Lauren Goode

Recent Posts by Lauren Goode

How Does the Moto X Stack Up Against Apple’s iPhone 5 and Samsung’s Galaxy S4?

After months of teases, full-page ads and leaked details, Motorola’s new smartphone, the Moto X, is finally, officially here.

The new flagship phone is the first one Motorola has built entirely from the ground up since the company was acquired by Google two years ago. And, as you might expect, it boasts some snazzy new features — including but not limited to:

  • The ability to choose from a variety of colors and a few different materials for the phone’s casing.
  • Something Motorola is calling “touchless control,” which lets users speak to the phone (“Okay, Google Now”) even when the screen is dark and interact hands-free with Google Now for search and navigation.
  • A sensor that prompts the phone to show you the time, messages and notifications by simply nudging the phone or turning it over.

The smartphone will be available starting in late August or early September, through all four major carriers in the U.S. as well as US Cellular. A 16 gigabyte model will cost $199; the 32GB Moto X is $249. To start, the customization options will only be available through AT&T.

Twenty-four hour battery life, fun colors (and wood!) aside, it’s tough competition out there, with Apple and Samsung dominating the U.S. market. Motorola knows this all too well. So, how will the Moto X stack up?

Here’s a handy chart to help you decide:

motoxcomp

Latest Video

View all videos »

Search »

Another gadget you don’t really need. Will not work once you get it home. New model out in 4 weeks. Battery life is too short to be of any use.

— From the fact sheet for a fake product entitled Useless Plasticbox 1.2 (an actual empty plastic box) placed in L.A.-area Best Buy stores by an artist called Plastic Jesus