Motorola to launch phone “priced for all” on May 13

 

Motorola has announced that it will soon launch a smartphone "Made to last. Priced for all." According to the press invites sent out by the company, the device will be launched on May 13 in London.

This announcement has sparked rumours that Motorola will unveil the Moto E smartphone, which had leaked earlier, at the event.

Moto E is said to have a 4.3-inch screen, and though the resolution has not been confirmed yet, it is expected to have a 720p display. Other key specifications of the device include 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 1GB RAM, 5MP camera and 1,900mAh battery. The smartphone will have 4GB internal storage and support for microSD cards, which is missing in both Moto G and Moto X.

Moto E will reportedly run on stock version of Android 4.4 (KitKat) and come in single-as well as dual-sim variants; India is expected to get the dual-sim variant of the model. The smartphone will come in black and white colour options and have back covers in different hues.

Among the USPs of Moto E would be its ultra-thin body. Rumours say that the smartphone would be just 6.2mm thick, making it slimmer than the likes of iPhone 5S and Galaxy S4.

On the pricing front, Moto E is said to be placed between the 8GB and 16GB versions of Moto G. This means it may be priced between Rs 12,499 and Rs 13,999 in the Indian market.

While there has been no word on whether or not the smartphone will be rugged yet, Motorola's "Made to last" statement in the press invite suggests that Moto E may be water- and dust-resistant.

Though Moto X and G are coated with a layer that protects them from water damage to an extent, the two handsets are not as resistant to elements as top-end models like Samsung Galaxy S5 and Sony Xperia Z2.

Motorola's Defy series, discontinued in 2012, had its last water- and dust-resistant smartphones; the products had IP67 rating, meaning that they can withstand being dropped in water up to 1 metre for 30 minutes.

Recently, Motorola unveiled the Moto G Forte in Mexico, which is more rugged in the original model. However, the device is essentially a Moto G that comes with a grip cover out-of-the-box; the same grip cover can be purchased for Rs 999 in India.