Motorola’s new Moto X is an upgrade in every way

Motorola’s long-awaited Moto X successor is here, and it’s called … the Moto X.

Motorola this morning debuted a revamped version of its flagship Android smartphone, which finally gives the company a high-end smartphone with a screen over 5 inches.

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It may share the same name as its predecessor, and you can still customize the entire look of the phone, but the new Moto X is another beast entirely. It sports a significantly faster 2.5 gigahertz Snapdragon processor, a 5.2-inch display with a 1080p screen (the original Moto X was only 4.7-inches), and a more robust 13 megapixel camera. The phone still looks a lot like last year’s model, but its frame is now made out of metal, which should give it a more premium feel.

The new Moto X will be available later this month for $500 off-contract and unlocked, or as low as $99 with a two-year contract at some carriers.

Motorola seems to have addressed all of the specification concerns that turned off many techies from the original Moto X. That phone featured a processor that was slower than the competition last year, and it’s camera had plenty of issues. I ultimately ended up giving the original Moto X a very positive review, mostly for its forward-thinking implementation of voice commands, but there was certainly room for improvement.

The new Moto X is more directly competitive with other high-end Android smartphones (though most have moved beyond 1080p displays and are now including quad-HD displays today). You can still take advantage of Google Now using a voice command, and the device includes Motorola’s unique customization options as well. Now, on top of choosing wood for your Moto X’s rear cover, you can also choose genuine leather.