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Moto X Play announced: great specs, budget-friendly pricing
At a special press event today, Motorola took the wraps off of three new devices. We’ve already talked about the Moto G and Moto X Style, now it’s time to focus on the Moto X Play.
Positioned squarely between the Moto X Style and the Moto G (3rd gen), the Moto X Play is likely Motorola’s answer to a growing number of devices that push close to flagship territory but undercut pricing significantly — we’re talking about handsets like the ASUS ZenFone 2. This early its hard to say how well the Moto X Play will fare against the competition, but it certainly looks pretty solid on paper.
The Moto X Play is powered by a Snapdragon 615 processor with 2GB RAM. Other specs include a 5.5-inch full HD display, 32 or 64GB storage with microSD, and the same 21MP camera found on the Moto X Style.
Here are the full Moto X Play specs:
| Motorola Moto X Play | |
|---|---|
Display | 5.5-inch display with 1920 x 1080 resolution 403ppi Corning Gorilla Glass 3 |
Processor | 1.7GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 processor Adreno 405 GPU |
RAM | 2 GB |
Storage | 16/32 GB expandable via microSD up to 128GB |
Camera | 21 MP front-facing camera with dual LED flash 5 MP front-facing camera |
Connectivity | Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac Bluetooth 4.1 NFC GPS+GLONASS |
Battery | 3630mAh, non-removable |
Wireless charging | No |
Software | Android 5.1.1 Lollipop |
Colors | Customizable via Moto Maker - 14 back plate colors, 7 accent colors |
Probably one of the most exciting aspects here is the battery. At 3630 mAh, this powerhouse should be more than enough to power the phone for at least 2 days of usage, especially when you consider that the display is only of the Full HD variety and that the Snapdragon 615 is a fairly power frugal chip.
For those that love Motorola’s customization options with the Moto X, you’ll be happy to learn they return here with the Play. That means you’ll get the choice of multiple rear colors and materials, accent colors, and more.
On the software front, Motorola’s spartan approach is front and center, as you’ll also find with the Moto X Style and Moto G. That means a near vanilla Android ROM with a few special enhancements such as active display, Moto Voice, and more. For those that value simplicity, Motorola’s software is hard to beat.
Overall, the Moto X Play looks to be a great choice for those that have needs beyond the Moto E and Moto G series, but feel that the Moto X Style is either out of their price range, or offers more than they need. The aesthetics of the X Play aren’t nearly as visually appealing as the X Style, but it’s still a fairly attractive looking device that clearly follows Motorola’s design language.
Pricing and availibility
The Moto X Play is slated to arrive to 55 countries this August. Unfortunately, the United States isn’t on the list. For those lucky enough to have the option, Motorola says the X Play will be priced $300 to $400 less than its competitors, though no exact (firm) price tag has been unveiled just yet.
What do you think of the Moto X Play? Let us know in the comments!