Moto X is all ears

Motorola’s new Moto X, available now only at Rogers for $189.99 with two year plan, is all ears. You can talk to it, like asking directions or set an alarm using your voice. The curvy smartphone feels nice in your palm with a non-slip hard rubber back and a narrow bezel front. The Moto X quietly shows onscreen info at a glance with Active Notifications, even while it’s asleep.

Even if you are in a meeting, the notifications silently show up onscreen.

Flick your wrist twice and the ten MP camera turns on ready to capture fleeting moments. OK, for me it honestly took me half a dozen tries. Others get it on first try. Grrrr.  Tapping the screen once focuses that part of the picture and takes the photo. Keep your finger pressed onscreen and it shoots continuous frames.

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Although now owned by Google, Motorola is going out of its way to say it was very much on its own, designing an easy to use, yet sophisticated smartphone using Google mobile services.

Saying “OK Google Now” to gets you started. Ask it if you need an umbrella and it gives you up-to-the-minute weather for your location. But I found asking if I needed an umbrella for tomorrow was not consistent. It recognizes your voice (although I wouldn’t count on that for secure login). Tell it you’re going home, and the Moto X will start GPS mapping to your home because it recognizes your face.

The 2600 MHz LTE-enabled Moto X uses the Motorola Connect extension for Google Chrome to see and respond to notifications and text messages – right from your desktop if you are away from your phone. Smart. Motorola Migrate is supposed to make it easy to transfer the contents of your old phone onto your Moto X although I didn’t try that feature as the Moto X has to be returned. Pairing your phone to the Moto X through WiFi direct transfers your photos, texts, SIM contacts and even your call history and more.

Moto X customers south of the boarder will be able to custom design the exterior of the Moto X and get it delivered in four days. But not us Canucks! Still, there’s something to be said about an American technology company that actually makes its own phones at home.