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Moto X Demo Video Reveals Google's Android Superphone

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.

3 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 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.

  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.