Second Generation Moto X Launched With ‘Turbo Charger’ Power Adapter

It didn't take too long after Motorola's release of the Moto X and Moto G smartphones to understand what kind of success they'd become. The Moto G, in particular, became Motorola's best-selling smartphone of all time, and it's of little surprise: It was affordable, and spec'd well (I still love mine). So, to say that the company had something to live up to with the next iteration of both phones would be a huge understatement.

Fortunately, it does look like the company has brought the goods. Let's start with the Moto X: It features a 5.2-inch AMOLED screen, sporting a resolution of 1080p. Under the hood is a Snapdragon 801 2.5GHz quad-core, an Adreno 330 GPU, and 2GB of RAM. Other specs include 16GB and 32GB built-in storage (with no option for expansion through a memory card slot), a 13 megapixel rear camera and a 2 megapixel front one, and a 2,300mAh battery. All this for $99.99 under contract, or $499.99 unlocked.

The 2014 Moto X

To add a bit more "premium" to the Moto X, Motorola has ditched the plastic frame and replaced it with aluminum. Should you want to take that premium feeling to the next level, you'll be able to opt into a leather option, with four choices being available. That's neat - but not very useful if you plan to use the phone in a protective case.

While the latest Moto X looks great, what really stands out is its "Turbo Charger" option. Equipped with "Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0" technology, Motorola claims that it takes a mere 15 minutes to add 8 hours of battery-life to the phone. While Motorola is promoting this charger alongside the Moto X, it'll actually enhance the charging time of other USB-based mobile devices as well, "up to 15 watts", as per the product page.

The 2014 Moto G

To be honest, it's the new Moto G I'm a bit more interested in. It's had a screen size boost to 5.0-inch, but sports the same 720p resolution. A notable improvement comes way of speakers: There's two located at the front. And speaking of the front, a 2 megapixel camera can be found there, while an 8 megapixel takes handles duties at the rear.

Here's what's most striking to me: While the Moto X doesn't have a microSD card slot, the new Moto G does. A relative pet peeve of mine with the original Moto G is that it didn't have that slot, but it was understandable given the phone's affordable price. Apparently that lacking feature had nothing to do with that, because the new Moto G retains its $179.99 price. I'm quite impressed with that.

Overall, some attractive releases out of Motorola.