On July 28, Motorola is expected to launch its new Moto X, the third generation smartphone in a line that offered devices of the same name since 2013. The first Moto X was received with lukewarm response, but the second handset received positive reviews. Will the upcoming Moto X 2015 be met with the same acclaim afforded to its predecessor? Or is there no compelling reason to upgrade to the new smartphone?
Motorola has yet to unveil official details about any of its rumored devices, but after patching up the many rumors that have cropped up here and there prior to the firm's upcoming media event, we've come to the conclusion that the Moto X 2015 is going to be a significant upgrade from the 2014 version. Here's what we know so far.
Under the hood, the Moto X 2015 will be powered by a 64-bit octa-core Snapdragon 810 from Qualcomm, which is certainly a huge leap from the 32-bit quad-core Snapdragon 801 chipset on the Moto X 2015. The new smartphone will reportedly run on 4 GB of RAM, as befits a high-end smartphone in 2015. That is double the 2 GB of RAM running on the older Moto X. Storage as well appears to get ready for an upgrade, as the low-end variant of the Moto X 2015 is slated for 32 GB of internal storage, while its older brother only has 16 GB. Sadly, there are no reports of a microSD slot for storage expansion on the new device, and it's not likely Motorola will include one since the older Moto X doesn't have room for expansion either.
On the rear panel, the new Moto X is said to have a 21 MP camera, although other reports say it is going to be 16 MP. Whatever sensor size Motorola goes after, the new phone will still likely get a better shooter than its predecessor. The front camera is also purported to get a lot of love, as recent leaks reveal Motorola has equipped an 8 MP front-facing shooter with LED flash. The previous-gen phone only has a 2 MP front camera and no flash.
Display-wise, rumors are plenty, but all of them hint at a larger smartphone than the Moto X 2014. The latest reports claim the upcoming handset will have a 5.5-inch AMOLED display with 2K resolution, as opposed to the 5.2-inch Full HD AMOLED display on the older smartphone. Other reports peg the Moto X 2015's display at 5.7 inches, and others still hint at the possibility of a 5.2-inch Moto X Sport.
Out of the box, the new Moto X will likely run Android 5.1.1 Lollipop, while the older phone is doing pretty well with Android 5.1 Lollipop, providing users a quick, buttery smooth experience and decent battery life with the small 2,300 lithium-ion battery that is going to pale when the Moto X 2015 with a 3,280 mAh battery comes out.
Other hardware improvements rumored for the new Moto X include a fingerprint scanner, which is reportedly built into the speakers of the phone to accommodate a slimmer bezel. The old smartphone doesn't have a fingerprint sensor, but it does have support for quick charging, which the new device will likely have.
Admittedly, there are still a lot of gaps in this comparison, as we still don't fully know what the Moto X 2015 has in store for users. However, we only have a few days left before Motorola's big reveal, and hopefully the company gives us one (or more) reasons to upgrade.
Check out a quick specs comparison of the two smartphones below.
Moto X 2015 | Moto X 2014 | |
Processor | Snapdragon 810 or Snapdragon 808 | Snapdragon 801 |
RAM | 4 GB | 2 GB |
Storage | 32 GB, 64 GB | 16 GB, 32 GB |
Rear Camera | 21 MP or 16 MP | 13 MP |
Front Camera | 8 MP with LED flash | 2 MP |
Battery | 3,280 mAh | 2,300 mAh |
Display | 5.5-inch Quad HD | 5.2-inch Full HD |
Software | Android 5.1.1 Lollipop | Android 4.4 KitKat upgradable to Android 5.1 Lollipop |
Other Features | Fingerprint Scanner | Fast Charging |
Photo: John Karakatsanis | Flickr
