Will there be a new Moto X4 in 2017? Read the latest rumours about the mid-range phone, including specs, price and UK launch date
Motorola, well Lenovo since it now owns the brand, didn’ t launch a Moto X in 2016, instead introducing a new letter: Z.
We were quite impressed with the Moto Z and its range of modular add-ons, but rumours are ramping up that the Moto X will be back this year. And the fact well-known leakster @evleaks is now tweeting about a Moto X4 suggest a new handset could be coming our way soon:
In mid-May we saw the arrival of the Moto C and Moto C Plus, but there are plenty more upcoming Moto phones mentioned on this leaked photo (via @evleaks) . As well as the Moto X4, which is said to have a 5.2in full-HD screen with 3D glass and a SmartCam, it also mentions the Moto Z2 Play and Moto Z2 Force, Moto G5S and Moto G5S+, Moto E4 and Moto E4+ .
Lenovo confirmed in June 2016 that the Moto X range was not dead and buried. It cleared up the confusion by saying that the Moto Z and X ranges offer “different experiences” and that adding the Z range meant there was more choice for “tech-hungry consumers”.
However, right now, there are still no rumours about when the 2017 Moto X4 will be officially announced.
It was expected in June, but since it’s now July, it’s anyone’s guess – we predict either July or August.
In summary (partially via VentureBeat) these are the rumoured specs
A video has popped up on Baidu that shows an unveiling of the Moto X4. Translated, it apparently suggests that the new phone will feature the Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 processor (now disputed and thought to be the 630) , 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, plus a front fingerprint sensor and 3880mAh battery (again, disputed and thought to be 3000mAh) .
We also have a couple of leaked images that appear to prove the new Moto X4 exists. The most recent comes from Motorola itself. In a bizarre rap video celebrating Motorola’s 44 th anniversary (it’s hard to see the significance) eagle-eyed watchers think they’ ve spotted an image of the rear of the new handset.
The video is low resolution, but it still looks like the camera lens section has been blurred out. The only conceivable reason to do this would be to obscure the fact it’s a dual-lens camera.
A leaked image shows this more clearly
The third image shows some details on the specs, including 3 GB of RAM (another leaked image shows 4GB) , the MSM8953 (the code for the Snapdragon 625) and the model number of the phone: XT1801.
From all these images and specs, it appears that (like the Moto G5) the Moto X4 will have a metal body but will be a mid-range phone sitting between the Moto G and Moto Z.
Screen test is either going to be IPS or AMOLED, with the most likely option being IPS. The rumoured 3D glass doesn’t tell us anything about the tech.
The latest leaks confirm a microSD slot for adding storage, while other leaked images show there is a 3.5mm headphone jack and what looks to be a USB-C port.
No prices have been rumoured or leaked, but based on the specifications and the fact the less powerful Moto G5 Plus costs £250, we’d hazard a guess at between £300 and £400. At this price, it will have stiff competition in the mid-range, not least from the OnePlus 3T.
