Review: Motorola Moto X for Verizon
The few things that set the Moto X apart from other smartphones have nothing to do with the hardware at all. The Touchless Control feature will sure delight many people who've so far shied away from using their voices to interact with electronics gadgets. The Active Display brings notifications to the forefront in a way that's not intrusive but still manages to save power. Moto Assist can figure out when you're driving and will make sure you're not doing things with your phone that you perhaps shouldn't do behind the wheel. These three features may sound like minor upgrades or tweaks, but they have a profound impact on how people will use the Moto X on a day-to-day basis.
As far as the hardware goes, the off-the-shelf black and white models are fine, if unexciting. The customizable colors should prove popular with Verizon customers once they become available. The screen may not be a full HD panel, but it still looks good. The wireless performance was quite good, and the Moto X is a good voice phone. Battery life was acceptable, but could be better. The camera and video camera both do OK, but don't match the quality competing devices.
The Moto X is being sold for $199 with a contract. That's the same price as the HTC One, Samsung Galaxy S4, and Apple iPhone 5s. All three of these competitors have better hardware specs, and perhaps some superior individual features here and there. What does the Motorola Moto X have that they don't? A personality.
Our Ratings
Hands-On: MOTO X
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Motorola Moto X (Verizon, 1st gen.)
