The Moto X has been making waves, now that the phone has been officially announced and the details of the specs and the customisation capabilities finally detailed.

On paper, it seems like a phone that can compete with the bigwigs, taking on the likes of Google's previous project with LG, the Nexus 4, and surviving in a battle of specs.

Phone Arena reports that, while the Moto X is a pretty good phone in terms of its hardware and software--4.7-inch OLED screen, an S4 chip, a 10-megapixel rear camera, and better battery--but perhaps the missing factor is that it didn't have any major changes from what its' being compared to.

As a 2013 phone, most people expect there to be significant changes worthy of the one-year working time. However, the difference may be in the smaller changes, which, in truth, actually pack a pretty significant punch.

The processor is said to be tailored to the always-on awareness of the phone, created from scratch in order to ensure that the two CPU cores are worked to the max. Even the camera is said to have Clear Pixel technology, so it can stand at par with any 13-megapixel smartphone camera that other brands are touting today.

New technology is in the self-driving phone?

What stands out as a feature is perhaps Google's answer to Apple's Siri, as the Moto X has a permanent listening mode, a part of its always-aware mode. This allows users to speak to the phone to know things like directions and the weather or even dial a number.

Taking off from where the Google Glass have already been, it uses trigger words--in this case, Ok Google now--so that the phone will be start, reports The Guardian. This also allows Motorola to claim the Moto X as a self-driving smartphone, which not only responds to voice but also motion.

Perhaps customisation and now a customised approach to user interface and activity is what make the Moto X stand out in the battle of smartphones for 2013.

Smartphone customisation owned by Moto X

The Moto X's supposed strength lies in its customisation capabilities, and Motorola is not afraid to show you just how well you can put your stamp on the Moto X that you'll be buying. In this video, you get to see the steps you'll go through when customising your Moto X.

Get started by choosing from the perfect colour for your phone from several variations of tones and hues. Start with the colour for the back cover, which is customizable with the supposed 2,000 options and made with scratch-resistant material..

Unlike the back cover, the front cover only allows you to choose between black and white. However, you can have accent colors which will be seen on the rim of the rear camera and the side buttons.

Lastly, a signature option is also given to you, where you can type anything and it'll appear at the bottom part of the back cover.

What is interesting about the entire Moto Maker is that it can actually allow you to choose the memory capacity--though in reality, you only have two choices, the 16GB and the 32GB.

The power-on wallpaper can also be customised, so you add your own name or a greeting that will pop up each time you turn on the phone. This can also be left blank, if that's your choice. You can also choose a wallpaper that you would want to have when the phone is shipped to you.

Accessories included in the delivery can also be included--and you can also customize them, like the earphone jacks, to match the colour of your phone. What's more, Motorola promises in the video that you will have your Moto X shipped to you in four days or less.

As for the pricing, EnGadget reports that the 16GB Moto X comes at $199 with a two-year contract with AT&T--as the report states that this is the only carrier where you can do customisations--while the 32GB version brings you up to $249.

So far, there has been no word yet on when the Moto Maker and the customisation options will be made available for territories outside of the U.S.

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