Now the two X’s on the invite make sense – Motorola teased its announcement event by signing off “XOX” with the “O” looking more like a “G”. We had assumed that this was a neat way to tease the announcement of the Moto X and Moto G, but we weren’t expecting the announcement of two Moto X variants. These variants are the Moto X Style and Moto X Play – the Moto Style is a high end device sporting a Snapdragon 808 processor, whereas the Moto X Play slots in between the mid-range Moto G and the Moto X Style with a Snapdragon 615.
Starting with the Moto X Style, it will also be a big device, upgrading its screen size from last year’s 5.2-inch display to a 5.7-inch Quad HD display, and will be powered with 3GB RAM, a 3,000mAh battery, and have a pleasantly surprising 21MP f/2.0 rear camera. For those selfie lovers, the Moto X Style will also come with a 5MP wide angle front camera that also has a front facing flash. It will come in 3 storage variants (16/32/64GB) and will have a microSD slot for expandable memory.
As for the Moto X Play, it’s still going to be a big phone, with a 5.5-inch 1080p display, and has its internals rounded out by 2GB RAM, a 3,630mAh battery, the same camera as the Moto X Style, but will only come in two storage variants, 16/32GB. The huge battery of the Moto X Play is a big surprise and could be a viable option for those looking for that smartphone with decent battery life.
Overall, we’re really impressed with both devices, and Motorola appears to have stuck with almost stock Android Lollipop for all devices. Both will be available from Moto Maker (which is now accessible from Brazil!), with the Moto X Style (predictably) taking all the stylish options like leather and wood customizations, with the Moto X Play only offered with plastic shells. As for when they’ll be available, Motorola says that the Moto X Play will be available first, starting in August, and the Moto X Style will become available sometime in September.
In case you want to recap the livestream, you can check it out below:
