New Moto X is a study in refinement

Text and photos by Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

Chicago, Il: Motorola gave select tech press a deep-dive into the design, process and creation of it's recently announced devices the new Moto X, the new Moto G, the Moto 360 wearable and the Motorola Hint (ear wearable). I received a walkthrough of Motorola's design, testing and production processes that resulted in their second generation Moto X.

From midrange flagship to high-end option

Launched a year ago, the original Moto X was a midrange Android device in terms of features and specs. It, however, brought a high degree of innovation and made consumers reconsider just what makes a good smartphone a great device.

Innovating with touchless control and the best implementation of voice control at the time, the Moto X also brought various software-based features that were intuitive, contextual and almost self-aware.

The original Moto X introduced the idea of a co-processor for measuring movement and that 'always listening' function that enabled pure touchless voice control. It knew if you were walking or if you were driving and it could adjust notifications, mute calling features and trigger turn-by-turn navigation. Despite offering a large-ish 4.7-inch screen, the Moto X was surprisingly compact and capable. I found it to be one of my favourite smartphones of 2013.

The new Moto X is a definite step up from mid-range to proper flagship smartphone. It scales up in size, build and features. A new aluminum metal frame gives it rigidity (while housing the all-important antennas) and a range of premium materials such as quality leather, bamboo, rubber are carefully melded to create a cohesive and well-conceived design.

The Pure Android user experience showcases the latest Android KitKat 4.4.4 OS powered by a Qualcomm SnapdragonTM 801 processor (MSM8974-AC) with 2.5 GHz quad-core CPU, Adreno 330 with 578 MHz GPU and 2 GB of RAM. Motorola promises that this will be one of the first devices to get the new Android L OS update when it becomes available.

Other major changes include the device's screen size which is now at 5.2-inches from the previous 4.7, again Motorola manages to make the new Moto X completely accessible for one handed use even at this size. The display is now full HD, 1080p capable with a 423 pixel per inch density. There are now four microphones for improved noise cancellation as well as for better receiving touchless controls.

Thanks to four tiny cameras buried in the corners of the new Moto X, it now knows when you're approaching and annoying phone calls can easily be silenced by the wave of the hand.

During my brief time with the new Moto X, I found it to be a step up from the first generation Moto X in every way. Improved materials, better build and features plus an increased focus on being intuitive and anticipating its users's needs.

The hardware can easily go toe to toe with most existing smartphone flagships but that's just half the story. Motorola's key differentiator is the range of software innovations like Moto Voice, Moto Assist, Moto Display and Moto Actions which don't only extend the what a smartphone can do for you, they open up interaction with accessories like the new Moto 360 wearable and the Moto Hint headset.

The result isn't just one of the better smartphones in the market but an entirely new way to interact with that smartphone in various convenient voice, gesture and hands-free options.

There's an inordinate amount of detail and refinement that has gone into the Moto X. Stay tuned for our full report and a more comprehensive review of this remarkable new smartphone once we've had a good chance to integrate it into day-to-day usage. Moto X is coming to Canada in black and bamboo this fall at TELUS. Learn more about the new Moto X.