Nexus 6 vs. Moto X 2014 - Beast Mode
- Thread starter dbdynsty25
- Start date
From straight on, the N6 is cooler (purpleish)...but once they go off angle, all hell breaks loose and the N6 gets crazy (as seen in the pics). The straight on pic didn't capture that difference...but the gist is they look similar straight on, but get nuts off angle. Somehow it goes from a cooler screen (compared to the X), to a warmer one. The X's viewing angles are more consistent.
My main purpose in updating my phone is for better media consumption and battery life. (Coming off a N5) Reading, social media, TV/movies when traveling. Stock android/unlocked also a requirement. Given what you've seen on the N6, would you recommend it per my needs? Are the shortcomings you've seen a deal breaker?
via Nexus 5/Pixel CB
via Nexus 5/Pixel CB
Well...I personally think the Moto X is a better all around phone...specifically for the lock screen touch control and the screen (and it's much more manageable size wise). That said, battery wise, you're not going to improve THAT much on your N5 w/ the X. So in that case, the N6 is probably the perfect phone for you if you can handle the size. Given the choice between the N6 and the OnePlus One, I think I'm leaning towards the OPO as well tho. It's just much easier to handle for me. The battery life is superb too. If you're on At&t or T-Mobile, I suggest looking into it as well.
To me...both new Nexus devices this year have been disappointments to me. With stock android (or close to it) available on all sorts of other devices, the actual Nexus products are getting beaten by other devices now. Sad day in Nexus history that's for sure.
Is the nexus 6 slippery like the white nexus 5 or grippy like the black nexus 5?
Posted via the Android Central App
Posted via the Android Central App
Thanks for the reply! I think I'll stay with the N6 white 64 on delivery then. The N5 is puny in my hands...impossible to text on...so I'm sold on the bigger phone. I've heard of OPO having lag and/or glitchy. Any truth to the system performance consistency in your usage?
via Nexus 5/Pixel CB
codeda
Well-known member
- Jan 28, 2012
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That's really weird. Yeah I noticed all the rainbow colors. Lol I guess good thing we look at our phones mostly straight on. I'll have to see that in person.
Zero. Performance wise, I LOVE the OPO. Just and quick and just as the N6 and X 2014 in my day to day usage. No problems at all.
Yup...definitely weird. One of the weirdest screens I've seen at angles. Sometimes you get a bit of distortion but this thing changes colors completely. Not a huge fan of the screen, needless to say.
TIA for your continued info & support! 
1) Have you tested it if full sunlight yet?
2) Is the "ok Google" more responsive on the N6 than the Moto (as some have reported because of its dedicated chip)?
3) You seem to be very positive of the OPO. Does OPO have "Always On" ok Google that is as responsive?
4) You say the Moto Display is important to you. Is there similar functionality on the OPO, or is the OPO so much nicer that you would consider giving up Moto Display functionality?
Thanks SO MUCH for your help!
1) Have you tested it if full sunlight yet?
2) Is the "ok Google" more responsive on the N6 than the Moto (as some have reported because of its dedicated chip)?
3) You seem to be very positive of the OPO. Does OPO have "Always On" ok Google that is as responsive?
4) You say the Moto Display is important to you. Is there similar functionality on the OPO, or is the OPO so much nicer that you would consider giving up Moto Display functionality?
Thanks SO MUCH for your help!
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TIA for your continued info & support!
1) Have you tested it if full sunlight yet?
2) Is the "ok Google" more responsive on the N6 than the Moto (as some have reported because of its dedicated chip)?
3) You seem to be very positive of the OPO. Does OPO have "Always On" ok Google that is as responsive?
4) You say the Moto Display is important to you. Is there similar functionality on the OPO, or is the OPO so much nicer that you would consider giving up Moto Display functionality?
Thanks SO MUCH for your help!
1. Yes...wasn't that impressed. The X washed out much less and the OPO was better than both of them. Way brighter due to the LCD technology.
2. I can't tell a difference in response time. It's all network dependent, so I'd assume it's variable anyway.
3. The OPO is a better phone than the Nexus 6 IMO. So much so that I just sold my N6 to a buddy. It does not have the always on "ok google" but if the screen is on, it works.
4. The OPO has double tap to wake and a notification light, so I've got a little of the functionality...but definitely to the Moto X standards. The N6s major downfall was the lock screen/notifications. I just couldn't get by it. The OPO allows for a lot more customizability because of Cyanogen, so it satisfies my tinkering needs, while the X is more stock android with a few REALLY noticeable enhancements on the lock screen. So I've really got the best of both worlds.
Ultimately the N6 was a giant disappointment to me (no pun intended)...it is now gone (well it will be tomorrow). So if there are any more questions, now is the time!
The OPO and the X 2014 are the two phones I'm going to carry on with. The best two Android phones out right now IMO.
That's great info. Thanks
1) Re: The "Always On Google/Voice Processing, Arstechnica, in their review of the N6, stated:
"Voice commands
Like the Moto X before it, the Nexus 6 has an always-on voice feature that works even when the screen is off. The Nexus 6 has a dedicated digital signal processor (DSP) that handles the "OK Google" hotword recognition, which allows the main processor to save power while the phone is off.
While the feature has been on the Moto X, it's much, much faster on the Nexus 6. This makes a world of difference. Motorola's implementation on the 2013 and 2014 Moto X was a third-party hack of Google's voice system. In KitKat, the Google Search app wasn't built to handle always-on voice recognition, so Motorola made a special middle-man app that would listen for your hotword, wake the phone up, and collect your voice command. Moto's app would then turn on Google Search, pass it your voice command for processing, and you'd get a response back from Google.
In Lollipop, the Google Search app is built for always-on voice recognition, which allowed Google and Motorola to cut out the middle-man app. Google Search listens for your hotword, collects the voice command, and processes it. Without the extra step of the Motorola app, the Nexus 6 processes voice commands about one-and-a-half times faster than the Moto X does. There's also a lot less to go wrong, since you're only using one app and not dealing with a data handoff.
The Nexus 6's always-on voice commands are easily the phone's best feature and will change the way you use the device. It's so fast now that it's just way easier to set a reminder or a timer with your voice. "OK Google remind me to buy milk tomorrow" is more efficient than turning the screen on, unlocking the device, swiping over to Google search, and typing in a reminder.
These voice commands aren't exclusive to the Nexus 6; they're now a base feature in Lollipop, complete with support for the low-power voice processor. Even if you don't buy the Nexus 6, the line in the sand is drawn. Make sure your next device has a special DSP for always-on voice recognition".
1) Always On Voice Recognition (and Voice Recognition in general) is very important to me due to a handicap. So, one of the things drawing me to the N6 was the "supposedly" much more responsive/efficient Always on OK Google/Voice Processing. However, it seems to me that you don't see that great a difference in this area between the X 2014 and the N6. Their statement of the N6 being "one-and-a-half times faster" has me concerned. Sounds to me that maybe Arstechnica over-emphasised the difference, and that you don't see it as that significantly different?
2) Are you running Lollipop on your X 2014? If so, any general comments on the combination?
3) How have you found your X 2014 battery life (days hourly use/screen on time, etc.)?
4) If cost were not a consideration, and you could only keep one (X 2014/OPO), which would you keep?
1) Re: The "Always On Google/Voice Processing, Arstechnica, in their review of the N6, stated:
"Voice commands
Like the Moto X before it, the Nexus 6 has an always-on voice feature that works even when the screen is off. The Nexus 6 has a dedicated digital signal processor (DSP) that handles the "OK Google" hotword recognition, which allows the main processor to save power while the phone is off.
While the feature has been on the Moto X, it's much, much faster on the Nexus 6. This makes a world of difference. Motorola's implementation on the 2013 and 2014 Moto X was a third-party hack of Google's voice system. In KitKat, the Google Search app wasn't built to handle always-on voice recognition, so Motorola made a special middle-man app that would listen for your hotword, wake the phone up, and collect your voice command. Moto's app would then turn on Google Search, pass it your voice command for processing, and you'd get a response back from Google.
In Lollipop, the Google Search app is built for always-on voice recognition, which allowed Google and Motorola to cut out the middle-man app. Google Search listens for your hotword, collects the voice command, and processes it. Without the extra step of the Motorola app, the Nexus 6 processes voice commands about one-and-a-half times faster than the Moto X does. There's also a lot less to go wrong, since you're only using one app and not dealing with a data handoff.
The Nexus 6's always-on voice commands are easily the phone's best feature and will change the way you use the device. It's so fast now that it's just way easier to set a reminder or a timer with your voice. "OK Google remind me to buy milk tomorrow" is more efficient than turning the screen on, unlocking the device, swiping over to Google search, and typing in a reminder.
These voice commands aren't exclusive to the Nexus 6; they're now a base feature in Lollipop, complete with support for the low-power voice processor. Even if you don't buy the Nexus 6, the line in the sand is drawn. Make sure your next device has a special DSP for always-on voice recognition".
1) Always On Voice Recognition (and Voice Recognition in general) is very important to me due to a handicap. So, one of the things drawing me to the N6 was the "supposedly" much more responsive/efficient Always on OK Google/Voice Processing. However, it seems to me that you don't see that great a difference in this area between the X 2014 and the N6. Their statement of the N6 being "one-and-a-half times faster" has me concerned. Sounds to me that maybe Arstechnica over-emphasised the difference, and that you don't see it as that significantly different?
2) Are you running Lollipop on your X 2014? If so, any general comments on the combination?
3) How have you found your X 2014 battery life (days hourly use/screen on time, etc.)?
4) If cost were not a consideration, and you could only keep one (X 2014/OPO), which would you keep?
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codeda
Well-known member
- Jan 28, 2012
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1. I rarely use the always on portion of voice activation. When I sit here and try to utilize it on each phone...yes, the N6 is slightly faster. But we're talking a second, maybe two, for a google search to pop up. It seems like it just recognizes words a bit quicker. If that second or two is important to you, then obviously the N6 is faster and that is the answer to all of your questions.
2. Yes, Lollipop on the X 2014. Love it. Everything is essentially the same as the N6 except the awesome motorola screen notification system, which I have explained many times over, that I prefer significantly more than the built in Lollipop screens. Not even close. The real fascinating thing is that I actually find the touch screen more accurate on the X 2014 compared to the N6. It just seems more responsive and fluid. It's not like the N6 is laggy or unresponsive, it just "seems" like the X is faster. Given the specs...I'd have to blame that on the display (the same issue I had with the G3).
3. My phones last me from 7am till around midnight. If I can make it through that time period with 2-3 hours of screen on time, I'm happy. The Moto X 2014 accomplishes that. The OPO wipes the floor with it though. I regularly can get 4-5 hours of screen on time.
4. This is the million dollar question that I'm struggling with myself. If they were priced the same, the Moto X would likely edge it out because of the active notifications. That really is it's advantage. Now, at 200 dollars more (32gb X and 64gb OPO)...are those worth it? So far I have not been able to really make that decision. I'm past the return policy on both so no biggie there...but if I had to guess the X will be the one I keep. I think the size of the actual phone will be the real deciding factor. The OPO is MUUUUCH easier to handle than the N6, even at it's huge size, but the X just feels right.
The one thing I definitely prefer on the OPO is the screen temp. Its much more blueish...compared to the yellowish X. I really prefer the former. If the X had a cooler display, I'm pretty sure the decision would already be made.
All that said, I bet I end up keeping both. The 300 bucks or so the OPO would fetch on the open market, isn't really worth getting rid of. I am eager to see what Cyanogen can do w/ Lollipop in the next month or so. I haven't gotten enough guts to run their Alpha 5.0 software, so we'll see once it gets a bit more stable.
Hope this all helps.
Helps A LOT!!! One followup question. If I do need the faster Always On OK Google (ala N6), since Always On OK Google is supported in Lollipop, could I just disable the Moto Voice "middleware" on the Moto (with Lollipop), and get "Instant On" using only Google Voice (and perhaps get the faster speeds as the N6 has?
(The Arstechnica Review said that Motorola (brilliantly!) put Moto Voice in between, as Kit-Kat was not ready for Always On. Now, it said, the N6 could fully utilize the DSP Chip directly, because Lollipop supports Always On. So, my simple mind says that maybe I could eliminate the "middleman" on the Moto, and achieve the same Always On performance that the N6 has. But, not being very technical, I look to your opinion/knowledge of whether this would in fact work).
One followup question. If I do need the faster Always On OK Google (ala N6), since Always On OK Google is supported in Lollipop, could I just disable the Moto Voice "middleware" on the Moto (with Lollipop), and get "Instant On" using only Google Voice (and perhaps get the faster speeds as the N6 has?(The Arstechnica Review said that Motorola (brilliantly!) put Moto Voice in between, as Kit-Kat was not ready for Always On. Now, it said, the N6 could fully utilize the DSP Chip directly, because Lollipop supports Always On. So, my simple mind says that maybe I could eliminate the "middleman" on the Moto, and achieve the same Always On performance that the N6 has. But, not being very technical, I look to your opinion/knowledge of whether this would in fact work).
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I have question about one plus one people said blackstone version not ageing well (get scratched really fast ) is that true ?
The elusive question for me is: does Lollipop give the Moto X 2014 the same Instant On (from screen off/unplugged) with Moto Voice deactivated as you get on the N6. This is very important for me with my disability. dbdynsty25, (or anyone else running Lollipop on Moto X 2014), since you are one of the few to have the Moto X with Lollipop (and have seen the functionality on the N6), I would REALLY APPRECIATE if you could test this for me.
Instructions from another site for deactivating Moto Voice and activation native Google Voice:
To do so, set Moto Voice off.
Go to System Settings and access Language & Input section.
Here, you will access "Google voice typing".
Inside this section, go to "Ok Google" Detection.
There you have to select all the three options available:
"From Google Search app";
"From any screen";
"From lock screen";
After that, you will see "OK GOOGLE" VOICE MODEL subsection.
Train or retrain your voice.
You'll be asked to repeat "Ok Google" for three times to train Google Now to recognize your voice.
After this, with the phone on battery only, will OK Google work while the screen is OFF?
If you can test this I would be forever grateful. If it's too much effort, I understand completely!
Either way, thanks for all your previous help!!!!
Instructions from another site for deactivating Moto Voice and activation native Google Voice:
To do so, set Moto Voice off.
Go to System Settings and access Language & Input section.
Here, you will access "Google voice typing".
Inside this section, go to "Ok Google" Detection.
There you have to select all the three options available:
"From Google Search app";
"From any screen";
"From lock screen";
After that, you will see "OK GOOGLE" VOICE MODEL subsection.
Train or retrain your voice.
You'll be asked to repeat "Ok Google" for three times to train Google Now to recognize your voice.
After this, with the phone on battery only, will OK Google work while the screen is OFF?
If you can test this I would be forever grateful. If it's too much effort, I understand completely!
Either way, thanks for all your previous help!!!!
Last edited:
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