What you need to know

  • The Motorola One Action has been officially unveiled.
  • Its highlight feature is the ability to capture horizontal videos while holding the phone vertically.
  • The phone is launching without Android One in North America.
  • You'll be able to buy the One Action in the U.S. and Canada this October.

Few things on the internet are as bad as a video that's been recorded vertically. If you've been burned by those obnoxious black bars one too many times, Motorola thinks it has a solution you'll like with the new Motorola One Action that's just been announced.

The big draw to the One Action is its triple rear-camera array, featuring a 12MP main camera, 5MP depth camera, and a 16MP "action camera" with a 117º field-of-view. With that action camera, Motorola says you'll be able to record videos in a landscape/horizontal format even when you're holding the One Action vertically — essentially making it impossible to record and upload yet another vertical video.

Per Motorola:

Through a unique combination of hardware and software innovation we've made it possible to finally film amazing ultra-wide video while holding the phone more naturally in a vertical position.

In addition to the camera system, another highlight for the One Action is its 6.3-inch CinemaVision display that has an extra-tall form factor of 21:9 — similar to what we saw earlier in the year with the Sony Xperia 1 and Xperia 10. The One Action is using an IPS panel with 2.5D glass and a Full HD+ resolution of 2520 x 1080.

Other specs for the Motorola One Action include the Samsung Exynos 9609 processor, 4GB of RAM, 128GB of expandable storage, 3,500 mAh battery with 10W charging, NFC, and IPX2 water resistance.

On the software side of things, Motorola's making things unnecessarily complicated. In most countries, the One Action will be running Google's Android One program — which makes sense considering that the "One" series from Motorola was created to highlight its Android One smartphones. However, the One Action that's sold in North America will ship with Motorola's version of Android Pie with only one guaranteed software update. In other words, it's entirely possible the One Action won't be updated beyond Android Oreo.

The Motorola One Action is available for purchase as of right now in Brazil, Mexico, and "various European countries" with a starting price of €259. It'll expand to more countries in the coming months, including an expected launch in the United States and Canada during early October.

Triple-camera magic

Motorola One Action

Ultra-wide camera, tall display, low price.

The Motorola One Action is a unique mid-ranger with a lot of potential. The triple rear-camera system and the ability to record landscape videos while holding the phone vertically is something we haven't seen before, the 21:9 display should allow for excellent content consumption, and the low starting price keeps the phone competitive.

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