I grew board after a couple months with my Pixel 2 due to it's lack of personality. While it is a very high performer in essentially all categories, I began to wonder if it's price we're truly justifiable.
I have always had a soft spot for Moto phones since my first flip phone and smart phone we're both Motorola products, the later being the Droid Razr M on Verizon. I decided to give the Moto X4 a try when Project Fi offered it for $250 with a $80 service credit after activation and here are my thoughts after four days of use.
Build quality: Definitely a high build quality with the use of quality materials. Moto seems to have copied HTC's glass effect, though possibly with a different method than the pigment impregnation of the glass back. The phone feels weighty, though very slick. It is actually quite difficult to hold on handed without a case because it literally slides down my fingers. Overall, build quality easily matches Pixel 2.
Speaker: While the X4 only has one speaker, the quality of the sound is superior to the Pixel 2. The Pixel 2 had a harsh quality at anything above 50% in my experience. The X4 actually has a deeper and better tuned sound that enables me to hear more detail at a louder volume than the Pixel 2. In fact, I can hear a podcast through my X4 better while in the shower than I could with the Pixel 2.
Display: I have seen a few reviews about poor or mediocre display visibility in sunlight, but I haven't had that experience at all. The display is both bright and clear with excellent saturation on normal display settings. While technically lower resolution than the Pixel 2, the difference is imperceptible.
Performance: here is possibly one of the two most obvious differences from the Pixel 2. The Snapdragon 630 in the X4 is noticably slower than the 835 in the Pixel 2. It is not frustratingly slower, just noticable. I have not had ANY issues with performance with either phone so I hesitate to say the more expensive Pixel 2 is worth the extra money for this reason alone. I can literally do everything I did with the Pixel 2 with the X4.
Camera: The X4 camera is, hands down, inferior to the Pixel 2. The lack of OIS is blatantly obvious. With that said, the camera tuning from Moto is respectable because I can actually get pretty good pictures with the X4. Better, in fact, than I was able to achieve with the Moto Z2 (putrid product, btw). While the Pixel 2 camera had excellent performance and legitimately good added features, the extra features in the X4 camera app are more surprisingly impressive than the Pixel 2. In everyday life, the X4 camera features are more satisfying to use.
Charging and battery life: battery life for both is comparable. Charging speeds are a whole different ball game. The Pixel 2 crawled to 100% as far as flagship phones are concerned, but the X4 flies! This comparison is with both phones using their OEM included chargers. The one shortfall of the X4 is that it tends to get quite hot while turbo charging.
Call quality: Using both phones on Project Fi in Raleigh, NC, neither phone had reception issues of any sort. The main difference is that the X4 speaker is superior and allows me to hear the other person much more clearly than the Pixel 2. Other than that, there are no perceptible differences. Both switch seamlessly between carriers and WiFi and both utilize VoLTE very well.
Bonus: The X4 can connect to four different Bluetooth devices at the same time which is pretty awesome and unexpected for a mid range phone.
Finally, my person preferences led me to choose the X4 over the Pixel 2. It can do 9/10 of what the Pixel 2 can and at a far lower price. That's all I can think of for now, but if anyone has questions about the X4 please don't hesitate to ask.
I have always had a soft spot for Moto phones since my first flip phone and smart phone we're both Motorola products, the later being the Droid Razr M on Verizon. I decided to give the Moto X4 a try when Project Fi offered it for $250 with a $80 service credit after activation and here are my thoughts after four days of use.
Build quality: Definitely a high build quality with the use of quality materials. Moto seems to have copied HTC's glass effect, though possibly with a different method than the pigment impregnation of the glass back. The phone feels weighty, though very slick. It is actually quite difficult to hold on handed without a case because it literally slides down my fingers. Overall, build quality easily matches Pixel 2.
Speaker: While the X4 only has one speaker, the quality of the sound is superior to the Pixel 2. The Pixel 2 had a harsh quality at anything above 50% in my experience. The X4 actually has a deeper and better tuned sound that enables me to hear more detail at a louder volume than the Pixel 2. In fact, I can hear a podcast through my X4 better while in the shower than I could with the Pixel 2.
Display: I have seen a few reviews about poor or mediocre display visibility in sunlight, but I haven't had that experience at all. The display is both bright and clear with excellent saturation on normal display settings. While technically lower resolution than the Pixel 2, the difference is imperceptible.
Performance: here is possibly one of the two most obvious differences from the Pixel 2. The Snapdragon 630 in the X4 is noticably slower than the 835 in the Pixel 2. It is not frustratingly slower, just noticable. I have not had ANY issues with performance with either phone so I hesitate to say the more expensive Pixel 2 is worth the extra money for this reason alone. I can literally do everything I did with the Pixel 2 with the X4.
Camera: The X4 camera is, hands down, inferior to the Pixel 2. The lack of OIS is blatantly obvious. With that said, the camera tuning from Moto is respectable because I can actually get pretty good pictures with the X4. Better, in fact, than I was able to achieve with the Moto Z2 (putrid product, btw). While the Pixel 2 camera had excellent performance and legitimately good added features, the extra features in the X4 camera app are more surprisingly impressive than the Pixel 2. In everyday life, the X4 camera features are more satisfying to use.
Charging and battery life: battery life for both is comparable. Charging speeds are a whole different ball game. The Pixel 2 crawled to 100% as far as flagship phones are concerned, but the X4 flies! This comparison is with both phones using their OEM included chargers. The one shortfall of the X4 is that it tends to get quite hot while turbo charging.
Call quality: Using both phones on Project Fi in Raleigh, NC, neither phone had reception issues of any sort. The main difference is that the X4 speaker is superior and allows me to hear the other person much more clearly than the Pixel 2. Other than that, there are no perceptible differences. Both switch seamlessly between carriers and WiFi and both utilize VoLTE very well.
Bonus: The X4 can connect to four different Bluetooth devices at the same time which is pretty awesome and unexpected for a mid range phone.
Finally, my person preferences led me to choose the X4 over the Pixel 2. It can do 9/10 of what the Pixel 2 can and at a far lower price. That's all I can think of for now, but if anyone has questions about the X4 please don't hesitate to ask.
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