Motorola had a great 2017, but in 2018, the company seems to be all over the place. Like last year, the Lenovo-owned company had planned several devices to launch this year as well, almost successors to all the devices it introduced in 2017. However, the company has reportedly cancelled the Moto X5 smartphone, which will succeed the 2017's popular Moto X4 smartphone. This move from Motorola is a completely unexpected one and now, the company is looking to put its complete focus on Moto Mods. Also, the report adds that Lenovo is looking to scrap the entire Moto X lineup, meaning there will not be any Moto X device in the future. Back in 2013 under the leadership of Google, the Moto X series used to be Motorola's flagship lineup, which is now replaced by Moto Z lineup of devices. This would be major dent for the company because it already started working on the smartphone with design and hardware elements being finalised.
The Moto X5 was to be the successor to the last year’s Moto X4 (review) that came back in September. It was one of the Motorola-made Android smartphones that leaked earlier this year, along with Moto G6 and Moto Z3.
The cancellation is the direct result of Lenovo’s strategy to cut down its costs. The company will instead focus on streamlining its lineup and continue to work on Moto G, E and Z series. The entry-level Moto C series was allegedly cancelled as well as there isn't a single rumour about the series.
Moreover, Motorola is also said to be scaling back its efforts to partner with third-party Moto Mod makers. The company is taking a stricter approach with its future range of Moto Mods. Instead of releasing ones that appeal to niche markets, the company will focus on ones that it “believes can actually turn a profit.”
This report is quite disappointing for avid Motorola fans who were expecting the launch of Moto X5. Previous reports and leaked renders suggested the Moto X5 to sport a sleek bezel-less design with an iPhone X-like screen notch. The notch apparently housed the front cameras and a speaker.
The official-looking image hinted dual front and rear cameras. The rear panel also sported the fingerprint scanner. Other specs included 5.99-inch IPS FHD+ display, octa-core processor paired with 4GB of RAM, 16MP + 8MP front camera, 12MP+ 8MP rear camera and 3300mAh battery. However, the Moto X5 seems shelved for now.
