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What to expect at MWC 2019
There's always plenty of news from MWC, and it's either entirely expected or word gets out early. This year is shaping up to be slightly different, though, as companies are preparing their version of the future of smartphones. From foldable designs to 5G and more, this year's Mobile World Congress won't only be jam-packed with news, but it should also be exciting once again.
With the Moto G7 family, Motorola has a midrange phone for everyone
Motorola's flip-phone-inspired foldable might be generating all the buzz, but the Lenovo-owned brand is arguably still best known for its midrange Moto G phones. That's not a bad thing either. Year after year, Motorola dutifully churns out some of the best wallet-friendly smartphones you'll find, and with the introduction of the new, $299 Moto G7, that streak seems to be going strong in 2019. With all that said, though, Motorola's midrange plan this year isn't exactly business as usual.
Chromebook to Android instant tethering expands beyond Google devices
There were hints Google was expanding its Internet Tethering feature to third-party devices, and now it's official. The simple cellular hotspot connection is available on 15 additional Chromebooks and 31 further Android phones, making it that much easier to get online when you're away from WiFi. You can read the full lists for both below, but the Chromebook list includes models from Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, Lenovo and Samsung, while the phones include relatively recent hardware from HTC, Huawei, LG, Motorola, OnePlus and Samsung. There's a good chance you're covered.
Motorola patent teases a RAZR-like phone with a foldable display
A newly-discovered Motorola patent may be our first look at Lenovo's rumoured RAZR foldable phone. Unearthed by 91 Mobiles, the filing contains several illustrations that seem to show a handset with a folding screen on the inside and a second, smaller screen on the outside.
What we're buying: A terrible replacement baby monitor
This week's IRL tale has nothing to do with new year's resolutions. Thankfully. Instead, Senior Editor Dan Cooper tries to replace his decent (but broken) baby monitor, and finds that cheaper models no longer cut it.
Motorola's next RAZR revival could be a $1,500 foldable phone
Motorola's RAZR flip-phone is reportedly set for a $1,500 foldable makeover. The new handset could arrive exclusively through Verizon as soon as next month, per The Wall Street Journal's sources. You can blame that massive price tag on the expensive components required to build a foldable phone (just ask Samsung, which apparently has its own $1,500 flexible handset slated for a February 20th reveal).
Moto G7 Play surfaces at the FCC with a display notch
If Motorola thinks it can escape its recent history of leaks that spoil virtually everything, it has another thing coming. The Moto G7 Play has popped up at the FCC, and the filing (discovered by Droid Life) has revealed virtually everything -- right down to the manual. Like it or not, the upcoming model would introduce a Motorola One-style display notch to the mid-tier smartphone line. The fingerprint reader, meanwhile, would move to the back. The G7 would also represent a serious speed upgrade, since the filings reveal a Snapdragon 632 processor instead of the merely adequate Snapdragon 450 from the G6 family.
Motorola One launches in the US on November 11th for $399
You'll soon be able to buy the Motorola One in the US. The phonemaker says it's bringing the Android One phone stateside "after a successful launch" in Latin America, Asia Pacific and Europe where it's sold for €299. In the US, the device will set you back $399 as an unlocked GSM device. It's already up on Best Buy's website for pre-sale and will be available in store starting on November 11th. Take note, though, that its black version is an online exclusive, while the white one will be sold in brick-and-mortar outlets.
Motorola and iFixit sell official DIY phone repair kits
Many tech companies frown on unofficial repairs, but not Motorola -- in the right circumstances, it'll encourage you to fix devices yourself. The Lenovo brand has become the first major phone maker to provide parts to iFixit, which now sells official Motorola repair kits. If you need to replace your Moto Z Play's cracked screen or install a fresh battery in your Droid Turbo 2, you'll have all the parts and tools you need to do it at home.
Here are all the new phones at IFA that you won't get in the US
I know what you're thinking: Why should you care about a bunch of phones you might never get to buy? Well, in addition to feeding your FOMO, it's also worth learning about technologies available elsewhere in the world. Things that first showed up abroad (think: all-screen phones) have a habit of showing up stateside after some time. There are already a few phones in other countries that offer advanced features like in-screen fingerprint readers that we're expecting to arrive in the US soon. Granted, the phones we saw at IFA weren't groundbreaking flagship devices, but it's still worth noting what we're missing out on. Fasten your seatbelts, close your tray tables and return your seats to the upright position and join me on this journey around the world.
A proper explanation of Google’s Android One program
I must admit I didn't know much about Android One before coming to IFA 2018. I had assumed it was some form of software or set of specifications for midrange phones, although a lot of people around me were also confusing it with Android Go. Android One is neither of those things. If you're here expecting an Android Go explainer, sorry. Best go live your life now. This is not the (An)droid you're looking for.
Motorola launches two notched Android One phones
Motorola has officially launched the One and the One Power, two new phones created for Google's Android One program. While that doesn't mean they're created specifically for emerging markets -- Android One initially focused on entry-level devices but evolved into a series of phones that gets updates from Google quickly and consistently -- they're not quite flagship material either. Inside One Power, you'll find last year's Snapdragon 636 1.8GHz octa-core processor and 64GB of built-in storage, which is thankfully expandable and double that of LG's recently unveiled G7 One. The device also has a 6.2-inch full HD display and, like previous leaks showed, an iPhone X-like notch and a vertical dual rear camera to go with battery life that can last up to two days.
Moto Z3 review: When novel ideas get old
2016's Moto Z and Z Force proved that a company could make sophisticated, truly modular smartphones. Need better battery life? Slap a new one onto the Z's back. Not loving the built-in camera? Go ahead and add one made by Hasselblad. The list goes on. Motorola's system of magnetically attached Mods was -- and remains -- an elegant way to make a phone better than it was out of the box.
Motorola isn't giving up on its smartphone Mods just yet
Not long before the second-generation Moto Z flagship was released, Motorola made a clear promise: its Moto Mod accessories would absolutely work for three generations of devices. With the Z3 Play and Z3 officially out there now, that's three generations accounted for -- the company made good on its word. As a result, some -- myself included -- sort of assumed that Moto would give up on its Mods entirely once that obligation had been met.
Motorola's new Moto Z3 is a Verizon exclusive with 5G ambitions
We're not sure that Moto's Mods were the game-changers they were intended to be, but that hasn't stopped Motorola from making one more modular smartphone. The Lenovo subsidiary just unveiled the new Moto Z3 at its Chicago headquarters, and there are a few things worth noting right off the bat.
Motorola's smartphone Mods weren't the game-changers we hoped for
Two years ago, Lenovo-owned Motorola embarked on a grand plan to build modular smartphones that weren't cumbersome. It worked. Moto Mods are accessories that magnetically attach to the company's Moto Z smartphones, and they let people easily expand their phones' feature sets. And later this week, we're expecting Motorola to unveil what might be its most ambitious Mod yet: a 5G modem for high-speed data. (Never mind the fact that, as of this writing, there are no commercially accessible 5G networks in the US.) The brand's execs first started talking about the possibility of a 5G mod in late 2016, and the idea of adding next-generation wireless performance to an existing smartphone is as enticing as ever.
Motorola could launch its notchy flagship in two sizes
Motorola is planning to release not one but two smartphones under the Motorola One banner, Android Headlines reports. The Motorola One Power was leaked earlier this month, and according to new images and details provided by the site's sources, the similarly titled Motorola One is another phone you can expect to see very soon.
Amazon adds Moto G6 Play and Z3 Play to Prime Exclusive phone lineup
Amazon already has quite a few Motorola phones in its Prime Exclusive roster, and now it's adding two more to its lineup. The e-commerce giant now offers the Moto G6 Play and Z3 Play as unlocked, Alexa-enabled devices that you can use with Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint lines. You can summon Alexa on both phones by double pressing the power button when they're unlocked or, if you set it as the default assist app instead of Google Assistant, by a long press on the home button. For a limited time, you can also get a free Moto Smart speaker with a Z3 Play, so you can access the voice assistant hands free.
The Moto Z3 Play packs a bigger, better screen and full Mod support
It wasn't that long ago that Motorola revealed its new G-series phones, and it's already giving us yet another option to consider. This time, we're looking at the Moto Z3 Play — it's the follow-up to one of the brand's most beloved smartphones, and as you might've guessed from the name, it's fully compatible with all of Motorola's magnetic Mod accessories.
Leaked Motorola One Power may borrow heavily from the iPhone X
Remember how an earlier leak suggested Motorola would join the hordes of companies making phones with notches? That dream is still alive, apparently. Android Headlines and 91mobiles claim to have details of the One Power, an Android One-based device that would borrow more than a few pages from the iPhone X book. It would not only have a notched display with curved corners, but an iPhone-style vertical dual rear camera arrangement with the flash in between the two sensors. About the only major differences are the construction (no mix of steel and glass here) and a small chin with a prominent "Motorola" logo.
