Moto Z to replace Moto X, leakster says

The Moto X has been a famous series for Motorola since it was unveiled in 2014, back when the company owned Google. While the series has not been famous in terms of sales, many vanilla Android fans who want a little more functionality than Google’s vanilla Android Nexus smartphone series provides have looked to Motorola as their top pick. Eventually, Google was more than happy to sell Motorola to Lenovo, and it’s at that point that consumers started flocking back to the Google Nexus line for prompt, fast updates, among other things.

Now, though, whatever feelings you may have had about the Moto X, the series is coming to an end. In plain English, the Moto X line will be replaced by the Moto Z from now going forward. There will be no Moto X (2016), 2016 Moto X, or Moto X Third Edition — however you want to say it.

Famous retired leakster/VentureBeat journalist Evan Blass (@evleaks) wrote as much on his Twitter wall recently: “Goodbye, Moto X; Hello, Moto Z,” with a photo of the words “Moto Z” and the usual Motorola logo branding beside it.

What is the reason for this name change to what has been a great series? No one knows. We don’t know what’s motivated Motorola to eliminate the “X” name from it, except to say that it’s likely the case Lenovo wants it gone because it represents Google’s former ownership over the company (think “X” in Moto X, like Google’s “X” labs, for example, or the “X” in “NEXUS”). It does seem interesting, though, to think that Motorola is giving up “X” for “Z” while Sony is giving up “Z” for “X” in its smartphone names, but there doesn’t seem to be a connection between Motorola and Sony’s alphabet soup smartphone moniker changes.

All that we know is that Motorola is rebranding the Moto X series under Lenovo’s ownership, whether it is loved or hated, and that Motorola fans must live with the changes. We’ll do our best to keep our ears to the ground to find out more, but for now, what do you think of the Moto Z series that is to come? If Motorola made a modular Moto Z, would it change your impression of the brand, or does the Moto Z moniker bother you?

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