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Motorola announced Sunday that the next-generation Moto X smartphone and Moto Hint Bluetooth earpiece will be available for preorder on Tuesday.
In addition to an AT&T version with a $100 carrier-subsidized price, the handset maker will also make available for preorder an off-contract Moto X with an unlocked SIM card for $500. The Hint, a wireless earbud that allows remote control of a smartphone, will be offered for $150. The Motorola Turbo Charger, which can charge the latest Moto handsets in 15 minutes, will also be offered for preorder on Tuesday for $35.
Motorola did not indicate when consumers could expect the devices to ship, but a Motorola spokeswoman told CNET that specific shipping dates will be listed with customers’ shopping carts.
The company also said that the Moto 360 will be back in stock on Tuesday but only in limited quantities. The Android Wear smartwatch, which sold out in a matter of hours last week, sports a circular face and is one of the most-anticipated device releases this summer.
Continuing Motorola’s strategy of selling smartphones that undercut on price despite features and components that stand up to the competition, the new Moto X got incremental improvements wrapped around a fancy new body and a lower price. When the first Moto X debuted, it cost $200 with subsidized pricing or $580 without a contract.
Motorola’s flagship smartphone is bigger, now featuring a 5.2-inch full high-definition display, as well as a faster 2.5GHz Snapdragon processor from Qualcomm. It features a 13-megapixel camera that can also shoot 4K video. An emphasis on the smartphone was the integration of more voice commands and touchless controls, allowing you to wave your hand over the phone to dismiss a caller or tell the phone to enter selfie camera mode.
Meanwhile, the Hint earbud is designed as a way to keep your head up and engaged, as opposed to staring at your smartphone. The unit has a capacitive touchpad control but no buttons. Users tap the earpiece and make search inquiries or call out commands to their handset with their voice.
