Motorola has announced that the Moto X is finally ready for a European release, telling Pocket-lint that it will hit networks and stores on 1 February.

The British version of the Android smartphone has identical specifications to the version available in the US since August. It sports a 4.7-inch 720p AMOLED display, dual-core 1.7GHz Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, 10-megapixel camera on the rear, 2.1-megapixel front-facing camera for selfies and videocalling, 2GB of RAM and will be stocked with either 16GB or 32GB of storage space.

READ: Motorola Moto X review

It's a 4G handset and also comes with NFC, Bluetooth 4.0+ EDR, and Wi-Fi (802.11ac). On top of the Google Drive space that is standard (15GB) you also get an extra 50GB for free for two years with the Moto X.

Unfortunately, while the handset itself has made it to these shores, Moto Maker - the customisation system that allows you to create a bespoke Moto X from a number of options - will not be available to Brits in time for launch.

READ: Custom design Motorola Moto X: We test out Moto Maker

Motorola does hope to offer that service in the future, with a target of the second quarter, but it will need to find a way of building the customised phones locally. American versions of the Moto X are assembled in the US, but the European models will be manufactured in China initially. And as the company offers the Moto Maker service on a four-day turnaround, that is not feasible when shipping from Asia.

"That's what we are working out. Mostly we are in the US so we can hit a four-day delivery window," Pocket-lint was told by Motorola CEO Dennis Woodside. "We know that if you can't deliver the phone in four days people aren't going to buy it. So we have to figure out how to do that in Europe. That is why there is a bit of delay in Moto Maker going live." 

Prices for the Moto X will vary depending on contract and network, but they will start at £25 a month on contract, with the phone coming for free. SIM-free, the handset will cost £380 for the standard version (16GB). A 32GB model will also be available online, price yet to be revealed.

The black version will be available through Phones 4u, Carphone Warehouse, O2, Amazon and Techdata. Phones 4u will also carry the white version exclusively for the first three months.