Moto X (2017) release date, news and rumors

Update: The most recent Moto X 2017 leaks appears to show the phone in a promotional video, seeming to confirm a few rumors and introducing a few surprises.

If this leak is true, the Moto X will ship with a dual-camera system, a sizeable 3,800mAh battery and the new Snapdragon 660 chipset, among other specs detailed below.

Original story follows below.

A couple of years ago the Moto X range was Motorola’s flagship line, and while it suddenly stopped to make room for the Moto Z range it seems the X isn’t dead, with the Moto X 2017 now the subject of regular leaks and rumors.

But it seems this is no longer a flagship, with the upcoming Moto X 2017 set to slot in below the Moto Z and the inevitable Moto Z2.

It could still be worth getting excited about though, as there’s talk of a dual-lens camera and solid specs, likely combined with an affordable price tag. Here’s everything we know about the Moto X 2017 so far.

Cut to the chase

What is it? The next entry in Motorola's dormant X range
When is it out? Possibly mid-2017
What will it cost? It's likely to have a mid-range price

Moto X 2017 release date

There aren’t any release date rumors yet, but Motorola has confirmed that the X range is “alive and well”, while leaked images show a device that looks almost finished, so we might not be waiting long.

A spring or summer launch is entirely possible and there’s every chance the Moto X 2017 will land alongside the Moto Z2, which itself is expected to land in mid-2017, possibly in June.

Moto X 2017 screen

Several leaked images have now shown what’s believed to be the Moto X 2017 in someone’s hand, and from that it’s clear that this isn’t a massive phone, but not a tiny one either.

It’s hard to be too precise, but we’d guess the screen is in the range of 5.2-5.5 inches. It’s also almost certainly going to have a 1080 x 1920 resolution, given that even the lower-end Moto G5 does and that the next step up (QHD) is still the preserve of flagship phones.

Moto X 2017 design

Hottest leaks:

A metal shell
A 3.5mm headphone port

From leaked images, it looks as though the Moto X 2017 is probably made from metal, which we’d expect, since the Moto G5 Plus mostly is too.

The back is plain, with antenna bands near the top and bottom and a Motorola logo in the center, while the bottom edge has a speaker grille and the top edge has a 3.5mm headphone port, which is worth mentioning, since the Moto Z doesn’t have one.

Shown off in a leak from 9to5Google, the new Moto X appears to add glass into the mix, too. "3D" glass, to be specific. It looks to give off a curved look, much like the LG G6.

Next up, it will apparently be waterproof with a rating of IP68, which is always a welcomed feature in a smartphone.

You can also just about make out a home button beneath the screen, which likely also houses a fingerprint scanner. It’s a familiar design, but one that’s closer to the lower-end G range than the high-end Z range.

TechRadar's take: The images look convincing and it's been leaked more than once, so this is the design we'd expect to see.

Moto X 2017 camera and battery

Hottest leaks:

A dual-lens camera
A front-facing flash

All the leaked images we’ve seen so far show a dual-lens camera on the Moto X 2017, which is a bit of a surprise, since Motorola has never made a phone with a dual-lens camera and we’d think it would debut the tech on a flagship handset, which this isn’t expected to be – though it may still appear on a flagship first if the Moto Z2 has a dual-lens camera.

The exact spec of the camera sensors is unknown, but the Moto G5 Plus has a 12MP one and the Moto Z has a 13MP one, so somewhere around there is likely, while based on past form the front-facing camera might well be 5MP.

And based on the leaked images the front camera looks to have a flash, just like on the Moto Z and Moto Z Play.

TechRadar's take: All the evidence points to a dual-lens camera. Recent leaks also point to a large 3,800mAh battery, which would be a great perk for the new X.

Moto X 2017 OS and power

Hottest leaks:

4GB of RAM
Snapdragon 660 chipset

One leaked image supposedly showing the Moto X 2017 lists it as having 3GB of RAM, while a more recent Weibo leak shows 4GB, so it’s unclear whether one of these is wrong or whether the phone will be launched in multiple configurations.

However, while both images list a mid-range Snapdragon 625 chipset, we've recently learned that it, in fact, might be stocked with the recently-debuted Snapdragon 660. If so, the new X will be a league above the G series that released in the past few months.

As for the operating system, the Moto X 2017 is sure to run Android 7.0 Nougat, unless Android O is out by then, which we doubt it will be. Whatever version it runs will probably be more or less stock, as tends to be the way with Motorola phones.

TechRadar’s take: If only one model of the Moto X 2017 is launched we’d expect it will have 4GB of RAM, as otherwise its specs will be almost identical to those of the Moto G5 Plus.

Moto X 2017 price

There aren’t any pricing rumors yet, but based on the leaked specs we imagine the Moto X 2017 will slot in just above the Moto G5 Plus – but well below the Moto Z and Moto Z2. It will probably also either be lower-end than or in line with the Moto Z Play.

The Moto G5 Plus starts at $229/£249 (around AU$300), so expect a slightly higher price than that, maybe in the region of $300/£300/AU$350. Though if it replaces the Moto Z Play in Motorola’s line-up it could cost more like $449/£369 (around AU$625).