Following rumors, it's now official: an Android One variant of the recently released Moto X4 is going to be available via Project Fi, the first non-Google phone to join the lineup.
The phone runs Android One, meaning it has minor differences with the regular model Lenovo-owned Motorola that sells in Europe and other countries. It'll still look and feel similar to the everyday Android ecosystem and experience, but it won't necessarily have Motorola-specific features Moto phones usually come loaded with. There's no Moto Voice or Moto Access on this phone, for instance, but Motorola's gestures and several display customizations will remain.
Moto X4 To Get Not Just Android Oreo But Android P As Well
A standard Moto X4 runs Amazon Alexa, which, to nobody's surprise, is absent on the Android One version. The phone will have Android Nougat out of the box, but Google has confirmed it'll receive Android 8.0 Oreo before this year ends.
Oddly enough, Google has also confirmed that it's on track to get Android P, as The Verge reports. Any guesses for what the P might stand for? Peanut Butter? Popsicle? Pancake? Whatever it ends up being called, the Android One Moto X4 will have it. This is quite interesting because it means the phone will have a lot of headroom for future software support, unlike many phones that become abandoned as new software versions are launched.
Android One Moto X4 Specs
Beyond the differences mentioned above, the Android One version of Moto X4 is essentially similar to the standard one. It sports a 5.2-inch Full HD display, a Snapdragon 630 processor, 3 GB of RAM, 32 GB of onboard storage, an above-decent 3,000 mAh battery, and IP68 certification. There are dual 12- and 8-megapixel cameras on the back, in addition to a 16-megapixel selfie camera.
The Moto X4 is a significant inflection point for Android One, a brand of devices that has mostly been associated with the budget category. It also marks an important change of pace of Project Fi, which, until the Moto X4, only offered first-party Pixel or Nexus phones. Those phones cost an upward of $600. This makes the Moto X4 the cheapest phone a customer can get if they want to jump into Project Fi.
The phone will retail for $399, available in either silver or black. Preorders are open now.
Thoughts about Moto X4 joining Project Fi? Feel free to sound off in the comments section below!
