The Moto X is Motorola’s first phone under the Google umbrella and it’s definitely causing some controversies in the tech world. This past week I’ve read several sites talking about the dead of the spec war and that specs don’t matter anymore, that it’s all in the experience. There’s also the fact that people seem to be confused about what constitutes a high-end phone these days. Sure, the Moto X doesn’t have the same octa-core processor as the Samsung Galaxy S4 (in certain regions) but benchmarks pretty much put it in near the same level, so is it worth the $199 on-contract price tag? I don’t see why not but you’ll read opinions against this in many places. Another subject that has come up is the “stock Android experience”. What happens now? Does the Moto X need a Google Play edition? it’s basically stock Android with just a few extra apps (which are quite useful) and a modified camera app, that’s it. So why would it need a Google Play edition that would be almost exactly the same?
Why do I say all this? It’s because Motorola has announced a new accessory for the Moto X called Skip, as noted by Droid-Life. The Skip is just a clip that has an NFC tag which allows you to unlock your device by just tapping it. So far so good, but the controversy is that the Skip costs $20, 10 times what a simple NFC tag costs everywhere else.
$20 seem pretty steep for a simple accessory like this one but what are you actually paying? Definitely not the NFC tag and the metal clip, you’re paying for the experience. All you have to do is install the Skip app, pair your Skip to it and that’s it, that’s all you have to do, almost no setup. There’s no weird Tasker script, no NFC launcher to manually add this, nothing, it’s so simple anyone can do it.
Sure, for less money you could buy any clip, stick an NFC tag to it and use any NFC app from the Play Store to do this manually, but that’s not the goal of the Skip. The $20 price tag gives you a simple, comfortable and fast experience. This is basis for the “it just works” idea. Motorola is aiming the Moto X as a fashion icon, a unique device with cool accessories made specifically for it and that you’ll buy because you love them and need them, not because of their price. Sound familiar? Yes, it’s pretty much what Apple has always down with the iPhone. One device with an ecosystem of accessories where the price doesn’t matter, you’ll buy them because they’re cool and easy to use.
As for the Skip itself, there’s not much to add. It’s an NFC clip with an app, that’s it. If you’re getting a Moto X, I can’t recommend you to buy this if you know how to do it manually, but I certainly won’t advise against it. If you like it, buy it and enjoy it.