I'd rather have Samsung do the Nexus than Motorola IMO. I don't like how Motorola locks down their bootloaders thus IMO killing the freedom of Android. Samsung has always made sure to be community friendly and I personally appreciate them for that. Not to mention Samsung hardware is far more pleasing to the eye than Motorola hardware.
I don't believe Google would allow "locked down" anything on a Nexus device. It defeats the purpose of it being.... a Nexus.
Aesthetics are opinion, something that really can't be debated. I know there are many that prefer Moto's industrial look. I don't personally, but do feel as though they have superior build quality and radios.
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