Autumn Colors for Any Season with Moto X: 6 Great Fall Designs

For many in the northern hemisphere, the weather outside is just shifting from “Oh, it’s crisp and beautiful today!” to “Holy moly, is it winter now?” Ah, savoring—or, for some of us, remembering—the last days of autumn. But just because the days of orange and yellow leaves are quickly ending doesn't mean you can't continue to celebrate the beauty of fall colors with your phone.

We wanted to celebrate the last days of the season with examples of how you and your phone can get you into the spirit. Maybe you want your phone to match your autumn sweater or celebrate a recent team’s victory or capture the color of the leaves. Whatever you want, there are all sorts of ways to make your Moto X fit the season. Here are just a few:

Since the trees outside are shedding their leaves to show their bark, there’s a deep wood grain with flair of orange to mark the passing of the season:

Sometimes it’s the leaves themselves that speak to us. In that case, there’s a spice-colored Moto X with a hint of yellow to capture the passing of the season.

If you're wanting to savor Thanksgiving traditions of turkey and cranberry sauce, then this Moto X conjures up images of both:

And if you just want to sit back and enjoy football season, there are always options to make it match your favorite team’s colors but here’s one for people that just love the game:

And in football leather:

If you’re the Bay Area—or a New Yorker who still hasn’t let it go—these can help you celebrate baseball’s biggest achievement the entire offseason. Just don’t go to Kansas City for a little while.

Whatever your mood, there are plenty of ways to make your Moto X. Go ahead and check it out for yourself.

Posted by the Motorola Blog Team

Read more ►

Moto 360: Choose a watch that fits your style

We’re introducing more choice for Moto 360. From new metal watches and a selection of interchangeable bands, to enhanced experiences that promote a healthier lifestyle, Moto 360 offers a diverse portfolio of modern timepieces. 

New metal offerings

Moto 360 now comes with metal bands that are as durable as they are beautiful. Crafted from aircraft-grade stainless steel, these bands feature a modern, contemporary tri-link design that complements the round face of Moto 360. Starting today, Moto 360 with light and dark metal bands are available on motorola.com for $299. Coming soon, we will offer Moto 360 with new slim bands, which is an option for smaller wrists or for people who want a different look. Slim bands will be available in time for the holidays in light metal ($299) and a brand new champagne gold finish ($329).

New accessory bands

Already have a Moto 360? We’ll offer interchangeable stone, black and cognac leather bands along with light and dark metal bands. Plus, we’ve partnered with some really cool brands through our M4DE program to bring you even more choices. DODOcase will offer stitched leather bands in four new colors. TYLT is working on colorful silicone bands to give you an entirely new look.

New watch faces

Choose from new watch face designs or even create your own. The new My Design watch face option allows you to customize everything from the background image to the style of the tick marks and watch hands. We’ve also added the watch face created by the winner of our Moto 360 Design Face-Off. These new watch face options will be available for all Moto 360 watches through an update on the Moto Connect app¹ within the next few days.

New wellness features

Moto 360 can help you make the most of every day. That’s why we’re bringing you Moto Body, an experience designed to inspire a healthier lifestyle. You can track your steps, distance, heart rate and calories. Based on the information collected, Moto Body will provide new goals to keep you motivated. Moto Body will be available to all Moto 360 users through the Motorola Connect app update.

Have questions?

Join us tomorrow for an Ask Me Anything (AMA) on Reddit at 12:30 p.m. to 1 p.m. CT. Moto 360 product manager Eric Berdinis and designer Rick Hoobler will be there to talk all things Moto 360. 

Hope to chat with you soon!

Posted by Lally Narwal, Product Marketing

IMAGES: Follow this link for images (you agree to our license terms when downloading images or video).

1 Moto Connect available for download in Google Play store

Read more ►

Style Speaks: An Interior Designer on Why Black is the New Black

Welcome to the Style Speaks Series—a moment in which we talk with experts and thinkers about what style and color really mean and what it conveys in our lives. Color is integral to how we feel, how we choose to communicate, how we choose express ourselves—and even how we choose to customize our phones! This is what these people think about color. What about you? What do you choose?

When it comes to color, Sabreen Madden is obsessed. As an interior designer and teaching assistant at Harrington College of Design, color is integral to how she creates spaces. During her day-to-day she is always thinking about color theory, color relationships, and design elements. “Everywhere I go, everything I do, every package I look at—even a box of cookies—I’m thinking about the color and design,” she said.

Black is one of Sabreen’s favorite colors. She took us around the house in Chicago she beautifully designed and shared how she thinks about what black conveys.

While she was decorating her home on Chicago’s North Side she took inspiration from raw, concrete, industrial modern spaces she saw during a trip to New York in 2009. “I realized it’s not scary. You can do one wall that’s black and pair it with white and really have an open and airy space that has these dark, dramatic moments,” she said. “I decided to just go for it.”

Sabreen said that the color black is often associated with a “gothic” stigma, but that was not her intention when she chose the paint for her industrial modern loft on Chicago’s North Side. She used black to create depth in her home.

“In my space I’m using black for design purposes,” Madden said.

 

Sabreen Madden’s husband, Terrence, built the fireplace in their industrial modern loft on Chicago’s North Side. She said the black paint around it is used intentionally as camouflage, so when a fire is burning it’s “kind of it’s own element,” she said, adding that the black paint also camouflages the television. Their dog Winnie can often be found sleeping on the fireplace’s steel hearth.

“I think black is a very sophisticated color or non-color,” Sabreen says. “I hope that when someone sees the black in my house they see it as an intentional element to enhance what’s within the space.”

Sabreen said color choice in a home is very subjective and contingent on what feeling the homeowner is attempting to convey. In her North Side home, where she used black and white as her base colors, Sabreen said she was attempting to be bold, dramatic and sophisticated, while also keeping her space personal.

“Usually when we go through the design process, we have a series of interview-type exercises to determine what a client wants in a space,” she said. “First and foremost, you want to have a functional space, and then you can talk about what kind of feeling you want. In that way, I try to get examples. If you want a light and airy feeling, what are some examples of a space that gave you a light and airy feeling? What about that space made you feel light and airy? Then we can build off of that.”

Sabreen said that if a client wanted to include black in their space, she would advise them to use it as an accent color to create some contrast. If too much black is used, she added, it can get too heavy, too dark, and can make a space look small.

“It would definitely show they are willing to take a risk,” Madden added. “Black isn’t something you see in residential design very often, but when you don’t hold back it can be very powerful and fun.”

“When you have all really light neutrals in a space, there’s nothing really to ground your eye, there’s no focus wall. Black is an absorption of all colors, so it’s not even really a color. In the bedroom I use it as a back wall to ground the bed. In another room I use it to frame the bookshelf, I also use it to emphasize the alcove.”

“You can get inspiration from anywhere, and that’s what I do now,” she says. ‘I even look at my dog, Winnie, and think about her color combinations compared to other dogs, I can’t help it.”

What colors speak to you? What do you choose? Tell us on Twitter by tagging #choosechoice. 

Posted by Noelle Chun, Blog Team

Read more ►

We’re Honored

We strive to design beautiful products that people love. After all, consumers are our most important jury. But we appreciate it when that work is recognized within the design community as well. This year, Motorola received an unprecedented four ‘Red Dot’ Design Awards for several of our latest products, including Moto X and three of our Bluetooth-enabled devices, the Motorola Roadster Pro automotive speaker and the Motorola Whisper and Motorola Sliver II headsets.

Red Dot is an international design competition that’s been around since 1954. Each year, products are judged by a group of design experts and winners are selected based on their ability to exemplify the highest level of design in innovation and execution.

The Red Dot awards validate all the time and effort our Consumer Experience Design team puts into making sure our products look and feel great and are a pleasure to use. Design has always been central to Motorola, and we’re proud to have a tradition of iconic products that extend back through the RAZR flip phone, the StarTAC (the original “flip phone”) and all the way back to the DynaTAC. That same spirit is guiding the design of our current products, like the ones honored by Red Dot, and upcoming ones like Moto 360. It’s an honor for our design team to be recognized in such elite company.

Jim Wicks
SVP Consumer Experience Design

Read more ►

Moto 360: It’s Time.

It’s time for a watch that looks and feels great and gives you the information you need, when you need it.

It’s time for Moto 360, a truly modern timepiece, designed by Motorola, powered by Android Wear.

The wristwatch has been through several evolutions since it first became a popular fashion accessory more than a 100 years ago. From mechanical to electronic movements, analog to digital faces, the wristwatch has been reinvented several times over, but the basic design has endured for a century because of its elegance and usefulness ‘at a glance.’ Our vision for Moto 360 was to celebrate that history as we reimagined the wristwatch for the future.

Moto 360 keeps you on time and up to date without taking you out of the moment or distracting you, telling you what you need to know before you know you need it through subtle alerts and notifications. With just a twist of the wrist you can see who’s emailing or calling, what time your next meeting is or a friend’s latest social post.

Moto 360 also responds to your voice. Just say “Ok Google” to ask questions like who won the Stanford vs. New Mexico game or what time your flight leaves, or to get stuff done like scheduling an appointment, sending a text, setting an alarm or taking a note.

Most importantly, Moto 360’s iconic design, featuring a round face and premium materials, feels comfortable and familiar on your wrist. It’s everything you need, with a look that you want.

Moto 360 will be available in a variety of styles globally in Summer 2014, starting in the US. To learn more about Moto 360 and stay up to date on product news, click here.




Posted by Lior Ron, CVP Product Management


IMAGES: Click this link for images (you agree to our license terms when downloading images).

Media Note: To learn more about the unique design elements of Moto 360, join Jim Wicks, head of Motorola Consumer Experience Design, for a live Hangout on Air on Wednesday, March 19 at 1pm CT. During the Hangout, we will share more specifics on the unique design elements of the watch and answer related questions. To participate, you can register on our Google+ page here.

Developer note: We want to hear what you think! We can’t wait to see what great apps you’ll create for the distinct round face of Moto 360. Share your ideas with us here.

Read more ►

Wear your pride on your sleeve, and your phone!

Moto Maker lets you express yourself and your style through your phone. Now, you can express your school spirit too! Just in time for the tournament, we’re introducing the College Collection, a range of college-inspired Moto X customization options that allow you to showcase your favorite school colors. We took a look at college colors across the board and added nine new back colors and three new accents to our Moto Maker palette so you can create the ultimate fan phone.

Starting today you can visit our College Collection design gallery and select from pre-configured school color combinations and clear cases1 with school logos and team names for up to 40 schools and counting. Don’t see your favorite team? Mix and match with the new color palette to create your perfect combination.

A custom Moto X from the College Collection is now available starting at the everyday price of $399 off-contract or $49 with a new two year contract. Currently in college? We’d like to sweeten the deal with a student discount2. Register at motorola.com/college with a valid .edu address and you can get an off-contract Moto X for the discounted price of $339.

The College Collection is just one of the many ways to get customization inspiration for your Moto X. Visit the new design gallery curated by our Moto Maker team and designers for more ideas and create yours today!


Posted by Ravi Thakkar, Group Product Manager


1 Officially Licensed College cases by Uncommon, cases available at an additional cost
2 Must have a valid .edu email address to receive discount

Read more ►

Moto X with Wood Finishes: Inspired by Nature, Designed by You

Sometimes, even in the technology industry, the best inspiration comes straight from nature. We recently introduced Moto X with Bamboo, the first-ever smartphone incorporating real bamboo into the body. Since then we’ve been hard at work crafting new options, and are excited to announce three new natural wood finishes for Moto X: Walnut, Teak and Ebony.

Featuring natural finishes and distinct grains, these wood backs are undeniably unique and provide a whole new level of sophisticated customization for your smartphone. Every wood grain is different, so every phone is too - just like you!

Moto X is now available for the everyday starting price of $399 off-contract. We want to make the upgrade to a wood finish just as accessible to people, so we're making it available for just $25 more. Bamboo will be available with this new price on Moto Maker starting today and Walnut, Teak and Ebony finishes will be available starting January 21st.

 

Posted by Lior Ron, CVP Product Management

Read more ►

A phone as unique as you: Now Featuring Bamboo for Moto X

You’re different. You go against the grain. So you need a phone that’s as unique as you are. That phone is here. Introducing Moto X with Bamboo.

We’ve always had fun experimenting with different materials in our devices. From DuPont(TM) Kevlar(R) to aircraft-grade aluminum, we love to push the envelope and bring you quality materials that have a meaningful purpose or unique sense of style. Bamboo represents new territory for the smartphone industry and expands the thousands of customization options available via Moto Maker. Since each back is made from real Bamboo, no two devices will ever be the same - it’s truly a smartphone as unique as you are.

Starting now, the Bamboo back option is available online for January delivery. Initial quantities are limited, so order yours today. And because it’s designed by you, you still have all the great customization features offered through Moto Maker. Choose your accent and front colors, memory, even include a custom signature on your bamboo back. Then choose your carrier -- Verizon, AT&T, Sprint or T-Mobile.

Moto X with Bamboo will be available online only*, for $199 with a new two-year contract with Verizon, AT&T and Sprint, or unlocked with no contract for as little as $0 down with special financing terms.**

Moto Maker provides new and unique design opportunities that enable self-expression like never before, so stay tuned for more design options and materials in the new year.

Additional questions? Visit our FAQ.

Posted by Lior Ron, CVP Product Management


*Not available for use with Moto Maker redemption PINs purchased in-store

**$0 down and zero Interest on all purchases if paid within 6, 12, or 18 months. Interest will be charged to your account from the purchase date if the balance is not paid in full within the promotional period.

Subject to credit approval. Deferred Interest Minimum Payment Required Promotional Plan: Interest will be charged to your account (at the standard variable apr 28.99%) from the purchase date if the purchase balance is not paid in full within the promotional period or if you make a late payment. Minimum monthly payments are required for this plan during the promotional period. At no time will the minimum monthly payment be less than $25.00. Minimum Interest charged is $2.00 per credit plan. Required minimum $549 pre-tax purchase for the 18 month credit plan. Motorola Credit Accounts are offered by Comenity Capital Bank who determines qualifications for credit and promotion eligibility. US residents only. Not valid on previous purchase.

Read more ►

Goodbye Sticky. Hello Ara.

Over the last six months, our MAKEwithMOTO team took Sticky, a truck wrapped entirely in velcro and filled with rooted, hackable Motorola smartphones and high-end 3D printing equipment, across the country for a series of make-a-thons. On that trip we saw the first signs of a new, open hardware ecosystem made possible by advances in additive manufacturing and access to the powerful computational capabilities of modern smartphones. These included new devices and applications that we could never have imagined from inside our own labs. Open fuels innovation. See some examples here, here, and here.

After the trip, we asked ourselves, how do we bring the benefits of an open hardware ecosystem to 6 billion people?

Meet Ara.

Led by Motorola’s Advanced Technology and Projects group, Project Ara is developing a free, open hardware platform for creating highly modular smartphones. We want to do for hardware what the Android platform has done for software: create a vibrant third-party developer ecosystem, lower the barriers to entry, increase the pace of innovation, and substantially compress development timelines.

Our goal is to drive a more thoughtful, expressive, and open relationship between users, developers, and their phones. To give you the power to decide what your phone does, how it looks, where and what it’s made of, how much it costs, and how long you’ll keep it.

Here’s a sneak peek at early designs for Project Ara:

The design for Project Ara consists of what we call an endoskeleton (endo) and modules.  The endo is the structural frame that holds all the modules in place. A module can be anything, from a new application processor to a new display or keyboard, an extra battery, a pulse oximeter--or something not yet thought of!

We’ve been working on Project Ara for over a year. Recently, we met Dave Hakkens, the creator of Phonebloks. Turns out we share a common vision: to develop a phone platform that is modular, open, customizable, and made for the entire world. We’ve done deep technical work. Dave created a community. The power of open requires both.  So we will be working on Project Ara in the open, engaging with the Phonebloks community throughout our development process, as well as asking questions to our Project Ara research scouts (volunteers interested in helping us learn about how people make choices). In a few months, we will also send an invitation to developers to start creating modules for the Ara platform (to spice it up a bit, there might be prizes!). We anticipate an alpha release of the Module Developer’s Kit (MDK) sometime this winter.

So stay tuned. There will be a lot more coming from us in the next few months.

--Paul Eremenko, and the Motorola Advanced Technology and Projects group, Project Ara Team

Read more ►

It’s Time To Ditch The Lazy Phone

Moto X: New Ads, New Availability and Moto Match

The world is full of lazy phones. Phones that blink at you most of the day and sleep the rest. These phones make you do all the work.

Does this look familiar?

See more Lazy Phone ads for Active Display and Quick Capture.

That’s why Moto X was built with one thing in mind - you. It responds to you...it does things for you...it’s designed by you.

Want information? It pulses with what’s important at a glance. Want to get directions, search the web, call a friend? Just talk and it responds to your voice – no touching necessary. Want Moto X to match the colors of your favorite kicks or sports team? Design it that way yourself.

Moto X is all about you and it’s all about choice. That choice includes the wireless carrier you want.

Moto X is now available in the US at AT&T, Sprint, U.S. Cellular, Verizon Wireless - and starting today - T-Mobile via Motorola.com. If you’d like to create a phone that’s uniquely yours through Moto Maker, the design experience is currently available with AT&T.

Outside the US, Moto X is also on-sale at Rogers in Canada, Claro in Puerto Rico, Vivo in Brazil, and at Movistar in Chile (also available at Claro in Chile later this week). Additionally, we’ll be announcing more availability across Latin America shortly.

In the meantime, check out Moto Match, our new Facebook and real-life Booth Experience. Moto Match uses color detection technology to create a Moto X based on your style.

On Facebook, Moto Match is the first phone configurator that allows you to use Facebook photos to quickly and easily create a customized Moto X that truly reflects your personal style. Simply choose a favorite pic from your Facebook timeline, and the app will do the rest by identifying the photo’s most prominent colors and creating Moto X to match. You can create as many designs as you like and share them with your friends, not only on Facebook but Pinterest too.



In the Moto Match Booth (below), fashionistas step in and the screen recognizes what you're wearing, then picks a Moto X to match your look. You can then personalize the photo with your signature and email the image to share with your friends or purchase it later.

The Moto Match Booth is debuting this week at Milk Studios during MADE fashion week. Follow #MotoXMADE on Twitter to find out how you can win tickets to the closing event or come by Milk Studios to try the Moto X on for size.



Whether on Facebook or at the Booth, Moto Match has built in social sharing components and will also help you purchase a device by driving you directly to our website or sending you an email with your design so you can buy it later.

Read more ►

Moto X: Design, Share, Ship

Moto Maker, our Moto X design studio, is now officially open for online orders for AT&T customers! For the first time ever, you’re in the driver’s seat when it comes to designing your own phone in just a few clicks. When you’re finished we ship it directly to you, ready to go.

You want options? We’ve got options. You pick the colors, and decide on the all details: the front, back, accents, memory, wallpapers, accessories -- you can even include your Google ID and we’ll load all of your account information for you in advance. Then, every custom phone is made to order in Ft. Worth, Texas and shipped to you for free.

Learn more about Moto X, design your own and share your masterpiece with family and friends at Motorola.com/motomaker.

Of course, you can still purchase a custom device or pick up a Moto X in woven white or woven black at any AT&T store. 

Starting today, you can also buy a Moto X online directly through Motorola without a contract upgrade for $579.

Moto X will be available through other carrier partners very soon, starting with Verizon online on August 29.

Read more ►

Moto X. All Yours.

LIBERTYVILLE, Ill. – Aug. 1, 2013 – People want choice. The choice to design their own phones. The choice to control their phones by voice when their hands are occupied. The choice to have their phones assembled in America.

Moto X offers you that choice. It’s designed by you, responds to you and is made for you by Motorola, a Google company. Once you turn it on, it’s all yours. And every Moto X sold in the USA is assembled right here in the USA.

With the best of Google services baked in, Moto X helps you get everyday tasks done quickly and with less fuss. But it’s also designed to sip battery, not chug it, so it will go all day and into the night.

Responds to You

Moto X is ready when you are. It responds to your voice - no touching necessary. With Touchless Control you can check the weather, get directions, or do just about anything without lifting a finger. Moto X doesn’t guess like other phones do. It knows.

With Active Display, Moto X keeps the information you need to know at your fingertips. Instead of a constantly blinking light, important information quietly appears on the screen. It doesn’t interrupt. You don’t have to wake it up to look at the time or see your messages. Before you know it, that constant itch to check your phone will be gone forever.

Need to capture that perfect moment before it’s gone? All it takes is two quick twists of your wrist and Moto X’s Quick Capture camera is ready to shoot. Touch anywhere on the screen and you’ll get just the shot you want. Its high-quality sensor can capture the darkest scenes or stop motion blur in bright light. You’ll see the difference in every shot.

And all of this is battery-friendly, so Moto X is ready to respond all day long.

Designed by You

Your Moto X is truly yours, because you design it. Through our online studio, Moto Maker, you choose the colors, and decide on the details: front, back, accents, memory, wallpapers, even add a name or a short message. When you’re done, we assemble your Moto X right here in the USA and ship it to you for free in 4 days or less*.

Choose from more than 2,000 possible combinations, with more to come. We’ll be constantly exploring new offerings, such as real wood backs, starting later in the year. Still love the classics? You can choose an eye-catching woven black or woven white model right in the store (see below for more info on availability).

We’re pretty sure you’ll love your Moto X, but if for some reason you don’t, you can redesign or return it within 14 days**, no problem.

Made for You

Moto X has a unique curved back, designed to fit your hand comfortably, along with a 4.7-inch screen that makes it easy to operate with only one hand -- when you want to use your hands that is. 

Plus, no one has ever assembled a smartphone in the US before. We think it’s about time. Each Moto X sold in the US is individually assembled in Ft. Worth, Texas. Doing this in the US means you can design a custom phone online and have it delivered right to your doorstep in just a few days.

You Are What You Wear

We’ve partnered with the most innovative brands in the world including SOL REPUBLIC to create an ecosystem of accessories for your Moto X. We call it M4DE Motorola™. These include headphones, speakers, cases, docks and more.

You can even match your headphones to your Moto X. They come in all the same custom colors of the phone, in two different styles. On your ears: SOL Tracks HD headset with a V8 sound engine that has deep base and high quality. In your ears: SOL JAX earbuds with controls for calls and music, plus free ear tips for life.

Where to Get It

Moto X will be available in the US, Canada and Latin America starting in late August/early September.

In the US, woven black and woven white models will be available at AT&T, Sprint, US Cellular, Verizon Wireless and at national retailers including Best Buy stores with a suggested retail price of $199 with a new two-year agreement. Additionally, it will be available on all carriers, including T-Mobile, at Motorola.com.

Visit motorola.com to sign-up for more details about Moto Maker, which will first be available for AT&T users. And, coming soon to Best Buy.

You’ll hear from our carrier partners around the globe regarding exact pricing and availability.

*Subject to parts availability

**California residents will have 30 days to return

IMAGES & B-ROLL: Click this link(also in the footer) for images and b-roll (you agree to our license terms when downloading images or video)

About Motorola Mobility

Motorola Mobility, owned by Google, creates smartphones, tablets and wireless accessories that simplify, connect and enrich people's lives. For more information visit motorola.com/mobility.

Certain features, services and applications are network dependent and may not be available in all areas; additional terms, conditions and/or charges may apply. All features, functionality and other product specifications are subject to change without notice or obligation. Contact your service provider for details.

MOTOROLA and the Stylized M registered trademarks of Motorola Trademark Holdings, LLC. Google is a trademark of Google, Inc. All other trademarks the property of their respective owners.  © 2013 Motorola Mobility LLC. All rights reserved.

Media Contacts

Danielle McNally

danielle@motorola.com

Kristine Mulford
kristine@motorola.com

Read more ►