WSJ: Motorola Moto X sales disappointing

With the lower priced Motorola Moto G set to be unveiled on Wednesday, a published report on Monday says that sales of the heavily promoted Motorola Moto X have been disappointing. Strategy Analytics pulled out their abacus and counted 500,000 units sold in the third quarter. That compares with the 10 million Samsung Galaxy S4 handsets that were rung up in the same time period.

In all fairness to the device, the main selling point of the phone has been the ability of the buyer to customize the handset using the Moto Maker website, but the site was an AT&T exclusive until today when the exclusivity period ended. Now, customers of all four major U.S. carriers have access to the site. Before today, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile customers were restricted to a standard Moto X model.

Motorola also made a conscious decision not to fight the escalating specs wars. As a result, the device has a 4.7 inch screen with 720 x 1280 resolution. This means tremendous competition from larger screened Android phones with 5 inch screens like the LG G2 and the Samsung Galaxy S4, both of which feature resolution of 1080 x 1920. In addition, the 4.7 inch HTC One also offers 1080 x 1920 resolution for a 468ppi pixel density which surpasses the 316ppi of the Moto X.

Motorola recently cut the price of the phone to $99.99 on contract in order to jump start sales. Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Motorola will take the wrappings off the lower priced Motorola Moto G. Looking like a Moto X that went through your jeans pocket in the wash, the device is expected to offer a removable back cover unlike its big brother. It will include many of the same features seen on the Moto X. There is talk that this phone will be free on contract.

source: WSJ