Windows Phones have unfortunately closed up shop, so to speak, given Microsoft's failure to corner a considerable chunk of the smartphone market. There's only a few smartphones out today powered by Windows 10 Mobile, one of them being the computer-in-a-pocket HP Elite x3.
Despite this, one phone maker is still interested to integrate the Windows 10 Mobile platform on its latest phone focused on security and productivity, named the Moly X1.
Moly X1
The Moly X1 isn't exactly a new product. According to the team behind the Windows-powered phone, the Moly x1 was first released in Asia some quarters ago, to a warm reception. Upon receiving overwhelming queries about a European or U.S. Moly X1 release, the team began working on a new model to cater to European and American consumers.
The Moly X1 has just started its Indiegogo campaign to entice as many backers as possible. The team behind the Moly X1 will sell the smartphone for only $179 and units will ship to Canada, United States, Europe and Australia by December. The super early bird price of $179, however, is only available for the first 40 customers from Canada and the United States and 80 customers from Europe and Australia.
Once early bird models are claimed, the price will shoot upwards, ending at $229, its actual retail price, after the lesser-priced versions are all claimed first.
Moly X1 Specs
The Moly X1 is touted as a hands-free Windows 10 Mobile phone, which takes advantage of Microsoft's voice-enabled assistant, Cortana, for "comprehensive, end-to-end search capabilities."
The Moly X1's internet-enabled capabilities aren't new, with the team boasting that the phone is designed to take advantage of LTE networks for an "always-online" experience. Users can make Skype calls, share map directions, enable the virtual assistant and more, all of which are the usual suspects found on most phones today but at a stunningly cheap price.
The Moly X1 rocks a 5.5-inch 720p display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection. It is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 processor with the Adreno 306 for graphics. It comes with 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal storage expandable up to 128 GB. On the back is a 13-megapixel shooter and on the front is a 5-megapixel shooter. Needless to say, the phone will run Windows 10 Mobile out of the box, though Moly X1's official Facebook account has confirmed that the phone will come with the Windows 10 Mobile Anniversary Update pre-installed.
The Moly X1's Indiegogo campaign still has 19 days left to run a successful campaign, at the time of writing. So far, only a number of people have backed the campaign, which might be suggestive the the market for Windows Mobile handsets has truly dwindled. The Moly X1 surely wouldn't revive Microsoft's smartphone business, but like the HP Elite x3, its presence keeps the Windows 10 Mobile platform alive, though it remains to be seen for how long.
Do you think the Moly X1 will be successful in the U.S. market? Feel free to sound off in the comments section below!
