I've been using the Moto X 2014 for about a month. For three days, I switched back to the Moto X 2013 as my daily driver to see how much of a difference it would feel (spoiler: not much). Here is my comparison between the two phones.
Build and feel:
I have to say the 2014's X feel more premium, I actually like heavier weight, it let you know you're holding a quality device. At the same time, it is very pleasant to hold the small and lighter 2013's X. The smaller size of the 2013's X make it feel more chubby in a good way. Due to the lack of the metal frame, it feel grippier and more comfortable overall.
Reachability/One hand usage: My hand is quite small, but my thumb can reach across the screen of the 2013 version and with some effort, able to pull down the notification with one hand. Neither of this is possible using one hand with 2014's. (see attached photo) However, the 2014's X have it's own benefits. I like the fact the power button is textured. Also the dimple this time is much larger and actually useful, it's easy for my index finger to detect and rest on. I find the 2013's dimple to be pretty useless aside from look honestly.
Pocketability: The 2013's X wins, no problem whatsoever. You will always know the 2014's is in your pocket, and for people with smaller jean pockets, it might get in the way a little when you try to bend. However, it's not bad either, I don't have an issue with it. Only when the phone become 5.5" in size or larger is when it become an interference for me.
Software and performance:
The Moto X 2014 is one of the fastest phone of 2014, it is extremely smooth with zero lag. The 2013 holds up very well especially using ART mode, it will feel slightly slower if you have both phones, but overall it handle everything smoothly aside from heavy gaming. The one time the 2013 version do slowdown significantly is when it is utilizing the flash memory, such as installing apps, transferring or downloading files. The 2014's X do not slow down even when installing apps.
Screen:
The Moto X 2014's screen is an improvement. AMOLED viewing angle by itself are good, but the 2014 version is better, it does not shift to a blue tint on extreme angles. It is ever slightly brighter. If you don't care about the larger screen size and higher resolution, they both are equally sharp and vibrant.
A major improvement of the 2014's screen is the larger keyboard, it's much more pleasant to type on and you'll be making less mistakes.
Battery:
The 2013's X simply have better battery life, by about 30minutes more screen on time, this is largely due to the smaller screen. While I can manage 3.5 to 4hours of screen on time with the Moto X 2014. For the 2013's X, I remember getting 4 to 4.5 hours screen on time.
Camera:
I find both camera equality sucks in low light condition. In term of daylight shots, 2014's X camera will give you sharper details from a distant. When it come to nearfield and macroshots, there isn't a big difference. The color reproduction for the 2014's X is also better, the 2013's is a bit washed out. I personally find the improvement noticeable enough to matter, since I want to be able to zoom in on the 13MP photos of the 2014's X and see more details in the background. That might not matter so much for some people. It is an improvement, but not enough of a breakthrough to compete with the other flagship devices like from iPhone and Samsung.
Speaker:
Despite 2013's X having rear speaker, the treble is more detailed and the overall sound is more open and clearer. The 2014's front speaker have a smoother low end, but the treble isn't as clean and the overall sound have a slight muffled characteristic in comparison. I believe this is partly due to the fact the 2014's front grill is small so there is less opening in comparison to the 2013's larger rear grill. Both speakers are about the same level of loudness. Overall, for the average person there is actually very little difference. I prefer the sound from the 2013 speaker, but it only make a difference if you flip the phone on it's back, this is why the 2014's front speaker is probably better for most people.
WiFi:
I have owned multiple Moto X 2013, while I do laud the signal and call quality, I have to admit the WiFi signal is average. This is much improved with the 2014 version. Even though my test shows both phones get about the same signal quality from my router, the 2013 version sometimes cut out and have slower speed. This is forcing me to use 2.4GHz WiFi for my 2013's X instead of 5GHz to get better range. The WiFi for 2014's X is simply excellent, good connection and extremely fast.
Overall:
I'd say the Moto X 2013 still hold up and does a pretty good job, there isn't much of change in user experience between the two phones aside from difference in sizes. It feel like the Moto X 2013 is a smaller and slightly less powerful version of the 2014, but you retain pretty much all the unique Moto X features shared by both phones. Aside from being forced to be a little patient during downloading and installing apps, I am just as happy with the performance even if it's not as snappy. On the other hand, Moto X 2014 is extremely smooth and you never see slowdown
I feel that people who are comfortable enough with the 4.7" screen of the Moto X 2013 do not need to upgrade to the 2014 version. At the same time, if you are someone who use the web often and other productivity apps, and type a lot, the Moto X 2014 will be a more productive phone.
So you have to ask if the price difference between two phones will justify the upgrade, my opinion is no. The Moto X 2014 definitely does not seem twice better than the original X. This doesn't mean it is a bad phone, I think it's one of the best phone I've used (being a Motorola fan and all). Comparing to the specs of the Nexus 6, Motorola could have added a few more hardware features to make it more formidable and a clearer upgrade from the 2013 version, such as; image stabilization for the camera, a big enough battery to keep 5hours screen on time, stereo speakers and wireless charging. I'm even willing to pay $650 for all those features. It is a still a good upgrade if you are coming from a non-Motorola phone imo. For current Moto X 2013 owners, probably $100 cheaper (from $500 - $550) would make the 2014's X a more justified purchase.
Build and feel:
I have to say the 2014's X feel more premium, I actually like heavier weight, it let you know you're holding a quality device. At the same time, it is very pleasant to hold the small and lighter 2013's X. The smaller size of the 2013's X make it feel more chubby in a good way. Due to the lack of the metal frame, it feel grippier and more comfortable overall.
Reachability/One hand usage: My hand is quite small, but my thumb can reach across the screen of the 2013 version and with some effort, able to pull down the notification with one hand. Neither of this is possible using one hand with 2014's. (see attached photo) However, the 2014's X have it's own benefits. I like the fact the power button is textured. Also the dimple this time is much larger and actually useful, it's easy for my index finger to detect and rest on. I find the 2013's dimple to be pretty useless aside from look honestly.
Pocketability: The 2013's X wins, no problem whatsoever. You will always know the 2014's is in your pocket, and for people with smaller jean pockets, it might get in the way a little when you try to bend. However, it's not bad either, I don't have an issue with it. Only when the phone become 5.5" in size or larger is when it become an interference for me.
Software and performance:
The Moto X 2014 is one of the fastest phone of 2014, it is extremely smooth with zero lag. The 2013 holds up very well especially using ART mode, it will feel slightly slower if you have both phones, but overall it handle everything smoothly aside from heavy gaming. The one time the 2013 version do slowdown significantly is when it is utilizing the flash memory, such as installing apps, transferring or downloading files. The 2014's X do not slow down even when installing apps.
Screen:
The Moto X 2014's screen is an improvement. AMOLED viewing angle by itself are good, but the 2014 version is better, it does not shift to a blue tint on extreme angles. It is ever slightly brighter. If you don't care about the larger screen size and higher resolution, they both are equally sharp and vibrant.
A major improvement of the 2014's screen is the larger keyboard, it's much more pleasant to type on and you'll be making less mistakes.
Battery:
The 2013's X simply have better battery life, by about 30minutes more screen on time, this is largely due to the smaller screen. While I can manage 3.5 to 4hours of screen on time with the Moto X 2014. For the 2013's X, I remember getting 4 to 4.5 hours screen on time.
Camera:
I find both camera equality sucks in low light condition. In term of daylight shots, 2014's X camera will give you sharper details from a distant. When it come to nearfield and macroshots, there isn't a big difference. The color reproduction for the 2014's X is also better, the 2013's is a bit washed out. I personally find the improvement noticeable enough to matter, since I want to be able to zoom in on the 13MP photos of the 2014's X and see more details in the background. That might not matter so much for some people. It is an improvement, but not enough of a breakthrough to compete with the other flagship devices like from iPhone and Samsung.
Speaker:
Comparison between Moto X 2013 and 2014 speakers:
Despite 2013's X having rear speaker, the treble is more detailed and the overall sound is more open and clearer. The 2014's front speaker have a smoother low end, but the treble isn't as clean and the overall sound have a slight muffled characteristic in comparison. I believe this is partly due to the fact the 2014's front grill is small so there is less opening in comparison to the 2013's larger rear grill. Both speakers are about the same level of loudness. Overall, for the average person there is actually very little difference. I prefer the sound from the 2013 speaker, but it only make a difference if you flip the phone on it's back, this is why the 2014's front speaker is probably better for most people.
WiFi:
I have owned multiple Moto X 2013, while I do laud the signal and call quality, I have to admit the WiFi signal is average. This is much improved with the 2014 version. Even though my test shows both phones get about the same signal quality from my router, the 2013 version sometimes cut out and have slower speed. This is forcing me to use 2.4GHz WiFi for my 2013's X instead of 5GHz to get better range. The WiFi for 2014's X is simply excellent, good connection and extremely fast.
Overall:
I'd say the Moto X 2013 still hold up and does a pretty good job, there isn't much of change in user experience between the two phones aside from difference in sizes. It feel like the Moto X 2013 is a smaller and slightly less powerful version of the 2014, but you retain pretty much all the unique Moto X features shared by both phones. Aside from being forced to be a little patient during downloading and installing apps, I am just as happy with the performance even if it's not as snappy. On the other hand, Moto X 2014 is extremely smooth and you never see slowdown
I feel that people who are comfortable enough with the 4.7" screen of the Moto X 2013 do not need to upgrade to the 2014 version. At the same time, if you are someone who use the web often and other productivity apps, and type a lot, the Moto X 2014 will be a more productive phone.
So you have to ask if the price difference between two phones will justify the upgrade, my opinion is no. The Moto X 2014 definitely does not seem twice better than the original X. This doesn't mean it is a bad phone, I think it's one of the best phone I've used (being a Motorola fan and all). Comparing to the specs of the Nexus 6, Motorola could have added a few more hardware features to make it more formidable and a clearer upgrade from the 2013 version, such as; image stabilization for the camera, a big enough battery to keep 5hours screen on time, stereo speakers and wireless charging. I'm even willing to pay $650 for all those features. It is a still a good upgrade if you are coming from a non-Motorola phone imo. For current Moto X 2013 owners, probably $100 cheaper (from $500 - $550) would make the 2014's X a more justified purchase.
Attachments
Last edited:
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram