Motorola Moto X Pro Reviews

They’re Android smartphones at heart, yet, they differ greatly inside and out. As much as the two focus on certain aspects, we’re always left to factor in pricing to the mix, which is $200 on-contract for the two. Knowing that, it would seem as though you get more bang for the buck with the HTC One and its beefier specs, premium design, and inclusion of an IR blaster. Some would overlook the Moto X at that point, but that shouldn’t be the case at all. Whereas the HTC One is all about being meticulous with its design, both in its physical form and software experience, the Moto X is more humble with its totality. It doesn’t try to win us over with its hardware, nor does it try to bombard us with a ton of new software features. Overall, the HTC One is best suited for those with a flair for physical aesthetics and supreme social networking integration – while the Moto X is best reserved for those who are down for simplicity with the Android experience.

When the dust settles, it’s plainly obvious that these two flagship smartphones perform similarly to one another – with neither one having a dramatic advantage over the other in any particular category. Heck, even their on-contract prices are the same too, as their base configurations start at $200. Ultimately though, it’s the enhancements found with the Moto X’s platform experience that propels it over the iPhone 5. Needless to say, the iPhone 5 continues to be a strong all-around contender in the space, which isn’t all that surprising, but Moto’s offering has its own set of goodies to make it an admirable choice as well. You might say that we’re growing weary with what iOS has to offer. On the other hand, the Moto X is a fresh and exciting entrant to the space – both from a design and software standpoint.

This comparison goes to show us the beauty of Android, as devices offer unique experiences that cater to different individuals. As we’ve clearly seen here, these two are on the complete opposite sides of the spectrum with their experiences – so it merely comes down to personal preference. However, when we factor pricing into the mix, we can vouch that the Samsung Galaxy S4 undoubtedly offers the most bang for the buck. And it shows too with its overall performance, as it’s a top contender in many different categories. Surely, the insane amount of features found with the Galaxy S4 is astounding on its own, so as its mighty specs sheet, but that might not win over all consumers. Some people just prefer simplicity, which is what the Moto X focuses intently upon with its features and experience. In fact, it doesn’t try to impress people in how many things it can do, but rather, it draws people into the way it delivers a seamless experience in what matters most with what we want to do with our smartphones.

The Moto X is smart. It's aware. It's packed with features. It's powerful enough and it's got the right amount of Android - without too much bloat or gimmick. We really like the Moto X. It's not the flashiest smartphone out there, so we wouldn't recommend it to gadget geeks who want the latest and greatest on the market. But it is Motorola's first flagship as a Google-owned company, so it's an ideal handset for those Google lovers in the world who want an all-American piece of hardware made under Google's direct influence. It also costs $199 on-contract. Considering what else is available for that price, many might prefer a smarphone with a better, brighter display, speedier processor and more storage. Moreover, for an additional $100, some might even opt for the less beefy Nexus 4 because of its purer dosage of Jelly Bean. Those high-spec Nexus and stock Android alternatives don't come in 252 possible colour combinations, though. In fact, that's where this smartphone will really set the market ablaze, if that's the sort of feature that lights your fire like it does ours. Motorola said over and over again at the Moto X unveiling event that it's attempting to target the middle-man. With the allure of personalisation alongside otherwise average specs, we think the company has indeed stumbled upon a potential sweet spot. The average consumer, should they decide to gobble up the Moto X, will certainly be satisfied with all it has to offer, and even if it's not the most powerful beastie out there we've enjoyed using it this last week. It might not suit every man, woman and child, but if the customisation options are for you then that's one big box ticked. All Motorola needs to do now is get its affairs in order and release the Moto X elsewhere, as lack of product in the UK and elsewhere is a major disappointment. Only time will tell how that will be dealt with.

I have to give Motorola and Google some credit: They've demonstrated that we don't need bleeding-edge specs to get a solid smartphone experience. The Moto X announcement may not have lived up to everyone's hype, but the phone itself is still worth considering. At $200 on contract, you're getting a phone that performs as well as "high-end" smartphones like the HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S4 while still offering helpful extras like Touchless Control and Active Display. I have my reservations about the Moto X shipping with an older version of Android and I question how well the X8 system architecture will perform a year from now, but I think Motorola and Google have a winner with their latest handset.

For the majority of people, the answer is yes. It's an excellent phone that feels good and provides a hard-to-quantify but very satisfying experience. Despite not having the highest-end hardware, in many ways it feels more "futuristic" than its turbo-changed competitors. And for people who are forever complaining about phones being too big, this is way more wieldy than its large-screen competitors. In fact, that brings up an important point. Motorola and Google made the choice with this phone not to go after the spec monsters like the Galaxy S4, the HTC One, or the upcoming Optimus G2. Instead, they're chasing the iPhone model of prioritizing mass appeal over the specs race. If Motorola and Google can get that messaging across (and it sounds like they plan to, with a rumored $500 million advertising budget for the device) they could have a big hit on their hands.

The problem for the Moto X is that its best selling point, personalization, is hampered by an AT&T exclusivity. There's no reason to see this as a must-have. Touchless controls, Active Display, and Motorola's stock-ish software make the Moto X an intriguing device. Those capabilities aren't uniquely intriguing because the Motorola DROID Ultra and DROID Mini offer the same features. The DROID MAXX does too, and it does it with a much better battery. The Moto X's only trump card is that its frame is as good as or better than anyone else's frame and it's a phone that can be built to a user's color-specific desire. I still find myself intrigued by the Moto X, only because of its ideal size and customization. That leads me to believe there's a market of people who will be happy with this phone. Someone looking to be on the cutting edge will be disappointed by the Moto X. Someone looking for a strong device that fits more comfortably in the hand than most, serves as a hands-free assistant, and can raise the bar for personalization could still find that this is the right phone for him or her. For people who just want a good phone, the Moto X is sharp enough. The dedicated enthusiast crowd will likely seek their thrills elsewhere.

We really like the Moto X. It’s a lean, almost pure Google Android experience, with a few nice extras and amazing Google Now support. We were incredibly annoyed by the bug we encountered with Moto Assist and don’t recommend you touch the app, but outside of that, it’s still a great phone. Hopefully, Motorola fixes more bugs before its launch in late August and early September. The Moto X is available on AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon, and US Cellular at launch, and will cost $200 with a two-year contract or $575 unlocked. This puts it in direct competition with Nokia’s Lumia 920/925/928, Samsung’s Galaxy S4/Active, the HTC One, the Sony Xperia Z (T-Mobile only), the Motorola Droid Ultra (basically the same phone), and the iPhone 5. It’s a worthy challenger to any one of those devices in almost any category, and because of its compact size and simple interface, this is our favorite Android phone for iPhone defectors. When it comes to customization, this entire comparison can be thrown out the window. Nothing else comes close. The Moto X is an amazing phone minus Moto Assist, and we highly recommend it. We hate to say it, but if you don’t buy it, you kind of hate America, right? I mean, it’s looking that way. You don’t hate Amurica, do you? That’s what I thought.

The Moto X adds some useful, unique tricks to a fast Android smartphone that's comfortable to hold in one hand.

The Android smartphone segment had become something of a cliché, myopically chasing specifications and effectively ignoring functionality in the process. The result has been customized skins of questionable appeal to users, and batteries that can’t keep up with quadcore processors and vast, power-hungry displays.In contrast, the Moto X offers a different way: effectively top-tier performance with a mid-tier set of specs. The danger for Motorola is that it’s a far tougher way to sell a phone than simply cherry-picking the latest hardware; the upshot for users is that they get a device with thoughtful features that actually offer a real benefit in everyday use. Motorola has a challenge on its hands convincing people that a plastic phone with specifications that actively bypass superlatives is just as capable as its rivals; the fact that Moto Maker will be limited to one carrier initially is also a frustration. The Moto X, though, deserves a chance to convince. More than the sum of its parts, it’s not a perfect phone but it is a capable and considered one, demonstrating there’s more than one way to approach the smartphone market.

Motorola's most impressive handset yet certainly packs in plenty of notable capabilities and functionality. But it's worth noting, also, that hard-core Android enthusiasts and spec junkies likely won't find the Moto X awe-inspiring. The 4.7-inch AMOLED screen is "only" 720p, and the nonexpandable 16GB of storage in the $199 model is a stumbling block; big-time media hounds and app addicts will burn through that quickly. In the absence of an expansion slot (like the Galaxy S4 has), I would've preferred that Motorola delivered 32GB in the baseline model, just like the HTC One -- or that the company had priced the phone at closer to $149 instead. That said, Motorola took an unconventional tack with this handset. Instead of the traditional tactic of beating potential customers over the head with powerful components and every feature under the sun, Motorola decided to cater to shoppers' softer side -- focusing on how they use their phones every day. To that end, the Moto X succeeds. It packs a great camera, has swift enough performance to satisfy all but the most demanding Android fanboys, and offers battery life that goes the distance. Throw in its superb, compact design and the Moto X doesn't even need to woo potential customers with its fancy Buck Rogers voice recognition skills. That's merely the sweet icing on a mighty tasty cake.

Motorola is undoubtedly changing as a company. There’s no denying that they helped to popularize Android to the masses, with devices like the Motorola DROID a few years back, and then the DROID RAZR line after that, but with this new venture with the Moto X, they’re doing something totally new. So when it comes down to it, can the Moto X really stand and hold its ground amongst the elites in the Android space? It’s a tough call for now, seeing that it’ll mainly hinge whether consumers can actually take fancy in the handset’s new and rich customized designing process – it’s what makes this handset so differently! If you can tolerate the wait and different approach, you’ll be rewarded to a very interesting looking smartphone that you can honestly call unique. Still, the customization element is only available to AT&T for now, but we’re hoping that Motorola wises up and gives it to everyone else. At the same time, the handset’s performance is well within the same level that its highly esteemed rivals are able to muster, so there are barely compromises here. At $200 with a 2-year contract, any human being with a desire to research things before making a purchase will know that it might seem a bit steep when compared to the higher spec’d Android stuff floating around. It’s arguable that it’s a bit pricey, but it’s still within that sweet golden price point we’re accustomed to seeing attached with flagships. However, we can’t help but think about cannibalization, especially with Verizon, as the Moto X is going to go toe-to-toe with the Motorola DROID Ultra. Indeed, they’re being treated and targeted differently, but it makes you wonder just a tiny bit for this flagship. Kudos to Motorola for bringing this smartphone to all four major wireless carriers in the country, including good old US Cellular as well. That’s something to say about the handset’s intentions, as it lives up to prestigious honor of being recognized as a flagship. It’s the perfect strategy for it, especially if Motorola really wants to be taken seriously by its rivals again. At the end of the day, the Moto X is a pleasant start to reinvigorate Motorola, but it still needs just a bit more premium gas in the tank to drastically rocket the Moto X straight to the top of the ladder.