We pretty much knew everything about the Moto X from all the leaks and last week’s DROID announcement. There was really nothing to be surprised about except for one thing, and that one thing happens to be the biggest disappointment with the phone: the price. We heard rumors of $299 off contract, which made perfect sense based on the specs of the phone. Instead we got $199 on contract. I’m sorry, but that is way overpriced when you consider the Galaxy S 4 and the HTC One have better specs and are priced the same.
Motorola might argue that the Moto X will give the user a better user experience with it latest features, clear pixel camera, and battery performance, but it doesn’t take away that the specs are subpar and don’t warrant the same price as other phones that offer more. I was absolutely shocked when Rick Osterloh announced the pricing and said that it would not be available in the Google Play Store. I was sure that it would be offered for $299 and carriers would offer it on contract for either free or at worst, $99. To say I was disappointed would be an understatement. Word is that Motorola is working on a cheaper version of the phone. Cheaper? This one is already perfect, just price it right.
I think the problem lies in that the carriers don’t want Google to sell the phone unlocked directly. Carriers want contracts and they also want control of the devices on their networks. However, most people buy phones at carrier stores, not the Google Play Store. Google could have priced it at $199 off contract, and most people would still walk into the carrier store and sign a 2 year contract for the phone. Okay, so I will go under the assumption that Motorola and Google sucumbed to carriers and agreed to not offer the phone directly, but they still had the opportunity to price it right with the carriers, and they didn’t.
Another issue could be the fact that the Moto X is assembled in the U.S. We saw this same issue with the Nexus Q, which was touted as being manufactured in the U.S., but was way overpriced.
I barely started my review of the Moto X, but I am expecting to really like it. I think between the camera, battery life, and quality build, it’s probably a winner. The big question will be if I would recommend it to anyone at that price? Call me crazy if you want, but I would be willing to say that the Moto X is the best phone on the planet today if it were free on contract and/or $299 off contact. Instead, it’s just another phone trying to get my attention.
Come comment on this article: The Moto X is a great phone, but it has one fatal flaw: The price
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