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Motorola refreshes line with three new smartphone launches

Thomas Wellburn
July 28, 2015

After weeks of rumours and speculation, Motorola has announced three new handsets which directly replace the previous Moto G and Moto X.

The company announced a direct replacement to the Moto G which is available worldwide from today, while the Moto X comes in two variants aimed at different price brackets.

Moto X Style details

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The Moto X Style replaces their previous flagship and carries some market-leading specifications. On the outside, it looks exactly as the leaks suggested, with the same rumoured 5.7 inch 1440p screen and Cornering Gorilla Glass 3. At 179g, it’s not the lightest device in the world, though Motorola was keen to stress a few points about the design. One thing they are very pleased about is high screen-to-body percentage ratio, which is bigger than the Samsung Galaxy S6 and Apple iPhone 6 Plus. Inside, you’ll get a hexa-core Snapdragon 808, 3GB RAM and a very nice 3,000mAh battery.

The main highlight of the device is the camera, which comes in at a whopping 21 megapixels. Motorola are officially calling it “one of the best cameras in the world”, which is a pretty bold claim. It also carries a 5 megapixel front camera with a wide-angle lens, which will be perfect for selfie fans who enjoy taking group shots. Another cool feature worth noting is full waterproofing, which will reportedly protect the device for up to 30 minutes in 3 feet of water.

You’ll be able to once again customise the device using the Moto Maker on-line utility, which will allow a choice of various materials for the rear cover. It’s scheduled to release in September and will undercut Apple and Samsung by “$200 to $300”.

Moto X Play details

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The Moto X Play sits directly in the centre of the flagship Style and budget Moto G. With a Snapdragon 615 octa-core processor and 2GB RAM, it should still be a solid performer. The screen is a little smaller at only 5.5 inches but it still maintains a respectable full HD resolution of 1080p. The Play also carries across the same 21 megapixel rear camera and 5 megapixel front camera that can be found on the flagship Style, which is a nice touch.

Its trump card is the battery, which comes in at a whopping 3,630mAh. Combined with the more energy efficient mid-range processor, Motorola says that it should last around two days on a full charge.

Moto G details

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The new Moto G is a third generation update to the incredibly popular budget line of smartphone devices. It’s been bumped up in a few places, though the jump isn’t quite as substantial as the flagship Moto X. The camera has gotten a big improvement and now sits at 13 megapixels, while the front camera has been increased to 5 megapixels.

The processor has been upgraded to a Snapdragon 410, which offers a slightly faster clock speed over the original and 64-bit capabilities. Two versions will be available, with one offering  2GB RAM/16 GB storage available and the other 1GB RAM/8GB storage. The handset is also fully waterproof thanks to a nano-coating, which allows it to be submerged for 30 minutes in up to 3 feet of water.

All the above phones will run on the newest version of Android Lollipop 5.1 and feature MicroSD expansion, which is a great move by Motorola. Pricing for all the models is still yet to be confirmed, though various websites are eluding around the $200 mark for the Moto G.

For more on Motorola, visit What Mobile’s dedicated Motorola page.

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