Motorola One: Has the iPhone X Found a New Competitor?

The iPhone X made quite a wave in the smartphone industry upon release, kicking off a trend of ‘all-screen’ (not really, but moving quickly towards that inevitable reality) phones, among a couple of other new technologies introduced as firsts for the company’s current flagship.

Android alternatives were quick to follow, and some from lesser-known brands even preceded the American tech giant’s release of the iPhone X. One of those Android flag bearers, Motorola, hasn’t been at the forefront of consumer electronics for a number of years, but their upcoming Motorola One and One Power devices might put them back on the radar.

At least in terms of appearance, it’s impossible to ignore the similar design elements to that of the iPhone X, and when it comes to tech specs, it might punch above its weight too. We’re going to delve a little deeper into what’s beneath its attractive out shell:

Motorola One key specs: 

• OS: Android 8.1 (Upgradeable to 9 soon after launch)
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 chipset
• 4GB RAM, 64GB storage (MicroSD up to 256GB)
• 5.9-inch LCD display
• 13 MP + 2MP rear dual cameras/8MP front-facing camera.
• 3,000mAh battery capacity
• Guaranteed 3-year security updates from Google

Motorola One Power key specs:

• OS: Android 8.1 (Upgradeable to 9 soon after launch)
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 chipset
• 4GB RAM, 64GB storage (MicroSD up to 256GB)
• 6.2-inch LCD display
• 16MP+ 5MP rear dual camera/12MP front-facing camera
• 5,000mAh battery capacity
• Guaranteed 3-year security updates from Google

Both phones will incorporate Google’s new Android One program, which comprises of software and security updates that will be rolled out by Google soon after its launch in October. A more appealing software inclusion is of the Google Lens system, which gives the phone some Augmented Reality capabilities, like text translation and object recognition, through the camera sensors.

Our take:

Upon initial inspection, going up against the iPhone X might seem a little ambitious for Motorola, since the chipsets are midrange (One) to upper midrange (One Power) units rather than flagships. More relevant than whether or not it beats any specific competitor, though, is its predicted pricing for the One, which is at around R5,000, with the One Power’s price being unreleased as of yet and only set to be available in India (as of now). Considering the specs and price, there’s a lot of value being provided in a form factor that does a good job of keeping with the current screen and size trends.

The value alone should make people pay attention to either phone as good Android options, but better direct comparisons against rival devices will no doubt pop up after its October release.

Source: Motorola blog