Motorola is updating Assist, an app exclusively for the Moto X smartphone that allows drivers to respond to texts completely by voice. The Google-owned manufacturer also announced Tuesday that it would start selling the Moto X throughout Europe beginning next month.
Assist is a set of behaviors that the Moto X follows when it detects a certain activity. Whether it is driving, sleeping or in a meeting. The latter two offer muted phone calls with the option to allow a second consecutive call from the same number through -- in case of emergency.
When the Moto X detects a user is driving; however, an option can be enabled to have the phone read aloud all incoming text messages. Motorola Mobility updated Active Assist today so that drivers also have the option to respond to texts entirely with their voice, without having to look at the smartphone.
Moto X Set For European Release
Motorola announced Tuesday it would release the Moto X in the UK, France and Germany. The U.S.-assembled smartphone had previously only been released in the U.S., Canada and countries in Latin America.
Moto X models sold in Europe will be SIM-free, and Motorola said Tuesday it will release the phone on Feb. 1 in the UK, and later that week in France and Germany. The European Moto X release will not feature Moto Maker, the company’s customization suite offering several color options for the phone’s rear shell, including a premium Bamboo wood back that costs $100 extra.
In the UK, retailers Carphone Warehouse, Amazon and Techdata will sell a white Moto X model wil 16GB of storage for £380. Phones 4U also has an “exclusive” black model for the same price. Carriers offering the Moto X on contract will offer the phone for £25 with a new contract.
In Germany, Motorola will sell the Moto X at Phone House, O2, Amazon.de, Media Markt, Saturn, Expert and Sparhandy.de for 399 euros. The Moto X will be sold in both black and white 16GB models at all German retailers.
The International Business Times selected the Moto X as the best Android smartphone of 2013, and reviewed the top 11 best (and worst) features of the Moto X.
In Europe, the Moto X will run the latest version of Google’s mobile operating system at launch, Android 4.4.2. The Moto X specs a dual-core main processor along with two low-power cores to power features like Active Assist and Touchless Control. It has a 4.7-inch 720p AMOLED display, 2GB of RAM and a 2,200 mAh battery.
In the U.S. Google bundled a free Chromecast with a purchase of the Moto X, in a promotion that ends on Tuesday night at 11:59 p.m. EST. The price of the Moto X in the U.S. has been lowered to $399 for 16GB, and $449 for 32GB.
Follow Thomas Halleck on Twitter @tommylikey
Motorola Updates Moto X Assist; European Release Announced For American-Assembled Phone
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