Generating hype for the Moto X

For the past few nights, I've found myself  facing recurring dreams. Whilst each varied in what took place, a common thread persisted in each - the Moto X.

Each dream is so real, so lucid, and yet I have absolutely no idea how I end up in each setting, and why I have a white Moto X in my possession. One of the stranger parts of these dreams are that each centre around the launch of the device, to which I am present at each, and eagerly awaiting the announcement, without any notion of why I have the device on me already.

It's torture, mainly because the dreams are so lucid. In each dream I can feel the texture of the back casing, I see how it sits in my own hand, the way its always-on voice commands can be used, and the way photos shot with the camera turn out. It's so near, yet so far.



For months now, most of us have waited impatiently for any whiff of Moto X news we could lay our greasy hands on. We've gone through the prospect of a device with specs to dominate all others in the market, but more recently we've been seeing that this mightn't be the case at all - and why should it be? The mobile smartphone industry has progressed and developed at a truly immense rate, and while this focus on progress is warranted, given our increased reliance on smartphones in the order of our lives - should an emphasis on specs really be the determining factor in our purchase of smartphones?

We're already nearing that stage where lag and stuttering in the performance of smartphones is near non-existent, which is precisely the reason why OEMs should be bringing not only new features, but features that stand the purpose to make our lives easier. Not necessarily like some of the more gimmicky features we've seen from OEMs more recently, but something along the lines of a device that is "contextually aware", according to Motorola CEO, Dennis Woodside. A phone that knows you and how you use it, and yes whilst many have believed this to be turning the creepy-dial to 11, I've left that perception behind a long time ago.

In order to embrace the future, the sci-fi, we have to be willing to move with the times. We're living more and more in an age of sci-fi, and while products that are contexually aware, or see and know your movements (like Google Glass), are more upfront in what they are, we've been engaging the creepy the moment we went online. The amounts of information and data we give to companies and organisations is uncanny, and it's only when you think about it that you actually get a sense of how little our own personal information is personal at all.

Shopping websites know me to a tee, they know all of my shopping interests and specific brands I'm interested in. We get sent newsletters with discounts and deals sent to our email addresses, and not to mention the countless online services we deal with where our own bank details are disclosed in the hope they're kept private from external parties.

The point I'm trying to make is we invest so much of ourselves already into services online and even offline, yet we're wary as to allowing a device most personal to us, something we keep closest to us for most of the time, know how it can be best used to enhance our experience.

Provided we're mindful of the security surrounding these devices, and have an app like Cerberus installed for piece of mind, I'm all for devices that are human-centric, because after all, every aspect of technology should strive to be above all, human-centred as opposed to machine-centred, for it is then that we should worry about technology working against us, instead of in harmony with the needs of users.

One main issue still remains however, the state of the Moto X. The worst part about the device not being available on the market would have to be Google and Motorola now dangling juicy leaks before us every second day or so. Hype building is certainly a strategy the duo need to work for them, and they're being choice with what they're releasing to the public no doubt - but there's only so much that one can withstand before they're actually at breaking point, and aggravated that a product they've been keeping tabs on for months on end is still unavailable.

Although a release is suspected to be sometime in August, at the rate the leaks are coming in, I fear the surprise will be all but spoiled by the time the Moto X is announced officially. It's either that or people may be underwhelmed if they find there's nothing new at the launch that they haven't already scooped up off the floor of various news sites.

I think the rate with which rumours and leaks are appearing need to slow down drastically. I've personally just about seen enough. There's no doubt the Moto X will be every bit exciting as what Motorola and Google have made it out to be, and without doubt I'll be amongst the many fumbling to get my hands on one the moment it's made available. As I've stated in one of my earliest posts, the prospect of a Google and Motorola collaboration has always been the stuff of dreams for me. Motorola have always been, and hopefully will continue to be my favourite OEM - but the sustained teasing of the Moto X has the likely chance to send me stark raving mad.

Enough with the leaks and the hype building - peoples' sanity are at stake here!

Though on a side note, I do acknowledge we are all mere pawns in the larger scheme of things. Hype building and a strong marketing campaign should work to Motorola and Google's favour - I just can't help feeling so used.