Motorola Moto X

Motorola Moto X (2014) review

A year later and Motorola has just taken the wraps of the new Moto X. Yep, not the Moto X+1 or the Moto X 2, just the Moto X.

Motorola Moto X: Display

Upping the display from the pocket friendly 4.7-inch size was always going to be a risk for Motorola, as it could have taken away from the compact nature of the device. Thankfully the new 5.2-inch AMOLED display doesn’t seem that big, yet it is now full HD 1080p, instead of 720p, so everything is generally sharper and more vibrant.





Viewing angles are impressive and even under bright lights the screen managed to hold its own.
Motorola Moto X: Camera

One of the weaker points of the original, the camera on the new model has been upgraded with a new 13-meg sensor that upon first impressions takes decent pictures, though we will have to put it through testing to fully see its capabilities. 4K video recording is also supported.
Motorola Moto X: Features and Performance


Motorola has souped up the Moto X this year, ditching the slightly odd processor from before and instead going with the ever so popular Snapdragon 801 - the same chip used by Samsung in the S5, HTC in the One M8 and Sony in the Xperia Z3. There’s also 2GB RAM.

Running a basically stock version of Android, with just a few Motorola apps added, the device is a pleasure to use. In the short time we had to play with it we found no lag, apps opened fast and scrolling through web pages and menus was as good as we’ve seen on the competition.

Turning to the software side of things and Motorola has improved many of the features that set the Moto X out from the crowd when it was released last year. Moto Display, a nifty features that shows notifications on your lock screen, now can alert you to your last three notifications, instead of just one. A small change maybe, not useful nonetheless.

Moto Assist can now tell what sort of environment you’re in, altering your settings to fit better. In a meeting? It’ll switch the phone to silent. Driving? It’ll announce your text messages as they come in. Obviously we’ll delve deeper into this during our full review to see just how well it really works.

Voice actions were a big part of the original and they’ve been improved too this time around. You can now change the ‘Ok, Google Now’ phrase to something more personal and even send messages directly to WhatsApp and Facebook just by using your voice.
Motorola Moto X: Design and Build

Just like Samsung has done with the Galaxy Alpha and Galaxy Note 4, Motorola has added an aluminium band around the rim of the Moto X and we have to say it makes a big difference. Instantly the premium feel of the phone is upped, but it also feels much sturdier in the hand.

Speaking of feel in the hand, this device feels fantastic. The back is a curved matte plastic that nestles in your palm and the dimpled Motorola logo is a prime spot to place your finger. It’s clearly a well though out design. If you were a fan of the design of the first Moto X, you’ll love this.
Motorola Moto X: Moto Maker



With the release of the new Moto X, Motorola is also bringing it customisation suite Moto Maker to the UK. While this was a big selling point for the original X it never made it over to Britain, but now we have the chance to give it a spin.

Only available for Moto X (not the Moto G), Moto Maker is a way of making your device unique, by letting you customise everything from the back panel colour, the front colour and even little extras like the speaker.

A variety of colours are available, though sadly still only black and white for the front and you can even clad the back in leather or wood, though for an added cost. We had a play with the wooden version and we have to say it feels great. Would we want it on our phone all the time? We’re not so sure.
Motorola Moto X: Battery Life

We were told that the Moto X should easily last a whole day of use, even if you’re a heavy user, but we’ll give it a thorough test when we get the handset into T3 HQ.
Motorola Moto X: Verdict

While we only had a short time with the new Moto X it’s clear the Motorola has improved the device in almost every area. The screen is bigger and sharper, yet the size of the device is not sacrificed and the nifty display tech from the first phone is still around. Hardware refinements have added that premium feel and if the claims of strong battery are in fact true, this could be one of the top Android devices out there.

Motorola Moto X price: £419.99

Motorola Moto X release date: September 2014