Mark Zuckerberg says virtual reality is the obvious next step for Facebook

Facebook has another quarter in the books, and the company's business continues to boom. Its revenues rose roughly 40 percent year over year, to $4.04 billion. But its net income declined compared to last year, declining from $791 million to $719 million. Its operating margins also tumbled as Facebook's spending soared. This measure of profitability slumped from 48 percent this time a year ago to 31 percent this quarter. On today's earnings call, chief financial officer David Wehner said that the company had added a near record number of new employees this quarter, most in research and development, which helps explain the change in margins. R&D spending is focused on fun things like drones and lasers that beam down internet access and of course, virtual reality.

When asked what he thought the primary applications of Oculus VR headset might be, founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg said, "The reason we’re excited in this space is the continued progression of people getting richer and richer ways to share what’s on their mind. Ten years ago it was text. Now it’s mostly visual and photos, then primarily video and we’re seeing huge growth there, but that is not the end of the line. Immersive 3D content is the obvious next thing after video." He says that more interactive social applications will arrive once we have robust technology in place to experience this new kind of video.

Not surprisingly, given its massive size, Facebook's user growth is starting to slow. Its daily active user base was up to 968 million, a 17 percent increase over last year, when the user base grew at 19 percent. Growth in mobile daily active users fell by 10 percent year over year. Its monthly active user base now stands at a whopping 1.49 billion people. Zuckerberg said on the earnings call that the average user was spending more time with the service on a daily basis.

Video advertising was one of the big drivers of Facebook's revenue growth. Chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg said that "Our video demand is very deep. And we can do targeting in a way that is really unique. We can target millennials who like spicy food, which is really specific." Snake people love their salsa.

Zuckerberg also noted that there were no plans to immediately start cramming ads into Messenger or WhatsApp. "The playbook we’re going to run with Messenger and WhatsApp will be similar to what we did with Facebook and Newsfeed," he said, noting that they ignored suggestions for years to simply cram in banner ads. "We’d ask for some patience on this to do it correctly." Let's hope they take a similar tack with Oculus. The possibilities for targeting Wendy's new Southwest chicken sandwich through a virtual reality headset boggle the mind.

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Facebook Drone to provide internet access to people from heights of sky

Image: opusfidelis.com

According to sources, this drone will provide the internet services through the Facebook’s project Internet.org up to 5 billion people.

The details specify that the name of this drone is Aquila. It has the wingspan of a Boeing 737 (passenger plane). Despite holding the heavy wingspan, it’s weight is about the third of the Toyota Prius car’s weight (the weight of this car is 1325 kg).

Facebook’s engineering lab has disclosed that this drone is made with carbon fiber. When this material undergoes the heat, it becomes stronger than the steel without changes in its weight. As soon as it launches in the air, it can acquire the altitude of 60,000 to 90,000 feet. Hence, it is far away from the aeroplanes flying height.

Another stunning feature of Facebook Drone is no fuel requirement as it is equipped with the solar panels for charging. It has the ability to provide the internet signals to the people of the earth in a 50 km of radius.

The small dishes and towers will receive the signals sent via drone and will convert them to Wi-Fi or LTE network. Facebook has also said that data and information can be transferred from drone to drone and if it happens, there is less or no need of earthly internet infrastructure.

In reply to a question about the internet services providence to the users through Facebook Drone , a Facebook official told that they are not going to hold the internet services through this drone. Their goal is to just set up an aerial internet infrastructure. The carriers on the earth will provide their services through it.

The drone project has been developed by Facebook’s Connectivity Lab, which contains former researchers from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the National Optical Astronomy Observatory, among others. The lab is part of Facebook’s Internet.org initiative to bring the Internet to places where there is a lack of connectivity.

Google has also started a project of “Helium Balloon” to provide the internet services to the developing countries. But the drone created by Facebook can fly more time than the Google’s balloon. Moreover, this drone can be controlled from the earth. The telecom companies are saying that the internet services which will provide through the drone will give new life to the telecommunication industry.

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New iPhone 6s Parts Leak Hints At Protruding Camera Lens, Again

A new set of images have emerged that claim to show official components from Apple’s next-generation iPhone. The leaked set of images give us not only the first glance at some of the parts, but also a more detailed look at the purported internals of Apple’s iPhone 6s that’s supposedly set for a September release.

The French website Nowhereelse, which has risen to increasing prominence over the last few months due to leaks of this nature, has provided images of the components that will control the volume of the iPhone, and we also get a first look at the iPhone 6s power button. The images also claim to show the switching mechanism that controls whether or not the iPhone is set to silent, and the camera module accompanied by an LED flash. Not particularly riveting stuff in all honesty, but it’s notable that additional images are becoming more readily available as announcement time looms.

One thing that is immediately evident from the images – if they turn out to be official parts of course – is that they do pretty much prove the existence of an internal design change within the iPhone 6s. It’s largely been speculated that the external aesthetics of the next-generation iPhone will remain true to the current model with a number of changes to how the device is laid out internally.

The leaked components also answer a few questions about the iPhone 6s camera setup. It looks as though the next iPhone will continue with the same metal ring casing and protrude from the back of the case, contrary to earlier beliefs owing to a slightly thickened casing for the phone.

Putting those things aside, the leak of these individual components doesn’t really tell us a great deal that we didn’t already know about Apple’s upcoming smartphone. The device is still expected to ship with two screen size choices, both of which will likely have 12-megapixel camera offerings and a much improved Apple A9 processor. A more responsive Touch ID sensor is likely to be integrated into the device’s home button with the inclusion of Force Touch within the multi-touch display. Speculation also suggests that both devices will ship with 2GB of RAM to compliment the A9 processor.

Production of the iPhone 6s is reportedly already underway with Apple demanding manufacturing partners produce a record number of devices.

(Source: Nowhereelse.fr)

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Nexus 5 (2015) price, release date, specs, rumors

An unofficial concept for the Nexus 5 (2015). / © +MiqdadAbdulHalim

Who will make the 2015 Nexus?

A source close to the development of the 2015 Nexus has informed AndroidPIT that LG will be making what we've been calling the Nexus 5 (2015). We don't know if this name will stick, but we do know that the device will not be based on the LG G4, previously the most obvious choice for a blueprint. For more details, check out our exclusive LG Nexus 5 (2015) story.

We're also increasingly confident that Huawei will build a second 2015 Nexus. Recently, when a UK-based Huawei employee allegedly confirmed the rumor and we reached out to Huawei for comment, the response was ''no comment''.

However, we were assured that the search would begin for the employee in question. What we want to know is: why would you hunt down a loud-mouthed employee if there wasn't some truth to what was said?

We're not buying these 2015 Nexus benchmarks, but we wish we could. / © MobilTelefon

Nexus 5 2015 design

Twitter leaker @OnLeaks has Tweeted images of a case design which could be in the works for the Nexus 5 (2015). View the pictures below.

Note that the photo of the Nexus 6 screen in the bottom left image is just a placeholder and reveals nothing about the actual display. / © @OnLeaks

Based on these images, we can speculate on a few things. Some people have suggested that the two circular cut-outs indicate a dual-lens camera for the Nexus 5 (2015), but since the upper cutout is raised and the lower is flat (as seen in the bottom right image), we think it's more likely that the bottom hole is for a fingerprint scanner (as it will be easier to touch with the flat case edge). This would then suggest that the square cutout on the left is for the camera flash.

As for the other ports, the headphone jack could be at the top with the USB port at the bottom center. Besides this is another hole, which may reveal a bottom mounted speaker, though this seems unlikely, given that it's smaller than the USB. Perhaps it's a stylus holder?

What do you think? OnLeaks is typically reliable, but device designs can change at any moment. Even if the above cases are reflective of the current Nexus 5 (2015) design — which is entirely possible — there's nothing to say it will stay that way. 

Nexus 5 2015 specs

An unbelievably high benchmark score (too unbelievably high, in our opinion) has been making the rounds. Supposedly from the Nexus 5 (2015) - a name we invented back in January for want of a better term - the AnTuTu screenshots show an incredible 85,530 points. They originate from a Russian site called MobilTelefon.

While these Nexus 5 (2015) specs and performance would make a lot of people happy, various sources have toldAndroidPIT that the new Nexus will not be a specs beast because Google wants it to be affordable.

We're also not sure if the Snapdragon 820, the only CPU likely to be capable of posting such a high score, will even be commercially ready by then (unless it's a Huawei-made Kirin 950/Cortex A72, which seems even less likely). 

Then there's the peculiar fact that the AnTuTu score range at the top of the screenshots would not automatically adapt to accommodate such a high score. Can we really be expected to believe the score would run off the screen? 

Will the new Nexus have a 2K display or drop back to Full HD? / © ANDROIDPIT

According to Android Police, the smaller of the two Nexuses will be the LG Bullhead, a 5.2-inch device with a Snapdragon 808 processor and 2,700 mAh battery. With LG developing the original (and beloved) Nexus 5, this seems like it could be the upgrade that many fans wished the Nexus 6 had been.

The Huawei Angler is tipped to arrive with a 5.7-inch screen, 3,500 mAh battery and a Snapdragon 810 processor, presenting a Nexus 6-style device for fans of larger displays. As for the codenames, these are in keeping with the Nexus-line's aquatic theme: the Nexus 6 was codenamed Shamu and the original Nexus 5 was Hammerhead.

As soon as we hear about more Nexus 5 (2015) features we'll be sure to let you know, but you can pretty much count on at least one new Nexus packing a fingerprint scanner now that it is a stock part of Android M. Funnily enough, Huawei already has a fantastic finger scanner on the Ascend Mate 7...

LG will make its third Nexus device. / © ANDROIDPIT

Nexus 5 2015 release date

It is still early days yet, and details could change between now and the expected Nexus 5 (2015) release date in October, but we'll keep you posted on everything we hear.

With persistent claims that the Android M release will appear in final form in August, we might even see an accelerated launch for at least one of the new Nexuses. Whenever it does appear, stay tuned to AndroidPIT for our Nexus 5 (2015) review.

Nexus 5 2015 price

We don't have any word on a Nexus 5 (2015) price yet, but if we have two Nexuses, a large one and a small one, there needs to be something more than size to distinguish them.

So we'd expect the Huawei device to be more expensive and with better specs, and the smaller Nexus to be cheaper with less powerful specs. The information uncovered above certainly seems to support our long-standing theory.

A concept for what Nexus 5 (2015) might look like. / © +MiqdadAbdulHalim

Which Nexus are you most excited for? Let us know in the comments below. 

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Moto X Style vs OnePlus 2 comparison: the big rivalry

Moto X Style vs OnePlus 2: release date and price

The story of the Moto X Style is complicated by the fact that it's going to be called the Pure Edition in the States. So far we only know the US pricing, which starts at US$399.99 for the base model, and Motorola is promising us we'll be able to get our hands on it from September 2015.

The Moto X Style has plenty of polish about it. / © Motorola

Over in the OnePlus 2 corner, you can get a 16 GB edition for US$329 and a 64 GB edition for US$389. Or at least you will be able to once it goes on sale on August 11, and even then you're going to need to navigate your way through the OnePlus invite system before you can get your handset delivered.

Moto X Style vs OnePlus 2: design

There's a lot to like about the look of both these phones. Motorola has done a fine job with the polished and premium-looking Moto X Style, minimizing the size of the bezels and providing a choice of backs you can select through Moto Maker (everything from real leather to silicon rubber is available).

The OnePlus 2 follows the cues of the OnePlus One. / © OnePlus

Not that the OnePlus 2 is particularly shabby either. It's a bit plainer than the handset from Motorola, but it has chamfered metal edges and again there are a choice of backing materials to pick from: bamboo, black apricot (?), rosewood and kevlar are among the options listed by OnePlus.

Moto X Style vs OnePlus 2: display

It's in the screen specs where the Moto X Style really starts to pull ahead, as long as you like your phones large. The handset has a 5.7-inch display with a 1,440 x 2,560 pixel resolution (a ppi of 520). We've already mentioned the thin bezels and it looks like Motorola is on to a winner with this display.

The Moto X Style has a big, bright display. / © ANDROIDPIT

The OnePlus 2 lags behind in every respect: It can only offer a 5.5-inch screen running at a resolution of 1,080 x 1,920 pixels, giving it a ppi of around 401. What it does have in its favor is the superior fourth generation Corning Gorilla Glass for protection whereas the Moto X Style sticks with the third.

Moto X Style vs OnePlus 2: camera

Neither of these phones are out yet, so we don't know for sure how the cameras perform, but both companies are talking up their chances. Motorola says the 21 MP snapper around the back of the Moto X Style is quite simply its best camera ever (and a lot better than the iPhone, if you're asking).

The OnePlus 2 features a 13 MP camera. / © OnePlus

The OnePlus 2, meanwhile, makes do with a rather underwhelming 13 MP camera instead — though image quality isn't just about megapixels, and OnePlus promises its laser focusing system can get great results. Both handsets have a 5 MP camera on the front for those off-the-cuff selfies.

Moto X Style vs OnePlus 2: performance

We know the Moto X Style is rocking a hexa-core Snapdragon 808, with a dual-core 1.8 GHz Cortex A-57 and a quad-core 1.44 GHz Cortex-A53 ready to kick into action depending on what you're doing. That's an impressive combination but not quite bleeding-edge as far as performance goes.

The Moto X Style is Motorola's most powerful phone yet. / © Motorola

The OnePlus 2 ups the stakes with an octa-core Snapdragon 810 and two quad-core CPUs, the Cortex-A57 and Cortex-A53, clocked at 1.8 GHz. On paper that makes the OnePlus 2 the more powerful phone, but of course there are plenty of other factors to weigh up before making a judgement.

Moto X Style vs OnePlus 2: features

Motorola was keen to emphasize the personal relationship it wants you to have with the Moto X Style: Motorola staples like Moto Display, Moto Assist and Moto Actions are included, and 4K video recording is available. The 32 GB or 64 GB of internal storage can be expanded via MicroSD card.

The OnePlus 2 adds a fingerprint scanner. / © OnePlus

The OnePlus 2 has a fingerprint scanner, as well as the new USB Type-C connector. It's also worth mentioning the company's OxygenOS software (Motorola sticks with Android 5.1.1). You can pick up a OnePlus 2 with 16GB or 64 GB of internal storage, but there's no MicroSD card slot available.

Moto X Style vs OnePlus 2: battery

Until we get a proper look at these phones we can't make any judgements about battery life. Both Motorola and OnePlus have promised good performance, but then they would — and don't forget battery life is dependent on many factors besides the actual battery size.

Turbo-charging is one advantage of the Moto X Style. / © Motorola

The Moto X Style comes with a 3,000 mAh battery while the OnePlus 2 ups this to an impressive 3,300 mAh (and it has a smaller screen to power too). It's also worth mentioning the turbo-charging capabilities of the Moto X Style, which have been featured in Motorola phones for some time now.

Moto X Style vs OnePlus 2: early verdict

We won't know for sure how these phones match up against each other until we come to the full reviews, but from what we've seen so far it doesn't look like either is going to let you down. They're both well specced and well designed compared with the other flagship phones of 2015.

Fancy your chances of getting a OnePlus 2 invite? / © OnePlus

The Moto X Style has the edge in terms of the display size and quality, and possibly has more design flair too; on the other hand the OnePlus 2 has more impressive specs, even if the process of getting a OnePlus handset is still rather convoluted. What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments.

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Go local: Celebs support Karachi se Lahore in quirky video messages

With the release of upcoming comedy Karachi se Lahore right around the corner, the movie's Instagram account is being flooded with videos of the rich and famous showcasing their encouragement.

Who wouldn't want to watch a movie recommended by Imran Abbas, Hamza Ali Abbasi and Saleem Sheikh, among others?

Some of our favourite local stars may have moved to Bollywood but that doesn't mean they don't support the Pakistani film fraternity anymore!

Ali Zafar apparently can't resist item numbers.

A photo posted by Instagram (@instagram) on Mar 22, 2015 at 11:21am PDT

Imran Abbas takes out the time to send best wishes while promoting his soon to be released movie Jaanisar.

A photo posted by Instagram (@instagram) on Mar 22, 2015 at 11:21am PDT

No post about encouraging our movie industry is complete without a mention of Hamza Ali Abbasi obviously!

A photo posted by Instagram (@instagram) on Mar 22, 2015 at 11:21am PDT

The cast joined in on the fun too!

A photo posted by Instagram (@instagram) on Mar 22, 2015 at 11:21am PDT

A photo posted by Instagram (@instagram) on Mar 22, 2015 at 11:21am PDT

Javed Sheikh puts a PTI spin to his video:

A photo posted by Instagram (@instagram) on Mar 22, 2015 at 11:21am PDT

Momal Sheikh says Pakistan zindabad!

A photo posted by Instagram (@instagram) on Mar 22, 2015 at 11:21am PDT

We wonder who texted Sanam Jung in the middle of her video...

A photo posted by Instagram (@instagram) on Mar 22, 2015 at 11:21am PDT

Humayun Saeed urges fans to make Karachi se Lahore a success just like Bin Roye and Wrong Number!

A photo posted by Instagram (@instagram) on Mar 22, 2015 at 11:21am PDT

Television starlet Hareem Farooq is certain the movie's an entertainer!

A photo posted by Instagram (@instagram) on Mar 22, 2015 at 11:21am PDT

Adorable couple Shahroz Sabzwari and his wife, Syra Shahroz are also going to be there.

A photo posted by Instagram (@instagram) on Mar 22, 2015 at 11:21am PDT

A photo posted by Instagram (@instagram) on Mar 22, 2015 at 11:21am PDT

Karachi se Lahore is slated for release on July 31; clearly, the premiere is going to be one star-studded affair!

Everything we know about Moto X Style, Moto X Play and Moto G

Say hello to the new generation of Moto smartphones.

Motorola, a unit of Chinese consumer electronics giant Lenovo, on Tuesday unveiled the Moto X Style. In the US, the phone will be known as the Moto X Pure Edition and will have universal LTE banding, allowing it to work in any carrier. It will cost $399 unlocked. The company also unveiled the Moto Play, which boasts longer battery life, but comes with a smaller screen. And it showed off a revamped version of the Moto G, its best-selling smartphone of all time, which is available today and which costs $179.99.

The lineup continues Motorola's strategy of embracing a "pure," or unaltered, version of Android, the software that powers the majority of the world's smartphones, a legacy of its time as a unit of Google. That emphasis, along with the Moto Maker customization system, which allows you to tweak the colors and materials used on the device, has helped it establish credibility in a market dominated by Apple's iPhone and Samsung's Galaxy S smartphones.

The smartphones represent the first major update since Lenovo acquired Motorola from Google in October. The new products indicate that Lenovo is keeping its promise to give Motorola wide latitude in how it operates. Motorola Chief Operating Officer Rick Osterloh has previously said that he believed Lenovo would allow him to continue his strategy.

Lenovo acquired Motorola to gain entry into more traditional markets where the Chinese company hasn't had a strong smartphone presence, including in the US. It is the world's largest PC manufacturer, but only the fifth largest smartphone maker, according to IDC.

The Moto X Style comes with a 5.7-inch quad high-definition display for crisper images, the ability to quickly charge (it charges 34 percent of its battery in 15 minutes) and a soft-grip back. Like other Moto X smartphones, it can be heavily customized via Moto Maker. It will be available in September.

Motorola pushed to improve the camera to focus faster, to capture more light and to reproduce better color. The Moto X Style will have a 21-megapixel camera, plus a 5-megapixel front-facing "selfie" camera with wide-angle lens.

"It's the best we've ever built," said Jim Wick, head designer for Motorola.

Motorola is opting to sell the Moto X Pure Edition in the US directly to consumers on its own website and through retailers like Amazon, as opposed to going with carrier partners.

The Moto X Play, meanwhile, will get a 3,630-mAh battery, which means it can last two days on a single charge, and the company says you can get up to 8 hours of charge in 15 minutes with its turbocharging capability. It also has a 21-megapixel camera and 5-megapixel front-facing camera. It has a 5.5-inch full high-definition display.

The Play smartphone will be available in August, and will sell for $300 to $400 less than the standard premium phone. It too can be customized via Moto Maker.

While the flagship Moto X smartphones have earned the praise of Android purists, it is the more affordable Moto G smartphone that has helped win Motorola market share. The Moto G is the company's best-selling smartphone of all time thanks to its combination of decent specifications for a low price of $180 without a contract. In comparison, a high-end smartphone like the iPhone 6 retails for $650.

Motorola also improved the Moto G, adding a waterproof coating on the device. In addition, it boosted the camera by giving it a 13-megapixel rear shooter, as well as a 5-megapixel front-facing camera. The phone will come with 4G LTE as a standard feature, as opposed to an add-on as before.

You will also be able to customize Moto G with Moto Maker, a first for this model of the smartphone.

Motorola also unveiled two accessories, the Moto Pulse, an over-the-ear headphone for $59.99, and the Moto Surround, a band that wraps around your neck with ear buds that can be extended to your ears. It will sell for $69.99. Both are wireless and connect to the phone with Bluetooth.

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Chinese factory busted for massive iPhone counterfeiting

The Beijing police has shut down a massive iPhone counterfeiting project. A company had been illegally producing fake iPhones. They have sold over 41,000 phones worth $19 million. The police has arrested the couple who were leading the operation under the disguise of a gadget maintenance shop. They had hired hundreds of workers to repackage second-hand smartphone components as iPhones for export.

China has gained a notorious reputation for producing counterfeited goods and this isn’t the first time China has tried to exploit Apple despite the fact that Apple is one of the most popular electronic goods brands in China. Back in 2011, some individuals replicated an Apple Store right down to the minute details including the uniform of the employees. The authorities over there are trying there best to put an end to such activities. This recent bust is a proof. Officials have taken strong action to enforce intellectual property rights and is pushing firms to apply for trademarks and patents.

The Beijing police made this arrest after a tip off from the US where some of these phones were found. Other destinations where these fake iPhones were shipped are unknown. Pakistan has also been a victim of Chinese replica’s of smartphones but here people buy replica’s without a care. This is a crime which should be put to end.

Via Reuters & featured Image via FeelGrafix

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Moto X Pure Edition announced. Here's the price, release date, specs and features

The Moto X Pure Edition, or Moto X Style outside of the US, is the latest flagship smartphone from Motorola. It was unveiled alongside the Moto X Play and the Moto G (2015). These two new devices were initially rumored to be one device called the Moto X 2015. Read on for full Moto X Style price, specs, release date and features.

Moto X Pure Edition price

Regarding Moto X Pure Edition price is slated as $399.99 for the base model. 

Moto X Pure Edition specs

At the launch event, Motorola announced Moto X Pure Edition specs, which includes a large 5.7-inch quad-HD display. The Style's bezels are also very slim, giving the phone's face an attractively minimal appearance. The Moto X Pure Edition also has front-facing stereo speakers, which is a bump up from the Moto X 2014's single speaker, plus a big jump to a 21 MP camera, which is a big upgrade of the previous model's 13 MP shooter.

Check out the complete specs table below.

DISPLAY	5.7-inch QHD resolution (2,560 × 1440; 520 ppi) Gorilla Glass 3
PROCESSOR	Qualcomm Snapdragon 808, haxa-core CPU
OPERATING SYSTEM	Android 5.1.1 Lollipop
RAM	3 GB DDR
INTERNAL STORAGE	32 GB / 64 GB + microSD up to 128 GB
GRAPHICS	Adreno 418
CAMERA	21 MP (rear) 1080p HD video (60 fps), 4K video (30fps) / 5 MP (front), wide-angle lens
AUDIO	Front facing stereo speakers
BATTERY	3,000 mAh, turbo-charging
CONNECTIVITY	4G LTE, 802.11a/g/b/n, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC
EXTRAS	Customizable through the Moto Maker store

Moto X Pure Edition release date

The Moto X Pure Edition release date is slated for September 2015. 

Moto X Pure Edition features

There will be a Pure Edition of the Moto X Pure Edition, which is an unlocked version which last year's model also had. The regular version will come with Motorola's software features such as Moto Display, Moto Assist and Moto Actions, which we found to be helpful additions to the software package. The Moto X Pure Edition will run Android Lollipop 5.1.1. 

Motorola has also announced the Moto G (3rd gen) and Moto X Play. Read more about those at the links.

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