Can half a billion dollars make Google’s Moto X a hit?

Going up against Apple’s iPhone 5S, Samsung’s Galaxy Note III, LG’s G2 and a handful of other flagship phones this fall isn’t going to be easy for the Moto X, the first Motorola smartphone that will be heavily influenced by Google. From the looks of things though, Google is covering nearly all the bases. The phone will feature more customization options than any other handset on the market, it will be built in the U.S., it will reportedly feature a nearly stock version of Android Jelly Bean, it will be packed to the gills with sensors and according to The Wall Street Journal, it will be supported by a $500 million marketing blitz.

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“Google is expected to allow its Motorola hardware unit to spend several hundred million dollars—and possibly upward of $500 million—to market the highly-anticipated device in the U.S. and some overseas markets, including in Europe, said people familiar with the matter,” wrote WSJ’s Amir Efrati. The report adds that the Moto X will be available across all four major carriers in the U.S.

Dozens of key factors contribute to the success or failure of a smartphone but the two most popular handsets in the world, Apple’s iPhone 5 and Samsung’s Galaxy S4, each have billion-dollar marketing and advertising budgets backing them. This is no coincidence, of course; it takes money — a lot of money — to make money.

This article was originally published on BGR.com