Software:
I'll admit it, I'm a huge fan of stock android. To the point of not being able to enjoy anything else. I find touchwiz ugly, lgs skin horrible, and sense kind of meh. Now these skins often bring pretty nice software features such as multi-window on touchwiz, and knock code code on LG's. But the great thing about the Moto suite is how everything include is actually useful. Everything from the shake to activate camera to Moto voice, I've used every software feature on the Moto X at least once over the last 5 months I've carried it. Compare this to the useless bloatware and other such nonsense on other skins (I'm looking at you Chat-on), and its obvious that the Moto suite is one of if not the best software package on a smartphone.
Moto Suite:
Active Display: battery friendly notifications that flicker on when the phone knows you're looking at it
Camera: Shake to activate
Moto Voice: always on google now; activates with a catch phrase
Moto Migrate: migrates contacts, pictures, and even phone data from an older phone (includes iOS or flip phones!)
Visually there's no surprises here, Motorola's done a great job of merging useful software features with stock android. Changing pretty much nothing about the experience Google intended. Now we just need to wait for Lollipop.....
Hardware
Spec sheet:
While the 2 GB of ram and s4 pro may not seem like much compared to the powerhouses of today, it's more than enough for the average consumer. Apps load swiftly and without hesitation, and because of the lightweight nature of stock android. I've never really experienced a lot of slowdown or lag. Unless you're planning on running something like Asphalt 8 or Modern Combat, chances are most games will run really well. The Moto X didn't break a sweat when put through titles such as Bloons td5, Minecraft, or Goat simulator, so it's safe to assume most popular titles should run just fine.
Camera:
Now, while the Moto x has an awesome software package and pretty solid specs for a 2013 phone, good photos are the one area you might consider something else. It's not that the photos are abysmal or anything, but compared to top tier flagships of today, they're nothing to write home about. In good lighting conditions and not a lot of movement, you can pull off a pretty decent shot,
however when the sun goes down,
so does photo quality.
Endurance:
With a 2300 mAH on a full charge and moderate use, the Moto X can solidly last through the day. But don't expect anything magical, the battery life is average. Unfortunately because of the lack of a Snapdragon processor , the Motorola Turbo Charger can't be used to mitigate this somewhat.
In short, the Moto X is a great choice for those of us who don't care about a great camera or fantastic specs. If you want something that will make life easier with its excellent software suite, and you love stock android. Look no further than the Moto X. If you want a phone that lasts 2-3 days, or has a fantastic camera. Look elsewhere.
By Sahen Rai
