We are currently putting the UK version of the Motorola Moto X through its paces, and we will be updating this review with our findings very soon.
The Moto X is the first handset to come out of the collaboration between Motorola and Google, although here in the UK we were treated to the quite excellent Moto G before the X made it to our shores.
Google became Motorola's owner and parent company over a year ago now, which had many thinking that Moto would make the next Nexus phone. Instead we got the Moto X, a compact, stylish handset with decidedly mid-range specs.
With an emphasis on battery life, contextual services and easy one-handed operation, it seems Motorola has the iPhone 5C (and to some extent the iPhone 5S) in its sights, not the big screen powerhouses like the HTC One or Samsung Galaxy S4.
The Moto X is available on all the major networks, and can be picked up for free on two year contracts from £21 per month. If you fancy owning your Moto X outright you can lay down £389.95 for the handset.
That puts the Moto X on par with the likes of the HTC One Mini and Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini.
The Motorola Moto X has a dual-core processor and 720p screen, lower than the quad-core and 1080p combo that the HTC One and Galaxy S4 have taught consumers to expect from flagships.
While it looks lesser on paper, will it really make a difference day to day? Motorola is betting on no. Instead of going for all the gigahertz, it's loaded the Moto X up with thoughtful features like hands-free Google Now voice commands, a clever notification system and camera access with the flick of wrist.
It's also claiming twenty-four hour battery life on a 2200mAh cell, thanks to those lower wattage internals.
Can services trump specs? Has Motorola built the best Android phone for the "everyman" user? Or will it be lost in a sea of bigger screen phones with bigger specs and bigger names? Only time will tell.
At 5 inches, the Moto X is diminutive compared to the current Android leaders. This is good news for anyone who's felt like the HTC One or Galaxy S4 were going to rip out of their pocket, or slip out of their hand. The X is also built from a polycarbonate plastic that gives it a different feel from other phones on the market.
Its materials make it feel dense and well built; it actually feels a little bit ceramic. It's a marked contrast to the Galaxy S4, which feels plastic and hollow - the Moto X feels solid and well balanced. Weighing in at 130g it's on the heavy side, but the weight isn't too much, and gives the phone a substantial, premium feel.
The rear of the phone is curved slightly, letting it nestle easily in your hand. My review unit was a white model, with a slightly holographic woven pattern. The Motorola logo on the rear is dimpled, giving your index finger a perfect place to rest.
Like an iPhone 5C or HTC One, the back is a little bit slippery, the only thing that detracts from a build otherwise perfect for one-handed use.
The Moto X's full measurements are 129.3 x 65.3 x 10.4mm. It's easy to operate in one hand, due to its moderate size as well as a power button and volume rocker on the right side, right where your thumb can get at them.
Those are the only physical buttons on the phone. They're metal and raised and therefore easy to press, but do feel a little bit loose in their sockets. Shake the phone and you can faintly hear them rattle; this is something I encountered on the last Motorola phones I reviewed, the Razr i and Razr HD, a slight annoyance that detracts from the otherwise excellent feel of the phone.
The Moto X has a sealed design, with no microSD expansion. That's a bit of a bummer, since you'll be shelling out £390 for the 16GB option (and even more for 32GB), with no 64GB model available. It has allowed Motorola to give its phone a pleasing unibody design, though.
Despite a seam running along the side of the phone, it feels like one solid piece of high quality plastic.
The phone's display is a 4.7-inch AMOLED display, with a resolution of 720 x 1280 and a pixel density of 312ppi. As I mentioned, that's a peg below the full HD 1080p resolution of the leading Android devices like the HTC One and Galaxy S4.
Compared side-by-side to the HTC One's 1080p display of the same size, the Moto X is noticeably less sharp. It really does take that sort of comparison to notice the difference though. While the One's mind boggling pixel density renders crisper text, and slightly nicer HD video, the Moto X's display is still far from fuzzy.
Colours are strong, a bit saturated, but never dull. The auto brightness regulates the display well in indoor light and in a dark room. It's no better at avoiding sunlight washout than iPhone 5S or Galaxy S4.
In the States Motorola offers customers its MotoMaker website, allowing them to customise their Moto X with a variety of colours, finishes and engravings. Sadly it has not made the transition to the UK, meaning you're stuck with black or white, 16GB or 32GB. Boring.
Source : techradar[dot]com
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