Engadget: Moto X (second generation) Review

[Ry]

Moto X review (2014): from also-ran to amazing in one year

The 2014 Moto X is a huge step forward from last year's model, and it's finally equipped to compete with a sea of strong competitors. With an impressive (not to mention customizable) design and some thoughtful software features, this is the flagship phone that Motorola should have made in the first place.

 

[someguy01234]

Re: Engadget: Moto X Review

How are they gonna make it in the first place if the hardware didn't exist at that time?

 

[Ry]

Re: Engadget: Moto X Review

How are they gonna make it in the first place if the hardware didn't exist at that time?

..it did.

For the processor, they could have gone quad-core Snapdragon 600 like everyone else at the time. Instead, they got a custom Snapdragon 600/S4 Pro - essentially a dual-core Snapdragon 600.

 

[salmanahmad]

Re: Engadget: Moto X Review

..it did.

For the processor, they could have gone quad-core Snapdragon 600 like everyone else at the time. Instead, they got a custom Snapdragon 600/S4 Pro - essentially a dual-core Snapdragon 600.

And the dual core Snapdragon S4 worked just fine coupled with the amazing Adreno 320 and Motorola voice chips.

The Moto X was the game changer, it showed that Android didn't need the latest and greatest to run smoothly and if I had an original Moto X I would've never upgraded to the new one.

 

[Ry]

Re: Engadget: Moto X Review

And the dual core Snapdragon S4 worked just fine coupled with the amazing Adreno 320 and Motorola voice chips.

The Moto X was the game changer, it showed that Android didn't need the latest and greatest to run smoothly and if I had an original Moto X I would've never upgraded to the new one.

And those same co-processors are probably in the new X, regardless of Snapdragon 801 or not.

 

[ISiddiqui]

Re: Engadget: Moto X Review

The most interesting sentence in the review:

The new Moto X feels a thousand times better than last year's model, and is easily the most comfortable phone current-gen smartphone I've picked up yet.

Hmmm...

 

[ISiddiqui]

Re: Engadget: Moto X Review

And this section on battery life has me happy:

Power is peachy, but we're left with another question: How long can we use it before the X runs dry? In our standard video-rundown test (looping video with WiFi on, but not connected), the next-gen X lasted for a solid 10 hours and 34 minutes before it gave up the ghost. That's only a few minutes longer than what we squeezed out of the Galaxy S5, but alas -- it still falls about an hour short of the number the HTC One M8 put up under the same conditions. Chances are your days will be just a little more involved than that, and Motorola managed to keep its word with regard to an all-day battery -- the X stuck with me for just over a day of on-and-off web browsing, texting, Kindle reading, YouTube watching, Rdio streaming and Google Maps navigating. Oh, and here's another tidbit to keep in mind: Battery performance for some original Moto Xs tanked over time, so we'll keep our eyes peeled for any long-term changes.

 

[megatomic]

Re: Engadget: Moto X Review

And those same co-processors are probably in the new X, regardless of Snapdragon 801 or not.

As cool as I think it would be, I think I read somewhere on G+ where Punit Soni said just the SD801 was onboard this time around.

 

[Citizen Coyote]

Re: Engadget: Moto X Review

Very positive review, good news. For camera fanatics it sounds like the new X is still a compromise, although perfectly serviceable. Color reproduction looks good, focus seems solid, and it doesn't seem to blow out highlights. Low light does look a little grainy; I wonder if the ISO is user adjustable to try and compensate somewhat for that? Nonetheless, I still have not read anything in the reviews so far that turn me off. Now we just need AC's review!

 

[Ry]

Re: Engadget: Moto X Review

As cool as I think it would be, I think I read somewhere on G+ where Punit Soni said just the SD801 was onboard this time around.

The folks over at AnandTech suspect they might be there. AnandTech | Motorola Announces the New Moto X: Initial Impressions and Hands On

Just waiting for their full review.

Re: Moto Voice

While the original Moto X introduced Touchless Controls, the new Moto X takes things further. Now named Moto Voice, the new Moto X now allows for any five syllable phrase to be used. In addition, it’s possible for third party apps to plug into Moto Voice. Motorola demonstrated this by updating a Facebook status using voice controls, and it was said that YouTube and Whatsapp could be used through voice control as well. I believe that this is still using a TI chipset to enable voice control, although I need to take some time to dig for the exact chipset. Motorola noted that it will be able to distinguish between masculine and feminine voices quite well, and it should be able to be reasonably accurate at distinguishing between people even in situations where the owner and another person have masculine/feminine speech patterns. This system is still low power as always compared to running hotword detection off of the application processor (AP).

Re: Moto Display

Moto Display is also present as the second generation of Active Display, and is now proximity based along with motion-based actions, which works by using the three IR transmitters and one IR receiver. This continues to use a low power DSP that is likely another TI solution. Motorola demonstrated how their solution is an order of magnitude lower in power compared to the same functionality implemented by a Play Store app for phones that lack Moto Display/Active Display. This was done wiring up a second gen Moto X and competing device to a power monitor.

 

[megatomic]

Re: Engadget: Moto X Review

I read that too but I think it was a mistake, even though AT is about as reputable as a site can be. I've been a member there since 1998. I'll have to find that quote from Punit Soni now I think.

 

[megatomic]

Re: Engadget: Moto X Review

Michael JonesSep 5, 2014 - So the new Moto X does not have the contextual core that the original had? It just uses the IR sensors to know when it is pulled out of a pocket for example? Weren't the contextual cores used to know when you are in driving as well?

Punit SoniSep 5, 2014 - +Michael Jones it uses the same system as original X

I could be wrong, I want to be wrong.

 

[megatomic]

Re: Engadget: Moto X Review

Excerpt from Punit Soni's Google+ page:

Aaron Cooper Sep 5, 2014 - +Punit Soni Why the move away from the X8 system? I understand the SD801 has similar capability, but is it as power efficient as the dedicated low power cores in the X8?

Punit Soni Sep 5, 2014 - +Aaron Cooper yes

And then there is this. So confused.

 

[Ry]

Re: Engadget: Moto X Review

Michael JonesSep 5, 2014 - So the new Moto X does not have the contextual core that the original had? It just uses the IR sensors to know when it is pulled out of a pocket for example? Weren't the contextual cores used to know when you are in driving as well?

Punit SoniSep 5, 2014 - +Michael Jones it uses the same system as original X

I could be wrong, I want to be wrong.

Same system as the original X = low-power processors helping out.

 

[megatomic]

Re: Engadget: Moto X Review

Same system as the original X = low-power processors helping out.

We shall see, I am waiting for a full review from AT at this point. Ars didn't mention any X8 system in their review as far as I can remember.

 

[UJ95x]

Re: Engadget: Moto X Review

And this section on battery life has me happy:

I don't like their testing methods. Most real world tests haven't gotten the same battery as the S5, let alone more.