The Moto X, which was launched last year, was one of the best Android phones in the market. The new Moto X - we are going to call it the Moto X (2nd gen) for the sake of simplicity - could be the best.
The device was shown in India at an event in New Delhi on Friday. It will go on sale by the end of this month. We had a chance to use it briefly and here is what we think of it.
Compared to the last year's Moto X, the new one is bigger, faster and smarter. Almost every aspect of the device has been improved. But the biggest, and most meaningful, difference is in the build quality. The last year's Moto X has a body built entirely of plastic. But the new Moto X uses a frame made of aluminium alloy in combination with a back cover made of plastic. The metal frame not only adds to the rigidity of the device but also makes it look and feel like a premium device. Similar to the earlier Moto X, the back cover in the Moto X (2nd gen) can be swapped for something made of more exotic material. For example, wood and leather back covers will be available for the Moto X (2nd gen).
Overall, the build quality of the Moto X (2nd gen) is impressive. The design too is slick. The aluminium frame has variable thickness. At its thinnest point it is 3.8mm thin! And its thickest point it measures around 10mm. But the difference between these two points has been hidden subtly by the curved body, which also helps fit the device in hand naturally and gracefully.
For added style, the carved M logo on the back of the device is now bigger and has a ring of transparent plastic around it. One unique feature of the Moto X (2nd gen) is its camera flash. The flash uses two LEDs and is shaped like a ring around the phone. Motorola says that the design of the flash is not just ornamental. It helps diffuse the light more evenly and in a better way.
The Moto X (2nd gen) has a 5.2-inch screen. It has FullHD resolution and because it uses OLED panel shows incredibly punchy and vibrant colours.
The internal hardware has been given a bump. The phone uses Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 quad-core processor running at 2.5GHz and 2GB RAM. The internal storage is 16GB. The phone has 13-megapixel rear camera and a 2-megapixel front camera. The battery capacity is 2300 mAh, which seems on the lower side. But we will have more to say about the battery in our review.
Just like the earlier Moto X, the new one runs an almost unmodified version of Android. The only customisation in terms of software is in the face of several unique enhancements that allow a user to perform several tasks on the phone using voice commands or gestures.
During the brief time we spent with the Moto X (2nd gen), we found it to be a very fast phone. There is no user interface lag on the device. Whether you are opening an app or scrolling through a list, nothing feels slow. Of course, we will need to put the device through our battery of tests before we can give it an all-clear. But that will happen only when we review the device.
Overall, we have a very positive first impression of the Moto X (2nd gen). Unlike the earlier Moto X, which had decidedly mainstream ambitions, the new one has more grand aims. It wants to take on the high-end Android devices like LG G3 and Galaxy S5. And, at least on paper, it looks well-equipped to win the battle. Whether it succeeds in winning the title of best Android phone or not is something we will know as soon as we get our hands on the device.
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