Overall the Moto X 2014 version is a very good improvement over the original. To me, many aspects has been refined over the 2013 version, from both hardware and software sides.
Build:
The phone hardware is very user friendly and intelligently designed. This phone is very comfortable to hold for anyone who tolerates 5" screen devices. If you bought the wood or leather MotoMaker version, it can feel very premium, even more than most other 2014 phones costing more. The metal frame and buttons give impression of more rigidity over the 2013 version.
I will admit due to the height of the device it is less comfortable in pockets compared to the 2013 Moto X.
There are nice little details that's worth pointing out:
-The power button have a texture on it to help differentiate from the volume buttons.
-The front glass is curved on the edges making finger swipes a smooth experience and improve grip comfort.
-The metal "top and bottom earpiece/speaker grills" are slightly protruding, when the phone is placed face down on a flat surface, the phone's screen is raised off the surface to prevent scratches. (see attached image) (you'll still need to protect the screen from cracking from drops)
-I actually prefer the bigger "M" dimple on the back compared to the 2013 version, it's easier to search for with the index finger and rest on.
-Of course, there is the usual Moto's water resistant nano coating. It will help with splashes and light rain exposure, but this is not water proof so you still have to be careful.
Display:
It's a 5.2" 1080p AMOLED screen. You will enjoy it if you like saturated colors, exceptional viewing angle and deep black. You won't like it if you want natural and true to life colors. The display is just bright enough to view under sunlight, but not very bright comparing to high-end LCD alternatives. Manually limiting the screen brightness can greatly improve length of screen on time with this phone.
Software:
I'm sure many who read this will already know or can read more details about specific Moto X features from other sources, it have some nice improvements over the 2013 Moto X. I like the fact all the special Moto X features are combined and placed within a single "Moto" app for a streamlined experience.
Overall, the phone's software feel much snappier than the already smooth 2013 version, there is never a slow down.
Battery:
The battery life is average by 2014 standard and does not disappoint considering the low capacity for it's typical screen size. While not as good as the original 2013 Moto X, the battery can last through most of the day, but is not 24hours battery life. Most "medium use" users you will likely need to charge by evening time (ie. after work). On average I get 3.5hours screen on time and between 15-19hours total battery time. It does have excellent standby time, I see only few percentages drop in battery overnight.
The charging time is not very fast from normal chargers (non-Turbo charging). The phone only managed to pull in a maximum of 1.26Amp from my test, it will take 100minutes to charge the battery from 0 to 90% and 2hours to fully charge.
Camera:
The camera is a somewhat disappointing aspect of the Moto X in term of what is expected from a 2014 flagship device. I believe most of this is a software limitation rather than hardware, mainly due to lack of advance post processing technology. The camera can take good photos in good lighting condition, but anytime there are shadows or in low light condition, the photo can become very grainy and losing details. In fact, the cheaper Moto G 2014's low light photos are less grainy. I believe Motorola can and likely will improve this issue with future software updates.
The saving grace for the Moto X camera come from HDR mode, which is both more detailed and significantly reduced in grainy effects. HDR photos actually look very respectable and meets expectation from a quality 13MP phone camera. HDR mode is only ideal for stationary shots however, so one must hold the phone very still to get good photos.
The front facing camera is currently suffering from lagging issue under medium to low light condition, which make it very hard to get smooth recording/streaming while indoor. This is probably fixable via software updates as well.
One feature I love about the Moto X camera that can't be overlook is that you can wiggle the phone twice to launch the camera, this is very handy.
Sound:
While this phone lacks stereo speakers, the single front firing speaker is very good. It is have noticeably better sound quality and is marginally louder than the 2013 Moto X. Unless one really need that balanced stereo effect, most users should be happy with the result. As well, the headphone output of this phone is superb. It have excellent clarity and adequate amount of power to 'drive' headphones to pretty loud volume.
Side note: As an audiophile I am very happy with the headphone output sound quality. It's very clear and you can hear all the minute details in the music. It's smooth sounding across the frequency range. It allow my fullsize AKG K550 headphone to deliver satisfying enough bass punches without an amplifier. Higher impedance headphones will still need and benefit from a separate amplifier, but for the most part, it's one of the best sounding headphone output from a phone I've heard in a while.
Signal quality:
Considering this is a Motorola one can pretty much expect to get very good signal quality. I can't comment on call quality since I don't make enough calls, but it have 4 microphones to help with noise canceling, so one can expect a very good call quality. LTE performance is also great.
Overall:
I am very happy with improvements Motorola made for the Moto X 2014 compared the 2013 version. It is, however, not a perfect phone and have some trade offs, which include a slight reduction in battery life compared to it's predecessor (but still acceptable) and once again, not great camera quality. I delivers an exceptional software experience, a very smooth and clean interface, with fast performance and practical Moto features. This is coupled with a beautiful and ergonomic designed hardware that is comfortable to use (if your hands can tolerate 5" screen phones).
While the relatively small battery capacity gave some initial concerns, I find it to be very adequate for a single day use and should not be an issue except for heavy users. It is still missing just a few ingredients that allows it to go toe to toe against other flagship devices, such as a great camera and perhaps larger storage size or microSD support. For other users who care less about hardware specification and more about an Android phone that deliver useful features while keeping a clutter free interface and therefore a simpler experience, the Moto X 2014 is a fine choice.
Pet Peeves/Cons:
-Crappy camera performance in low light condition unless HDR mode is used.
-The 32GB unlock version only have 24GB of free space out of the box.
-Not compatible with Moto Skip, so the "NFC Unlock" lockscreen feature is not available.
-Slightly sow charging time unless you buy the Turbo charger. (100mins to charge 90% and 2hours for 100% battery).
-No qi charging.
Build:
The phone hardware is very user friendly and intelligently designed. This phone is very comfortable to hold for anyone who tolerates 5" screen devices. If you bought the wood or leather MotoMaker version, it can feel very premium, even more than most other 2014 phones costing more. The metal frame and buttons give impression of more rigidity over the 2013 version.
I will admit due to the height of the device it is less comfortable in pockets compared to the 2013 Moto X.
There are nice little details that's worth pointing out:
-The power button have a texture on it to help differentiate from the volume buttons.
-The front glass is curved on the edges making finger swipes a smooth experience and improve grip comfort.
-The metal "top and bottom earpiece/speaker grills" are slightly protruding, when the phone is placed face down on a flat surface, the phone's screen is raised off the surface to prevent scratches. (see attached image) (you'll still need to protect the screen from cracking from drops)
-I actually prefer the bigger "M" dimple on the back compared to the 2013 version, it's easier to search for with the index finger and rest on.
-Of course, there is the usual Moto's water resistant nano coating. It will help with splashes and light rain exposure, but this is not water proof so you still have to be careful.
Display:
It's a 5.2" 1080p AMOLED screen. You will enjoy it if you like saturated colors, exceptional viewing angle and deep black. You won't like it if you want natural and true to life colors. The display is just bright enough to view under sunlight, but not very bright comparing to high-end LCD alternatives. Manually limiting the screen brightness can greatly improve length of screen on time with this phone.
Software:
I'm sure many who read this will already know or can read more details about specific Moto X features from other sources, it have some nice improvements over the 2013 Moto X. I like the fact all the special Moto X features are combined and placed within a single "Moto" app for a streamlined experience.
Overall, the phone's software feel much snappier than the already smooth 2013 version, there is never a slow down.
Battery:
The battery life is average by 2014 standard and does not disappoint considering the low capacity for it's typical screen size. While not as good as the original 2013 Moto X, the battery can last through most of the day, but is not 24hours battery life. Most "medium use" users you will likely need to charge by evening time (ie. after work). On average I get 3.5hours screen on time and between 15-19hours total battery time. It does have excellent standby time, I see only few percentages drop in battery overnight.
The charging time is not very fast from normal chargers (non-Turbo charging). The phone only managed to pull in a maximum of 1.26Amp from my test, it will take 100minutes to charge the battery from 0 to 90% and 2hours to fully charge.
Camera:
The camera is a somewhat disappointing aspect of the Moto X in term of what is expected from a 2014 flagship device. I believe most of this is a software limitation rather than hardware, mainly due to lack of advance post processing technology. The camera can take good photos in good lighting condition, but anytime there are shadows or in low light condition, the photo can become very grainy and losing details. In fact, the cheaper Moto G 2014's low light photos are less grainy. I believe Motorola can and likely will improve this issue with future software updates.
The saving grace for the Moto X camera come from HDR mode, which is both more detailed and significantly reduced in grainy effects. HDR photos actually look very respectable and meets expectation from a quality 13MP phone camera. HDR mode is only ideal for stationary shots however, so one must hold the phone very still to get good photos.
The front facing camera is currently suffering from lagging issue under medium to low light condition, which make it very hard to get smooth recording/streaming while indoor. This is probably fixable via software updates as well.
One feature I love about the Moto X camera that can't be overlook is that you can wiggle the phone twice to launch the camera, this is very handy.
Sound:
While this phone lacks stereo speakers, the single front firing speaker is very good. It is have noticeably better sound quality and is marginally louder than the 2013 Moto X. Unless one really need that balanced stereo effect, most users should be happy with the result. As well, the headphone output of this phone is superb. It have excellent clarity and adequate amount of power to 'drive' headphones to pretty loud volume.
Side note: As an audiophile I am very happy with the headphone output sound quality. It's very clear and you can hear all the minute details in the music. It's smooth sounding across the frequency range. It allow my fullsize AKG K550 headphone to deliver satisfying enough bass punches without an amplifier. Higher impedance headphones will still need and benefit from a separate amplifier, but for the most part, it's one of the best sounding headphone output from a phone I've heard in a while.
Signal quality:
Considering this is a Motorola one can pretty much expect to get very good signal quality. I can't comment on call quality since I don't make enough calls, but it have 4 microphones to help with noise canceling, so one can expect a very good call quality. LTE performance is also great.
Overall:
I am very happy with improvements Motorola made for the Moto X 2014 compared the 2013 version. It is, however, not a perfect phone and have some trade offs, which include a slight reduction in battery life compared to it's predecessor (but still acceptable) and once again, not great camera quality. I delivers an exceptional software experience, a very smooth and clean interface, with fast performance and practical Moto features. This is coupled with a beautiful and ergonomic designed hardware that is comfortable to use (if your hands can tolerate 5" screen phones).
While the relatively small battery capacity gave some initial concerns, I find it to be very adequate for a single day use and should not be an issue except for heavy users. It is still missing just a few ingredients that allows it to go toe to toe against other flagship devices, such as a great camera and perhaps larger storage size or microSD support. For other users who care less about hardware specification and more about an Android phone that deliver useful features while keeping a clutter free interface and therefore a simpler experience, the Moto X 2014 is a fine choice.
Pet Peeves/Cons:
-Crappy camera performance in low light condition unless HDR mode is used.
-The 32GB unlock version only have 24GB of free space out of the box.
-Not compatible with Moto Skip, so the "NFC Unlock" lockscreen feature is not available.
-Slightly sow charging time unless you buy the Turbo charger. (100mins to charge 90% and 2hours for 100% battery).
-No qi charging.
Last edited:
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