Friday, 28 June 2013

Moto X specs, price and release date rumours


We check out all the rumours surrounding the Moto X, including specs, release dates and pricing

The Moto X is expected to be a landmark product for both Motorola and Google with a lot of investment being poured into the project by both companies. We've aggregated the current batch of rumours to give you a one-stop-shop for all the info on this Android flagship.

Hardware

Google’s Motorola X handset has leaked online again, and this time we get a glimpse of its build materials, display size, and proportions. From the supposed leaked prototype shots, the device would appear to include .
Google is apparently aiming for ‘all day usage’ on the Moto X and to meet this demand Motorola is thought to be implementing a 4,000mAh battery pack in a similar vein to the Razr Maxx.
Previously a prominent hardware rumour claimed we’d see a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad-core chip inside the Moto X. However, recent leaked specs suggest something a bit more reserved with a dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro chip clocked at 1.7GHz.
There are reports which state the Motorola X will feature a large quantity of internal storage but won’t have microSD capability. Specific capacities aren’t mentioned and it’s difficult to estimate – on the one hand some sources are saying the phone will be fairly affordable, which would imply 8GB or 16GB like the Nexus 4. However, if it does need a lot of storage that would suggest 32GB or 64GB, but this might bump the price up.
Recently leaked specs claim we'll only get 16GB of storage onboard.
The phone will also be practically indestructible, according to Google CEO Larry Page.
An image of an unknown Motorola handset has popped up online. Could it be the mysterious Motorola X?

A previously unheard of Motorola handset has appeared in online benchmark results as the XT1055 – could it be the oft-rumoured Motorola X? The device is shown as running Android 4.2.2 and whoever’s testing it is based in the US. The results, meanwhile clock up a score of 18252 and it appears to be running on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 quad-core chip at 1.7GHz.
Benchmarks have shown up of the suspected Motorola X phone and its GPU score could imply a Qualcomm 800 chip, contrary to earlier rumours.

Design

Some sources have indicated the Motorola X will be toughened with rubberised corners and a carbon fibre backing, but there’s no mention of Moto’s signature Kevlar. It’s thought Motorola will include a water resistant coating, but whether this will be splash proofing as with some of the recent Razr models, or a more comprehensive implementation such as the one on Sony’s Xperia Z, remains to be seen.

Not much else has been said about the Motorola X’s exterior design up to this point, although it was recently suggested the phone might be available in more than 20 colour variants. That’ll be far more than any other manufacturer for a single model and could represent the car-like customisation a Motorola advisor previously spoke about.

Release date

It was originally thought the Moto X would appear at the Google I/O conference in May this year, in the months since this murmur first emerged conflicting reports have suggested otherwise. A May announcement would have put the handset on track for July but as Google I/O has now been and gone with no sight of the Motor X it's now pretty clear we might be waiting for a little while longer.
Now, Motorola has undergone a little rebrand following the rumors the Moto X will launch in August. The new logo retains the distinctively angular ‘M’ inside a circle, however, now the circle is multicoloured in some rather Android-like shades. Significantly, the old Motorola name has gone from being bold, italic and all in caps, to a softer, all lower-case and slightly Android Roboto-style font. There’s also ‘a Google company’ added underneath.
The new logo and typeface emerged via the Verge, which noted that the re-designs appeared on the Techweek conference page, an event taking place in Chicago and co-sponsored by Motorola.
Some mutterings have said the Moto X won’t arrive until August at the absolute earliest, however, meaning we could be waiting until the Winter to actually get our hands on it – some have suggested November. Others think we might be looking at October, which is when Android's fifth birthday will be and when some expect Android 5.0 to be released. Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie is believed to introduce tighter optimisation for lower-spec handsets, but will likely have some more spectacular features too.
Most recently Motorola's chief executive Dennis Woodside revealed onstage at a conference he had the Moto X in his pocket but wouldn't show it to the assembled crowds. He indicated it would launch by October, but a subsequent press release from the company confirmed the device would launch in the summer.
Update 25/05/2013:
A leaked ad campaign from design company B.A. Bäkken has emerged online suggesting that August 1 will see the world say 'Goodbye Moto' to the old style handsets.
A subsequent leak from the same company shows a contrasting campaign saying 'Hello again' to the new generation of devices which may be spearheaded by the Moto X, though an accompanying picture looks distinctly like an older Razr model.

Display

It’s no longer thought the Moto X will follow the current trend of 1080p Full HD displays as repeated spec leaks have mentioned a 720p resolution. Display size is still a complete unknown but we suspect it'll sit somewhere in the region of 4.7-5.0-inches. Previously it wasn't clear whether we were looking at LCD or OLED for the screen technology. Motorola’s Razr line has repeatedly used Super AMOLED, but there was a case for LCD considering the Moto X was said to be under development with input from Google, which has used plenty of LCDs in its Nexus range.
However, Motorola chief Dennis Woodside has confirmed the handset would use an OLED display.
Another rumour points to the use of Sapphire Glass, which is allegedly three times stronger than Corning’s commonly used Gorilla Glass.
We'd like to think Motorola might implement the edge-to-edge display design from the Razr i for the Moto X.

Price

There aren’t many price rumours floating about at the moment but it’s been said the Motorola X could retail for as little as £190-£299. That’s firmly in Nexus 4 territory.
The only problem here is the rumour suggesting it’ll have lots of onboard storage – that usually means a phone costs more too.
IDC analyst Francisco Jeronimo told us that he believes Google will charge premium bucks for the Motorola X, however, in order to keep relations between itself and its hardware partners sweet.

Software

Previous Motorola models from the company’s Razr line have used very recent iterations of Android – 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and 4.1 Jelly Bean. These have been setup to be relatively stock, but with a light UI overlay which appears to have been developed in co-operation with Google and introduces a few specific features, such as quick settings menu and some widgets.
There’s been little mention of the software for the Motorola X. It will, of course, be Android, and by the time the phone arrives we’ll be looking at Android 4.2 Jelly Bean as a minimum but more likely a new version expected to arrive at Google I/O in May: Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie.
We’ve no clue what changes Key Lime Pie will add as there’s very little rumour surrounding it and we don’t know if the Motorola X will have a stock Android implementation of another light UI overlay.
Posted by Unknown
on Friday, June 28, 2013

Wednesday, 26 June 2013

Mystery Moto X Phone Tested As Sprint 4G Device In Leak
























Motorola seems to be at the heart of a lot of rumors lately and now we can add another one to the list. A mysterious Motorola-made device for Sprint has just popped up in a leaked photo and now we’re left to try and figure out what exactly it is. Our first thought is that it would be Motorola’s upcoming Moto X phone. And most likely, it is. The pictured phone closely resembles the original leaked shot that we saw of the Moto X. The rounded corners are still there and in general, it appears to be the same phone.

With this leak come a few specs. This device in particular is destined for Sprint and the tipster declared that it was currently being tested on Sprint’s 4G LTE network. They also mentioned that they thought that the screen size was around 4.5 or 4.6 inches but they hadn’t actually had time to measure it. That means that it could indeed be the same 4.7-inch panel that was rumored for the Moto X. Other mentioned specs are that the phone is running Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, has 16GB internal storage and by happy consequence, a removable battery.

So as more and more bits of information leak, we’re starting to finally get a picture of what the Moto X will be. The specs look like they’ll be good but possibly not the bleeding-edge stuff that some people were hoping for. On the other hand, the Moto X is said to be focusing more on the unique features of the phone rather than the raw hardware so we could see a really interesting device when it’s released.

Source: Phonearena
Posted by Unknown
on Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Monday, 24 June 2013

US Cellular’s Moto “XFON” XT1055 caught at the FCC


Motorola did say it plans to make its upcoming XFON available on a number of carriers and in that sense we’ve already heard about few different variants of the device: Verizon will get the XT1060, XT1056 is coming to Sprint, and the XT1058 is heading to AT&T.
A new version of the XFON, marked as XT1055, has been caught at the FCC and we tend to believe this one’s destined for US Cellular.
Of course, we still have no idea when each of the carriers mentioned above will officially announce the new phone, and it’s likely up to Motorola to decide when that will happen (when their device is ready for the prime time).
According to the specs we’ve heard before, the XFON will pack Qualcomm’s Snapdragon S4 Pro dual-core processor clocked at 1.7GHz, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of expandable storage, 10-megapixel rear camera, 2-megapixel front-facing one, 720p HD screen, with Android 4.2.2 (or perhaps Android 4.3) running the show right from the get-go…
Source: FCC | Blog of Mobile via  Droid-Life
Posted by Unknown
on Monday, June 24, 2013

Manufacturer selling accessories for the Moto X


According to Phonearena,one of their loyal readers was looking for a new case when he stumbled upon a line of skin protectors for the unannounced Motorola Moto X. Skinomi is offering seven different "skin protectors" for the eagerly awaited model, ranging from Dark Wood to Silver to Brushed Aluminum. Each one is offered at a price of $19.95. These are alternatives to hard cases and protect the phone from dings and scratches using the "same material used to protect luxury cars, military aircrafts and NASA space shuttles." Skinomi also touts the "self-healing" capabilities of its product. Besides the skin protectors, the accessory manufacturer also is offering a screen protector for the Motorola Moto X for $11.95. None of the accessories has a shipping date listed.

Recently, evleaks offered a list of specs for the phone which includes an un-sized screen with resolution of 720 x 1280. A dual-core 1.7GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor will power the phone which will include 2GB of RAM and 16GB of native storage. A 10MP camera is on back with a 2MP front-facing shooter with Android 4.2.2 is installed. Motorola CEO Dennis Woodside hinted that the phone will have sensors that know what you're doing at all times.

The phone is expected to be launched next month and a version for U.S. Cellular has already made a visit to the FCC.

Source: Skinomi via Phonearena

Posted by Unknown
on Monday, June 24, 2013

Motorola turns down Microsoft's royalty offer, decides to keep $100 million bond


Back in April, in Seattle, U.S. District Judge James Robart ruled that Microsoft should pay Motorola only $1.8 million a year as a royalty payment to use Motorola's standards-essential patents. These are patents that a company cannot avoid using to build a specific device. Negotiations over licensing of these patents is supposed to be done in a "Fair, Reasonable, and Non-Discriminatory" fashion, hence they are called FRAND patents. 

The patents involved with this particular case are the H.264 video standard and the 802.11 wireless standard and Motorola, a wholly owned subsidiary of Google, was seeking $4 billion a year for the rights to use them. The technology is used for Windows Phone and for the Xbox and Redmond based Microsoft recently sent a letter to Motorola suggesting that it make a $6.8 million payment to cover all past use of the patents. Motorola has refused the payment and is continuing to hold on to a court-ordered $100 million bond obtained by Microsoft even though the actual damages that were awarded by the judge were well under this amount.

In addition to paying $6.8 million to catch up with past use of the patented technology, Microsoft said it would also pay Motorola future royalty rates based on future rate-setting court decisions. Whether you are an attorney or just play one on television, you can check out the legal documents below, including a copy of the letter from Microsoft to Motorola.


Source: Phonearena
Posted by Unknown
on Monday, June 24, 2013

Mark of the beast? Motorola pushes human tattoo to replace digital 'smartphone' passwords



Desperate to make a comeback in the mobile phone market, technology giant Motorola, which is now owned by Big Brother spying shill Google, has developed a few solutions to a problem that does not actually even exist: the "chore" of having to type in a short passcode to access your locked cell phone. Yes, Motorola thinks this split-second step is somehow too laborious for the average consumer, and has thus come up with two potential new methods of accessing "smart phones" that involve either tattooing yourself with an electronic bar code or swallowing a pill that contains a small microchip.

Motorola unveiled the new technology at the recent AllThingsD conference, which showcases all the latest digital advancements in the development pipeline. As reported by DailyTech.com, Motorola CEO Dennis Woodside unveiled a small rubber stamp tattoo at the conference that the company hopes will one day replace having to type in a smart phone password. According to reports, the small stamp, which contains flexible electronic circuits, can be scanned by a smart phone to gain instant access.

"Motorola's tattoos have already been developed by MC10, a Massachusetts-based engineering firm," explains DailyTech.com. "Instead of punching in passwords, users just place their smart phones close to their tattoos for verification."

Motorola also wants you to swallow microchip drugs to access your smartphone

But why stop at tattoos when you can also incorporate drugs into the mix? You read that right. Motorola is also in the process of developing a once-daily drug pill that people can take to access their smart phones without having to type in a password. The pill, known officially as Proteus Digital Health, transmits signals from your digestive tract to your smart phone for instant access without a password.

"Users would take a pill by mouth, and the pill would create an individual signal that would be picked up by their smart phone," adds DailyTech.com, noting that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has already approved the drug for use. "The computer chip within the pill would be powered by a battery using the user's stomach acid."

Ironically, the amount of time it takes to pop the pill, not to mention the effort required to remember to take it every day, is far more arduous than simply tapping a few spots on your phone screen prior to use. But why let reason get in the way of technological "progress," especially when such "progress" stands to generate billions of dollars in new revenues for completely useless technologies?

"Authentication is irritating," says Regina Dugan, Senior Vice President of Advanced Research at Motorola, about the "hassle" of having to unlock a smart phone. "Having the boldness to think differently about problems that everybody has every day is really important for Motorola now."

Nice try, Ms. Dugan. But the fact of the matter is that typing in a security code on a smart phone is not actually a "problem," at least not for the tens of millions of normal Americans who do it every day without issue. But go ahead, be our guest. Get that nice little tattoo and swallow those pills and pretend that you are solving the world's problems one privacy-invading step at a time.


Source: Natural News


Posted by Unknown
on Monday, June 24, 2013

Thursday, 20 June 2013

Motorola sued again by "patent troll"



Intellectual Ventures, a company referred to as a "patent troll" by Google, is heading back to court to square off once again with Motorola Mobility. On Wednesday, the company filed suit in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida claiming that Google's wholly owned Motorola Mobility subsidiary had infringed on seven of its patents. Back in 2011, in a Delaware lawsuit, the company claimed that Motorola Mobility had infringed on six of its patents. Two of the seven patents included in yesterday's suit had been owned by Nokia as recently as 2011.


While Google sees the IP portfolio holder as a nemesis, Intellectual Ventures sees itself as the builder of anew marketplace for inventions. It added that taking Motorola Mobility to court was not its intention and that it is instigating the latest suit as a last resort. The legal battle covers patents for features like multimedia messaging to file transfer technology.


"These infringements complaints are a necessary step in protecting our patent rights and fulfilling our commitments to our investors, inventors and licensees"-Intellectual Ventures

"We’re fighting to stop patent trolls’ use of low-quality patents to extort money from companies that actually innovate and make real things. We support bipartisan efforts by the White House and Congress to end these kinds of abuses"-Google

In order to avoid any problems, back in 2010 HTC and Samsung entered into patent licensing agreements agreements separately with Intellectual Ventures. The agreements cover the use of IV's patents for the production of Android flavored phones.

source: AllThingsD
Posted by Unknown
on Thursday, June 20, 2013

Tuesday, 18 June 2013

Motorola Moto X Smartphone specifications leaks


Chief Executive Dennis Woodside confirmed in May that Motorola was developing a lead phone called the Moto X for an October release. Now specification details for the Android handset have leaked online.


According to @evleaks, an anonymous Twitter account that has been accurate with mobile rumors in the past, the Moto X will be equipped with a 720p display, a 1.7GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 Pro and a 10-megapixel camera. It is also rumored to include 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, a 2-megapixel front-facing camera and Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean. The smartphone’s display size remains a mystery, although earlier reports suggested it will measure between 4.3-inches and 4.7-inches diagonally. Not bad, but with this being the first Motorola phone since Google bought the company, we just expected more.The Moto X will be manufactured in the United States and will be available sometime this fall across multiple carriers.

Saying that, Google mentioned in an interview that the Moto X will have sensors that will know (for example) when the phone is taken out of someone’s pocket or travelling in a car, acting differently in each circumstance.
So the real story could be outside the general spec sheet. More on this when we hear it

Source: @evleaks
Posted by Unknown
on Tuesday, June 18, 2013