Motorola has officially announced another set of affordable Android devices in the form of the Moto E and Moto G Fast in North American markets.
Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.
MacBook Air is the best Apple laptop for most everyday users, save $200 today on a pair of the latest models
Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.
A pair of listings on GFXbench (via WinFuture) have revealed two Lenovo phones that may possibly be the next generation Moto E. Additionally, two devices with the Moto X3 moniker have hit an Indian import/export database that might allude to a release sooner than later.
Recently, Lenovo’s chief made some comments regarding the future of Motorola and Lenovo smartphones. Those comments seemed to indicate that the Moto brand name would only be used for high-end smartphones, while Lenovo’s ‘Vibe’ lineup would form the bottom end of the companies product portfolio. Some saw this as confirmation that Moto G and Moto E handsets would be discontinued.
Speaking to The Verge, a Motorola representative was quick to debunk those suggestions:
“Although we are simplifying the combined Motorola and [Lenovo] portfolio, we have no plans to retire Moto G, our most successful smartphone, or Moto E.”
Despite the fact that Lenovo’s chief seemed to be indicating an end to the bottom-tier Motorolas, it seems that instead, the Moto and Vibe brands will be used in different markets. The Moto G and Moto E are incredibly successful in a number of markets, particularly North America. In Asia, the Vibe brand is a better fit. So it could be instead that it slims down its portfolio, while still continuing to build new models of affordable Moto-branded products.
Most of the confusion and interest surrounding Motorola and its phones stems from a recent discovery that the Motorola brand name will be dying. Since then, it seems as though everything has been up in the air, at least in the media. While Motorola is going away, the Moto brand is too strong to give up. Just like it did with ThinkPad, Lenovo is going to continue using the Moto moniker for its devices.
Following news that Lenovo would be phasing out the Motorola brand-name, tech enthusiasts globally were intrigued to hear what else the company’s new owners had in store for us. Will Moto phones be just as good as they have been in the past? Will they keep the stock Android experience?
Lenovo’s chief, having spilled the beans regarding Google’s plans to launch its Play Services in China this year was seemingly keen to also share his thoughts on the Moto brand and what the next couple of years has in store for the fashionable smartphone family. As with all changes made when new owners take over, there’s both good news and bad news…
Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.
[tweet https://twitter.com/9to5toys/status/685497066211176448 align=’center’]
Motorola first announced its Android 6.0 Marshmallow rollout plans in October. At the time, 11 devices were included in the list that was mostly made up of devices from 2015 and 2014. One notable absence was the Moto E, the company’s entry-level smartphone. Thankfully, the list has since been updated and now includes the budget device, although if you have one in the US, you’re out of luck. The update seemingly won’t grace US shores.
Puzzlingly, Motorola has left the States and China out of its list of markets due to receive the Marshmallow update. The 2015 Moto E with 4G LTE will get Android 6.0 in Canada, Latin America, Europe and Asia (excluding China). Moto could still change its plans, and does state in the list that the China upgrade is still being evaluated, although no such statement is made about the US market.
Other handsets added to the list are those which were announced and released after the original list was published. As well as the Moto E, Motorola will bring Android 6.0 Marshmallow to the Moto X Force (which is currently part of a soak test), and the Verizon-exclusive DROID Turbo 2 and DROID Maxx 2. The full updated list of devices runs as follows:
Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.
Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.
Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.
[tweet https://twitter.com/9to5toys/status/651126504156368896 align=’center’]
Motorola said earlier this year at the launch of the 2nd generation Moto E that the phone would get at least some number of software updates after purchase. But today, with the company’s announcement of the phones that would be getting Android Marshmallow, there was one device curiously missing: The new Moto E… Expand
Expanding
Close
Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.
Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.
GoPro HERO4 Black Action Camera: $379 shipped (Orig: $500)
Refurbished VIZIO (S3851w-D4) 38-inch 5.1-Ch. Sound Bar with Wireless Subwoofer and Rear Satellite Speakers: $149.99 shipped (Orig: $280)
Seagate Backup Plus 5TB USB 3.0 Desktop External Hard Drive: $119.99 shipped (Orig: $150)
DHD D1 mini quadcopter: $12.30 Prime shipped (Orig: $35)
Resident Evil Collection on Blu-Ray: $29.99 Prime shipped (Orig: $60)
The Conway Electric Extō Dual-USB is the envy of all power strips
Back to the Future: The Game hits PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, pre-order now
Nintendo 2DS seeing an official price drop of $30
Motorola and its parent company Lenovo recently opened a new manufacturing facility in India that is predicted to output as many as 6 million smartphone units annually. Motorola India published a video to YouTube today showing off the plant — in it you can see some of the individual steps that go into putting together a 2015 Moto E, much of which still seems to be done by hand.
The new plant has been created in support of a “Made in India” campaign that the government there has been pushing in order to get more companies manufacturing in India. The campaign so far has attracted big names including Microsoft, Xiaomi, LG, ASUS, and several others. India’s government hopes increased manufacturing investment in a handful of sectors including electronics will spark job creation and GDP growth, a good measure of living standards that is still low in the country. Lenovo earlier today tweeted a picture from a press event celebrating the company’s new plant.
Maybe this means India will finally get access to Moto Maker?
The Motorola update train continues rolling on. Today, we’ve got more information on updates to two of the company’s 1st-generation budget phones, the Moto E and Moto G.
From 9to5toys.com:
Groupon is offering the highly praised Moto E smartphone bundled with a Bluetooth speaker and 1200 Tracfone minutes for $99.99. Using the coupon code GOODS5 drops the price even further to $95. On Amazon, the Moto E, Bluetooth speaker, and Tracfone service would cost you $238 in total.
The Moto E has been praised for offering a great Android experience for such an affordable price, so this deal makes it even more enticing for first time Android users or first time smartphone users in general. It’d also make a great burner phone if you’re in need of one of those.
The Moto E includes a 4.3-inch touchscreen with 3G connectivity. Unfortunately it runs Android 4.4 KitKat, but includes WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, and a 1.2GHz dual-core processor. It’s not great, but for the price and bundle it’s hard to beat.
You also get 1200 Tracfone minutes included in the bundle, as well as 1.2GB of data service and 1200 text messages. The Tracfone service is good for a year.
Buy the bundle on Groupon now. The coupon code GOODS5 drops the price to $95.
The unlocked 2nd-generation Moto E might have already began receiving Android 5.1 Lollipop straight from Motorola in early May, but Verizon customers rejoice: your over-the-air update is dropping now.
This update brings all the changes we’ve come to expect from the 5.0.2 to 5.1.1 bump as well as a slightly tweaked “Interruptions” control menu and Device Protection, which ensures that a lost or stolen device will remain locked (aka can’t be factory reset) until the original owner signs into it with his or her Google account. Verizon has a handy PDF that covers most of the changes coming with this update.
To check if your Moto E has pulled down the update yet, head into the Settings app and select About Phone > System updates.
We told you a couple days ago that Android 5.1 had started rolling out to the 2015 Moto E, but now it looks like Motorola is soak testing the same version of Android for its much older first generation Moto E.
As per the change log on the company’s Indian support website:
We are excited to announce a new software update for Moto E (1st Gen.) by Motorola. This update brings Android™ 5.1 Lollipop to your phone along with other improvements.
For now the update is only hitting devices in India, but this means that it will almost surely be hitting other locales around the world soon. Android 5.1 includes support for multiple SIM cards, new device protection features, high definition voice calling, and more.
According to several users on XDA, Motorola this evening has started rolling out Android 5.1 to the second generation Moto E. The update, since the Moto E is sold off-contract, should hit all users of the phone, on all carriers, at the same time.
Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.
TRENDnet 200 AV Nano Powerline Adapter Kit $20 shipped (orig. $50)
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HH7ljkGNm9o]
Yesterday morning the FedEx truck delivered a cute little diorama that represented a Motorola keynote event complete with reporter badge, stage, and most importantly a demo unit of the new Moto E. Very nice job Moto PR. Nothing like going into a review with a smile on my face in my blogger PJs.
More importantly, the product they shipped is a big winner. The new Moto E, if you like your screens at 4.5 inches and non-Retina, is about the best thing you can get out there at any price. The fact that it is $150 for the LTE version and $120 for the HSPA+ GSM pushes this phone into no-brainer territory.
This is a really good, well built device… Expand
Expanding
Close
Update: Pictures of our Moto E box after the break…
Motorola sent out emails last week saying that they’d be shipping mysterious boxes soon with a surprise announcement within, and today many publications and journalists are receiving their boxes. We haven’t received ours quite yet, but the cat is pretty much out of the bag. Inside, Motorola announced the 2nd generation Moto E, the company’s latest fresh of its budget smartphone. Expand
Expanding
Close
The second generation Moto E was spotted earlier this month on the Best Buy website, but now we have what looks to be a render of the device all stamped up and ready to ship on Verizon (via Android Police). And to the delight of many, it looks like the device is going to pack 4G LTE, a feature that isn’t common in phones in the price range this one will likely fall into.
Motorola announced today that it has started rolling out the latest version of Android to Moto E and Moto Maxx devices Brazil and Mexico. Only a few users will see the update at first as Google tests the software on these handsets, with additional users gaining access in the coming weeks.
The phone maker says users should make sure they’re running the latest version of Motorola Update Services from the Play Store in order to get the update when it becomes available.
Earlier today Android 5 started rolling out on the Galaxy Note 4 in Poland along with several other devices in other markets.
WiFi home calling company Republic Wireless announced today that it will soon offer Motorola’s low-priced Moto E off-contract for $99. The handset is set to go on sale today and ship sometime next month. If you’re unfamiliar with this budget-friendly device, Motorola’s everyman smartphone is equipped with a 4.3-inch qHD display, a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera and Android 4.4 KitKat.
Following announcements for the roll out of Android 4.4.3 for a number of Android devices yesterday, Motorola today confirmed its own roll out schedule for Moto X, Moto G, and Moto E. Here’s the break down of who gets it first starting this week:
While users will get the improved dialer (pictured above) and other fixes we previously detailed for Android 4.4.3, Moto X and Moto G users will also get the Moto Alert app, and “pausing for video recording with a convenient pause/resume button on the viewfinder,” while Moto X gets improved camera image quality: Expand
Expanding
Close
Currently, Motorola seems to be the king of budget smartphones. With the launch of the Moto G ($179.99) and more recently the Moto E ($129.99), it seems like Motorola has a smartphone tier for just about anyone. Motorola’s Moto X has also dropped in price to $349.99 off contract and just barely graces the budget phone border.
The good news is, there are plenty of budget Motorola devices to choose from, but now you’ll have to make a decision. Which one is the best for you? Let’s find out in our Moto showdown.
When it comes to smartphones people often go gaga for specs and while beefy processors and gigabytes of RAM always sound good, quality software can be a real game changer. For example, Samsung’s new Galaxy S5 ships with a 2.5GHz quad-core processor pushed by 2GB of RAM. On paper this handset should breeze through everyday tasks and crush a bargain bin device like Motorola’s Moto E in any performance-based challenge.
Motorola Mobility’s days as a Google-owned company may be numbered, however this doesn’t mean the outfit is completely severing all ties Mountain View. In fact, the company’s latest smartphone, the Moto E runs a near-vanilla version of Android 4.4.2 KitKat. Perhaps as a way to help its new handset reach its full potential, Motorola has decided to add the Moto E to its Bootloader Unlock program. This decision will most likely bolster support from third-party Android developers, freeing up the device’s hardware for open source platforms like CyanogenMod. Sure, Google and Motorola may soon be parting ways, but it appears that the two companies may still maintain a friendly relationship.
Motorola has officially unveiled the Moto E. If you thought the Moto G was the company’s only budget smartphone, think again. The Moto E is redefining the industry with a launch price of only $129 in the US and £89 in the UK.
The Moto E may not be packed with the best specifications on the block, but it will certainly get the job done. Especially for the money. As far as specifications go, the Moto E has a 4.3-inch display covered by Gorilla Glass with a resolution of 960×540 (256ppi), 1.2Ghz dual-core Snapdragon processor, Adreno 302 GPU, 1GB of RAM, 4GB of internal storage, a 1,980mAh battery, and runs Android 4.4.2.
Perhaps warming up for tomorrow’s big announcement, Motorola Mobility introduced the Twittersphere to @MotorolaIndia, along with a tease for its next device. In addition to a nod to its Indian arm, the company tweeted a picture of a rocket blasting off with a caption that read “BIG day tomorrow!”
A picture of a phone listed as the Moto E recently made a brief appearance on Motorola Mexico’s Facebook page, only to be pulled by its publisher. This quick sneak peek gave us a look at what we might see during the company’s media event on May 13th, however the Moto E’s hardware was still pretty much a mystery.
Motorola has already announced that its next smartphone will be revealed on May 13th and that it will most likely be budget-friendly. An affordable phone isn’t necessarily a bad thing, however if a recent photo of the alleged Moto E is the device in question, consider us slightly underwhelmed. Posted and removed from Motorola Mexico’s Facebook page is a photo of what is said to be Motorola’s new affordable smartphone. Pictured next to the highly praised Moto G, the Moto E (or whatever it might be) looks like a throwback to about four years ago.
