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Top 10 improvements in Android KitKat update for your Moto X

November 24, 2013 by simon 24 Comments

Motorola beats all Android smartphone makers again with the Android 4.4 (KitKat) update!

When Samsung, HTC, Sony and LG are still struggling to push Android 4.3 (Jelly Bean 4.3) update for their flagship phones, Motorola gives us the KitKat treat. We got this Android 4.4 update even a few days earlier than the owners of pure Android Nexus 4.

And it seems the update works very smoothly. Most Moto X owners are enjoying the updated phone. As a contrast, a lot of Samsung Galaxy S4 owners are grumbling about the latest Android 4.3 update.

There are quite a lot of improvements in the Android 4.4 (KitKat) update for Moto X. In this post, you will learn the top 10 improvements or new features you may enjoy everyday.

1. Unified messaging with Hangouts

If you have mixed contacts on phone and Google, you know all the contacts are combined in your phone. The new Hangouts app now moves a step further: it can (optional) combine your messages (SMS, MMS) with all other conversations in Hangouts. With the new Hangouts app, all of your SMS and MMS messages are together in the same app, alongside your other conversations and video calls.

The new Hangouts app also allows you to share your location and send animated GIFs. This makes it better than the most popular SMS app: WhatsApp.

Essentially, the new Hangouts app eliminates the need of a separate messaging app. Of course, if you are not ready for this change, you can still use messaging and Hangouts individually (although they share the same contact list).

2. Drag to focus and expose

You can focus on any location on the viewfinder by just dragging the crosshair to the desired objects or location. Moto X will automatically adjust the expose and lighting conditions for the photo. The result is better image quality.

This is actually a nice enhancement of the old “touch to focus”. You now get the option with a new circular, on screen control that can be dragged by your finger around the viewfinder to adjust a photo’s focus and exposure.… Continue to read....

Moto X Price Halved (including Moto Maker)

October 26, 2013 by simon 1 Comment

motox_moto-maker It seems Motorola (Google) finally realized the initial price of Moto X was not accepted well by consumers, even among long-term Motorola enthusiasts.

After 2 months of launching the handset, Motorola halved the price of Moto X to $99.99 (with 2 year contract) quietly. No public announcement. This includes Moto Maker, which allows you to customize your Moto X. Very likely, the contract-free Moto X price will drop within next a few weeks.

So, if price pushed you away from getting a Moto X, now it is probably the good time to get your hands on a new Moto X. It is unlikely to see a further price cut for this handset in next a few months.

$99.99 is actually the most reasonable price for this handset. Consumers still cares about specs, although user experiences are getting important day by day.

No one denies the unparalleled software innovation in Moto X (e.g., touchless control, Motorola Assistant), and most users enjoy them. The recent software update fixed most camera issues. Moto X is arguably the most attractive phone in the market.

Technically, the hardware in Moto X is more than sufficient thanks to the optimization of the code and close-to-vanilla-Android implementation. Moto X is actually more snappy than Galaxy S4 and HTC One. However, consumers are still thinking about hardware specs when touching the wallet. They are still unwilling to pay too much premium for optimized software. The mid-range hardware specs spoil the perfect image of Moto X. Most consumers and reviewers were surprised when the price of Moto X was announced in August.

This is a lesson Motorola should learn. Consumers are not ready to ignore hardware specs.

The price reduction is a correct step to educate consumers what a smartphone should be. Without reaching the hands of consumers, all innovations are wasted, and competitors will close the gap soon. Very likely, Moto Maker will not be exclusive to AT & T after middle or late November. This will remove another barrier between Moto X and its potential buyers.

Another reason of … Continue to read....

Moto X or HTC One?

August 31, 2013 by simon 1 Comment

When I was asked about the “alternatives” for Moto X, the firs one popping out is HTC One. Not just because of the similar screen size.

But yes, Moto X and HTC One both have small display (compared with other flagship Android phones from Samsung, Sony and LG). It is 4.7″. Actually the display is not small. Both of them use very thin bezel and therefore, they looks even smaller than their actual size. Just for your information, Moto X has similar front surface area with iPhone 5, but with 20% more display space.

Unlike Asian users, most American users still prefer one-handed smartphone, i.e, the phone can be easily operated with one hand. Moto X apparently caters such demand. It is not a coincidence that both Moto X and HTC One are in the same size range of iPhone 5. Of course, Android users are spoiled with large display, so 4.7″ screen is a reasonable compromise.

Design and build quality

Among today’s Android manufactures, HTC is still a leader in hardware design. I’m not talking about market share, for which HTC is plummeting. Maybe HTC will have to leave US market just in 2 to 3 years if the trend cannot be reversed.

The design of HTC One seems better than Moto X. The metal body will strengthen your impression when you compare Moto X and HTC One side by side.

Moto X actually deviates from Motorola’s old design, especially the robotic Droid design. The exterior design of Moto X is very similar to HTC One: simple and elegant. What drags Moto X down is the plastic feeling. Because Moto X wants to offer customization on the back plate, metal or tempered glass is out of the options.

So, from the view point of design and build quality, HTC One is surely better.

BTW, “designed, engineered and assembled in the USA” does not help much on design and build quality for Moto X.

Software

Both Moto X and HTC One run Android Jelly Bean 4.2. Both will be upgraded to 4.3 in a couple of months.

Moto X … Continue to read....

Moto X will be officially announced on August 1: will it be a game changer?

July 20, 2013 by simon Leave a Comment

Finally, the birthday of the Moto X was confirmed. It will be on August 1, 2013.

According to Business Insider, Motorola is sending out invitations for the Moto X event in New York on August 1. Obviously, Moto X will be announced in this event.

We will see this long -awaited smartphone on the stage in New York. The rumors will stop then.

It is the last chance for Motorola Mobility in the fast-growing mobile phone industry. This is the sad fact for the past market leader in this industry. We are interested in this Moto X phone based on rumors; but we are more eager to know whether the 12.5 billion Google acquisition will save Motorola or will accelerate the death of Motorola.

Moto X is the first smartphone project in Motorola with Google’s leadership. Will it be a game changer?

The rumored specs ( 2GB RAM, 16GB/32GB storage, 10MP clear pixel camera, 1.7GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor, 720p HD display) indicate Moto X is targeting the middle range market. This market is volatile because major players just provide a strip-down version of the high-end flagship models. Potential users are driven away to either high-end or budget end, because there are no exciting offers in this category.

So, aiming at mid-range market is a smart move, if Motorola prices the Moto X wisely.

Currently, most high-end smartphones are overpowered, for example, a full HD display on a 4-5″ screen does not make sense, but all manufactures are in the race of hardware, because this is the easiest way to “differentiate” to competitors. Eventually, consumers are over-paying.

What was overlooked is the day-to-day user experience. Based on the leaked (official) Roger video, Moto X does a quite good job in this aspect. For example, the always-on voice activation (OK Moto Magic), notification screen when screen is off, double twist (although a bit awkward, maybe customizable) to launch camera.

Moto X will very likely come with Android 4.3 with very minor customization. It is not Nexus, but user experience will be very similar. Although it is arguable whether the … Continue to read....

OK Moto Magic: Moto X Phone officially leaked by Eric Schmidt (photo) and Rogers (video)

July 14, 2013 by simon 1 Comment

After the teaser in July 3rd, a new wave of teasers of Moto X are available to the public this weekend. Now the exterior, camera and voice control are quite clear from the official videos and photos.

Eric Schmidt, the Google Chairman, was using a Moto X phone publicly at the Sun Valley Conference “Camp for billionaires”.

The photo confirmed Moto X is not a giant phone, very likely less than 5″. So, the size is similar to Nexus 4 or even older Galaxy Nexus.

The thickness suggested the battery probably is quite large. The battery capacity is very likely somewhere close to 3000mAh, which is comparable to Droid Razr Maxx’s 3300mAh.

The exterior material is plastic without the metal rim as in Samsung’s. The back can be customized as suggested in the official teaser page. Plastic make senses for quick customization.

For the camera, the official Motorola Mobility account tweeted some blurred photos and mentioned “Either this kid is really fast, or today’s phones are really slow.” #AlmostGotIt pic.twitter.com/mdMEOGqfhr This indicates Motorola wants to remind us there are significant improvement on camera. Maybe not on the number of pixels, but more on the image quality for real life.

The most juicy leak is the commercial Rogers (a Canadian Telecom company) prepared for the launch of Moto X. In the long (close to 2 mins) video, you get a closer look of the Moto X phone.

Some unique features are illustrated in the video. For example, double twist to launch the camera. The voice control and new notification also makes the phone standing out. Apparently, these new features are quite practical, not just software gimmicks in Galaxy S4.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCucvQ1VuOk

The technical specifications are still a secret. But based on rumors, the phone will feature 2GB RAM, 16GB/32GB storage, 10MP camera (non-conventional one) , 1.7GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor, 720p HD display

What do you think about Moto X Phone? Share your thoughts in the comment box below!

… Continue to read....

Will Moto X Phone Save Motorola?

July 6, 2013 by simon Leave a Comment

Time is almost running out for Motorola Mobility in the handset battlefield.

Samsung now dominates Android handset with its Galaxy series, from budget to the top, from 3″ to 10″. HTC, LG, Sony, Huawei, ZTE are all gearing up for the 2nd place in the crowded Android market. Motorola has been silently losing its market share.

Apple, Nokia and Blackberry are all struggling to keep their grounds.

The Google acquisition is the last stimulus to revive Motorola. Moto X Phone probably is the last chance to save Motorola.

Both Motorola and its parent Google are betting the future of Motorola on Moto X . They simply do not have other options.

Although Google tries to distance itself from Motorola due to possible concerns from other Android handset manufactures, Moto X Phone is very likely a deep collaboration between Google and Motorola.

After months of rumors, before the Independence Day, Motorola finally revealed some (and very limited) info on this hyped Moto X Phone officially:

The first smartphone designed, engineered and assembled in the USA is coming.

It’s also the first smartphone that you can design yourself. Because today you should have the freedom to design the things in your life to be as unique as you are.

And this is just the beginning. By the end of the summer we expect there to be more than 2000 new employees in Ft. Worth, TX working to make all of this possible. Imagine what else you can do when you have the world’s best design, engineering and manufacturing talent located here in the USA.

Essentially, Motorola pitches this phone on “freedom”: the freedom you have on the design. This is something truly interesting. You can now register on Motorola’s website to receive updates on this phone.

Highlighting American-made may resonate with some American consumers. This is a perfect card for Motorola because US is its major market and in other market, it is marginal except in India.

The freedom is on design. The speculations are naturally on color, engraving, and wallpaper. According to ABC News,

Through a website, buyers will be

… Continue to read....