Motorola Sharpens its Brilliant Focus on Lifestyle with Super-Cheap, $129 Moto E

Yesterday, we got an eyeful of Motorola’s affordably priced Android smartphone, the Moto E. Outfitted with modest specs, today we’ve learned that it’s priced to move at a bargain basement $129. But along with today’s reveal, the new video advertisement for the handset eschews talking about the device’s technological wonders, instead boasting about the phone’s many physical features. Indeed, the Moto E seems like the next step in Motorola’s plan to make gadgets built explicitly for people actually living their lives.

First, a quick reminder about what’s under the hood: a 1.2GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon CPU, 1GB of RAM, 4GB of internal storage (expandable via microSD slot), 5 MP rear camera, 4.3-inch Gorilla Glass display, and running Android 4.4 KitKat. Nothing super-crazy happening, but certainly a very capable phone for all but the most power-focused smartphone users. But as you can see in the advertisement below, Motorola is really looking to sell the Moto E’s durability – a smart move that reflects its evolving sensibilities and product line.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5Asedlj2cw

First, we get a glimpse at its “sharp, scratch-resistant display” made of the aforementioned Gorilla Glass. Then, the ad tells us about the phone’s water-resistant body, its all-day battery life (undoubtedly aided by its less-powerful hardware sucking up your charge), as well as its customizable color scheme. Overall, this ad shows how the Moto E is built for users who go about their daily lives full of rain, scratchy keys, and a desire to accessorize. It may seem subtle, but this is a brilliant move that shows how Motorola wants to build devices for everyday people.

It’s no secret that we’re all eagerly awaiting the official release date, specs, and price of the Moto 360 smartwatch. One of the reasons for that is that it’s going to be one of the first two smartwatches to run Android Wear, Google’s wearable-optimized operating system. But the other big reason for our excitement is the simple fact that the Moto 360 looks damn good. It’s the only smartwatch to be revealed so far to offer a round display. That may not seem like a big deal, but most other smartwatches simply look like updates of that nerdiest of accessories, the calculator-watch.

Having a smartwatch actually look good is a huge draw. This new Moto E smartphone may be technologically inferior to a lot of the competition out there, but it’s built to be incorporated into a person’s active lifestyle, just like the stylish-looking Moto 360. That shows that Motorola understands that most people aren’t as interested in performance as they are in lifestyle integration. After all, one of the iPhone’s biggest selling points for years hasn’t been its power, but rather how damn cool the thing looks.

Motorola is doing everything it can to prove its brilliance and relevance during its transition from Google to Lenovo. With this latest ad for the Moto E, it’s definitely doing all the right things.