Moto X Reportedly To Have Up To Half A Billion Marketing Budget

The Moto X rumors and news haven't slowed, and today another source has come forward with some information about Google's marketing budget for the flagship handset, which is said to be up to $500 million. The information was given to the folks over at The Wall Street Journal, which also comments on claims regarding the handset's prices and carriers.

Reportedly, Google's market plans are part of the reason the Moto X will be carried by the four big carrier in the United States: AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, and Verizon. It was suggested that Google may exceed the reported $500 million marketing budget, which is mostly reserved for the United States, as well as for "some overseas markets" that weren't specified.

In addition, and what is no doubt good news, Motorola worked it out with the carriers that bloatware will be kept to a "minimum," according to the sources. The same sources also confirmed that the customization features we've been seeing in various leaks are true, saying that various color options will be available for the handset, as well as custom engraving on the back of the device if desired.

The sources then went on to talk about pricing, saying that it will have "comparable" pricing to competing smartphones, with the iPhone 5, HTC One, and Samsung GALAXY S 4 all be specified. As such, users are likely looking at a price of $199 with a two-year contract, or several hundred dollars without contract subsidization. It is also said the handset's pricing then could drop a little while after its launch.

This follows in line with comments regarding the Moto X's pricing made by Motorola's Dennis Woodside during the D11 conference. Says Woodside, he doesn't anticipate the wide range in handset pricing to persist, and that he feels Motorola is now in an industry receptive to it "building a low-cost, high-quality market."

SOURCE: Android Community