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Moto X enters the smartphone market, but can it hang with the big kids?

Motorola says what makes the phone different is so-called contextual computing, a tech buzz phrase which means the phone can tell when its in your hand versus in your car.

Motorola Mobility is unveiling a new smartphone, Moto X, to the world today at a release event in Manhattan. It looks like a lot of smartphones on the market already — sleek screen with no buttons. But the Moto X has a secret weapon: Google, Motorola Mobility’s parent company.

The Moto X appears to be Google’s biggest move into hardware. Until now, Google has relied on partnerships more than making its own stuff. And what makes the phone different from the rest? So-called “contextual computing”, a tech buzz phrase which means the phone can tell when its in your hand versus in your car.

Lior Ron, one of the phone’s lead designers, joins Marketplace Tech host Ben Johnson to discuss. Click on the audio player above to hear more.


Marketplace Tech host Ben Johnson takes Moto X’s Google Now voice activated software for a spin. Happy Friday:

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