You heard it here first: modular phones are in. From early prototypes like Google’s Project Ara to more mainstream options like LG’s G5, there seems to be a growing trend towards phones that you can take apart and reassemble with new hardware and features. The next big modular phone? It’s going to be the new Moto X.
Word of the next Moto X broke earlier this week, with reports from Evan Blass of Venture Beat. He suggested that Lenovo is preparing two Moto X flagships with a “modular backplate design”, sharing purported press photos of the two phones and detailed specs. Here’s what we know so far.
Get Amped for modularity
The two phones will be called the Vertex and the Vector Thin, and look near identical — so much so that earlier photos of the two were thought to be of the same phone. Both are compatible with Motorola’s new swappable backplates, thanks to sixteen connection pins on the rear of the phone (shown in the photo below) and embedded magnets.
Motorola have prepared at least six ‘Amp’ modules (nice Mass Effect nod there) to launch alongside the phones. You’ll get a simple alternate-colour Amp in the box, with the more interesting modules offered separately. Venture Beat‘s report mentions Amps that include “stereo speakers, a battery pack, a camera grip with flash and optical zoom, a pico projector and a rugged cover with a wide-angle lens.”
Harder, faster, stronger, better
While both models have a 5.5-inch AMOLED display and Amp modularity, the two Moto X models do have some differences. The Vector Thin is the stronger twin, with a Snapdragon 820 and 1440p display, with the Vertex sporting a more mid-range loadout of a Snapdragon 652 and 1080p display.
Storage and RAM counts are also different; the Vector Thin has 32GB of storage and either 3 or 4GB of RAM, while Vertex is available in 16GB storage / 2GB RAM and 32GB storage / 3GB RAM configurations.
You might expect the optics to be similar, but again we see differences: a 16-megapixel sensor with laser-assisted and phase detection autofocus for the Vector Thin, and a 13-megapixel sensor with laser autofocus and optical image stabilisation for the Vertex.
Despite packing more firepower, the Vector Thin measures just 5mm in thickness, while the Vertex sits at a still respectable 7mm. That’s reflected in their battery stats, with the Thin having only a 2600mAh unit, and the Vertex coming with a larger 3500mAh unit.
That’s a wrap
The two Moto X models are expected to be announced on June 9th at Lenovo Tech World, and I’m sure we’ll see more leaks about the phones before then. Based on what we know now, what are your impressions? Let us know in the comments below.