that technology yet. On Digicel, the call reception was solid even when I was in the rural areas of Jamaica, and the same was true of the congested urban New York area. The large silver bar at the bottom of the phone is the microphone that does a solid job of making your voice clear, but the speakerphone mode has harsher sounds on both ends of the call.

Battery Life
The Moto E does exceptionally well in the battery department. I arrived in Jamaica with a full charge Friday afternoon and spent the remainder of the day coordinating meetings with family, browsing Twitter, and watched YouTube on Wi-Fi. The phone didn't need to be recharged until Saturday evening. Sure, there's only a 1,980 mAh capacity, but with a small screen, moderate processor, and no LTE draining resources, the Moto E will almost always provide a full day of power.

Conclusion
Motorola has rested its hat on delivering the most phone possible for the least money necessary. The company cut corners on the Moto X and focused on software, then cut even more corners with the Moto G and focused on price. With the Moto E, it's raced to lower depths and still managed to create a phone worth buying. That's because the Moto E costs only $129 without a contract. At that price, no other smartphone comes close. I'd recommend anyone considering a Moto E aim a little higher and get the Moto G if they can afford it, but for someone whose first priority is the budget, the Moto E is the best option. The camera is abysmal and the form is a little shaky, but the Moto E is good in so many other key areas that it's hard to not be impressed by how good a phone can be even when aiming to go downmarket.

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Moto X+1 claimed again to be Motorola's first phone with a 1080p display

We've been hearing about an alleged Motorola Moto X+1 flagship upgrade for a while now, and the phone was even referenced on the company's own website several times. The other day a resident leakster posted a blurry image of what is supposed to be the Moto X+1 riding on the subway, which you can see in the slideshow below, and today we have one more eventual picture of the handset, courtesy of a Baidu user. It purportedly depicts the front of the flagship, which seems rather different than the one of the Moto X.

The exact specs of the handset are still shrouded in mystery, though, and so far we've only heard speculated that it is codenamed Victara, has no less than 25 backplate options, and will be sold by all four major mobile carriers in the US. This latest leak from China comes with two very important spec sheet entrants confirmation, though, and these are screen size and resolution. The Moto X+1 is expected to sport a 5.2" 1080x1920 pixels display, claims the source, which would make it the first Motorola handset with a 1080p screen. The Moto X sports a 4.7" HD panel only, so the X+1 is shaping up to be a significant upgrade, as we are also expecting a bump in processing power and battery capacity, to accommodate for the higher display resolution.

In fact, a Motorola XT912A model already leaked once in the GXBench database, sporting this exact same screen size and resolution, as you can see from the screenshot below. A Snapdragon 800 processor was also listed, alongside with a higher resolution camera than what we currently have on the Moto X. The Moto X+1 is expected to be released in the second half of the year, which is not that far away, now that the month of May is almost over.

Detail:Android 4.4.3
Display:1920x1080, 5,2"
CPU: Quad core CPU@2265Mhz
GPU: Qualcomm Adreno tm 330
3D API: OpenLG ES3.0
Memory: 1,7GB
Storage: 24GB
Back camera: 13MP (4160x3120); video Fhd ( 1920x1080)
Front camera:  2MP (1920x1080) ; video Fhd ( 1920x1080)

source: Tieba (Baidu) via BGR & @evleaks

Motorola confirms Moto 360 pricing in new contest rules

We know that the LG G Watch will be the first Android Wear device on the market, and will likely be announced/released around Google I/O, but really, no one is all that interested in the G Watch. Even on the first day that Google unveiled Android Wear, Motorola's Moto 360 stole the show and has been the focus of our attention. Now, it seems like Motorola has accidentally confirmed the price for its new smartwatch.


The info comes from the terms for a new contest that Motorola is running. This morning, Motorola kicked off a contest on Google+ asking people to submit designs for watch faces. The contest will run for three weeks, and at the end of that time, a panel will choose a winner based on aesthetics, feasibility, and originality. The winner will receive a Moto 360, which the terms list as having an "approximate retail value" (ARV) of $249. Nine others will win a $50 Google Play gift card; and, unsurprisingly, Motorola reserves the right to use any of the ten winning submissions on the device itself, or in marketing.


The $249 price tag is in the range that we have been expecting, especially given that we just saw indications that the Moto 360 would cost 249 euros, and electronics tend to be more expensive in Europe than in the U.S.. The rules also have the final day for submissions set at June 24th, which is the day before Google I/O starts, and it also fits with the July release that was indicated in the latest rumor. So, that just leaves one question: will you pay $249 for a Moto 360?

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The Motorola Moto G just got even better

In addition to unveiling its most affordable Android smartphone yet, Motorola on Tuesday also announced a new Moto G model, the Moto G 4G LTE, which will offer users faster data speeds. The LTE version of the Moto G does not have any other new features, except for 4G and microSD support. As expected, the Moto G 4G LTE model is more expensive than the 3G-only version, and will cost $219 without a contract.

Unfortunately for users who want more built-in storage, the Moto G 4G LTE will only be available with 8GB of memory, although unlike the 3G model, the 4G model does have microSD support. Motorola will also continue to sell the 3G version of the Moto G for $179 (the 8GB version) or $199 (the 16GB model).

The company was rumored to unveil other Moto G versions at London, with a Moto G Cinema having been spotted online in the days preceding the event. However, the company did not launch any other Moto G models other than the 4G-enabled new version.

The Moto G 4G LTE can already be pre-ordered in the U.S., and it will likely hit other regions where the Moto G is already available.

 Source: BGR

Moto X+1 for AT&T mentioned on Motorola's website, Verizon and Sprint variants might also be in the making

Motorola is once again mentioning the unannounced Moto X+1 on its official US website. It first did it at the beginning of this month, but deleted the Moto X+1 reference shortly after that. Well, the name popped up again today, and this time Motorola mentions a “Moto X+1 for AT&T” - as you can see in the image above.

The device that appears on the right is not the new Moto X+1, but the older Moto X, and it’s probably there as a placeholder and nothing more. The $400 price is most likely a placeholder, too. According to Droid-life, there are also references to a Moto X+1 for both Sprint and Verizon. So the new handset might be released via the three largest US carriers at some point - just like the Moto X.

Not long ago, we heard that Motorola would offer no less than 25 backplate options for the Moto X+1, including leather and wood models. While nothing is truly confirmed at the moment, it’s pretty clear that Motorola can barely wait to officially unveil the Moto X+1. Still, it looks like the company will announce a Moto E first, during an event that’s going to take place on May 13.

We’re certainly looking forward to seeing what Motorola has in store for us this year. Are you?

Android 4.4.2 coming soon to Motorola DROID Ultra and Motorola DROID MAXX?

With the Motorola Moto X updated to Android 4.4.2, it is time for the Motorola DROID Ultra and Motorola DROID MAXX to also get updated to that same Android build. The two received Android 4.4 back in December. As usual with Motorola branded handsets, users of the two DROID handsets are being asked to participate in a soak test before the update is disseminated.

What's the point of the soak test? By installing an upcoming update on a small number of handsets, Motorola can make sure that everything goes as smoothly as hoped. If there is a problem that forces the update to be halted, it will affect only a small number of handsets. After the test is completed, Android 4.4.2 will start to roll out for the two handsets.

Will Motorola continue the DROID line, which has been a Verizon exclusive dating back to the OG Motorola DROID? The Motorola DROID MAXX has its fans because of the extra long battery life, but most flagship models have been closing the gap. As far as a possible Motorola DROID 5 is concerned, a picture that claimed to show off the device appeared last August, but nothing has been heard about the phone since.

White Motorola Moto E (XT1022) mentioned in India

As we told you last week, Motorola is getting ready to announce a new smartphone that’s “priced for all” on May 13 in London. According to AndroidOS.in, the company will also host a similar press event in India that day - so it’s probably going to launch the handset there, too.

While Motorola didn’t provide specific details about the upcoming smartphone, everyone is expecting it to be the rumored Moto E.

A white Motorola Moto E is now listed at Zauba - a website that keeps track of India’s imports and exports. The handset’s model number is XT1022 (according to a previous leak, this is a dual SIM device). The listing reveals that the Moto E has a value of 6,330 INR, meaning about $105. Sure enough, the selling price of the smartphone might be a bit higher, but it’s clear that we’re dealing with a very cheap device here. Priced for all, as Motorola puts it.

It’s said that the Moto E features a 4.3-inch display with 720 x 1280 pixels, dual-core Snapdragon processor clocked at 1.2GHz, 1GB of RAM, 5MP rear camera, and a 1,900 mAh battery. Interestingly, the new Moto E is supposed to be only 6.2mm thin. If that’s the case, the 11.6mm Moto G will look quite bulky next to it.

May 13 is just a week away, so it won't be long until we find out if Motorola's new smartphone is the Moto E or not.

Motorola Moto G is added to the Consumer Cellular line-up

Normally, when you think about Consumer Cellular, you think about cheap non-descript cellphones being used by the elderly, or those down on their luck who still need to stay connected. That is the image that the carrier advertises on television. Because of the carrier's relationship with AARP that features cheap air time and low cost featurephones, you might consider the company to be an altruistic firm, in business for the good of mankind. But that is not the case. Just like any carrier, Consumer Cellular is in the business to make profits.

Today, the carrier added the Motorola Moto G to its line-up, priced at $149.99. Those two brothers who were so amazed with their featurephone in Consumer Cellular's 2012 commercial, would have their minds blown by the quad-core processor and 4.5 inch screen. Even more surprising, did you know that you could buy the Apple iPhone 5s and Apple iPhone 5c from the mobile operator? And no, there is no great bargain here either. The iPhone 5s is $150 down, with 20 installment payments of $25 each due each month. That works out to a price of $650, or $1 more than Apple charges for the phone. The iPhone 5c is $100 down with 18 monthly payments of $25 due, which works out to $550.

6000 voice minutes, 15,000 texts and 2.5GB of data will cost you $90 a month. While Consumer Cellular can handle power users, it is obviously a expensive proposition. The carrier is more suited for the kind of people it features in its ads. For example, 200 minutes of voice with 200 texts and 20MB of data is $12.50 a month. And a cheap flip phone with a 2MP camera and an MP3 player is just $35.

Consumer Cellular also expanded its presence in 750 Sears stores for the third time since the two shook hands on a deal in 2011. Now, Consumer Cellular will have more space inside these Sears locations, with larger banners and more display room to show off a wider selection of smartphones.

Motorola puts a placeholder for the Moto X+1 on the Moto Maker website

We first caught a whiff that Motorola might introduce a Moto X successor about a month ago, and the rumor was titling it Moto X+1. This time around, the speculation around the name suddenly got confirmed straight from the horse's... err... Motorola's mouth. When you replace the Moto X codename (FLEXR1) in the Moto Maker website address bar with FLEXR2, a placeholder site for the Moto X+1 appears, as you can see in the screenshots below, or for yourself when you visit the source link.

The eventual upgraded Moto X+1 all of a sudden doesn't seem so eventual, but what exactly will be the improvements that warrant the "+1" tag, remains still a mystery. We can reasonably expect bumped-up specs, whether in chipset, camera, or screen resolution. Alternatively, Motorola might have decided to bet on extra software functionality, building on the always-on environmental awareness of the Moto X. In any case, judging from this placeholder for the Moto X+1 on Motorola's site, the announcement shouldn't be far away.

Motorola to announce a new smartphone on May 13, is it the Moto E?

Motorola will host a press event in London on May 13, and it looks like it has a new smartphone to showcase then. The invite to the event, which was revealed a few hours ago, reads: "Connect more people to the world's information and each other, and they can do great things. Introducing the next smartphone from Motorola to make these connections happen. Made to last. Priced for all."

Motorola to announce a new smartphone on May 13, is it the Moto E?

The last part seems to suggest that we’re going to see the rumored Motorola Moto E. As reported earlier this month, the Moto E should be ultra-cheap, allegedly featuring a 4.3-inch 720p display, 5MP rear camera, dual-core 1.2GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, 4GB of internal memory (hopefully expandable), and a 1,900 mAh battery. It’s said that the handset is only 6.8mm thin. The one improvement we're all hoping to see, though, is in connectivity - the affordable Moto G did not support 4G LTE, and this new handset might finally right that wrong.

Motorola is already selling the Moto G and Moto X in the UK, so the upcoming event is definitely about a brand new handset.

As you may know, a new Moto X+1 is also supposed to be announced later this year. However, we’re not expecting this to be “priced for all.” Anyway, whatever happens on May 13, we’ll be here to let you know.

Moto X prices will start at $299 on May 1, Developer Edition will cost $325

In case you didn’t have the chance to buy the Moto X when it was on sale earlier this year, Motorola will host a new sale this week, on May 1 (for 24 hours, only in the US). On that day, the Moto X 16GB will cost $299.99 instead of $349.99, while the 32GB model will be sold for $324.99 instead of $399.99. The Moto X Developer Edition will be offered for only $324.99, too.

Although it’s Motorola’s flagship smartphone, the Moto X was never supposed to be a true high-end device, as its specs (starting with the 720p display) aren’t on par with what other flagships are offering. Still, this is undoubtedly a good handset, and $300 is a great price to pay for an unlocked unit. Sure enough, you may want to hold on until the next-generation Moto X (possibly called Moto X+1) is released. That is, of course, if you can wait until the second half of the year, because it doesn’t look like the new smartphone will be introduced in the next few months.

New 5.2-inch Motorola XT912A with Android 4.4.3 spotted in benchmark test?

Motorola already confirmed that it would introduce a second-generation Moto X (possibly called Moto X+1) later this year, plus other new smartphones, but it didn’t provide specific details regarding their specs - although we do know that they will offer a near-stock Android experience.

One of the company’s upcoming handsets might be the Motorola XT912A, which was spotted in a GFXBench test today (see the image on the left, and zoom in for a closer look). According to the benchmark test, the XT912A runs the latest Android 4.4.3, and sports a 5.2-inch display with 1080 x 1920 pixels. Other features seemingly include a 12MP rear camera, 2MP front-facing camera, quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor, 2GB of ROM, and 32GB of internal memory.

If the XT912A model number looks familiar it’s because the original Motorola Droid Razr (released by Verizon in late 2011) was - and still is - known as the XT912. Is this XT912A a new Verizon-bound handset? We can’t know for now. In any case, we must keep in mind that data revealed by benchmark tests isn’t always accurate, as these things can be easily faked. So the XT912A might end up being... nothing after all. Until some official details arrive (if ever), we have no choice than to remain skeptical about all this.

Next-gen Moto X and Moto G will have near-stock Android (Lenovo won't alter Motorola's software strategy)

Back in January, when Google agreed to sell Motorola Mobility to Lenovo, the companies said that "Lenovo intends to keep Motorola’s distinct brand identity.” Even so, some users may be worried that Lenovo could alter the software experience on the upcoming Moto smartphones. As you may know, Mototola’s latest handsets, the Moto X and Moto G, are both offering near-stock Android.

Punit Soni, VP of Software at Motorola, today answered a few live questions via Google Hangouts. One of the questions addressed exactly the issue mentioned above: “will future versions of the Moto X and Moto G stick with almost-stock Android?” Punit Soni’s answer was a definite “yes.” He continued by saying that “the core premise of the software strategy is making sure we have pure Android, and that we can provide the best experience to users.”

Well, there you have it: the rumored Moto X+1 (which is expected to be the successor to last year’s Moto X) will run near-stock Android. The same will likely happen with the Moto E (another rumored handset that should be introduced this year), although this doesn’t seem to be the Moto G’s successor, but an even cheaper device.

Punit Soni also said that Motorola will continue to provide quick software updates, and that its handsets’ camera experience (including image quality) will be improved. You can see the full discussion in the video below:

Besides making its own new smartphones, Motorola may also design a handset in collaboration with Lenovo- a device that could be launched before the end of the year. Will this have near-stock Android, too? We don't know, but we're looking forward to finding out.

First phone from Motorola and Lenovo may be planned for the fall

This is one rumor that seems a bit hard to swallow, but we're guessing that maybe someone on the inside might know more than we do on the subject. There is a new rumor from the official China Mobile Alliance Weibo account which claims that the first smartphone collaboration from Motorola and Lenovo may be planned for this fall.

The Weibo post says that Zhang Hui of Lenovo's Mobile Business Group (MBG) has said that Lenovo will release a new 4G phone by the end of June, there will be "stunning" new products either announced or released in early September, and the first phone made in cooperation between Lenovo and Motorola will be coming in either October or November. Although, again, it's hard to say if that is the planned announcement window or release window. Given that companies like to get products out in time for the holidays, we'd guess release.

The trouble is that the sale of Motorola to Lenovo hasn't passed through any of the regulatory hurdles that it needs to cross before the deal can be finalized. It is certainly possible that Google is allowing Motorola to work with Lenovo even before the deal is finalized. Though, the word is that this is a new device designed from the ground up in cooperation between the two companies. And, given how long it generally takes to design and produce a mobile device, the two sides would have had to start working together basically from January when Google first announced the sale.

We'll keep our eyes peeled for more info, but in the meantime, we'll take this one with a grain of salt, and focus on the upcoming Motorola devices that have been designed while still under the Google umbrella, like the Moto X+1 and new Moto G models.