New York — Google-owned Motorola is expected to spend up to about $500 million to market its first flagship smartphone since it was acquired last year by Google, the Wall Street Journal reported.
The budget, which would apply to marketing in the U.S. and some overseas markets, contributed to the decision by the big four national U.S. carriers to support the launch, the Journal said in citing people familiar with the matter.
The Moto X device is expected to become available in the fall, the report said. Earlier this year, Motorola said it planned summer availability.
The phone will be assembled in Fort Worth, Texas, will limit the amount of software and apps preinstalled by carriers, and will be available in colors, the report said.
The device will be priced comparably to other flagship phones, which usually cost $199 at launch.
Motorola executives previously said the device will have a long battery life and will feature sensors that know when a person is driving, enabling the phone to automatically offer users the ability to give voice commands.
