What we know about the Moto X: Google and Motorola's first Android baby

Mark your calendars for Aug. 1

Moto X
(Image credit: Getty Images)

When the Moto X is revealed at a big press event pegged for Aug. 1, very little will be left to the imagination. That's because the first smartphone born from Google's $12.5 billion acquisition of Motorola in 2012 has already sprung more leaks and rumors than than any other phone in recent memory. Maybe ever.

Here's what we know about it for sure: The Moto X will be made in the U.S., at least per Motorola's first teaser ad. And Google Chairman Eric Schmidt managed to put down his BlackBerry for a bit to pose with a teaser unit in the wild.

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The matte plastic back-panel will allegedly be customizable (colors, engravings — that sort of thing.) And it will have a 4.5-inch 720p display.

As for what's inside, Android Police has the full rundown, but the phone will reportedly sport a dual-core 1.7GHz Snapdragon processor, 2GB of RAM, a 10.5-megapixel rear camera, and a 2.1-megapixel front-facing camera for all your pretty selfies. It'll come with a 2,200 mAh non-removable battery (as confirmed by FCC documents). And stock Android 4.2.2 looks like a safe bet, too.

A leaked demo video (which has since been taken down) from Canadian wireless carrier Rogers showed what's so far the most interesting thing about the phone: Unlike Google Now on other Androids or Siri on the iPhone, the Moto X will supposedly react and respond to always-on voice commands, no button pressing necessary. As CNET reports, the narrator in the demo video said, "Your Moto X is ready to listen and respond. Talk to it and it learns your voice. With the power of Google Now, it tells you what you need to know even when you're not touching the screen."

Google is expected to spend a boatload of money marketing the Moto X, too: $500 million, which, as Quartz notes, is half of Apple's entire marketing budget.

Things are about to get plenty interesting now that Motorola's first Google-backed phone is on its way. How will a clean, no-nonsense Android fare against the Samsung Galaxies, HTC Ones, and iPhones of the world? We'll find out soon enough.

Chris Gayomali is the science and technology editor for TheWeek.com. Previously, he was a tech reporter at TIME. His work has also appeared in Men's Journal, Esquire, and The Atlantic, among other places. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook.