Moto X4 release date, news and rumors

Update: The Moto X4 has been listed by a US regulatory agency, suggesting that it's not only real but coming soon, and the listing included dimensions, so we have a good idea of how big the phone is.

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.

Though it may have a new name, as according to well-known tipster Evan Blass, the device is going to be called the Moto X4, which will make it easier to distinguish from previous years at least.

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 Moto Z2 Force.

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.

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Cut to the chase

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

Moto X4 release date

The only release date rumor so far comes from a source who apparently has knowledge of Motorola's plans. They say the Moto X4 will land in quarter 4, in time for holiday shopping.

Motorola has also confirmed that the X range is “alive and well”, while leaked images show a device that looks almost finished, and a phone believed to be the Moto X4 has even passed through the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) so we might not be waiting long.

Moto X4 screen

Hottest leaks:

A 5.2-inch screen
A 1080p resolution

The latest leaks point to a 5.2-inch 1080p screen on the Moto X4, and that lines up with images we've seen. In fact, Motorola's official Iranian distributor has even revealed that the phone has a 5.2-inch 1080 x 1920 screen with a pixel density of 424 pixels per inch.

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 from these that the screen is in the range of 5.2-5.5 inches - probably the low end of that range, given that elsewhere we've heard it's 5.2 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.

TechRadar's take: A 5.2-inch 1080 x 1920 screen is looking likely at the moment.

Moto X4 design

Hottest leaks:

A glass or metal shell
A 3.5mm headphone port
Water resistance

We've now seen an almost official image of the Moto X4, as Motorola's official Iranian distributor has shared two photos of the phone, showing off a shiny black back and dual-lens camera jutting out.

The shots are similar to other recent leaked images, which this time also show the front of the phone, revealing a shiny back, which appears to be glass but could be polished metal, a dual-lens camera and large bezels above and below the screen.

However, they're at odds with earlier leaked images (below), from which it looks as though the Moto X 2017 is probably made from metal, though they look suspiciously like the now-announced Moto G5S.

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.

And we've heard similar things from a source who claims the Moto X4 will have an aluminum build, a front-facing fingerprint scanner and IP68 certification.

And thanks to an FCC listing for the X4 found by The Leaker, we know that it will have dimensions of 148 x 73mm. That would make it ever so slightly smaller than the 150 x 73.5mm Moto G5S.

TechRadar's take: The latest leaked images showing a shiny finish look convincing, especially as some of them come from a fairly official source.

Moto X4 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, however, while many show the dual-LED flash module below the lens, apparently it will actually be above according to reliable tipster @evleaks, as seen in the image below.

A source claims it will be a 12MP and 8MP pairing, which makes sense, since the single-lens Moto G5 Plus has a 12MP one and the Moto Z has a 13MP one.

Then again, a rather more official leak from Motorola's Iranian distributor points to dual 12MP cameras, along with a 16MP one on the front.

However, there's no news yet on what the dual-lenses will be capable of - for example whether they allow for lossless zoom, wide-angle shots or something else entirely.

But we can look to the Moto Z2 Force for a clue, as that phone has arrived with a dual-lens camera of its own, where one lens is monochrome, allowing for true black and white shots without a filter. It's also capable of creating a bokeh effect - where the background is blurred.

The same source as above claims that the Moto X4 will have a 16MP front-facing camera, and based on the leaked images the front camera looks to have a flash, just like on the Moto Z and Moto Z Play.

As for the battery, one leak points to a 3,800mAh one, but more recently we've heard more than once that it will just be 3,000mAh. The latter seems more likely, but Motorola has packed big batteries into its phones before, so we wouldn't completely count out the former.

TechRadar's take: All the evidence points to a dual-lens camera, while the battery is likely to be around 3,000mAh.

Moto X4 OS and power

Hottest leaks:

3 or 4GB of RAM
Snapdragon 630 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, in fact, it 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.

We've also seen that listed, along with 3GB of RAM, in a Geekbench benchmark.

But another leak points to an octa-core Snapdragon 630 chipset with all eight cores clocked at 2.2GHz. This would apparently be paired with 4GB of RAM.

The same source claims the Moto X4 will have 64GB of storage and a microSD card slot.

Mention of a 2.2GHz octa-core chipset and 3GB or 4GB of RAM has also been spotted in a photo, shared by Motorola's official Iranian distributor.

As for the operating system, the Moto X 2017 is sure to run Android 7 Nougat (more specifically Android 7.1 according to one source), 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: A Snapdragon 630 and 3GB or 4GB of RAM is looking very likely. 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 X4 price

The only price rumor so far puts the Moto X4 at roughly $400 (around £305/AU$500) and that makes sense, as 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).