Should I get the 32 GB Nexus 5 or 64 GB Moto X 2014 Pure?

[AC Question]

32 GB Nexus 5 or 64 GB Moto X 2014 Pure

I'm looking for some advice...I had been desperately trying to get my hands on a Nexus 5 to replace my dying Nexus 4 but they are extremely difficult to come by. Fortunately, I was able to get in on the $140 promo code event that Motorola offered a few days back. With the $140 promo code plus the additional $100 off, I could get my hands on a new Moto X 2014 64 GB Pure Edition phone for ~$370.

I had the new Moto X in the cart and was about to checkout but before doing so, I made one last trip over to the play store to discover that Google had the 32 GB Nexus 5 back in stock. I held off on the Moto X and immediately placed an order for a 32 GB Nexus 5, which arrived a few days ago.

Here's my dilemma - The general consensus in the forums seems to be that the Moto X 2014 is a better phone than Nexus 5. However, it seems that the camera on the Moto X is rather lousy (worse than the camera on the Nexus 5) and it also doesn't have wireless charging. While the Moto X seems to get better ratings on build quality, I'm not sure how much that would affect me since I keep my phone in a case.

I use my phone for app development so having a phone that runs as close to stock Android as possible and is guaranteed to get future OS updates is a concern. Lack of updates is something I'm not concerned about with the Nexus 5 but it is something that concerns me with the Moto X (I tend to keep my phones for anywhere from 2-3 years).

Should I return the Nexus 5 and order the 64 GB Moto X 2014 Pure edition or should I just keep the Nexus?

Thanks ahead of time for your time!

 

[Rukbat]

Re: 32 GB Nexus 5 or 64 GB Moto X 2014 Pure

Phone cameras are pretty much terrible, from a photographic viewpoint - a 35mm slide 1s 1GP. But the newer cameras and a good app like Open Camera - along with a little knowledge of how to take pictures - can give you great shots with any phone. (Ansel Adams, probably one of the greatest photographers of all time, once demonstrated how much camera you need to take great pictures - he used a Kodak box camera, which is the equivalent of the front camera on a $50 phone today).

As for wireless charging, aside from the fact that I wouldn't own a phone with a non-replaceable battery, there are stick-on receivers that plug into the charging port. They're pretty thin, and should fit most cases (even if it gets a bit snug).

Updates. A flagship phone will get updates for about 2 years. A Nexus, maybe 3. If tht's your main concern (and being as close to pure Android as possible), the N5 is probably the best bet now. (I think, if the 4 could be made to last a bit longer, I'd wait for the 6. Or just buy a cheap "I can make phone calls when I'm not home" phone for a few months until the 6 comes out. (But you won't be getting any pricing deals on it at release.)