Technology

All The Cool Things Google's New Moto X Phone Can Do

August 3, 2013

This story originally appeared on Business Insider

Motorola officially unveiled its newest flagship phone, the Moto X.

This is the first phone that Motorola has made under the guidance of Google. (Google completed its $12.5 billion purchase of Motorola last year, but runs Motorola as a separate hardware company.)

We have a full rundown of all the nitty gritty Moto X details here, but we also pulled out a few of the coolest, most important features for you in the gallery below.

Start Slideshow

All The Cool Things Google's New Moto X Phone Can Do

This is the Moto X. It has a 4.7-inch screen, but it's body is actually about the same size as the iPhone 5.

Related: Google Just Made The Best Phone That No One Will Buy

All The Cool Things Google's New Moto X Phone Can Do

This is the Moto X. It has a 4.7-inch screen, but it's body is actually about the same size as the iPhone 5.

The back has a pleasant rubbery feel. It's not cheap and plasticky like many other Android phones.

The phone has a curved backing so it fits naturally in your hand.

Unlike most Android manufacturers, Motorola didn't modify the Android software too much. It's a nearly "clean" version of Android, which is good for users.

This is the notifications screen you see when the display is turned off. The Moto X gives you a quick glance at incoming messages, tweets, etc. This feature is activated automatically when you remove the Moto X from your pocket or simply pick it up from the table.

From there you can tap a notification to get a "peek" at the details. For example, if you have an incoming text, you can peek at what it says. You then have the option to open directly into the texting app or ignore the message.

Here's a look at the drop-down notifications menu you see when the phone is switched on.

The Moto X's microphone is always on, meaning you can give it a voice command at any time. To activate it, you say "OK, Google Now" and then your command. It can do anything from making a phone call to performing a simple Google search. Use your imagination.

You can launch the camera app just by twisting your phone. Tap anywhere on the screen to snap a photo. This makes it really easy to take a shot quickly if you need to.

The Moto X will come in white and black at first.

But you'll also be able to customize the colors.

There will be several colors to choose from. You can even customize the colors of the trim and buttons.

How does customization work? Motorola will have a special "Moto Maker" site that you order your phone from. This will only be available to AT&T customers at first.

Later this year, Motorola plans to give you the option to buy a Moto X with a wood backing.

There's also an option for darker wood. Motorola is experimenting with a lot of wood.

Motorola partnered with a company called Sol Republic to make customized colorful earbuds to match your Moto X. ==

Sol Republic also designed this neat Bluetooth speaker.

You can pair the speaker with the Moto X just by tapping the devices together. The speaker can pair with up to five phones at once, so you and your friends can act as the DJ. It'll work with any phone that has Bluetooth, not just the Moto X. The speaker costs $200.