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Moto X Pure Edition (also known as Moto X style internationally) was unveiled by Motorola in July of 2015, becoming its top-of-the-line offering for those looking for a good-looking powerhouse. The company also unveiled a second Moto X called the Moto X Play (later to be known as the Droid Maxx 2 in the US), which is more rugged and offers better battery, but is less powerful in terms of tech specs.

It packs a 5.7-inch Quad HD display and the Snapdragon 808 running at 1.8 GHz, 3 GB of RAM, 4G LTE, and storage tiers at 16, 32, and 64 GB. The phone has a beastly 21-megapixel main camera w/ a f/2.0 aperture and 4K video capture, a dual-tone flash, a 5-megapixel front cam, and a front-facing flash as well. As for the battery, the Style sits at 3,000 mAh.

The Moto X Pure Edition is customizable via Moto Maker just like its predecessors, and introduced a new silicon rubber material as a new back option.

Moto X 2017 leak shows off dual-cameras, reveals massive 3800 mAh battery w/ Snapdragon 660

Motorola/Lenovo made an interesting move in 2016 by dropping the Moto X brand for the Moto Z, but as we’ve heard a few times now, there seems to be plans to bring back the X for 2017. Information on this new phone has been light, but today we’re getting new details and confirmation on some previous specs as well.

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Android 7.1 hits the Galaxy Nexus and 2013 Moto X via CyanogenMod and Unlegacy ROMs

Galaxy Nexus

When a company says that they are going to stop supporting a phone, what they usually mean is they will no longer push firmware updates to the handset. When this happens, the only chance customers have to ever run the latest build of Android is if developers build a custom ROM for it. In the case of the Galaxy Nexus and the 2013 Moto XAndroid 7.1 Nougat is now available thanks to the CyanogenMod and Unlegacy Android communities.

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New leaks show off ‘Style Mods’ for the Moto Z

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Motorola Lenovo is just a few short days away from announcing their next Android flagship, the Moto Z (or Moto X 2016 as it’s also known). We’re all excited to see what will be unveiled, but through a series of leaks we know quite a lot about the new phone. We know that it’ll have a metal design, but one of the biggest downsides to that is that users won’t be able to customize the look of the phone. However thanks to a new set of leaks, it looks like we’ll be able to retain that after all, sort of.

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Motorola teases upcoming June 9th event by invoking memories of the RAZR

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It was 2006, you were in high school, and everybody had a Motorola RAZR. At least, that’s how Motorola wants you to remember your life ten years ago, in its latest teaser for the upcoming Moto X (or Moto Z) announcement.

Of course, one year later the iPhone was launched and the entire mobile industry was turned on its head. But for that one brief spell, the RAZR was without doubt the most popular phone around, and it turned heads.

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9to5Toys Lunch Break: Moto X Pure Edition (3rd gen) $299, Moto X (2nd gen) $150, more

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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: TwitterRSS FeedFacebookGoogle+ and Safari push notifications.

TODAY’S CAN’T MISS DEALS:

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Moto X Pure Edition (3rd gen) 16GB Black (unlocked): $299 shipped (Reg. $350) | Amazon

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32GB Moto X (2nd gen) w/13MP camera, 5.2″ 1080P display, more: $150 shipped

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Full 1080p HD 27-inch Displays: LG Ultra-Thin Bezel $160 (Reg. $250+)more

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Amazon Gold Box: Eneloop Rechargeable 14 battery Power Pack – 10 AA, 4 AAA w/charger: $26 Prime shipped

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Roundup: The best power strips w/ USB ports to quickly (and safely!) charge all of your devices

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

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The 2016 Roku Streaming Stick receives its first discount: $40 Prime shipped (Reg. $50)

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MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

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Cut the cord for good w/ the AmazonBasics Ultra Thin 50-mile HD Antenna for $32 Prime shipped (Reg. $40)

NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

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The Tap Bluetooth wearable turns nearly any surface into a functioning Bluetooth keyboard

This week’s top stories: Android VR, OnePlus 3, Galaxy Note 6, new apps, & much more

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In this week’s top stories: Google’s upcoming standalone Android VR headset, OnePlus 3 leaks, Galaxy Note 6 gets a release date, and we take a look at official accessories for the Galaxy S7 Edge, new apps, & much more. Head below for the usual roundup of links to all this week’s most shared stories and video.

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Specs for 4th-gen Moto X detailed along w/ ‘Amps’ modular backplates [Update]

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Update: The reliable HelloMotoHK has posted a new picture (below) of the phone’s front panel that features ‘Moto’ above the fingerprint sensor.

Following yesterday’s leak of the upcoming Moto X, Venture Beat has gotten details of the device’s specs and a new modular ecosystem that will launch alongside the phone.

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The best Android phones you can buy [May 2016]

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We’re nearing the end of the first half of 2016, and that means a lot of new Android smartphones have been announced. Starting off the year was the Huawei Mate 8 and Honor 5X at CES in January, of course followed later by Samsung’s Galaxy S7 and S7 edge as well as the LG G5 in February at Mobile World Congress. But which ones are the best buys? Keep reading to find out…

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Android Marshmallow update for Motorola’s Droid Turbo 2 said to be ‘in full deployment’

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Albeit having been released months ago, much like all of its predecessors, the latest Android version, Marshmallow, is still running only on a relatively small number of devices. Much of it can be attributed to carriers and third party manufacturers, which often take a lot of time to properly re-skin, release certifications, and eventually give the green light to updates.

Fortunately for Verizon customers, however, it looks like Google‘s latest software is beginning its rollout for the Droid Turbo 2. In a note released on Tuesday on Google Plus, Motorola‘s David Schuster confirmed that the upgrade is in “full deployment”…

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Deal: Limited edition Moto X Pure designed by Jonathan Adler down to $299 (Originally $475)

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Way back in December, Motorola launched a limited edition series of Moto X Pure phones in partnership with renowned designer, Jonathan Adler. They had all the same great specs and features of the regular 32GB Moto X Pure, except they had an awesome unique design on the back.

The only issue was Motorola opted to sell them at a premium. Now, that premium has gone, and you can pick one up for $175 less than the original price.

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Motorola teams up with ‘grandfather of graffiti’ Futura to tag a limited run of Moto X Pure handsets

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Motorola’s Moto X line has consistently been a lineup of devices which enabled users to express their individuality. Ever since the first version was released with the Moto Maker tool, customers could make the phone look how they wanted it to. At the time, it was initially just a few different colors of plastic, with wooden backs added later on.

Fast forward a couple of years, and we now have multiple plastic colors, multiple wood options and a handful of leather backs. Recently, Motorola teamed up with designer, Jonathan Adler to offer limited patterns, and has now partnered with legendary graffiti artist, Futura, on an even more limited run.

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Possible Moto X revealed in leaked image, front fingerprint sensor in place of dual speakers

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According to the Wall Street Journal, Lenovo is going to release its first device under the ‘Moto’ brand in July. Save for screen sizes larger than 5-inches and a fingerprint sensor, not much is known about the flagship. HelloMotoHK, a leakster who showed us the first photos of the 2nd-generation Moto 360, has now posted a picture of what appears to be an upcoming phone…

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9to5Toys Lunch Break: 64GB Moto X Pure w/ $25 GC $400, Nova Launcher Prime $1, more

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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: TwitterRSS FeedFacebookGoogle+ and Safari push notifications.

TODAY’S CAN’T MISS DEALS:

moto-x-pure

Moto X Pure Edition 64GB Smartphone (unlocked) w/ $25 GC: $400 shipped (Reg. $525)

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Nova Launcher Prime for Android drops to $0.99 (Reg. $4.99)

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Aukey USB-C 4-port USB chargers w/Prime: Power Strip $14, USB-C Hub $9, Gig Ethernet $14, more

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How-to: Save up to $10/month on your cable bill by buying this $40 DOCSIS 3.0 Modem

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This emergency flashlight can charge your phone, start your car, or help you break out of it: $80 shipped

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

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Snag one of these discounted HDTV antennas and finally cut the cord, deals from $13 Prime shipped

MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

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Beats by Dr. Dre Beats Studio Over-the-Ear Wired Headphones $150 shipped (Orig. $300)

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MFi Apple-Certified Lightning + microUSB Braided Cables: 6-foot $13.50, 3-ft. $12.50, more

NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

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DJI’s Phantom 4 drone is coming later this month with a new obstacle avoidance system

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Grovemade’s new wooden MacBook Dock offers a Made in America home for your device

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Brooklyn’s own Grado Labs introduces its first Made for iPhone earbuds w/ Siri control

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Review: Audioengine turns it up to 11 with its newest Bluetooth HD6 powered speakers

Roundup: Best deals on last year’s Android flagships

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Now that Samsung, LG, Sony and Alcatel have announced their flagship phones for 2016, its competition won’t be far behind. HTC is expected to announce the One M10 soon and Huawei will unveil the P9. While new phones are exciting, perhaps even better news is that last year’s best phones are now available at lower prices, and they’re still great smartphones.

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Deal: Buy a Moto X Pure Edition 64GB, get a free first gen. Moto 360 ($200 value)

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Moto X Pure Edition is one of the best phones that launched last year, and now you have even more reason to buy one. Just last month we gave it a “3 months later” second look (spoiler: we still think it’s great), but Motorola wants to make the deal even sweeter with a free Moto 360 Android Wear watch… Expand
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9to5Toys Lunch Break: Moto X Pure Edition (unlocked) $375, LG Watch Urbane $180, more

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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: TwitterRSS FeedFacebookGoogle+ and Safari push notifications.

TODAY’S CAN’T MISS DEALS:

Last Call Updates:

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Acer 11.6-inch Chromebook 2.16GHz/ 2GB/ 16GB (Refurb): $85 shipped (Reg. $179)

Moto-X-Pure-Edition

Moto X Pure Edition 32GB Unlocked Smartphone: $375 shipped (Reg. $400+)

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LG Watch Urbane Android Wear Smartwatch: $180 shipped (Reg. $259)

 

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Amazon offers rare 25% discount on Kindle Unlimited subscriptions: 6-months $45 (Reg. $60), more

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Apple 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro (Newest Version) 2.2GHz/16GB/256GB: $1,600 shipped (Reg. $1,999)

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

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Internal 2.5-inch Solid-State Drives: Samsung 850 EVO 1TB $280 (Reg. $300+), PNY 240GB $60 (Reg. $80)

MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

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Luminid Touch light-up charging cable is ideal for plugging in at night: $10 (Orig. $20, CA Tax only)

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A .edu email can get you the Sharp 32-inch 1080p HDTV for $150 shipped (Reg. $170)

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Add 2TB of portable storage to your Mac, PC or Xbox One w/ this WD USB 3.0 Hard Drive for $73 (Reg. $90)

NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

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3Doodler Start reimagines the popular Kickstarter project with a focus on children

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BearTek’s new Smart Gloves offer iPhone/Android controls + GoPro support

Opinion: With Android Marshmallow, the Moto X Play is born again [Video]

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A few months ago, as soon as it was officially launched in the UK, I checked out the Moto X Play. Price and spec-wise it stood halfway between the Moto G and the Moto X Style/Pure. Although it undoubtedly had its positives, there were some elements of the experience that left me disappointed. It intermittently stuttered and lagged during transitions, and very often refused to load data within apps. It wasn’t all the time, but it was enough to leave a less-than-great feeling.

With Android Marshmallow, the experience is so vastly different, it’s pretty difficult to believe. In fact, it’s so much better, I felt the phone should be revisited…

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9to5Toys Last Call: 2nd gen. Moto X $243, USB-C and QuickCharge deals from $6, more

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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: TwitterRSS FeedFacebookGoogle+ and Safari push notifications.

TODAY’S CAN’T MISS DEALS:

Last Call Updates:

lg-g-watch

LG G Watch Android Wear refurb: $65 shipped (Reg. $110) | A4C

moto x g

2nd gen. Moto X (unlocked) $243 shipped, 2nd gen. Moto G w/ free dock $100 shipped

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USB-C Flash Drive $10, QuickCharge USB Wall Chargers from Anker $6

6.6ft USB-C to USB-C iOrange-E cable: $10.99 Prime shipped w/ code

family-of-3-pebbles

Pebble Smartwatch for Android and iPhone (Refurb): $50 (Orig. $150)

ue-megaboom-black

Daily Deals: Ultimate Ears MEGABOOM Bluetooth speaker (Refurb) $180, ViewSonic 28-inch 4K LED Monitor $275more

swiss-gear-backpacks

Amazon Gold Box: Top-rated SwissGear Laptop Backpacks up to 60% off, deals from $34 Prime shipped

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‘Tap 10’ gets you a free Chromecast after you use Android Pay 10 times ($35 value)

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

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Media: iTunes $10 book-inspired movie sale – The Lorax, Wizard of Oz + others, Mel Brooks collection $19more

MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

lg-watch-urbane-android-smartwatch

LG Watch Urbane Android Wear Smartwatch: $200 shipped (Reg. $259)

zac-brown-band

Google Play albums from Zac Brown Band and more on sale for $0.99 each

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Game pre-orders for Amazon Prime members – Final Fantasy XV, more: $48 ea (Reg. $60)

NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

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Blipcast uses your Wi-Fi to beam HDTV audio to multiple iOS or Android devices

8bit-do-speaker-angle

This Nintendo-inspired Bluetooth speaker is just about perfect in every way

Deal: 2nd gen. Moto X (unlocked) $243 shipped, 2nd gen. Moto G w/ free dock $100 shipped

moto x g

Best Buy offers the 2nd generation Moto X 16GB (unlocked) smartphone in black for $242.99 shipped, which is $57 below its retail price and the lowest price we could find for a brand new model. If you’re looking for its cheaper little brother, though, B&H offers the 2nd generation Moto G 8GB (unlocked) smartphone in black for $99.99 shipped w/ a free Belkin PowerHouse microUSB dock. That’s a savings of $95 compared to what these items would cost at retail…

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Moto X Style/Pure, 3 months later: Even better with Marshmallow

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With any smartphone, it’s easy to get caught up in the hype. And with every phone purchase, there’s almost always a ‘honeymoon’ period for the first few weeks, where you feel excited about what the device has to offer. Tech reviewers aren’t immune to these effects either and, often, we only ever get that honeymoon period. Review units get sent back, and we don’t experience what it’s like to use the phone on a day-to-day basis for months at a time.

As much as we can test individual features for quality, and get a general overall feel for the device, nothing quite beats living with and using a device for an extended period.

I’ve been using the Moto X Style (2015 Pure Edition) for a few months now, and I love it more now than when I first unboxed it…

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All Moto phones in 2016 will have fingerprint sensors, screens larger than 5-inches

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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…

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Lenovo is phasing out the Motorola brand name

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Update: Motorola has provided us with an official comment on the new branding.

In an interview with CNET, Motorola COO Rick Osterloh said that the storied Motorola brand will be phased out for Lenovo. Purchased by Google in 2011 and then sold to Lenovo in 2014, Motorola has had varying level of successes. While praised for stock Android, Moto devices on the high-end have not been successful in dethroning Samsung or LG.

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Motorola offering $100 discount when you purchase new Moto X Pure and Moto 360 together

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Running up to the holidays, Motorola was offering some great discounts on its older Android and Android Wear products. Sadly, those same deals didn’t apply to the newer and rather fantastic Moto X Pure and Moto 360 from 2015. That changes this month, as the Lenovo-owned company begins offering money off for customers buying both products together.

Anyone buying the new Moto X Pure Edition (2015) and 2nd gen Moto 360 together will get $100 off at checkout. There’s no promo code to remember, just add the two products to your basket at Motorola.com in the US and the discount applies automatically. That means a package deal combining the two devices will cost you $599 for the base models, rather than the usual $699. Of course, adding extra storage to your phone or choosing a more premium material for the phone’s back or the Moto 360’s watch strap will cost extra.

This is the first time we’ve seen either of the new products with a significant discount anywhere in the US. The deal is available until January 12th, 10:59 Central Time.

Moto X (2014) getting its first taste of Android Marshmallow as software rollout begins in India

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Motorola has something of an advantage over other Android OEMs when it comes to pushing out software updates. Because its phones run a virtually stock version of Android, there’s very little to test and optimize before the update can be made available to users. Android Marshmallow has already started its rollout for users of this year’s Moto X Pure/Style, Play and Force, and now the software is being pushed to users of last year’s Moto X in India.

According to Android Central, the update weighs in at just under 885MB in size and comes with all of Marshmallow’s software features like Now on Tap, Doze Mode, granular app permissions and better volume/media controls.

With it now being available in India, we can expect it to be pushed to customers in other regions soon. Motorola’s software update list states that Moto x (2014) users in Latin America, Canada, Europe and Asia will all receive the update, while only Pure Edition users will get the software in the US. Of course, plans can be (and have) changed depending on customer demand when it comes to software rollouts, but as things stand, only Pure Edition models of the Moto X 2014 will get Android 6.0 in the States.

Sketchy Moto X prototype dummy leak suggests possible design for 2016 Motorola flagship

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This year’s Moto X has only been out for a couple of months, and already we’re seeing rumors and leaks for next year’s models. While that’s not exactly surprising, it’s always worth taking any early leaks and images with a suitable amount of skepticism. What appears to be an early machined prototype dummy has leaked online and suggests Motorola might go with a new design for next year’s Moto X, switching from a metal pill-shaped panel to a glass, circular enclosure. Unlike last year’s model, the dual LED flash is placed in a segment at the bottom of this panel, rather than in a translucent ring around the camera module.

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4G LTE Moto E will be updated to Android Marshmallow in select markets, along with DROID Turbo 2, Maxx 2 and X Force

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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:

  • 2015 Moto X Pure Edition (3rd gen)
  • 2015 Moto X Style (3rd gen)
  • 2015 Moto X Play
  • 2015 Moto G (3rd gen)
  • 2014 Moto X Pure Edition in the US (2nd gen)
  • 2014 Moto X in Latin America, Europe and Asia2 (2nd gen)
  • 2014 Moto G and Moto G with 4G LTE2 (2nd gen)
  • DROID Turbo
  • 2014 Moto MAXX
  • 2014 Moto Turbo
  • Nexus 6
  • Moto X Force
  • DROID Turbo 2
  • DROID Maxx 2
  • 2015 Moto E with 4G LTE in Canada, Latin America, Europe and Asia excluding China (2nd Gen)

Android 6.0 Marshmallow now rolling out for Moto X Pure, soak tests for X Play and X Force

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Moto X Pure owners, rejoice! If you’re in the US and have the new 2015 Pure Edition running on Sprint, Verizon or US Cellular, you should find Android 6.0 Marshmallow landing on your phone relatively soon. David Schuster announced on Google Plus yesterday evening that the full rollout for those devices has begun…

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Motorola is now soak testing Android 6.0 Marshmallow for the 2015 Moto X Pure Edition

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Motorola’s David Schuster recently came out on Google+ to mention that the company is now soak testing Android 6.0 Marshmallow for the Moto X Pure Edition:

I’m pleased to announce that today we are starting the soak test period of Android 6.0 Marshmallow upgrade for the 2015 Moto X Pure Edition (3rd Gen) in the US. We will monitor the soak for next week and with good results, proceed to full launch.

The soak test period, which means that certain devices will be receiving the update early to test its reliability, will last about a week. Assuming nothing goes wrong, a full launch will follow.

Motorola is known as being one of the fastest third-party manufacturers to update their devices to the latest version of Android, and it seems they’re maintaining that reputation this year.

The latest Android distribution numbers (from last month) show Android 6.0 Marshmallow on just 0.3% of devices, and that data is expected to be updated at some point today without much improvement.

Cam’s 9to5Google Gift Guide: The best Chrome & Android-powered products and accessories

gift-guide-2015The holiday season is well and truly upon us, and whether you’re looking for gift ideas for yourself, your friends or your family, we have you covered here at 9to5Google. This list contains some of my favorite smartphones, tablets, Chromebooks and some awesome accessories that I’ve used and loved. Ranging from $25 to $630, these are some of this year’s great gadgets…

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Cyanogen’s CM13 nightlies bring Android Marshmallow to LG G4, Moto X (2014), OnePlus One, more

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The CyanogenMod team announced in a blog post this morning that it has started pushing its Android Marshmallow-based CM13 nightlies to a handful of older Android phones. It does note, however, that if you’re currently using YOG4P orYOG7D builds of CM12.1 and are happy with its stability, you may want to give the CM13 nightly a miss. A nightly — for those who are unaware — is essentially a beta custom ROM build that CyanogenMod pushes out to its users.

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Moto X Pure vs. iPhone 6s Plus – Battle of the flagship phablets [Video]

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Big phones have been a mainstay in the smartphone market for a few years now. Even Apple got in on the game for the first time last year with the iPhone 6 Plus. This year, Motorola gigantified its Moto X range, and Apple is on to its second generation premium phablet. The Moto X Pure, or X Style, is Motorola’s premium super-phone. Here’s how it compares to Apple’s biggest and best phone yet…

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Motorola and Jonathan Adler team up to offer 3 new special Moto X Pure designs

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Well-known designer Jonathan Adler has put together a new Moto X Pure Edition collection, all intended to capture the “spirit” of Moto Maker. The designs most definitely also have a holiday feel to them, so they might make a great gift if you know someone panning for the latest Moto X.

This holiday season, Motorola has something for every style lover on your list, including an all new Moto X Pure collection designed by the iconic Jonathan Adler. The limited-edition collection features three eye-catching, stylish phones that Jonathan felt captured the spirit of Moto Maker, our online phone design studio.

The collection will be available for pre-order at Motorola.com/JonathanAdler beginning November 24, and will officially go on sale December 3 for $474.99 (32GB). To help round out the rest of your shopping list, we asked Jonathan to share his top holiday gifting tips for the style-obsessed friends and family in your life.
Motorola says that they’ll be available to pre-order starting on November 24th, and will go on sale on December 3rd for $474.99 in a 32 GB capacity.

Here’s what the three new phones look like:

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Motorola proves that we’re physically incapable of not touching our phones [Video]

Moto Experiment - Out Of Touch: How long can people go without touching their phone? - YouTube 2015-11-16 10-52-19

In a clever new video, Motorola has proven — albeit while also advertising its Moto X — that we just can’t keep our hands off of our phones for as much as one minute. It’s perhaps not the most well-designed scientific experiment, but it’s interesting nonetheless the temptation we have to reach for our phones when they start buzzing, even in situations where we probably shouldn’t.

In this case, Motorola (or, more accurately, Ashton Kutcher) told unknowing victims that they were “running an experiment” that required them to keep their hands in two circles on a table. After they closed the door to leave the suspects in the room by themselves, they started sending notifications to their phones. As might be expected, the participants just couldn’t wait to check them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qUZai-kGgA

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Motorola begins rolling out Android 6.0 Marshmallow to Moto X Style & 2014 Moto X

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Motorola announced today that it’s beginning to roll out Android 6.0 Marshmallow starting with two devices in select markets. First to get the update is the 2015 Moto X Style (3rd gen) in India and Brazil and the 2014 Moto X (2nd gen) in Brazil.

I am happy to announce that we are starting initial deployment of the Android 6.0 Marshmallow upgrade for the following devices and channels:  2015 Moto X Style (3rd Gen) in both Brazil and India retail,  2014 Moto X (2nd Gen) in Brazil retail…  It is not yet available for pull, you will receive a notification on your phone when you are able to update your phone

In addition to the two devices mentioned above, Motorola says it will begin to rollout the update for the 2015 Moto X Pure Edition (3rd Gen) in coming weeks. It also confirmed that a “full deployment will proceed in stages over the next few weeks.”

Motorola offered a breakdown of some highlights in the update:

– A new Memory Manager that lets you check memory usage of all your installed apps
– Volume controls have been greatly improved
– Do not disturb button has been added to the quick settings panel for easy access.
– System UI Tuner will appear in the settings menu at the very bottom once enabled. It provides a few simple UI tweaks.
– Google Now on Tap allows contextual information to be delivered based on content on your screen with a long press of the home key.
– Doze is a battery management feature that detects when your device is not in use and it  will automatically go into a deep sleep state which saves your battery.
– App Standby reduces battery drain by putting seldom-used apps into a reduced activity state.
– Expandable Storage support allows for microSD cards to be used either in a portable storage or an internal storage mode. Portable storage allows your pictures, videos, audio and other media files to be stored. Internal storage allows both media storage along with apps and games but can not be used by other devices.
– RAM manager in settings which allows a consumer to view memory used by the system or an individual app over different time frames
– Automatic App backup not only backs up your apps but their associated data so when restored they will be the same as they were before
– Text selection has been improved

The company has full release notes for the update on its website here.

Check out our Moto X Style/Pure and Moto X Play/DROID Maxx comparison video.

Moto X Style/Pure vs. Moto X Play/DROID Maxx 2 — Which is the best value? [Video]

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Motorola debuted two new phones at its event back in the summer, the Moto X Style (or Pure in the US) and the Moto X Play, which recently saw release as the DROID Maxx 2 in the States. Since I’ve already reviewed the X Play, I wanted to see if the X Pure/Style would be worth the extra money to customers looking to buy…

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Motorola opening its first brick-and-mortar ’boutique’ retail store in Chicago this week

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Motorola is opening its very first physical retail store later this week. Moto Shop, as it’s called, is opening in downtown Chicago, the company’s hometown, on Saturday, November 7, in time for holiday shopping to begin. In its blog post, the company notes that because smartphones and wearables have made powerful technology more personal, you should be able to go and experience them fully, in real life. Moto wants to make the shopping experience as personal as it can…

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DROID Turbo 2 launches internationally as Moto X Force

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In what is certainly the shortest press release I’ve ever seen, Motorola’s official UK handle announced what I’ve been hoping to hear ever since Verizon and Motorola announced the DROID Turbo 2 earlier this week. The device is making its way across the pond, albeit without the Verizon livery, bloatware and brand name. Internationally, the DROID Turbo 2 will be sold as the Moto X Force, and it features all the specifications that make the DROID Turbo 2 so appealing

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9to5Toys Lunch Break: 2nd generation Moto G (unlocked) $119, USB power deals, more

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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: TwitterRSS FeedFacebookGoogle+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

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Unlocked Motorola Moto G (2nd generation) 8GB white: $119 shipped (Reg. $180) | Amazon

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USB Roundup: Aukey 5000mAh Charger + MFi Lightning Cable $15 (Reg. $21), Lumsing 13400mAh Power bank $23, more

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Giveaway: Polk Audio’s Omni Whole Home Music System – Soundbar w/ subwoofer and S2 Speaker ($880 value)

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Best Buy lands the first major blow in this year’s battle for holiday shoppers

Amazon thinks leaving your house is over-rated, expands Prime free same-day delivery service

Dell Black Friday Ad Leak: Gears of War Xbox One w/ Fallout 4 + controller $300, VIZIO 60-Inch 4K HDTV $800, more

More new gear from today:

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Fashion deals at Amazon – extra 20% off fall athletic/outdoor shoes: Caterpillar boots $52, ASICS running shoes $40, more

More deals still alive:

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Gift Cards up to 20% off: JCPenney, Sports Authority, more

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App Store Free App of the Week: Dr. Panda’s Mailman ($4 value)

New products & more:

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Dyson’s pricey 360 Eye robo-vac finally sees the light of day

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Use your smartphone as a controller for these AirConsole Mac/PC browser games

 

Verizon teases the DROID Turbo 2, will likely laud its drop-proof nature

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Even before Motorola officially announced the Moto X Play and Moto X Style/Pure, the rumors surrounding the Lenovo-owned company’s new devices also included new DROIDs for Verizon. Since the launch, the evidence has been pointing towards a rebranding of the X Play as the new DROID Turbo, which perhaps explains the decision not to launch the X Play in the US.

While we’ve already seen a fairly official looking render leak, it doesn’t come more official than Verizon tweeting a teaser from its official handle. Today, the company posted a video clearly showing the design of the phone, as well as insinuating that it’ll be okay to drop on the floor, it can handle it. The tweet reads “introducing the perfect phone for imperfect people” before following up with “The new Droid is dropping soon”. Get the hint?

[tweet https://twitter.com/verizon/status/656505056116781056 align=’center’]

While the company is clearly focussing on the durability of the phone, it’ll be interesting to see how specs and performance are compromised, or if they’re not. While we don’t know a huge deal about the new DROID(s), it’s not likely to be a carbon copy of the X Play. The Moto X Play’s biggest turn-on is the huge 3,630mAh battery which can power through two days of moderate use on a full charge. In the past, the DROID Turbo and DROID Maxx series’ phones have had great batteries too, so we’re not expecting that to be any different this time around.

Verizon and Motorola will announce the new DROID phones at an event on October 27th, and we’ll be there in person to bring you coverage.

Android 6.0 for 2015 Moto X Pure Edition in ‘TestDrive’ mode, being trialled by select customers

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Motorola has already announced which of its handsets will be receiving the Android 6.0 Marshmallow update. Among them — of course — are the newest smartphones like the Moto X Pure, Moto X Play and Moto G. As is customary before software updates for Moto, the company is allowing a very select group of X Pure owners to test the new OS…

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