Tag Archives: Motorola

Motorola Moto X Review

Moto X

Most of us are already aware that in a short span of just 5 months, Motorola has tasted success by selling 1 Million Moto phones in India.

I had used the Moto G, seen the Moto E but was curious about the Moto X. I was curious to know more about the Moto X due to the fact that with its mid-range specifications it is expensive; although phones from Sony, Samsung and HTC with higher end specifications are available at a price almost at par with the Moto X. So I decided to check out a Moto X. Here’s what I discovered…

For the first time, as I held a Moto X in my hand it gave me an impression of excellent design, ergonomics and build quality. The size of the Moto X is neither small nor big, neither too thick nor too thin. It has just the right size and is conveniently usable by anyone with a single hand. Moto X offers an excellent grip with its rounded corners, tapered and rubberized anti-slip back cover. The feel, comfort and grip of the Moto X would appeal to anyone who would hold it, be it an iPhone, Sony, Samsung or HTC user. The design of the phone makes its suitable for male as well as female users.

The Power Switch, Volume +/- Switches of the Moto X are located on the right side of the phone. Its Hands-free Socket is on the Top Center and the Micro USB Charging Socket is on the bottom of the phone. The Moto X is a Single SIM Phone with a Nano SIM Slot. The Back Cover of the Moto X and its Battery are not removable. The Phone comes with 2 GB RAM, which is great. Its Total Internal Memory is 16 GB. Approx. 12 GB Memory is available for Applications and User Data. The Internal Memory on the Moto X cannot be expanded with an external SD Card. There is No TV Out Socket. However, the Phone offers Wireless Display facility using Miracast certified Wireless Display Adapters and with Miracast certified TVs.

The Moto X is built using the Motorola X8 Mobile Computing System which includes an optimized Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro SoC with:

  • a 1.7 GHz Dual-Core Krait CPU,
  • a Quad-Core Adreno 320 GPU,
  • a Natural Language Processor and
  • a Contextual Computing Processor.

With 6 processors under its hood, I expected the Moto X to perform well. I was not let down in most areas of my testing.

The Moto X uses Android KitKat version 4.4.2 and is due to receive an Update to KitKat version 4.4.3 anytime. Android KitKat gives Moto X users a clean and bloatware-free Android experience, which needless to say is pleasant, faster and more responsive than its Jelly Bean OS based competitors. KitKat 4.4.3 for Moto X offers new features, such as pausing video recordings, improved camera image quality, better consistency of exposure, more realistic flash coloring, and improved photos in low light conditions using the front camera.

The Moto X has a 4.7” AMOLED 720p HD Display which offers stunning and vivid graphics powered by its Quad-Core Adreno 320 GPU. The Graphics and Display of other phones such as the Samsung Note, N7000 appears dull in comparison with the Moto X. I tested the Display Quality and the GPU Performance of the Moto X by playing back Full HD Videos with Hardware Acceleration ‘On’. Full HD Video playback on the Moto X was absolutely brilliant. Processor and Graphics intensive Games like Real Racing played smoothly, without any lag and with enjoyable graphics.

Moto X Real Racing Experience

The Touchscreen of the phone is excellent. For Gamers and Users who need multiple sensors in Apps, the Moto X is equipped with perhaps the maximum number of sensors I have ever come across on any phone. The Benchmark Scores of the Moto X are as under:

  • Antutu: 23510
  • Vellamo: Multi-Core: 1265, Metal: 938, Chrome Browser: 2351 and 2163.

Antutu Score Moto X(Click on the Picture above for enlarged view)

Vellamo Scores Moto X(Click on the Picture above for enlarged view)

The Sound Quality as well as the Volume of the Moto X are very good. The Sound Effects are customizable for use with Wired Stereo Speakers/ Hands-free Kits as well as its inbuilt Speaker.

The Moto X has a very useful feature viz. ‘Active Display’. To check mails, messages, missed calls, time, etc. a smartphone user has to take the phone out of his pocket, unlock the phone, go to notifications/ the desired application and check the mails/ message/ missed calls, etc. With Active Display, the moment the Moto X is taken out of the pocket, it notifies the user of his mails, messages, missed calls, time, etc. without having to go through the tasks of unlocking the phone and going through all the notifications. I found this feature to be very useful for users who get frequent notifications.

For ambient noise cancellation and voice recognition in noisy environments such as Railway Stations, Factories and Outdoors, the Moto X has 3 Microphones on its Front, Top and Back. Thanks to its 3 microphones and ambient noise cancellation, the Voice Quality during Calls made with the Moto X is absolutely clear at the receiving end.

One of the key features of the Moto X is ‘Touchless Control’. Touchless Control lets you control your phone by speaking commands. Touchless Control is an application different from Google Voice Search but it works with Google Voice Search. The User has to train the phone to recognize his voice. Once the user’s voice is trained the phone will execute the spoken command. Voice Commands on the Moto X can be used for:

  • making a phone call,
  • getting directions,
  • sending text messages,
  • asking questions regarding weather, etc.
  • setting alarms,
  • playing back movies and music,
  • scheduling meetings, etc.

Unfortunately, I could not train the Moto X to recognize my voice in a room which had negligible noise. I was disappointed. Touchless Control is one of the key features of the Moto X as such I believe there could have been an issue with the review unit received by me.

One of the complaints of most smartphone users today is that of Battery Life. The Moto X leads here. It comes with a long lasting 2200 mAh Battery. During Mixed Standby Use, the Moto X Battery lasted for over 2 days 22 hours with 10% remaining (see Picture below). However, the Moto X feels warm in the hand within 10-15 minutes of use. Its Battery Charger also heats up considerably during battery charging. Both these issues need to be addressed by Motorola.

Battery Life Moto X(Click on the Picture above for enlarged view)

The Moto X also offers NFC capabilities and supports Motorola Skip and third party NFC Tags with the NXP chipset. I did not test the NFC capabilities of the phone.

The Front Camera on the Moto X is a 2MP Camera with 1080p HD video capabilities. It is a good camera for making Video Calls and taking Selfies.

The Rear Camera on the Moto X is a 10MP CLEAR PIXEL (RGBC) Camera with an LED Flash. It supports Quick Capture, recording 1080p HD video @30 fps, 4X Digital Zoom, Slow Motion Video, Burst mode, Auto HDR, Panorama Mode and Focus/Exposure Control. The Camera is very easy to set up and use. Keeping in view its Specifications and Features, I expected the Rear Camera of the Moto X to be very good. However, the Rear Camera on the Moto X is its biggest disappointment. The Pictures shot with the Moto X appear soft and as if a Plastic Film has been placed over the Camera Lens. I checked its Lens a few times, but there was no film on the Lens. Pictures taken Indoors with the Rear Camera using Fluorescent Lighting are Dull. The biggest disappointment on the Moto X is the poor performance of its Rear Camera. Motorola must upgrade the Camera Software on the Moto X to improve its camera performance to whatever extent possible.

Other than the poor performance of the Rear Camera on the Moto X, I did not find any major shortcoming in the Moto X. Rear Camera performance is one area which Motorola must address to whatever extent possible. After these discoveries, I conclude that the Moto X is not a Phone for Geeks looking for higher end specifications but for day-to-day Consumers who want an easy-to-setup and easy-to-use Smartphone built with features for their convenience and with them in mind. I also conclude that to make Moto X a runaway success like the Moto G, Motorola should reduce the price of Moto X from Rs. 24,000/- to around Rs. 15,000/-.

Android 4.4.4 KitKat Update rolling out on Moto E, G & X Mobile Phones in India

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Android 4.4.4 KitKat Update shall be available on Motorola Moto E, Moto G and Moto X Mobile Phones from this week in India.

With the KitKat Update, Motorola Customers will be able to enjoy a pure, bloat ware-free and seamless Android experience with the new features that KitKat 4.4.4 brings with it. The KitKat Update also offers an extra layer of security for browsing web content on a Motorola E/G/X phone.

The phased-rollout will see users receive notifications to update their OS. The update can also be accessed through the Settings Menu on the Motorola phone as under:

  1. Select the Settings icon in the Apps Menu.
  2. Select “About Phone”
  3. Select “System Updates”
  4. Select “Download”. After the software is downloaded, select “Install”
  5. After the software is installed, your phone will restart automatically

There is no charge for this Update other than the normal Data Charges. If you have trouble upgrading your handset, please visit :

https://motorola-global-portal.custhelp.com/ci/documents/detail/2/general-registration-en-in.

Motorola launches Moto E Smartphone in India for Rs. 6,999/-

Moto E Mobile

Today, Motorola has launched Moto E an attractive and rugged Dual SIM Smartphone in India. The Moto E is affordably priced at Rs. 6,999/- and is available exclusively from the online retailer, Flipkart.

The Moto E Smartphone runs on the Android Kit Kat 4.4.2 Operating System and is built using the Snapdragon 200 SOC. The Moto E has a Dual Core 1.2 GHz A7 Processor, Adreno 302 440 MHz Graphics Processor, 1GB RAM and 4GB Internal Storage expandable up to 32GB using a Micro SD Card. The phone does not have any bloatware which conserves its System Resources. It comes preloaded with Moto Alert and Moto Assist; two useful applications.

The Moto E phone has a 4.3″ IPS 540*960 qHD 256 ppi Display with 24 bit Color Depth for Dynamic Colors, Anti Smudge Coating and Corning Gorilla Glass 3 for scratch resistance. The Display is optically bonded for less glare/reflection. The Moto E is coated for resistance against water spills, such as in case of rainfall.

The phone is powered by a 1980 mAh non-removable Battery that is claimed to last for a full day on a single charge.

Moto E has a 5MP Camera on its rear with features such as One Tap Capture, 4x Digital Zoom, Burst Mode, Auto HDR and Panorama mode. The Camera does not have Auto Focus capability and is without an LED Flash.  The user has to touch the screen to focus and capture a picture. Auto Focus would have made photography simpler for first time users and beginners. An LED Flash could have been very useful. Due to lack of Flash, the Camera does not take good pictures in a dark environment. There is no Front Camera either, although it is not used much anyway.

The phone can playback high resolution videos of 720p and can record videos in 854x480p (FWVGA) resolution at 30 frames per second.

Moto E has also has an inbuilt FM Radio. Like most other phones, Headphones are required to use the Radio.

Moto E is equipped with WiFi, Bluetooth v4.0, GPS, a 3.5mm Headphone socket and a micro USB port. Micro SIMs are used in the phone. The phone has an Accelerometer, Proximity and Ambient Light Sensors, a Notification LED and Two front Speakers, above and below its Display. At this time we are not sure whether both SIMs support 3G data or only one SIM can be used for 3G data.

The phone bears the design elements of its sibling, the Moto G and is available in Black and White Colors with more than 20 Motorola Back, Flip and Grip Covers for style and personalization. The phone is a bit heavy at 142 grams.

With a rich feature list and an affordable price, the Moto E is for ‘Everyone’ desirous of an ‘Excellent’ Dual SIM Smartphone at an affordable price.

We believe that the Moto E will attract users intending to migrate from Feature phones to Smartphones and shall give good competition to homegrown mobile brands in the Indian market.

To buy the Moto E Smartphone from Flipkart: Click Here

3G variants for Motorola XOOM 2 and Motorola XOOM 2 Media Edition launched in the UK

3G variants for Motorola XOOM 2 and Motorola XOOM 2 Media Edition launched in the UK

Motorola Mobility has introduced two new 3G variants for the Motorola XOOM 2 and XOOM 2 Media Edition. The Wi-Fi only and 3G + Wi-Fi versions for the device can be ordered via Carphone Warehouse. The XOOM 2 3G + Wi-Fi version comes at a price tag of £449.99, while the XOOM 2 Media Edition is priced at £399.99. Tablets are and trending like anything, beat it for students, kids, moms or professionals. The XOOM 2 series by Motorola exhibits great specs carrying forward the legacy of the original Motorola XOOM series, being lighter, faster and sleek. The only key hindrance that may lie towards the newly launched tablets may include Android Honeycomb as the OS that goes pre-loaded with it. As everybody is moving towards the Android ICS 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) buzz, tablets with equal or better specs with ICS on it range in the same price band. For people who just love the XOOM 2 can still consider it as an option, the Wi-Fi only versions for both the aforesaid models still exist and start at £299.99. E-commerce comes in very hand for everyone at this point with the option to compare, review, and buy. Hence, while you plan to buy a tablet or any device, the web is the best place to explore and then order.

Motorola XOOM 2 complete specifications can be found on this link.

Carphone Warehouse individual links for 3G + Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi only versions: