Motorola's new Moto X has much in common with new Verizon Droids

After weeks of leaks and rumors, Motorola finally took the wraps off its Moto X Android phone Thursday. The handset is packed with generous battery life and a few convenience features that show Motorola is at least trying to take a stand in the ultra-competitive smartphone space.

But is this your new elite superphone? No, it doesn't look like Motorola is trying to play in that market.
The Moto X, which will retail for $200 for the 16GB version and $250 for the 32GB version, is the result of a joint venture between Google and Motorola to create a smarter, more personal smartphone. It is the first device the pair has worked closely on since Google acquired Motorola in May of last year.

Motorola announced the phone would be available on five U.S. carriers at the end of August, with more countries being announced in the near future.

Spec-wise, the Moto X isn’t very impressive: The phone is identical to the recently announced Verizon Droids—the Droid Maxx, the Droid Ultra, and the Droid Mini—and has many of the same features that we already saw on those handsets. However, one spec did stand out. Google said it rates the Moto X’s battery life at 24 hours with normal usage, with all the phone’s features turned on.

You can quickly launch the camera by shaking the phone, and saying “Okay Google Now” allows you to dictate commands to the device for times when you can’t use your hands. The lock screen on the Moto X will pulsate when you get a notification, and the phone will automatically turn on when you pull it out of your pocket.

Specs

The phone runs on a 1.7GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor and uses the same Motorola X8 system architecture as its Verizon-only cousins. Motorola said that it needed to use this custom chip setup in order to use all of the sensors on the phone without impacting the Moto X’s battery life.
The phone has a 4.7-inch 720p OLED display, putting it around the same size as the HTC One—albeit with a much lower resolution. The phone comes with 16GB of onboard storage, though a 32GB model is available as well. Motorola also said that it would release a developer edition of the phone, although it won’t be available at the initial launch.
You’ll be able to order a custom Moto X from Motorola’s website, and the company showed off its new Moto Maker tool that gives you some control over how your phone looks.

You will be able to customize the back of your new Moto X.

There are a variety of colors available for the back of the phone, though you can only choose black or white for its face. Customizing your phone doesn’t cost you anything extra, but it’ll initially only be available for AT&T customers.