News of the Moto X+1 has been spreading online for a while, and Motorola upped the excitement about the new phone by announcing it will hold an event on September 4 in Chicago, which based on the teaser invites, looks as though the Moto X+1 will launch alongside a new Moto E, the Moto 360 smartwatch, and perhaps another device.
Updated on 8-25-2014 by Andy Boxall: Added new rumors about the X+1’s screen and camera.
Leak suggests 3D display and “Super Camera”
A leaker from Hong Kong has posted several possible new Moto X+1 features on a dedicated Moto Facebook page. The first stated the phone would have something called “3D recognition,” along with the same Active Display and handsfree controls seen on the Moto X. It’s not clear what the 3D recognition feature will be, but it may relate to a Fire Phone-like 3D menu system.
Additionally, we’re told to expect the phone to have a “Super Camera,” featuring an optical zoom, if the leak is correct. We’ve seen a few phones with optical zoom systems in the past, most notably Samsung’s Galaxy K Zoom, but it’s still not a common feature. The leaked photo of the device does show an unusual camera lens design, but we’d expect the optical zoom to be more noticeable.
Finally, there’s also discussion about being able to answer the phone from either the top or bottom of the device, thanks to dual speakers and microphones. None of these features are confirmed or official yet, although a matching patent has been seen for the latter feature.
A look at the Moto X+1’s design
Our first look at the Moto X+1 comes from almost-retired phone leaker @evleaks. Posted on his Twitter account as a “retirement gift,” the image shows a phone very similar in style to the Moto X, complete wit Verizon branding on the rear. The phone is pictured in both black and white, and with a wood-look rear panel. The camera lens appears to have a metal surround, giving the back of the phone some visual flair.
The Moto X+1’s full specifications leaked
A leak through benchmarking website GFX Bench indicates that the Moto X+1 will feature high-end specs, but it won’t have the most cutting-edge technology onboard. The X+1 will likely have a 5.2-inch screen with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, which is Full HD, but not Quad HD like other leading flagship smartphones. Motorola packed a 2.47GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor in the X+1 alongside the Adreno 330 GPU and 2GB of RAM. The Moto X+1 will also probably come with 16GB of built-in storage and a 13-megapixel back camera, according to the post.
Related: Moto 360 rumors and news
Additionally, it’s rumored to run Android 4.4.4 KitKat and include Wi-Fi, NFC, GPS, and Bluetooth connectivity. Several sensors are also listed, including a gyroscope, light, and proximity sensor. There is some speculation that the Moto X+1 will also have a built-in pedometer to better connect with the Moto 360 smartwatch.
Benchmarking tests show considerable potential
The GFX Bench post shares benchmark results from several tests, including T-Rex and Manhattan. The Moto X+1 managed 1,562 frames (27.9fps) in the onscreen test and 1,494 frames (26.7 fps) in the offscreen test. Samsung’s Galaxy S5 yielded similar results in the GFXBench 2.7 T-Rex HD C24Z16 test with 1,559 frames (27.8fps) in the onscreen test and 1,523 frames (27.2 Fps) in the offscreen.
Of course, benchmarks aren’t everything and only real-world tests of the Moto X+1 will prove whether it’s a worthy Galaxy S5 competitor. We expect to see the Moto X+1 in September, so stay tuned for further analysis and all the details.
Updated on 8-22-2014 by Andy Boxall: Added in a leaked photo, said to show the Moto X+1.
Article originally published on 08-15-2014
