Could Motorola's rumored 'X Phone' really conquer the Galaxy?

It's been a while since Motorola was on top, but that could change in 2013 with the debut of what's being called the "Motorola X Phone."

Despite this code name, the X Phone is not just a single device - reports claim that Motorola Mobility is prepping an entire line of Android smartphones for release this year.

And if all goes according to plan for MM, rumor has it the X Phone line will compete directly with the biggest Android phones out there: Samsung's Galaxy brand.

With the Galaxy S4 making waves all week, it seems Motorola will face quite a challenge. Is the Google-owned company up for it?

To infinity and beyond

A handful of new rumors about Motorola's X Phone sprung up just last week, when the fan site Android and Me published a report with tips leaked from an "old time friend" of the author.

Chief among those rumors was a claim that the X Phones will be meant to take the Samsung Galaxy head-on.

Android and me wrote that this should come as a no-brainer, but we're not so sure - device makers like Nokia haven't had much luck doing the same lately, and have instead turned to the other side of the spectrum to focus on making phones that are more affordable than ever.

Then again, Nokia's troubles may have as much or more to do with Windows Phone 8 as they do with Nokia's own hardware, and Android devices face no such OS-based roadblocks.

Besides, MM has got Google on its side, and Android and Me's source claimed that Google and Motorola will subsidize the X Phones "heavily." So why not compete with the big boys?

Customizable, inside and out

Last week's report also included claims that the first Motorola X Phone will launch in June, that it will receive at least one full Android OS update during its life span (to be delivered by Motorola, not carriers), and that buyers will be able to customize their Motorola X Phones - from color to RAM - in an online store or when ordering through carriers.

We've yet to see anything like that in the smartphone industry, but there's no reason why Google and Motorola Mobility shouldn't be able to allow customers to design their devices - outside and in - from the ground up.

Those custom devices will be delivered within one week, and customers will be able to pre-load them with apps, contacts, wallpapers, and more, said the report. And according to the rumors, carriers won't be allowed to load any of their own custom software, so this will be a pure, personalized Android experience.

Previous reports that the Motorola X Phone would debut with the next iteration of Google's Android OS (called Key Lime Pie) also claimed that it would sport just a dual-core processor, but Android and Me's source put that rumor down by saying it will actually feature eight cores.

Even the site itself notes that its source could have that number wrong, but we're expecting at least a quad-core chip.

Finally, the source claimed that Motorola will provide an easy way for X Phone users to unlock their devices for use on any carrier.

If all these claims turn out true, the Motorola X Phone will make a splash when it debuts - and with Google's IO conference going down in May, that could happen rather soon indeed.

TechRadar reached out to Google and Motorola to find out if either company would like to add anything to the rumors, but we've yet to hear back.