89 of 90 people found the following review helpful.
By James Hurst
I purchased the Moto X as an upgrade from my Galaxy S3. I shopped it against the Galaxy S4, Note 3, iPhone 5S, HTC One X, and 2013 Droid Maxx.
My smart phone history is iPhone->iPhone 3GS->HTC Thunderbolt 4G->Samsung GS3->Moto X. I've also used my wife's HTC 8X extensively.
I'm a fairly advanced user, working largely in the IT field. I've rooted phones in the past, but haven't bothered since the later releases of Verizon's S3 ROMs caught up with most of what I was wanting. I don't expect to root the Moto X. I'm also fairly hard on phones, doing warranty or extended warranty replacements about once a year, usually for a cracked screen or water damage. I run and bike with them in an armband or bike mount, and they often get sweat on, and occasionally get dropped.
When looking for a new phone, I wanted something with good battery life, was VERY responsive, and that felt good to hold and use. I went through three S3's in various states of ROM's, mostly from Verizon, and was never fully satisfied with how responsive or reliable the phone was. After years of using these things, I've finally figured out that I'm just not going to play games on my phone, and that 90% of what I'm going to do is news, audio, e-mail, calendar, notes, text, diet/exercise tracking, camera/video, and social media. Less frequently, I do techie things like RDP, run network tools, use office apps, check IP cameras. Occasionally, I'll watch Netflix or read Kindle. I say all of this so you understand my use model and how it relates to my review. There are a lot of different ways to use phones and reasons to choose them, so the way I use mine heavily informs my opinion. My app list: MyNetDiary, Endomondo, Evernote, Maps, Email, Gmail, USA Today, Audible, Spotify, DoggCatcher, Engadget, reddit is fun, Facebook, Better Terminal Emulator, PocketCloud, Skype, Ping&DNS, WeatherBug, IMDB, Amazon, Kindle, Netflix, Pandora, NFL Mobile.
My principle complaint with the S3 was battery life, followed by lagginess and reboots. It is a relative complaint, because both were far better than the Thunderbolt that came before it.
My top two choices for new phones were the Note 3 and Moto X - two very different phones. The S4, to me, didn't differentiate itself enough from the S3 to get me excited about it. I've used it and have friends that purchased it, and it seems to be a good phone - more responsive than the S3, with better battery life. Despite that, it was an incremental improvement, and I wasn't very interested in any of its new gee-whiz tricks, such as motion navigation or eye tracking, and they didn't seem to work very well in practice.
The Note 3 was attractive to me due to it's high spec sheet, long battery life, and better ability to do 'real work' via its pen and larger, higher res screen. Ultimately, however, I decided real world performance for my apps (noted above) was more important than specs, and I also decided that my remote real work set (primarily e-mail composition, spreadsheet edits, network tests, and remote RDP sessions) was too small a part of my use case to merit the extra size of the Note 3. The size was particularly a concern when wearing on an arm band for running and gym work and for one handed operation. I also have a 7" tablet, and a 13" convertible ultrabook, which further minimized the need for a larger screen phone.
So that leads, finally, to the Moto X. Here are some things I really like about it, in order of importance to me, after about a week of use. Some of these points may also apply to other phones - I'm not saying they are exclusive to the Moto X, but they are what is most noticeable/important to me after a week's use.
Long battery life - I like to go on long, 7+ hour bike rides while tracking with Endomondo and streaming music. The GS3 died after about 5 hours, and this one makes it with power to spare. If I take it off the charger at 6:30 AM, and plug it in for bed at 11 PM, it has about 20% left after a day of normal use for me (mostly reading Reddit at lunch doing email and text throughout the day, and maybe an hour or so of other misc use of the apps above). I also play audio (Audible, DoggCatcher, or Spotify) from it for about 90 minutes a day during my drive.
Feel in hand - I got used to the GS3, and sometimes appreciated the larger size (such as if watching the rare Netflix item or using RDP), but didn't ever like the long thumb reach for one handed use. The Moto X feels PERFECT to me. I like the weight, the grip, and the reach. This one is pretty subjective, so I suggest holding one in a store if you can.
Rock solid up time and no operation lag - This may be partly due to my relatively limited app set, to the faster processor in this phone, or to the new Android build on this phone, but whatever it is, I like it. Everything happens instantly, without stutter, and that is what I want.
Low power background alert system - I didn't realize I would like this as much as I do, but I really like the way the phone puts alerts (e-mail, text, message, alarm) on the screen with swipe up to view, left to clear, and down to unlock actions. It is efficient.
App for texting on laptop - I'm sure there are other 3rd party apps that do this, but it was built in to the Moto X, and is the first time I've done it. With the Chrome plugin installed, all of my texts and calls pop up on my laptop while at work. This works well with my work flow so that I can quickly copy and paste information form there into Outlook or other documents that I am working on.
Made a few miles from my house - As someone who works in domestic manufacturing, I appreciate the challenge that Google/Flextronics/Motorola undertook when scaling the old Nokia plant up in such short order to build 100,000 of these a week. The phone didn't cost me more than an S4 would have, and I like it that it was made in Ft. Worth, TX, USA.
Continuous voice recognition - This is by far the best voice recognition I've used on any product. That said, it still hasn't made it into my daily work flow. I have to think too much about how to phrase my commands when I want it to do things and usually still have to look at the screen to OK or approve whatever it wants to know. I still put it on the list, because I am impressed with what it CAN do and because it is useful for dictating texts and e-mails, but it COULD be a game changing feature, and it still isn't quite there yet for me. The continuous listening aspect is dead on for me, with zero false positives or need to initiate recognition manually. Cool.
If I didn't mention a feature in this list, it doesn't mean it was bad, it just means it didn't stand out or wasn't important to me. The camera, for example, was adequate but didn't strike me as significantly better or different from the S3 or other phones I've used - then again, I've only used it for a few test photos. Most of my camera use is work related, and I tend to use a DSLR for family stuff. The flick action for launching the camera isn't 100% reliable and has both failed to go off when I've tried to use it and gone off intentionally in my pocket when not, so I do it manually. I like the screen, but would have preferred 1080p. Overall though, it has good brightness and viewing angles, and I think it was a good compromise if it helped get the battery life where it is. I haven't really noticed a difference in call quality across my entire phone history mentioned above. IMO, they all suck, and Verizon can't roll out HD voice soon enough. Music quality is good, but I can't tell a difference from the others.
I'll try to answer questions if you have them. I like this phone and would like to see it do well. The mobile industry needs more than two strong players - competition is good for all of us.
16 of 18 people found the following review helpful.
By Peter Marone III
**Original Posted Sep 5 on the AT&T Moto X page as a VZW specific page did not exist**
To start with, I have the Verizon Moto X - your network experience may vary, but the phone hardware/software are still relevant.
This is absolutely the best Android phone, and I'd say simply best mobile phone, to date.
Since the Galaxy Nexus, I'm convinced that the plain, unmodified Android 4.x OS is the best way to experience an Android phone. The plain OS is fast, and elegant in design. Unfortunately, the Galaxy Nexus hardware was a bit flakey and dated, and the Moto X was the closest to a Nexus phone I can get for VZW. There are a few Motorola specific apps preinstalled, but they are worth it when viewing the phone as a complete system.
First, the phone itself - I love the design - the size, curve, feel and weight are just right. Even though it's not a hyped up metal case, the phone feels solid and fits nicely in the hand (I've actually had a hard time putting it down). The default Black "weave" color looks awesome. The phone is slightly smaller than the Galaxy Nexus, and shows that the trend of bigger smart phones does not equate to a "better" smartphone - just bigger. The display is certainly large enough, and looks very sharp and bright. More importanly, the Moto X fits easily in any pocket, and likely just about any hand. The phone is very responsive and quick at the OS, application, and network levels (especially if using wireless AC). Voice recognition is spot on, and works even when the phone is "sleeping". Battery life with general usage seems at least enough to last through most of a day - the battery isn't removable, but it's slightly larger than the "extended" life battery I had in the Galaxy Nexus, and the phone has been lasting between charges longer than the Nexus with the extended battery did.
This is truly a "smart" phone unlike most others with that name. Using various sensors, hardware, and applications, the phone knows its position, orientation, location, speed, and will change how it functions based on programming and user-input. For instance, The Assist application allows you to set your sleep times, and the phone can then be configured to not ring, or only allow "favorite" contacts to ring during this time. When the phone senses it's in a vehicle, it automatically kicks into a "driving" mode, where you can configure Assist for things such as a autoresponse that you are driving and will message back, and read text messages/caller IDs to you. A meeting mode will examine your calendar info, and provide you with automatic silencing of phone sounds and other options. Especially useful for meetings is the Active Notifications functions - keep the phone face-up, and you'll get silent notifications on the lock screen that you can discreetly access with a single touch (turn the phone face down and the Active Notification feature turns off). The Moto X also can tell if it's in a pocket and turn off Active Notifications to save battery life.
Voice control is a key part of this phone - you can easily speak to the phone (even in sleep mode) to place a call, send text messages, get information, schedule appointments - just about any basic function of the phone can be accessed via voice commands. Siri? Who the heck is Siri? :)
I've used plenty of mobile phones and "smart" phones over the past 15 years (Motorola, Qualcomm, Sony, Kyocera, HTC, Samsung, Blackberry, among others). I took a close look at current VZW offerings (Nokia Lumina, HTC One, new Motorola Droids), and I am confident in saying that the Moto X is the best phone I've used or "test drove".
Update - Sep 11, 2013.
I'm really, really impressed with the battery life on this phone. I've been letting it (or trying to let it) run down to 10% or less before charging (which probably isn't necessary, but I'm an old school battery memory guy), and have been getting to 36+ hours between charges so far. My use is usually about an hour talk time, various text/messenger messages, facebook browsing, playing with the voice commands, email push updates, and for the first few days, download/configuration of various apps.
14 of 16 people found the following review helpful.
By DonaldWhite
My take on the phone after using it for a day or so.
I am a google fanboy. I have google tattooed on my forearm. I really really wanted this phone to be a stopping point on my endless search for MORE. More power. More ram. More gimmicks. So i bit the bullet and ordered my moto x on verizon.com partly due to finding a 50 dollar coupon Verizon30.
In short it fell short of some of my critical expectations.
Speed wise. this thing is smooth. All actions feel extremely quick and responsive. This will be more than perfect for 90% of the people who will undoubtedly purchase this phone.
aesthetically this phone is quite nice. the backing with its little Motorola indent is really nice to hold. it feels soft but durable. its actually quite a pleasure to use for any amount of time.
The screen looks so much more vibrant than my galaxy nexus. and the active display i find to be actually useful. The screen only turns on the pixels it needs to display your notifications so it doesnt use as much battery life as youd think
I Felt i should mention the NO SD Card Slot. I always thought this would bother me. But after the Galaxy nexus i found that i really didnt need it. In a age of subscriptions. I currently have Spotify, Netflix, SiriusXm, and Google All Access, i just dont store that much on my phone or the stuff i fill it with i hardly ever use more of a security blanket in those scarce offline times.
"ALMOST" stock android experience. This is one of the unspoken heros of this phone. Although Verizon has installed their typical bloatware. Motorola itself has not messed with too much. I would have preferred STOCK. this is seriously the next best thing .
Active Display. I love active display. for those who dont know active display is the automatic updates that get displayed on your screen while the phones in standby. With active display only turning on the pixels it needs to display the relevant information it barely uses any battery life. This is one feature i dont know how i will live without in the future.
Now to my gripes.
First is battery. This phone was touted to be one of the most efficient phones on the market with its specially designed hardware. It is not what i expected at all. While the always listening chip is great. and actually works well. The battery life is no better than any other phone ive seen on the market. i say this because most phones in which have the highest complaints also have the ability to remove the battery and add a bigger one. THIS phone does not have that option. and thus is crippling to someone who was expecting at least 18-20 hours on above average use. with sending a few text messages throughout the day and listening to a album or two on all access i got about 8 1/2 - 9 hours. This may be ok for most. but i believe a phone should be able to make it a full day.Especially this one with its "ENERGY SAVING Chipset and Screen." In the day and age where outlets and usb ports are everywhere we look, there is still something unnerving knowing that you better bring your charger wherever you go just in case. <------See End of Review for update on Battery ---->
And Second. and this is completely VERIZONS fault. and was almost a reason to switch to ATT. MOTOMAKER!!. Motomaker felt like a breathe of fresh air. being able to customize almost every detail of the outside of your phone. This felt important to me. It inspired faith in Motorola and in Google. it Screamed unique! BUT of course as usual, Verizon botches everything. Is it really worth it to wait 4 months after a phone comes out to customize it. a phone might i add that has mid level specs.
Verizon really needs to get there butts in gear. i feel like they have screwed up every launch of every flashship phone in years. Either they don't have it in stores. or they don't update it. or they just plain ole don't have it period.
Understand that this is the sum of all averages type of phone. The Peoples Phone. Mid level specs. Mid level build quality. MID LEVEL. it is perfect for the bulk of the market. A phone id get my parents and trust they'd be fine. For someone who uses there phone for more than that 2 texts a day and a phone call to the pizza guy at night. You might want to wait for something else or at the very least the price to drop to something like $150/contract - $450/off
The last thing i would like to mention is Motorola's track record with their software updates. They have been notoriously bad and we have yet to see if Motorola under the Ownership of Google will have any affect on that.
UPDATE : Original Phone had a bad proximity sensor. So anytime I would make a call the screen would shut off and no matter what I would do would get it to turn the screen back on.. And thus you couldnt end a call or get to the dialpad. Also because there is no removable battery there was no way (to my knowledge) to turn off the phone to reset it. (UPDATE) A FRIENDLY COMMENTER BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION THAT HOLDING DOWN THE POWER BUTTON FOR 10 SECONDS WILL POWER DOWN THE PHONE)
Verizon did send me a brand new phone which works perfectly and gets much better battery life. i am now getting 17 hours of use on a normal day.
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