7 Exciting Android Smartphones for 2016

2016 Moto X (4th Gen)

The original Moto X was a complete surprise, and something that Motorola has been riding ever since. A beautiful well-rounded higher mid-range smartphone that's completely customizable on Motorola.com. Buyers can choose the color for the front, materials and colors on the back like rubber, leather, wood or genuine colors, accent colors, engravings, storage space and more, and have it shipped to their door.

In 2015 the Moto X Pure Edition wasn't sold by any carriers, and instead right from Motorola.com. That means it receives updates quick (one of few already on Android 6.0) and is unlocked to work with virtually any carrier. The company is now owned by Lenovo, so we don't know what to expect, but some odd and likely fake images have leaked like the one used here today.

We're not sure if the 4th generation Moto X for 2016 will have a fingerprint scanner or not, but the leaks so far suggest a massive camera on the back, a metal design, and some other odd features we've never seen in a smartphone. If the phone is aluminum all the customization mostly goes out the window, so we'll have to wait and see what its new parent company has planned.

That said, the Moto X 4th Gen could come in an aluminum option, yet still offer the customization users love today in a different variant. It's too early to tell, and Motorola usually releases phones in August. So we're still likely another 5-6 months away from knowing too many details about this phone.

That said, it'll likely run nearly stock Android N, have Motorola's suite of improvements, and be a great phone for those who'd rather not go with Samsung or LG.