Moto X Pure Edition review: A clever phone with a killer price
That's the challenge Motorola faced this year as it sought to move its widely acclaimed Moto X forward to a third generation. The company's answer is the new Moto X Pure Edition -- a device that takes the same basic blueprint as its predecessor and supersizes it, both figuratively and literally.
Perhaps the most noteworthy feature of the Moto X Pure Edition is its price: The phone is being sold unlocked for $400 -- a full $100 less than the starting price of last year's model and $300 to $400 less than most current flagships, which tend to retail for $700 to $800 off-contract. The Moto X will work on any U.S. carrier, so you can simply buy the device from Motorola, Amazon or Best Buy and pop in any SIM card. If you want to change to another carrier, all you have to do is get a new card and swap it in.
Sounds pretty intriguing, right It should -- but there are some caveats. After spending the past several days using the Moto X Pure Edition in the real world (and spending the past year using the previous-gen Moto X as my own personal phone), here's what I've discovered.
At first glance, the Moto X Pure Edition looks more or less like a bigger version of last year's 2014 Moto X. The phone has the same gently curved back surrounded by the same aluminum frame. The front even has the same metallic grilles at its top and bottom.
And, as with the 2014 model, you can custom-build the new Moto X to look any way you like -- one of the coolest parts about purchasing this phone. This year, Motorola's Moto Maker tool allows you to pick from three different frame and front color combinations along with 10 differently colored plastic backs, four different real wood backs and four different real leather finishes. (Going with a wood or leather option will add $25 to your device's total.)
From there, the Moto X Pure Edition starts to set out in some new directions. First of all, the plastic backs on this year's phone represent a change from those used on past Moto X models: While past devices offered a smooth-feeling "soft touch" finish, the new phone has a "soft grip" texture with a diagonal-line pattern and an almost rubber-like feel. It's easy enough to grasp, but I can't help but think it comes across as a bit less elegant than the "soft touch" style of yore.
Personally, I'd lean more toward one of the leather or wood options to get a more premium and distinctive appearance. This year's leather features a new "Saffiano" finish, described by one leather-maker as being a highly durable and scratch-resistant material. The wood finishes, meanwhile, are mostly the same as last year's -- though a new dark "charcoal ash" option replaces the lighter "teak" style from 2014.
All the models can be custom engraved at no extra cost, and all give you a choice of seven different accent colors that'll appear on a new metallic strip on the phone's back as well as on the metallic grilles on the front.
Speaking of those grilles, they both hold functioning speakers this year -- a welcome change from last year's phone, where only one actually produced external sound. Music played from the device is noticeably louder and fuller sounding as a result. It's still a little light on bass and not quite at the level of quality you'd get from an audio-focused phone like the HTC One, but that outlier aside, it's easily one of the best speaker setups you'll find on a smartphone today.
The big question surrounding the new Moto X is just how big the phone really is -- and whether its enlarged footprint makes it too difficult to use. It's something you'll definitely want to think about carefully, especially if you're coming from a previous Moto X device.
There's no way around it: At 6.1 x 3 in., the Moto X Pure Edition is no small phone. For perspective, it's about the same size as Samsung's Galaxy Note 5 -- 0.03 in. taller and 0.004 in. wider, if you want to get down to decimals. That's quite a boost in size from the 5.5-x-2.9-in. frame on last year's Moto X, particularly when it comes to height. And if you remember, last year's phone was already a significant bump up in size from the previous year's model.
In other words, while the 2014 Moto X took Motorola's flagship from being compact to being at the upper limit of the standard-sized smartphone domain, this year's device goes boldly into the land of plus-sized ("please-don't-call-them-phablets") phones.
Like Samsung did with the Note 5, though, Motorola has managed to slim down the bezels and keep the device's width in check -- which makes a world of difference for what the phone is like to hold. As I noted in my Note review, it's the width that typically makes plus-sized smartphones hard to wrap your hands around -- and both the latest Note and the new Moto X are only minimally wider than most current standard-sized alternatives.
The Moto X's curvier, slightly thicker back and its warmer materials make it even more natural to palm than the Note, too; even with my relatively-small-for-a-man hands, I've had no problems hanging onto the device and feeling secure.
That being said, I do find that the extra smidgen of width combined with the added height makes a phone of this size somewhat awkward to use single-handedly -- you just can't reach everything on the screen without fumbling around and doing a lot of shifting. The height also makes it a touch too large to carry comfortably; even in my decidedly untrendy loose-fitting pants and shorts, I'm always acutely aware of its presence. I often find myself having to move it around in my pocket to keep it from falling out in places like the car or the gym.
As with any plus-sized phone, it's very much a tradeoff -- and whether that tradeoff makes sense for you is a question only you can answer.
The main benefit you get from carrying a larger phone, of course, is enjoying a larger display. The Moto X packs a spacious 5.7-in. screen -- the same size as the Note 5's display -- and that gives you ample room for all of your browsing, reading and video watching. Aside from full-screen items like videos, on-screen elements aren't generally any larger than what you'd see on a standard-sized smartphone; instead, you end up seeing more content on the screen at a time -- more lines of text in an article or more emails in your inbox, for instance -- which can certainly be nice.
I have to say, though, I'm not entirely thrilled with the display that Motorola put into this device. The screen uses LCD technology, which is a change from the AMOLED tech that's been present in past Moto X models (and is also used in Samsung's Galaxy devices). The Quad HD panel is crisp and clear, and its whites look better than those on last year's Moto X -- but the rest of its colors look less bold and even a little washed out compared to an AMOLED screen's richly saturated nature.
To be fair, most people probably won't be bothered by this; it's the type of thing you notice only if you're looking at two phones side by side (or if you've spent a lot of time staring at smartphone screens in general). And yes, we're very much talking "first world problems" here. But for anyone who places a fair amount of value on display quality, the difference is difficult to unsee once you've tuned into it.
The use of LCD is also perplexing in that it isn't particularly well-suited to one of Motorola's most distinguishing and helpful features: Moto Display. Moto Display shows you the current time and any pending notifications whenever you pick up your phone or wave your hand over its screen (from as high as almost a foot away). It shows the info in a series of small circles in the center of the display; you can touch any circle to view more details and then optionally open or dismiss the notification.
Moto Display was clearly made with AMOLED screens in mind, as those screens are able to light up individual pixels without illuminating the entire display -- which makes perfect sense for a system that shows small amounts of info while keeping most of the screen dark. LCD screens, in contrast, rely on backlights and consequently require the entire display to light up in order for any pixels to be shown.
That's a lot of technical mumbo-jumbo, I realize. But when you see Moto Display in action on the Moto X Pure Edition, the effect is very apparent. Thanks to the use of LCD, the time and notification info on the screen is noticeably dimmer and more difficult to read than on previous versions of the phone -- and while the bulk of the display stays black, you can plainly see that the whole thing lights up every time the feature activates (which is especially noticeable when you're using the phone in a dim environment).
The Moto Display info also doesn't consistently and regularly "pulse" on and off when a notification is pending on the new Moto X, as it did on past models (thus effectively turning the inactive screen into an enhanced notification light of sorts). Sometimes, a new notification will flash for a few minutes and then stop; other times, it'll flash just once and then appear again only when you manually activate the feature. And when you do manually activate Moto Display to see info on the Pure Edition's screen, that info remains present for about half as long as it does on the 2014 model -- giving you a brief two-second window to see and start to interact with it.
The implementation isn't unbearable, by any means, but it also isn't ideal. It feels more like a weird workaround than a setup that actually fits the feature, and it may be a bit of a letdown for anyone who's accustomed to the superior implementation the previous Moto X phones have provided.
Even with the display-related quirk, the Moto X Pure Edition manages to deliver an exceptional software experience. The phone follows Motorola's now-familiar method of sticking with Google's clean and clutter-free Android Lollipop (5.1.1) user interface, with no arbitrary visual modifications and only a small handful of excellent features added into the mix.
Beyond the aforementioned Moto Display system, highlights include Moto Voice -- an expanded version of Google's Android voice control system that lets you set your own custom launch phrase for waking your phone -- and a new pivot-and-twist gesture that allows you to use the voice command system discreetly by speaking directly into the phone (as though you were making a call) and then hearing responses in the earpiece instead of through the loudspeaker. There's also a handy system for having your phone automatically detect when you're driving and then switch itself into a fully hands-free voice-controlled state -- something all smartphones should provide.
The common thread with all of Motorola's feature additions is that they're clever, genuinely useful and completely unobtrusive. They make your phone a little bit smarter without getting in the way or venturing into silly gimmick territory, as many other manufacturers' efforts tend to do.
Similarly, it's what missing as much as what's present that makes the Moto X delightful to use, particularly in this new Pure Edition -- no bloat, no overlapping services and no carrier-added garbage. It's just an attractive, intuitive and all-around pleasant user experience from the moment you power the phone on.
And while Motorola's reputation for providing lightning-fast Android upgrades took a major hit with the Lollipop release, the company has renewed its commitment to making speedy rollouts a priority. Motorola says the new Moto X's completely carrier-independent nature will allow it to avoid extra variables (cough, cough, carriers) that slow the process down.
I do have to mention one unexpected downside: While the phone itself is fast and snappy, system animations are surprisingly jerky at times. I've noticed some very apparent and consistent stuttering when opening the app drawer or swiping to Google Now from the home screen as well as when scrolling through cards in the Overview (a.k.a. Recent Apps) list.
It isn't anything horrifying -- and, as with the display, its importance is relative. If you're a typical user, you probably won't even notice what I'm talking about. If you fall more into the techie and/or enthusiast camp, on the other hand, it might drive you crazy. But either way, there's no reason a phone with this type of hardware and software should be exhibiting that kind of behavior. Both the 2014 Moto X and the first-gen Moto X feel meaningfully smoother in comparison, and that just doesn't make sense. I'm going to be optimistic and hope this is something Motorola will fix swiftly with an over-the-air update.
(I reached out to the company to inquire but had not received any additional insight as of the time of this story's publication. If/when any new additional information becomes available, I'll update this page with details.)
Stamina, meanwhile, is generally fine on the Moto X Pure Edition: Most days, I've had no trouble making it from morning to night on a single charge, even with as much as three to four hours of screen-on time. The device is by no means bulletproof when it comes to battery life -- I've had a couple of close calls, like one day when I streamed a lot of music via Bluetooth and took a lot of pictures and then ended up hitting the red zone a couple hours before bedtime -- but it's acceptably average and should be sufficient for most people, most of the time.
If you do ever need to top off, Motorola's Turbo Charge technology makes the process quick and painless. Using the charger included with the phone, I was able to go from 34% to 63% by plugging in for just 15 minutes on my way out one afternoon. The phone will work with any Qualcomm-compatible Quick Charge charger, though it doesn't support any wireless charging accessories.
How about photography Let's make this simple: You'll be able to get some really good-looking pictures from the Moto X Pure Edition, as long as they aren't taken in low-light conditions. The phone offers a noticeable improvement in imaging quality over its predecessor, with better detail and color reproduction and less detail loss (noticeable mainly when you zoom into an image at its full resolution).
That still doesn't bring it to the level of a consistently outstanding camera like the Galaxy Note 5's -- especially when it comes to low-light photography, where the Moto X's lack of optical image stabilization really shows.
But while it may not give you the most versatile shooter you can find in a smartphone, the Moto X Pure Edition is adequately equipped for most on-the-go photography needs -- including tricky tasks like capturing print-worthy photos of perpetually moving babies. And Motorola's dead-simple camera app, along with the phone's convenient twist-the-phone-twice-to-activate-anytime gesture, makes the photo-snapping process really easy. As anyone who's ever scrambled to capture a fleeting moment knows, that means as much as anything when it comes to mobile photography.
(You can see a bunch of photo samples and side-by-side comparisons in my Moto X Pure photo gallery, if you want to check things out for yourself.)
Last but not least, the Moto X Pure Edition comes with a choice of 16GB, 32GB or 64GB of internal storage (with each bump up from 16GB adding $50 onto the phone's price). The device also has a micro SD card slot that lets you add up to 128GB of additional storage.
If it seems like I've been overly critical of the Moto X Pure Edition, it's because I know how amazing this line of smartphones can be -- and, like many other existing Moto X users, I had extremely high expectations coming in.
The truth, though, is that the Moto X Pure Edition is far from being a bad phone; it just isn't the zero-compromise, polished-to-perfection version of last year's Moto X that many of us were hoping to see. Instead, it feels like Motorola cut some corners in order to bring costs down this go-round.
But you also have to remember that Motorola is selling this phone for $400 unlocked, which is an insane move that has the potential to seriously shake up the smartphone market. And it's managing to deliver an unmatched user experience along with a respectably improved camera and tons of other compelling features -- all in a thoughtfully designed and ergonomic form that can be customized to look any way you like. That's pretty darn impressive.
In a sense, I think we have to reframe the way we view the Moto X. This device isn't going to give you the absolute best camera or the top-of-the-line display you'll get in a phone like the Galaxy Note 5. But it is going to give you a superior user experience along with components that, for most people and most typical usage scenarios, are going to be more than good enough.
At a price that's about half what you'd pay for the Note or other comparable flagships, that's a tough offer to ignore.