Moto X price drop to $399 hints at possible international launch

Motorola has announced a huge price cut for the Moto X**.** The phone which was launched late 2013, is now available for $399, without a contract; that’s a cut of $150 on its launch price. Rick Osterloh, Motorola’s Senior VP, Product Management, explained that the reason behind the price slash is that the prepaid service plans have gotten better than ever since the launch of the Moto X. Carriers like AT&T, Sprint and Verizon, however, will continue to sell it for $99 with a two-year agreement.

In a blog post, he wrote, “Today several wireless carriers offer good month-to-month or prepaid service plans that cost much less than the contract plans that come with subsidized devices. Combine one of those plans with our new $399 everyday pricing and you could save hundreds of dollars over two years while keeping the freedom to change service providers when you feel like it."

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Motorola’s budget smartphone, the Moto G is expected to launch in India later this month, and a price cut for the X suggests that Motorola may finally be ready to bring the phone outside US and Canada. As we know by now, the Moto X is a high-end phone with a price tag akin to flagships, but with specs that are directly competing against mid-rangers. This could be a harder pill to swallow in international markets, especially in India, where Motorola is making a comeback with the Moto G.

Now that the Moto X has received a price cut, Motorola can safely launch the phone in India for the revised price and compete more aggressively in the market against the likes of the Galaxy Grand 2 and a slew of low-cost Indian-branded phones, which also bank on competitive pricing to push sales. The Moto X sports a Nexus 4-like 4.7-inch 720p touchscreen but its AMOLED display is said to bring better power savings and enables some software features, exclusive to the phone. The Moto G is the more affordably priced variant of the Moto X and has received accolades for its performance, build and price.