decision time the MX vs the N5

Ry

Moderator Captain
Trusted Member
Nov 16, 2010
17,654
214
0
Visit site
If you have both already, the Moto X is the keeper. The software add-ons are compelling enough plus the comfortable size and better battery life will be better in the long run.
 

xchange

Banned
Dec 15, 2013
408
0
0
Visit site
actually pictures from forum members is exactly what i am looking for. i can stage and take a pro shot with my Galaxy Nexus and it will be better then MX or N5, but i need a camera that i can just take out from my pocket and snap a quick picture which will look great at the end. so when someone takes the same pictures with MX and N5 and one camera ends up looking like ****, then i know which camera works better. < because that exactly how i use my phone camera. for anything thats actually important for me, i take my regular camera with me.

S4 pictures always came out great and were actually usable for my collection, i just dont see the same with mx and n5. PS. GS4 was recently picked top 5 phone cameras and Note 3 was the winner. Neither MX or N5 were even considered of course.

Who made the choices?
 

tuan209

Member
Oct 2, 2011
8
0
0
Visit site
I have both and you really cant go wrong with either. The decision really comes down to how long you intend to keep the phone for and how you use your phone.

From a hardware perspective, the N5 is simply better than the Moto X. The Moto X is the smoothest android phone on the planet until you compare it to the N5. The differences however is only noticeable when you compare the two side by side. Some may disagree, but the N5's camera is noticeably better than the X, especially for low light pics. IMO, the X's low light shots are not usable. I dont think its a hardware issue, but rather the camera's software for the X still needs a lot of work. The camera really bumps up the ISO for low light shots and as a result the images are extremely noisy.

The only noticeable hardware advantages the X has over the N5 is the speaker and the reception.

Software is where things get interesting for me.

Stock Android is beautiful and fortunately both run stock. Interestingly, what really tempted me to purchase the Moto X was the semi-touchless control on the N5. I found it to be extremely useful and the Moto X just took it to another level. Active notifications, touchless control, and moto assist really enhances the stock Android experience. It simply makes life easier.

In the end, for me, the software enhancements of the X won me over and it was something that I really did not expect. I am a self proclaimed Nexus guy and a hardware geek. I have been using Nexus phones exclusively since the N1. Even though I loved the gorgeous N5 screen, the smoothness, and size of the N5, I still perfer the X.

If you mainly use your phone more as a multi-media device (ie gaming, surfing, camera etc) I think the N5 is the way to go. If you want a phone that simply has great reception that is able to make your life just a tad easier, the X is the choice.
 

LegalAmerican

Well-known member
Feb 15, 2012
2,330
156
0
Visit site
No, I compared side by side MX and N5 photos taken after both phones have been updated. For a camera with OIS N5 pictures dont look good at all and like I said in many cases MX looked better outdoors, N5 looks much better indoors, and both dont even come close to S4 camera

I'm not trying to argue anything here, but the camera on the N5 is actually outstanding after the 4.2.2 update. I mean it still doesn't compete with the S4 or Lumia 1020 obviously but it's a pretty dang impressive. It certainly doesn't "suck" as you put it.
 

LegalAmerican

Well-known member
Feb 15, 2012
2,330
156
0
Visit site
Do you have a Moto X ?

My Mom got her Moto X 2 days before I got my N5. Before the 4.2.2 update (I had it a week before it updated), I did comparison photos in various settings and the N5 outperformed the Moto X in every way. After the 4.2.2 update, the N5 blew the Moto X out of the water in every way. It wasn't even close. The Moto X has a good camera, and I would be more than happy with owning a Moto X myself. But the N5 camera is much better in my experience, even my mom agreed as well as my sister who owns the N4. The biggest issue I had with the N5 camera, is the auto lighting feature wasn't great. But if I manually selected the lighting in the settings, the photo's looked awesome.

To the OP, personally i'd take the Moto X over the N5. There's just so much that's awesome about the X and I think you'd miss it tremendously the more we see other companies try to copy it's features in the next few months. The Nexus 5 does have a great screen but the X is still a very good looking screen in it's own rite. Since you wont use the camera very much, it really doesn't matter which performs better anyway.
 

LegalAmerican

Well-known member
Feb 15, 2012
2,330
156
0
Visit site
here is a thread with photos of n5 vs mx (both updated)

Moto X vs N5 photos anyone? - xda-developers

Thanks. I've seen that thread as well as a few on here regarding photo comparisons. In my hands on usage, i've simply had MUCH better results with the N5 than the Moto X. But it's silly to hash out the camera differences of these phones when neither proclaim to be or are designed to be camera powerhouses.
 

TheBigBass

Member
Sep 2, 2013
20
0
0
Visit site
I literally only take pictures of the fish I catch so camera was a non -issue for me, although being able to take photos fast without so any setting is perfect for the situations I do take photos in. I snap and go, not a moment wasted. I think in the end for most people the size is important and people will lean towards whatever they feel is best. However, I think if you are the type of person that likes the N5 (because the hardware is better) you might as well go all the way and get a Note 3. I really dislike the screen on the N5, looks dead.
 

Pollster

Well-known member
Dec 1, 2011
495
3
0
Visit site
Additional considerations:
You have to decide how big of a deal the following non-gimmick features are to you:
Active notification
Wireless charging
Touchless controls
Future Google updates.

When discussing non-gimmick features, I'd include Motorola Connect.
The ability to have the SMS conversations from my desktop browser is Way too convenient.
When I'm at work and you text me, expect my response to be better and faster than yours.
 

karmamule

Well-known member
Jun 17, 2010
527
5
0
Visit site
When discussing non-gimmick features, I'd include Motorola Connect.
The ability to have the SMS conversations from my desktop browser is Way too convenient.
When I'm at work and you text me, expect my response to be better and faster than yours.

As of a recent update you can also use Google Hangouts to view and reply to SMS across multiple devices including PCs


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

corolla90

Well-known member
Jan 12, 2011
266
1
0
Visit site
As of a recent update you can also use Google Hangouts to view and reply to SMS across multiple devices including PCs


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Are you sure??? I use hangouts on my PC as a Chrome extension and I don't have the ability to read or send any SMS via Hangouts. I don't even see my SMS on the hangouts app on my Nexus 7.
 

karmamule

Well-known member
Jun 17, 2010
527
5
0
Visit site
Are you sure??? I use hangouts on my PC as a Chrome extension and I don't have the ability to read or send any SMS via Hangouts. I don't even see my SMS on the hangouts app on my Nexus 7.

Yes I'm sure, I'm using it all the time now. If you have Hangouts on your phone there's now a setting to have it handle SMS, and once you do that if you're chatting with someone else who's done the same then you can be chatting back and forth seamlessly across multiple devices using Hangouts.
 

ultravisitor

Well-known member
Aug 29, 2010
2,788
238
0
Visit site
Yes I'm sure, I'm using it all the time now. If you have Hangouts on your phone there's now a setting to have it handle SMS, and once you do that if you're chatting with someone else who's done the same then you can be chatting back and forth seamlessly across multiple devices using Hangouts.

Yeah...no. If you're chatting back and forth on your PC using Hangouts with someone else who is also using Hangouts, you're instant messaging Google Talk-style. You're not using SMS.
 

karmamule

Well-known member
Jun 17, 2010
527
5
0
Visit site
Yeah...no. If you're chatting back and forth on your PC using Hangouts with someone else who is also using Hangouts, you're instant messaging Google Talk-style. You're not using SMS.

You're right my saying if they're also using Hangouts is not the right example: it works if they're just using SMS as well, and that's how I should have phrased it. If you've set your phone to have Hangouts handle SMS, the other person can just be using SMS and it still works across devices.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
943,098
Messages
6,917,253
Members
3,158,819
Latest member
Nanran21