The Moto X Play is a more affordable version of the Moto X Style with a gigantic battery

By Robert Nazarian Published July 28, 2015

Motorola announced the all new Moto X Play today in an event in London and New York City. The Moto X Play debuts alongside the Moto X Style, and is a smaller and more affordable option.

Here is everything you need to know about the all new Moto X Play.

Recommended Videos

Slightly smaller display, but bigger battery

The Moto X Play comes with a 5.5-inch Full HD (1,920 x 1,080) display, which is slightly smaller than the Moto X Style’s 5.7-inch Quad HD (2560 x 1440) display. It’s powered by a 1.7GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 processor along with 2GB of RAM. Motorola will offer the phone in both 16 and 32GB options, and the MicroSD slot offers expanded storage.

The 3,630mAh battery will provide up to 2 days of life on one charge. It includes quick charging capability, which means that you can get 8 hours of battery life after charging the device for only 15 minutes from 0 percent.

The Moto X Play features advanced nano-coating technology, which provides a water-repellent barrier for accidental spills, splashes, or light rain. However, it’s not considered waterproof, so it can’t be submersed in water or exposed to high pressure.

Rounding out the specs include NFC, LTE, Bluetooth 4.0 LE, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/g/b/n (dual band capable), and Nano-SIM compatibility.

“Best in class” camera

Motorola has never wowed anyone in the camera department, so we’re hoping things will be different this year. Motorola is promising “best in class” cameras on both the Moto X Play and Moto X Style. Both phones offer a 21-megapixel rear camera with an f/2.0 aperture and Colour Correlated Temperature (CCT) flash with dual LEDs. The Moto X Play can record 1080p (1,920 x 1,080) video at 30 fps or slow motion video at 720p (1,280 x 720). Sadly, optical image stabilization wasn’t mentioned.

The front-facing camera comes in at 5 megapixels and features an 87-degree wide-angle lens for the perfect selfies.

Moto X Play: True love isn't so hard to find.

Near Stock Android with helpful features

Motorola continues to offer a near stock Android experience along with innovative features such as Moto Assist, Moto Display, Moto Voice, and Quick Capture.

Moto Assist offers the ability to control certain aspects of the phone depending on your location. For example, you can set the phone to automatically enter silent mode when you get home or automatically read your text messages to you when you’re in the car.

Moto Display will show you notifications without turning on the full display to save battery life.

Moto Voice allows you to say Google Now commands to your Moto X Play without ever needing to touch the device.

The phone will come with Android 5.1.1 out of the box, and will likely get updated to Android M later this year.

Moto Maker customization

Like previous Moto X phones, the Moto X Play can be customized via Moto Maker. Motorola will offer up to 14 different backs and 7 different color accents, which vary by market. Base models will include Black on Black and White with a Winter White back.

Availability

The all new Moto X Play will be available in 55 countries this August, but unfortunately it won’t be available in the U.S. Motorola didn’t specify specific pricing, but did say that it will be $300 to $400 cheaper (off contract) than competing flagship phones.

Robert Nazarian

Former Contributor

Robert Nazarian became a technology enthusiast when his parents bought him a Radio Shack TRS-80 Color. Now his biggest…

Topics

Phones

I underestimated the Pixel 11, and now I’m eating my words

Electronics, Mobile Phone, Phone

It’s only been a week since Google launched the Pixel 11 series globally, and I’ve already been putting the Pixel 11 through its paces. This is the vanilla model of the bunch, and on the surface, Google hasn’t changed the design or tried to reinvent what already worked last year. And you know what? I’m completely fine with that.

I’ve always been a firm believer in “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” and the Pixel 11 feels like Google took that saying pretty seriously. A lot of what made the Pixel 10 work is still here, just with a few tweaks sprinkled in. That might not sound particularly exciting, but after actually living with the phone for the past few days, I’ve found myself enjoying it more than I expected. So, rather than writing it off for looking a little too familiar, I gave this baby a proper chance. And while I’m still putting it through plenty of tests, there are already a few things about the Pixel 11 that I’ve really started to like.

Phones

Pixel 11 just got more expensive, but Google may have found a way to stop the bleeding

Google's big manufacturing shake-up could help Pixel 12 from getting even pricier

Electronics, Mobile Phone, Phone

Google just pushed the prices higher for the entire Pixel 11 lineup. The hikes weren't surprising at all, especially considering the rising component costs and the ongoing RAMmageddon. But a new report hints that we might soon see a solution to all of this.

According to Nikkei Asia, Google plans to stop producing all Pixel devices in China starting in 2027, shifting manufacturing toward India and Vietnam. The reported move covers Pixel phones, watches, and wireless earbuds as Google continues reducing its reliance on Chinese manufacturing. As always, there's no guarantee Google will pass any resulting savings along to buyers. Though reducing its exposure to China at a time of volatile trade policy and spiralling component costs could give the company more flexibility when it comes time to price future Pixels.

Phones

The sideloading workaround Google promised months ago is finally rolling out

Google's making sideloading harder on purpose, but there's still a way in.

Google infographic

Google is finally rolling out the advanced sideloading flow it first teased back in March, giving power users a way to install apps from unverified developers on certified devices without touching ADB.

Back then, Google started asking developers to verify their identity before their apps could land on certified Android devices, no matter if you download them from the Play Store, a third-party store, or sideload them directly. The idea is to tie every app to a real developer ID so scammers can't easily sneak malware onto your phone.