Crazy Consumer Electronics World: Motorola to shutter its US Moto X production plant in Texas

The Moto X was one of the most interesting smartphones customers could customize and one of the very few constructed in the United States. But soon enough Motorola won't be assembling devices in the United States anymore.

The Wall Street Journal reports that the Motorola plans to shutdown its Mobility Factory in Fort Worth, Texas by the end of 2014. A Motorola spokesperson confirmed the sad news with TechRadar.

Currently the factory employs over 700 Americans to produce the Moto X and operate an essential part of the Moto Maker assembly process.

However, Motorola says the closure won't affect the availability of the device or its smartphone customization program. After the factory closure, Moto X production will be moved to China and Brazil, as well as other undisclosed locations.

Moto-ivational

The plant closing comes just four months after Google sold Motorola to Lenovo . Despite the coincidence, a Motorola spokesperson noted the decision to close the plant came independently of the planned sale.

Instead it seems the Fort Worth plant will shutter due to the poor sale of Moto X coupled with the high labor costs in America. Motorola President Rick Osterloh explained to the Journal that the Moto X sales were "exceptionally tough" in North America.

The Moto X was an over-priced device given its hardware spec and being marketed as a middle-tier device. Since then Motorola moved away from premium devices to pursue value-oriented customers with the Moto G and Moto E.

Now that Lenovo is steering the ship Motorola could go into a whole new direction with its future wearable, the Moto360, and the rumored Moto X+1.