Motorola promised us a Moto X with a wood back in August — today, you can finally claim one.
Motorola has added a new bamboo rear case option to its Moto Maker site, right alongside the plethora of other colors and styles for designing the Moto X. You’ll have to shell out $199 on-contract to snag the new bamboo-sporting Moto X — a $100 premium over other customization options — or you can buy it unlocked for $600.
Unfortunately, you won’t be getting your wooden Moto X before Christmas. Motorola says it only has a limited supply of bamboo cases (for now) and will begin shipping orders out in January.
You’re mainly paying for the novelty of having an actual wooden back on your phone. Since it comes from actual pieces of wood, every bamboo-sporting Moto X will look different. It’s unclear if the wooden back will be tougher against scratches, but I definitely expect it to acquire a nice sheen over time (wood ages better than plastic, typically).
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The bamboo customization option makes Motorola the first smartphone maker to offer a wood case built-in to a phone. It’s likely taking a cue from the many third-party wooden cases on the market (which you slip your phone into), but it also shows how Motorola’s unique customization capabilities let it offer something other phone manufacturers can’t.
