03/07, 12:40pm
iPhone still most popular device
Apple grew its share among US smartphone owners during the last quarter to 41.6 percent, according to new comScore data. Data polled between October and January shows that Apple advanced 1 percentage point. The company's main rival, Samsung, grew ownership by 1.3 points, but remained firmly in second place at 26.7 percent. LG's share rose just 0.3 points to 6.9 percent, presumably on the back of the G2 and the Google-branded Nexus 5.
more
03/07, 12:31pm
Over 40 college color combinations added to Moto Maker
Motorola has made two changes to Moto Maker in an attempt to attract students to the Moto X smartphone. The online designer has been updated to include preconfigured customizations based on a number of colleges, complete with a case showing the college emblem, while students will be able to pick up a Moto X from the company at a discount.
more
03/06, 6:51am
Opera adds WebRTC, updated design to Android browser
Opera has updated the Android variant of its web browser to version 20, and has included support for WebRTC, a technology that can support browser-based video conferencing. The update also adds a new customizable interface, a flat-design Speed Dial, upgrades to the search and address bar, an update of the Chromium core to version 33, and a number of other minor updates. The updated Opera for Android is available to download now from Google Play, for devices running Android 4.0 or higher.
more
02/20, 11:23am
Samsung, LG make gains regardless
Of the 121 million smartphones sold in the US during 2013, Apple took home a 45 percent share, according to new NPD Group data. That represents a growth of 1 point annually. Samsung advanced two points though to a 26 percent share, while LG gained 3 points, moving up to 8 percent. HTC and Motorola both saw declines; the former from 10 to 6 percent, and the latter from 7 percent to 4.
more
02/07, 4:41pm
Apple CEO doesn't dismiss possibility of bigger iPhone
The Wall Street Journal has published the full contents of yesterday's interview with Apple CEO Tim Cook, in which he announced the company's expanded share buyback plan. Commenting on Google's recent sale of Motorola to Lenovo, Cook says that he "wasn't surprised," and that it "seems like a logical transaction," since Motorola is losing money and Google isn't committed to it. "I think it's really hard to do hardware, software and services and to link all those things together. That's what makes Apple so special," he adds. "It's really hard, so I'm not surprised that they are not going to do that."
more
02/06, 10:57pm
Patent troll sued end users of networking gear, settlement prevents further action
Networking hardware manufacturer Cisco has struck a deal with non-practicing entity Innovatio IP Ventures to settle a suit and protect commercial and potentially home users of its hardware. Together with Netgear and Motorola, have agreed to pay IP Ventures 3.2 cents for 85 million pieces of network gear, netting the patent troll $2.7 million.
more
02/05, 6:07am
Path adds Instagram-style video clip sharing, filters
Path has finally added video to the Android version of its app, bringing it in line with the iOS version. The official Path blog writes that users of Android 4.0 or later can use the video function in the app, which takes after Vine and Instagram in offering up to 30-second clips, with the option to add a variety of camera filters to the video before sharing with others. Path 3.4 is available to download via Google Play.
more
01/31, 12:55pm
Plans still nebulous
Apple is among of a number of US corporations that have agreed to change hiring practices to avoid discriminating against the long-term unemployed, says the New York Times. The pledge comes at the behest of President Obama, who is hosting a meeting of CEOs at the White House later today to promote his efforts. White House officials say that about 300 businesses have agreed to alter hiring policies, including 21 of the 50 biggest American corporations, and 47 out of the top 200.
more
01/29, 4:32pm
Latest sale less than 25 percent of Google's purchase price in 2012
[Update: Deal confirmed] According to a statement by Google CEO Larry Page, Google and Lenovo have negotiated a deal that will see the search engine sell its Motorola Mobility smartphone business to the Chinese manufacturer. The deal is valued at $2.91 billion dollars, with Google retaining most of the patents it acquired when it purchased the division in 2012.
more
01/25, 2:28pm
Motorola to hold hour-long sale with $100 discount on Moto X
Motorola will be offering the Moto X at a discount again, though unlike earlier offers, the company is cutting the price for just one hour. Android Central spotted a series of tweets from Motorola warning of an off-contract Moto X sale on January 27th that will run from 3pm to 4pm Eastern time, with the $100 discount bringing the price down to $299. Anyone missing out on the offer will be able to receive a $70 discount until February 14th.
more
01/17, 2:04pm
Aereo expanding service to areas of Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana
Aereo will be launching a version of its cloud-based DVR and TV streaming service in the Greater Cincinnati region on January 21st. The 24-county areas outlined by the company includes 8 counties in Ohio, 10 counties in Kentucky, and 6 counties in Indiana, with the entire region becoming the 11th area it will be available within. Aside from the free trial month, Aereo will be charging $8 per month for access to 30 over-the-air channels and 20 hours of DVR time, though an extra $4 ups the DVR amount to 60 hours per month.
more
01/16, 1:03pm
Samsung advances to 26 percent
US iPhone ownership leapt to 42 percent in the fourth quarter of 2013, up from 35 percent a year ago, according to new NPD figures. Samsung phones also advanced, but from 22 percent to roughly 26 percent. LG was the only other major manufacturer to see a gain, inching ahead slightly to 8 percent. Motorola and HTC both fell under the 10 percent mark, and BlackBerry ownership shrank even further to 2 percent.
more
01/14, 4:07pm
Boost Mobile to offer Moto G, its first Motorola product since 2011
Boost Mobile, the pre-paid Sprint imprint, has announced the release of Motorola's Moto G through its nationwide retail stores and online. The first Motorola product offered by Boost Mobile since 2011, the 3G budget smartphone has a 4.5-inch HD screen made with scratch-resistant Corning Gorilla Glass, and possesses a 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon quad-core processor.
more
01/14, 2:49pm
Google adds Moto G to Google Play lineup
Google on Tuesday revealed a new version of its budget-oriented Moto G handset, a version that sports a plain vanilla version of Android 4.4 KitKat. The Moto G Google Play edition showed up on Google's Play Store on Tuesday in two configurations: one an 8GB model and the other a 16GB model. The low-cost Motorola handset is the latest addition to the Google Play edition lineup, a lineup that does not yet include the Moto G's higher-end sibling, the Moto X.
more
01/14, 11:15am
Twitter updating look of website to match its iOS and Android apps
Social media service Twitter has initiated rolling out an update to its website, with the aim to mirror the aesthetic approach to that of its app versions to iOS and Android. Users will be able to personalize their profile more than previously, with the settings menu including an option to add accent colors. The navigation bar is a different color and style than before, and some icons have been redesigned.
more
01/14, 5:16am
European Moto X launches 6 months after United States version
Motorola has launched the Moto X in Europe, at its launch event in London today. The flagship Motorola smartphone, originally launched in the United States in August, makes its way across the Atlantic to join the Moto G, though unlike the American version, the European model will not offer any Moto Maker customization options, instead offering just the standard black and white-backed models.
more
01/13, 12:21pm
Motorola starts roll-out of Android KitKat on Moto G in UK
Motorola has started rolling out Android KitKat to the Moto G in the United Kingdom. The Android 4.4.2 update, which starts rolling out today and will continue for the next week, adds the usual KitKat improvements along with a new look phone dialer, new photo editing options in the Gallery app, printing support over services such as Google Cloud Print, the new version of Hangouts, and support for the Square credit card reader.
more
01/10, 1:18pm
Tech used is similar but different, court finds
The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has upheld an International Trade Commission ruling that found Apple didn't violate a Motorola patent on communications between devices and data networks, reports say. The ruling, issued in May, specifically dealt with Claim 12 of the patent, and whether or not it covered the deletion of apps capable of receiving push notifications. The ITC determined that Apple's implementation of status updates to halt notifications was non-infringing.
more
01/10, 6:37am
Streaming player accompanies unlocked Moto X orders until January 14th
Motorola has started to offer off-contract purchasers of its Moto X flagship smartphone a free Google Chromecast. The offer comes at the same time as the company's budget-oriented Moto G goes on sale in the US through Verizon, and a week before the phone manufacturer is expected to launch the Moto X in Europe at a special event in London.
more
01/08, 5:18am
Flagship Motorola handset could cross Atlantic in near future
Motorola has sent out invitations to members of the press in the United Kingdom for a London-based event, at the same time as expanding the coverage of Android 4.4.2 on the Moto G. The invitation, set for January 14th, promises to announce a "new addition to the European Motorola family of products," and though the invitation does not directly state what is being revealed, it is likely that the company will be bringing the Moto X to the continent.
more
01/06, 5:09am
Motorola, LG, HTC suffer setbacks
Apple and Samsung increased their shares of the US smartphone market based on unverified shipment data in the September-November period versus June-August, new ComScore data shows. Apple advanced 0.5 points to 41.2 percent, maintaining overall control; Samsung, though, gained 1.7 points to hit 26 percent, narrowing the gap. In distant third was Motorola, down 0.2 points to 6.7 percent. LG dropped the same amount to 6.5 percent, but swapped places with HTC, which dipped a full point to 6.4 percent.
more
01/02, 4:56pm
iPhone only smartphone with increased activity
Apple devices remained firmly in control of North American web traffic through Christmas, but the iPad lost some ground to devices from Amazon, Microsoft, and Samsung, according to new Chitika analytics. The data was collected from "tens of millions" of devices between December 20th and the 29th, and used to gauge the growth or decline of various brands. Apple's iPhone was the only smartphone to gain share, advancing 1.8 percent to 54.3 percent of the market.
more
01/02, 6:40am
Price cut follows earlier discounts, Moto X flash sales
Motorola is making a bigger push for sales of its flagship Moto X in the United States, by giving it a permanent price cut. The change, coming after a number of similar discounts on the smartphone, comes at the same time as reports that its cheaper stablemate, the Moto G, is being sold at Best Buy for $100 on Verizon with no contract.
more
12/29, 5:50pm
Moto X, Droids on promotion, Droid Mini free
Verizon is discounting Motorola's customizable Moto X handset to just $50 on contract as part of its End of Year Savings promo. The carrier is also offering discounts on a range of other Android handsets, with savings available for Samsung smartphones and tablets, HTC's 2013 flagship, and Verizon's own line of Motorola-produced Droid devices. The promo runs through December 31, and customers can save up to $200 for certain electronics.
more
12/19, 2:58pm
Verizon upgrades Droid Ultra, Droid Maxx, Droid Mini to Android KitKat
Verizon is rolling out Android KitKat to its current range of Droid smartphones. Owners of the Droid Ultra, Droid Maxx, and Droid Mini will receive the update from today onwards, with version 4.4 of the operating system bringing a full-screen mode, camera improvements, an updated Droid Zap app, an update for Motorola Assist, and support for the Fitbit, among other items.
more
12/19, 12:41pm
Motorola puts color-changing ad into print Wired magazine
Motorola will tout its Moto X customizable smartphone next month in the print edition of Wired with an interactive ad that slightly mimics the company's Moto Maker customization site. Mashable reported on Thursday that about 153,490 copies of the January 2014 issue of Wired will be distributed in New York and Chicago with paper-thin electronic components integrated into a page. That page will hold Motorola's Moto X ad, which will change the color of the Moto X unit on the page with the press of a button.
more
12/18, 6:29am
Motorola adds Bamboo backing option to MotoMaker
Motorola has finally made a wooden backing available for the Moto X. Users of MotoMaker can choose to have a Bamboo coating on the rear of the smartphone, at a cost of $100 and an extra week on the delivery time according to TechnoBuffalo. Bamboo is currently the only option in the "Natural" category on the site, with previously-spotted options for Ebony, Rosewood, and Teak yet to be added to the backing list.
more
12/16, 7:42pm
Microsoft-led suit led to embargo of older Motorola devices, suits continue
The United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit upheld Microsoft's ban on Motorola's products that used a meeting scheduler patent. Google-owned Motorola attempted to get the ruling overturned, hoping that the court would invalidate the patent and overturn the US International Trade Commission finding holding it valid.
more
12/15, 7:48pm
Read-out PIN can unlock Moto X, Droid Ultra, Mini, Maxx
Motorola has updated its Touchless Control app with more voice commands, amid other changes. The app, available as an update through Google Play for compatible Motorola devices running Android KitKat, introduces the potentially-insecure option of verbally providing your security PIN to the smartphone in order to unlock it.
more
12/12, 6:20am
Adverse weather conditions slows production, shipping of smartphones
Deliveries of the Moto G and Moto X to customers in the United States have been delayed, because of adverse weather conditions. The manufacturing and shipping facility in Fort Worth, Texas was affected by "Winter Storm Dion," with the snow causing significant transportation issues for finished goods as well as for Motorola employees.
more
12/04, 12:40pm
Sale price available today and Monday
Following technical difficulties on Cyber Monday, Motorola has extended the holiday promotion for its Moto X handset. The company's flagship smartphone is available today and Monday for just $349, marking a $150 savings, with full customization options via the Moto Maker site, though today's stock appears to be sold out.
more
11/30, 4:53pm
Moto X sees big price cut for holiday season
Motorola is offering a steep discount on its Moto X flagship smartphone on Monday. The manufacturer announced a $150 discount on the device last week that will go into effect on Cyber Monday, the day many online retailers give discounts on purchases. The phone will be available starting at $350 with the discount.
more
11/27, 6:20am
Moto X wood options will be available in coming weeks
The Moto X will have options for a wood backing in the future, but not in time for Thanksgiving, according to a Reuters reporter on Twitter. Despite this, Motorola is allegedly aiming to offer the backing option to customers through Moto Maker in the coming weeks, "in time for some holiday shopping." Original sightings of the backing showed options for Ebony, Rosewood, Teak, and Bamboo, though it is not clear which of these will be offered to customers.
more
11/26, 11:14am
Unsubsidized pricing starts at $179
Motorola Mobility has announced that it is bringing the unlocked version of its Moto G smartphone to the US early in time for holiday shoppers. The company is already taking pre-orders for the unlocked GSM editions, which will ship on December 2 and carry respective prices of $179 and $199 for the 8GB and 16GB variants.
more
11/22, 1:56pm
3D Systems developing 3D printing line for Project Ara module construction
Motorola's modular smartphone has taken one more step into becoming a reality, thanks to a multi-year agreement with a manufacturing partner. 3D Systems has agreed to create a "continuous high-speed 3D printing production platform" for Project Ara, and ultimately creating modules as "Motorola's exclusive fulfillment partner" if it completes the platform's development.
more
11/20, 2:37pm
Moto X to be joined by Razr HD, Razr Maxx, more
Motorola surprised much of the tech world on Tuesday by revealing that the 2012 line of Droid devices would be receiving an update to Android 4.4 KitKat. The news came just a day after Android updates began rolling out for the Verizon model of the Moto X. The Google-owned manufacturer did not, however, give any information on the time frame for the new wave of updates.
more
11/15, 6:16am
Price of Moto X lowered on carriers after Moto G launch
Following the launch of the low-cost Moto G, a number of carriers in the United States have started to lower their prices for the Moto X. While Republic Wireless offers the device off-contract, versions as part of a two-year commitment have received price cuts, with one offer seemingly being priced at $0.01.
more
11/14, 1:12pm
Moto X could head to Europe in future, after Moto G
The Moto X could potentially head to markets further afield than the United States, after an executive reportedly hinted at a possible launch in the future. The suggestion comes shortly after the company unveiled the Moto G, a cheaper version of the handset that is enjoying a global launch for areas other than the United States over the next few weeks.
more
11/13, 9:46am
Budget Moto G offers 4.5-inch 720p display, Snapdragon 400 processor
Motorola has launched its rumored Moto G smartphone at its live event in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The smartphone, a budget offering when compared to the preceding Moto X, offers a 4.5-inch, 720p, edge-to-edge display with a pixel density of 329ppi, in a device said to be the third of the cost of premium smartphones such as the Samsung Galaxy S 4.
more
11/11, 1:22pm
Moto X customization now on all major carriers
As many expected, the Moto Maker Moto X customization feature has now expanded from AT&T to include all four major American carriers. The Moto X site now shows Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile as carrier options, along with AT&T. The expansion of the feature to at least Verizon was anticipated by many, as the carrier accidentally leaked a page showing off the Motorola flagship and saying it could be customized. That page, though, was quickly taken down, and the feature was put back under wraps until its proper launch today.
more
11/11, 7:19am
Amazon listing confirms 4.5-inch display, Android KitKat upgrade in future
The Moto G could be shipping to customers the day after its expected launch on November 13th. A sales page for the phone on Amazon UK shows the device, under the previous name of the Motorola DVX, as being "due to be released on November 14th," as well as seemingly confirming a number of rumored specifications.
more
11/10, 6:38pm
Customization options for Moto X on Verizon said to start tomorrow
Verizon's own version of the Moto Maker site reportedly came online for a brief period earlier today, with a page giving the option for the customer to customize their own Moto X smartphone. The Moto Maker page, now redirecting to the front page of the Verizon online store, apparently came online the day before the store is rumored to go live for Verizon customers.
more
11/08, 7:29am
Customized Moto X said to reach T-Mobile today, Sprint on 11th
Customized versions of the Moto X could be heading to the other carriers in the near future, according to reports. Leaked images said to be from Sprint allegedly show that the Moto Maker system will be available to customers in the near future, while another rumor claims that T-Mobile will also be receiving access to it soon.
more
11/04, 7:57am
Budget Motorola smartphone to see international release
Motorola will be hosting an event on November 13th for the launch of the Moto G smartphone. The Google-owned device manufacturer will be showing off the successor to the Moto X during a live event later this month, with the device name having previously been confirmed courtesy of a mistake on the Motorola website and a trademark filing.
more
11/01, 11:27am
Moto X, current Droid range to gain KitKat
Motorola has revealed a list of devices that will receive Android 4.4, also known as KitKat. A dedicated upgrades page on the Motorola website allows users to select a large number of combinations for carriers and devices, with the Moto X and the new Droid range on Verizon being shown as receiving Android KitKat in the future.
more
11/01, 6:16am
Moto G to be mid-range device with Snapdragon S4 Pro processor
Specifications for a future mid-range smartphone from Motorola have allegedly leaked, suggesting that it may be less of a "budget" device than initially believed. The new Moto G rumors come at the same time as the release of the Motorola Camera app on Google Play, though it appears that it is only compatible with the Moto X.
more
10/30, 7:35am
Website menu confirms smartphone name after trademark filing
Motorola may be closer to launching another in the Moto line than first believed, thanks to a slip-up by Motorola itself. The Google-owned manufacturer allegedly leaked the existence of the Moto G through its website, less than a week after it was discovered that the company had applied for a trademark through the USPTO for the smartphone name.
more
10/29, 6:17am
Users can choose individual modules to create unique smartphone
Motorola is developing a system that could be used to create highly-customized smartphones in the future. Project Ara is hoped to become a "free, open hardware platform" that will let users pick and choose specific components for a smartphone from various manufacturers, followed by combining the modules together into a single mobile device.
more
10/25, 12:33pm
Moto X now $99 on Moto Maker site
AT&T customers can now pick up a customized Moto X from the Moto Maker website for just $99. The Moto X still retails for $199 in AT&T stores in standard colors, but interested parties can now get a customized model for half the price, though they will have to have it delivered. Additionally, Motorola is showing off what appears to be a Moto X-exclusive augmented reality game to be launched in the coming days.
more
