By 
The problem with Moto Maker, perhaps the single defining feature of Motorola’s Moto X, is that it has been exclusive to AT&T customers since the phone launched. Representing a new approach to purchasing a smartphone, Moto Maker allows buyers to customize their own personalized Moto X handset, choosing colors, an inscription, and greeting message, and even allowing to have the phone set up with a Google account at the factory. The X is a respectable phone overall, but this unprecedented sales model was its real selling point.
It now appears Google and Motorola will be able to truly test the manufacturing prowess of the new factory the company opened in Texas to process custom Moto X orders as all signs point to Moto Maker soon going live for all major US carriers. The latest leak showcases a few Moto Maker exclusive color options with Verizon branding, while news from earlier in the week speculates Sprint could see the service launch on November 11th. Famed leakster @evleaks posted a note to his Twitter account that T-Mobile could gain Moto Maker access as early as today, but the claim was not elaborated upon further.
When Moto Maker does expand, it could come with new customization options, including the wooden back plates showcased at Motorola’s launch event for the phone. At the time, Motorola indicated that the company had plans to continually expand options for Moto X customers, but the service as it stands still presents the same color and material choices as it did on launch day. Will Moto Maker’s second wave help the Moto X to realize its full potential? Did Motorola’s experiment in customizable smartphones meet their expectations? What do you think?
[via @evleaks]
I’ve owned a N4, HTC One, and now a N5. I still want this phone because of the size, feel, battery life, active notifications, and of course for customization. There is no way they can tell if the customization aspect was a success since they only launched it on AT&T. A couple months of exclusivity is a life time in the mobile world. I wish Moto Maker was available from day one on all carriers. If T-Mo will sell in store with their pricing options, then I’m still getting one.
Finally
This Frustrates me. I live in Canada, and all I want is to buy an unlocked phone from Motorola to use on my local carrier. I don’t want any branding, or have to go through the hoops of getting a phone from another carrier unlocked.
WTF Motorola, take my money!
I can buy an iPhone from the apple store, or a Nexus from the Play store. Why won’t other manufacturers sell direct?
32GB blue back and yellow accents on Verizon! Here I come!
anyone else out there going to motomaker and noticing the Verizon logo on the checkout page for a split second before the att logo replaces it? I tried it on my nexus 10 using Firefox and it keeps happening to me. It makes me really hopeful that this will drop sooner rather than later
confirmed on firefox browser. can’t catch it on chrome, though.
I was hoping the Verizon logo on the back would be the same color as the accent color.
That’s actually, a hot idea.
Truuuuue. Didnt think of that one but ya, if the Verizon logo was accent colored, that would actually make the all too omnipresent big red logo look cool. There’s the Verizon logo on the Note 2 home button that’s tacky as hell on one end of the spectrum, and then there’s the accent colored Verizon logo on the Moto X, tying together the whole custom look together in a neon orange splash of glory.
I’m trying to figure out why the ATT logo is white here: http://www.phonenews.com/motorola-delaying-moto-maker-engraving-option-for-moto-x-23415/
but is blue here: http://www.droid-life.com/2013/11/05/motomaker-opens-up-to-t-mobile-on-november-8-according-to-evleaks/
Hmmm. Nice detective work there sir but my guess is simply that I bet the ATT logo either comes in white if on a darker back and their stock normal logo color blue if on a lighter back. That way, it is easily visible in either scenario. Like obviously, they would never put a white logo on a white back or a blue logo on a blue back. It probably comes in just those 2 colors, white or blue for ATT, or in our (verizon’s) case, white or red. Backing up my guess also is that if u look closely in that droid life link, it looks like the blue ATT logo is a slightly different shade than the highlight color. What do u think? I feel like that’s gotta be it although that now makes me sad cause it squashes any hopes of an accent colored logo.
yeah, you’re probably right. these show the same greyish color. so compare that to the one i called blue above and you’ll see those are closer to grey too.
http://cdn.slashgear.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/moto_x_hands-on_sg_131-580×326.jpg
I’m on Verizon and I’m ready to click that buy button on Nov 11th but 2 questions need to be answered first.
1.) The other ATT exclusive that nobody talks about besides Moto Maker is the 32GB storage option (that’s not a dev edition). Will all carriers get the 32GB option on Nov 11th also?
2.) WOOD. WOOD PHONE. SICK. That Ebony wood look is straight up gorgeous and makes the Moto X automatically the most unique sick nasty phone ever that anybody has ever laid eyes on. Even non-phone nerds would appreciate it and I would never forgive myself if I got impatient and bought the Moto X, only for the wood option to come out a few weeks later. No homo, I need wood, stat. Nov 11th for that too?
1.) The reason nobody talks about it is because it’s exclusive to Moto Maker, not ATT. Once everybody gets Moto Maker, everyone will get the 32GB option.
2.) I’m indifferent.
I had an AT&T pin burning a hole in my pocket – i literally JUST placed my order for my design. If they come out with the wood backs on November 11th, I will be SUPREMELY pissed. The card does say though, “If the end result isn’t what you pictured, return it within 14 days.” I’ll be doing that if the wood backs come out before my return period.
Absolutely dude, definitely take advantage of that return period. In the past, (this may not be completely morally sound but) I broke my phone a few years ago and was still waiting for the Galaxy S3 to come out. Rather than pay the $100 insurance deductible for a replacement when it was only gonna be used for 2 weeks, I just used my upgrade and bought another phone, used it for 13 days, returned it, and successfully stalled long enough until my S3 finally came out. Again, maybe not the most honest thing to do but it worked. And for you, yes returning for the wood option is a must. The only question is which species of tree Moto should cut down. All of them look so good but the ebony is my favorite.
If this phone had motomaker for tmobile and was $250 off-contract, I would have been all over it.
$600 is way too much.
$250 is way to low
Really – you can’t even get a new Nexus off-contract for $250, and that’s not customizable or assembled in the US.
Yeah, I can get a Nexus 4 for that price off contract.
I would be willing to pay an extra $50 for the ‘made in USA’ gimmick, but not another $300 on top of that.
Gimmick? You call giving Americans jobs a gimmick. If only other companies would follow suit and it didn’t even cost them that much more. What an ass hat this guy is.
I was referring to the Nexus 5, and the extra $300 is not simply because it’s assembled in the USA; there are a lot of enhancements on top of Android that justify the cost – it is a flagship device, mind you. Not to mention, you cannot customize the Nexus 5’s chassis. If you just want an inexpensive phone, why NOT buy a Nexus 4?
How about $299, no contract, using Sprint’s rebranded coverage from http://bit.ly/republicphone ?
A little too late I’m afraid. They should have rode the initial hype when the Moto X was all over news outlets. AT&T exclusivity kinda killed it.
Yup, a good lesson in how long is “too long” after launch.
The lack of wood backs (a key part of the “leak” campaign) is pretty poor as well.
When will we get motos wood. I want wood on back side. I want wood I want wood!
If you want wood on your backside, join a frat
Or, if you want wood *in* your backside, join a sorority.
too little too late. When it comes to phones, you need to launch everything day one.
Had to wait too long for the wood back. Nexus instead for me then.
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