Lenovo CEO recently said that Motorola will this coming June 9, 2016, be unveiling a new and “exciting” smartphone, however, there was no mention of what this phone will be.
While there have been numerous leaks doing rounds about a new Motorola smartphone, with many expecting a new Moto E (2016), Moto G (2016) and probably a Moto X (2016). While none of these has been confirmed, the fact that each has a 2015 model means that Lenovo, which now owns Motorola Mobility, will be looking to replace them with state-of-the-art devices.
GSM Arena has been buzzing around with news of a Moto G4 and Moto G4 Plus. However, it seems we may just have seen the Moto E (2016) model. Apparently, a Motorola Affinity has been shipped to India to undergo some R&D tests, this is according to the country’s import and export listing website – Zauba.
There is more coming from this leaked information than just the codename of the device in question. As it seems, the Moto Affinity will ship with a 5-inch display screen, something that makes us believe this could be the new Moto E (2016). It cannot be confirmed that the said phone is indeed a Moto E (2016), however, given that this device usually falls on the lower ends when it comes to Motorola’s smartphone screen sizes, it leaves us with little to no choices but to stick with the Moto E.
The Moto E happens to be the low-end model of Motorola smartphones and it is currently priced at just $129. According to the listing, the Motorola Affinity being shipped has a price tag of about $77, which even throws further doubt. Still, this doesn’t mean that this will be the final price of this device. However, it gives us an idea of how cheap this phone will be once it is released, probably the same pricing as the Moto E.
The supposed Moto E (2016) is not the first device to be shipped to India in recent times. Another supposed Moto X was also spotted being shipped to the same country, but this one had a price tag of $102. As earlier noted, the Moto G4 and Moto G4 Plus are also expected; something that could mean the earlier mentioned June 9 release date may see Lenovo refresh these three lines of smartphones with newer, exciting models.
Don’t get too excited as these kinds of shipments are not unusual for OEMs. They are possible prototypes being shipped for further tests in the region and don’t be surprised if they never materialize, especially that we have no idea of how they look like.