Motorola Moto X (2017): Everything we know so far

WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR:

>>> It’ll look a lot like the Moto G5

Lenovo has had a big influence on the look and feel of recent Motorola phones, dropping the unique design, textures and materials of previous years for more mainstream metal and glass. Expect the Moto X to closely match the G5, only with a more premium feel to better match the higher price. That means it’s in danger of blending into the crowd of similarly-priced Chinese phones doing the rounds, which all seem to stick to glass and gunmetal grey colours.

>>> Dual rear cameras should be on the way

2017 looks set to be the year where dual-lens cameras make their way down from flagship phones, and that will probably include the Moto X. Images show the phone with two separate lenses built into the now-familiar protroding camera module. There’s no word on what kind of setup Moto will be going for, but with colour/monochrome systems proving popular in Lenovo’s native China, we’re betting one will make an appearance here – it seems more likely than LG’s wide-angle array, at any rate.

>>> It won’t be a performance monster

The Moto X is a mid-tier phone, and it doesn’t look like the 2017 version will punch above its weight when it comes to performance. The most up-to-date images show the phone with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 and 3GB of RAM – that’s what you’ll find in the £199 Lenovo P2. 32GB of on-board storage is hardly class-leading either: here’s hoping Motorola gets the price right.

>>> Don’t expect Moto Mod support…

We’re big fans of the Moto Z’s modular design here at Stuff: easy to attach, no need to turn your phone off first, and genuinely useful extras that add more functionality to your phone. Unfortunately, it looks like the Moto X won’t be following suit. Current images doing the rounds show the back of the phone, but those familiar Moto Mod pins aren’t on show.

>>> …but do expect fingerprint sensor software tweaks

The Moto G5 Plus added a novel way to free up space onscreen, by letting the front-facing fingerprint sensor double up as a multi-function navigation key with taps and swipes to make your way through the Android UI. With a similar sensor seemingly set to appear on the Moto X, we’re betting the same software setup will be available for anyone that wants to enable it.

THE LATEST NEWS:

>>> 27 March 2017

A comprehensive set of photos posted to Google+ courtesy of Jerry Lin seemingly revealed the existence of the 2017 Moto X, as well as announcing some of the headline specs.