Motorola is hosting media briefings today in Sydney to show off its latest products – the Moto X and Moto 360 Android Wear smartwatch.
The products need no introduction, but the interesting items to come from today’s event is the launch window. Motorola told us earlier this year that they learned their lesson from the US-only launch of the Moto X in 2013, and that seems to be the case.
The company wouldn’t put an exact time frame on the launch — nor, disappointingly, a price — but it’s good to see the company turn its eye to the Australian market in a timely fashion for both products.
Moto 360 – October
The Moto 360 should hit Motorola’s usual Australian retailers (Harvey Norman, JB Hi-Fi, Good Guys and Dick Smith Electronics) in October.
The Moto 360 was on-hand in both Black and Silver versions, so we’re hoping to see both versions come to Australia. Motorola says the watch won’t be sold online, but rather it’ll see a retail-only release in Australia.
The company sees the watch as an “assisted sale” items, which means they’d rather have retail staff demonstrate it to prospective buyers and explain the features and functionality. The Moto 360 might also be sold by carriers, much the same as the G Watch.
We’ve got our hands on a Moto 360, and are putting it through its paces for a full review soon!
Moto X – October/November
Motorola is expecting to see the new Moto X launch in late October, but this might also slip to early November.
We suspected as much, but sadly Motorola also confirmed this morning that their Moto Maker customisation service won’t be coming to Australia, despite the operation being moved to China. We will however see the Bamboo Wood Grain version of the new Moto X in Australia alongside the more traditional Black Resin.
It seems Motorola’s also no longer a fan of the Australian carrier model, with the new Moto X going direct to retailers and bypassing carrier contracts entirely. Motorola says they don’t see the value in selling this way.
Given the launch price of the Moto X earlier this year, and the assumed price of the new Moto X when it comes to Australia, we can sort of see the point here – if the phone’s priced in the $500-600 range, then it’s a less compelling on-contract device. It’s a little disappointing to see that Motorola’s new flagship phone might not find a wide audience through carrier sales, though.
Moto G – Available Now
Finally, the new Moto G got a little love – although it’s already available at retail, Motorola showed off the new midrange smartphone, but that’s already hitting retailers (and the Ausdroid review bench).
Motorola did tell us they’ll be selling interchangeable covers at Australian retail, as they did for the original. Hopefully they’ll be available in a wider range of colours.
The phone will also be hitting Harvey Norman on October 1.
Are Motorola’s new products tickling your fancy? Tell us what you’re looking forward to in the comments!
