Motorola Moto X smartphone pre-orders begin today

It may not get the hype of Apple's iPhone 6, which started preorders on Friday, but Motorola's next-generation Moto X smartphone and Moto Hint Bluetooth earpiece became available for preorder at noon Eastern time today.

In addition to an AT&T version with a $100 carrier-subsidized price in contract, the handset maker is also offering an off-contract Moto X with an unlocked SIM card for $500.

The Hint, a wireless earbud that allows remote control of a smartphone, is offered for $150. The Motorola Turbo Charger, which can charge the latest Moto handsets in 15 minutes, is $35.

A Motorola spokeswoman told CNET that specific shipping dates are listed with customers' shopping carts; as of this writing, an unlocked phone is slated to arrive in 22 days.

The company said that Motorola's smartwatch, the Moto 360, is also back in stock in limited quantities. The Android Wear smartwatch, which sold out in a matter of hours last week, sports a circular face and was one of the most-anticipated device releases this summer. LG and Samsung's latest luxury smartwatches will be available later this year. The Apple Watch, unveiled at Apple's big press event last week, will not be available for purchase until early next year.

Continuing Motorola's strategy of selling smartphones that undercut on price despite features and components that stand up to the competition, the new Moto X is bigger, now featuring a 5.2-inch full high-definition display, as well as a faster 2.5GHz Snapdragon processor from Qualcomm. It features a 13-megapixel camera that can also shoot 4K video. The casing is customizable in a rainbow of colors. Voice commands and touchless controls allow you to wave your hand over the phone to dismiss a caller or tell the phone to enter selfie camera mode.

Read a full review of the Moto X on CNET.