Motorola Moto X Play UK release date, price and specs: Moto X Play available now, Moto X Style to come later this year
The leaks prior to the launch at the end of the July were almost right - they even pointed to multiple phones. Of course, there are plenty of other new phones to be excited about but although it has never enjoyed the popularity of flagship phones from other manufacturers, we've always like the Moto X. It was the first phone that allowed you to customise it before buying, and was extremely well built. It never had a microSD slot, but now it does! Read our 2nd-gen Moto X review.
Here you can watch the Motorola launch as it happened. See also: Motorola Moto G 2015 hands-on review and Motorola Moto X Style review: Hands-on with the Moto X Style mid-range phone.
The Moto X Play is available to buy in the UK now, slightly earlier than expected. You can buy the Moto X Play from Motorola here.
The Moto X Style should go on sale in September.
The Moto X Play will cost £279 on Moto Maker, and that's for the base 16GB model with a standard back. If you buy an off-the-shelf version, you'll save £20 as it costs £279. The base Moto X Style will cost £359 on Moto Maker, and may well be available for £339 off the shelf.
Both new models retain the signature curved back and metal frame of previous Moto X phones. They'll also be customisable via Moto Maker. Both get the new 21Mp camera that we're itching to test out to see how it compares to the current best phone cameras.
Motorola says it has faster focus, more light, faster capture and better colour reproduction. Want the tech details The camera has an f/2.0 aperture and phase-detection autofocus. Stabilisation details are thin on the ground, but only the Moto X Style seems to have stabilisation and only for video. Because there's no mention of OIS, we're assuming it's done in software. We've asked Motorola to clarify.
Each phone has a dual-LED colour balancing flash and a wide-angle selfie lens on the front camera, which has a 5Mp sensor. Photo modes include:
Panorama Slow motion Burst Night Auto HDR
And thanks to what Motorola is calling 'turbo charging' the phones recharge faster, too. In just 15 minutes, they will charge up to one-third, offering around 10 hours of use.
What's missing is a fingerprint scanner, meaning that unless Motorola simply hasn't mentioned it, the new Moto Xs probably won't work with Google Pay. We say probably as there's no confirmation yet that the service will require a fingerprint scanner for authentication. There was also no mention of a dual-SIM model.
Most disappointing for some is the absence of AMOLED displays. The new Moto X models have IPS LCD screens.
Here's how the Style and Play models differ:
The Style has the larger screen. At 5.7in the display is larger than an iPhone 6 Plus' yet in a physically smaller body. Motorola says the Syle has a 76 percent screen-to-body ratio, and the phone still has front-facing stereo speakers.
One of the rear coverings is a new coated silicon soft-grip rubber. It's specially formulated to resist discolouration. Leather and wooden backs are offered once again at a higher cost. There's now a choice between three different machined metal frames - something not on offer with the Moto X Play.
The new coating is certified as IP52, meaning it's water repellant and can withstand the odd splash, spill or "light rain". It can't - unlike the new Moto G - be submersed in water.
The camera is also better than the Play's (in a similar way to the difference between the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus). The Style can shoot stabilised video in 4K at 30fps, and also does HDR video at 1080p and 4K.
Here are the key specs:
OS: Android 5.1.1 Screen: 5.7in Quad HD 2560x1440, 520ppi Processor: 1.8GHz Snapdragon 808 (hexacore) Graphics: Adreno 418 RAM: 3GB Storage: 32GB or 64GB, with up to 128GB via microSD Cameras: 21Mp rear, 5Mp front Video capture: 1080p (60fps); 4K (30fps) Battery: 3000mAh Dimensions: 154x76x11mm Weight: 179g SIM: Nano-SIM Bluetooth 4.1 802.11a/g/b/n/ac + MIMO NFC, GPS
This is where the leaked info of a 3630mAh battery comes in. The Play model has a non-removable battery that should easily last two full days between charges. It's 42 percent more capacity than the Samsung Galaxy S6.
It has a smaller 5.5in Full HD screen, as well as a less-powerful processor. In fact, it's a lesser phone all round, discounting the battery. Internal storage is smaller, there's no support for 802.11ac Wi-Fi and only a single front-facing speaker.
There's still a choice of 14 different backs (four fewer than the Style) and the same seven accent colours. Base models consist of black with black back or white with winter white back.
Here are the key specs:
OS: Android 5.1.1 Screen: 5.5in Full HD 1920x1080, 403ppi Processor: 1.7GHz Snapdragon 615 (octacore) Graphics: Adreno 405 RAM: 2GB Storage: 16GB or 32GB, with up to 128GB via microSD Cameras: 21Mp rear, 5Mp front Video capture: 1080p HD, 30fps (MPEG4, H.264) Battery: 3630mAh Dimensions: 148x75x11mm Weight: 169g SIM: Nano-SIM Bluetooth 4.0 802.11a/g/b/n (dual band) NFC, GPS