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Moto X Demo Video Reveals Google's Android Superphone

Posted by timothy on from the when-leaked-means-broadcast dept.

MojoKid writes with word that "A tech demo posted to YouTube shows off Motorola's upcoming Moto X smartphone, a seemingly high-end device that is sure to win over a few fans with its wealth of new tricks and features. The Moto X handset, which is launching exclusive to Rogers in Canada (no mention of U.S. market carriers) this August, will be available in black and white, but a key selling point of the device comes from its voice activated features. The tech demo heavily emphasizes Google Now, which Moto X users can engage without touching the device. In the demo, a woman is shown asking Google Now what the weather will be like in Toronto while she types away on a computer, never having to reach down to tap the handset. It was also previously leaked that the Moto X will ship with a 4.4-inch display (1280x720), 1.7GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 8960 processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, 10MP rear-facing camera, 2MP front-facing camera, and of course Android 4.2 Jelly Bean." With a marketing budget said to include up to half a billion (!) dollars from Google, it's hard to imagine that any leaks are actually unintentional.

13 of 151 comments (clear)

  1. So it listens all the time... by houstonbofh · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I can't see anything bad coming of this...

    1. Re:So it listens all the time... by phizi0n · · Score: 3, Insightful

      The video only shows it doing hands free voice search when you're already in Google Now which is already possible with any Android 4.2 rom (probably anything >4.0). The voice search only activates when you say the "google" keyword which she says "okay google now..."

      The specs look pretty lackluster so I'm confused why they are calling it a "superphone."

    2. Re:So it listens all the time... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Permanently recording everything in their area? With 16 GB of storage (about 12 GB which is usable)? Right. And no, it isn't sending it to Google or anyone else - can you imagine the bandwidth charges for that? This works pretty simply - when the phone hears the keyword it wakes up and starts listening for a query. It works just like the earlier implementation of Google Now on Nexus phones except that on those phones you have to turn on the screen and open Google Now first. Then, you can say "Google" and it will start listening for a query. Not saving and permanently recording. It is all fine to be paranoid - but let's think about it a bit first.

    3. Re:So it listens all the time... by aminorex · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Everyone knows it's bad. But the candy is too sweet, the heroin too lush. It is certainly possible to secure a phone, and I think there is a market for it. Meanwhile it is doable, if you have time to hack. Install AOSP. Disable E911 in hardware. The layered services which create the most vulnerabilities are generally not engineered to be resistant to use by a clean phone.

      --
      -I like my women like I like my tea: green-
  2. Battery Drain by Internal+Modem · · Score: 5, Interesting

    "a woman is shown asking Google Now what the weather will be like in Toronto while she types away on a computer, never having to reach down to tap the handset."

    That is the type of "feature" I immediately deactivate to conserve battery. Most features added by manufacturers these days seem like gimmicks where the drawbacks are greater than the benefits.

    1. Re:Battery Drain by ColdWetDog · · Score: 3, Funny

      You all really should loosen the Velcro on your shiny caps. It's cutting off circulation.

      --
      Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
  3. Advertising Budget by pitchpipe · · Score: 3, Insightful

    With a marketing budget said to include up to half a billion (!) dollars from Google, it's hard to imagine that any leaks are actually unintentional.

    Or this advertisement.

    --
    Look where all this talking got us, baby.
  4. Avoid google by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Avoid google, avoid android, avoid microsoft windows phones. Both of these companies (Google and Microsoft) are the worst when it comes to sharing your data with the 3 letter agencies.

    Buy the Jolla phone when it becomes available or get yourself a Firefox OS phone. Yes, you may need to wait a little while, and yes, you may not get all the features you want, but it is about time we consider our rights and privacy above the next shiny thing.

    Vote with your dollars or else forego your right to speak about privacy and rights.

    1. Re:Avoid google by jkflying · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Get a Nexus. Flash it with Cyanogenmod. Be free with all the features you need. Unless, you know, they decide to tap your line at the cell tower.

      --
      Help I am stuck in a signature factory!
    2. Re:Avoid google by interkin3tic · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Let's assume firefox actually won't comply with the NSA for the moment. Isn't it still a futile symbolic gesture if you actually use the phone on any network, since they all happily give up you data? AT&T has (or at least had) a broom closet that was the special NSA link room. Not to mention selling to advertisers.

  5. Speak no evil. Hear no evil. See no evil. by theodp · · Score: 4, Funny

    Hey, what are you worrying about? If you speak no evil, it'll hear no evil. And if a future upgrade leaves the camera on all the time, just make sure it sees no evil! :-)

  6. Superphone? by markdavis · · Score: 4, Insightful

    >"Moto X Demo Video Reveals Google's Android Superphone"

    Superphone? Hardly. Compare to the HTC One/OneX/EvoLTE or the Samsung Galaxy S4/S3 or several other high-end models from other companies (LG, Sony) and it loses in most categories we know about so far.

    *Smaller display.
    *Lower resolution
    *Slower processor
    *Less storage (and I am assuming no SD slot either)
    *Few special features
    *No front speakers

    So it is a somewhat midrange phone by the already set high-end standards. And even LESS attractive if you find Google Now" creepy, and REALLY less attractive if you find a phone listening to you all the time and linked into Google, Google Now, and probably Google+ even more creepy. And what does listening all the time and using the main screen for notifications do to the battery life?

    It is nice to see Motorola getting back into the game, but let's not go ga-ga over the presented leaks because so far, they just don't look all THAT impressive. I am sure there is a market for a non BEASTLY phone, but this is not the "ultimate" phone, nor the solution for everyone (of course, no one phone is).

  7. What problem does always on solve? by faffod · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Being able to respond to voice commands requires the CPU to always be parsing audio input. That will have a noticeable, and negative, impact on battery life. When I want to look something up I am in a context switch already, pushing a button on my phone is not an inconvenience. What problem are they trying to solve?