Lenovo has confirmed the layoffs in its Chicago office, and according to a report by Android Police, the Moto X5 is being abandoned by Lenovo as part of layoffs. However, the Moto Z series of modular phones is going to be continued. The report also says that the Moto brand will be focussing on the E, G, and Z smartphone ranges for now, and even the X series may make a comeback later on which seems unlikely as of now. Another victim of this layoff seems to be the Moto Mod line. However, the Moto Mods will be continued but with the focus being again on mods that can actually turn a profit. This means products such as gamepad and health tracker mods will not be continued. Lenovo has already announced that layoffs would take place over the next few quarters. In an official statement to publications, Moto said, “In late 2017, Lenovo announced a worldwide resource action that would occur over the next several quarters and impacting less than two percent of its global workforce. This week’s employment reductions are a continuation of that process. We are reducing our Motorola operations in Chicago; however, this did not impact half of our workforce there and our Moto Z family will continue.” This statement again confirms that the company will continue its efforts in the modular smartphone space with the Moto Z series. Also, the work will be continued on Moto Mods as well. Recently, the image of a virtual reality headset mod for Moto Z phones has been leaked.
