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Motorola shook the Android universe by beating just about every device, including the Nexus 4, with an Android KitKat OTA for it’s Verizon variant earlier this week. After giving the treat to it’s T-Mobile users on the 21st, AT&T customers are the next to join in on the fun with the manufacturer’s official blog stating that the update is now also available for the carrier.
Honestly, Motorola cannot be praised enough for its after-sales support of the Moto X. They may not have gotten the device completely right, but if they remain so committed to providing quick updates, I am most certainly going to look at future models along the same lines as Nexus devices.
If moto keeps going at this pace I’ll definitely consider them for my next device. As long as they bump the specs up just a little.
A 5″ moto with the shape of the x and a better camera will do it for me.
Just a better camera would do for me, honestly.
Yes, just a better camera, please no oversized 5″ phone. The 4.7″ non-pentile OLED in the Moto X is the perfect form factor.
I agree, the s4 was too big IMHO so I sold it
Bigger battery, better camera and 5″ would make it PERFECT!
Better camera yes. Definitely not on the other two, it already has some of the best battery life and the 4.7″ form factor is perfect.
I just want to say, it’s a little ridiculous that the Moto-X OTA is rolling out before the Nexus 4/7/10 devices get it.
I believe the Nexus 7s and 10 got the update before the Moto X (http://phandroid.com/2013/11/12/nexus-ota-android-44-kitkat/). Maybe there were slight issues with the Nexus 4 build, maybe they just wanted to balance the load of OTAs, or maybe it’s just a strategy to push Nexus consumers to Motorola devices in the future.
Ohh we can side-load it, but it’s not OTA yet,
Clear the Google service framework in the app section of setting and then go to system update and it should come up for you N4. I got mines yesterday
Thank you, Sir!
My Nexus 4 has 4.4
My love for Moto does not wane. I’ll definitely be considering Moto as my next device, and I’ll be gifting the G as soon as it releases.
lets just hope they skip Sprint users and kitkat starts rolling out on the Droid Series.. XD
Moto X – The best Nexus on the market.
Yea if the Nexus 5 or 4 dint exist lol
Nexus 4 sucked and Nexus 5 is meh.
How is the Nexus 5 meh compared to the Moto X, higher frame rate on a 1080P display while on the Moto X you have a 720p display with a lower framrate ( 13 compared to 25FPS), and the camera sucks compared to the Nexus 5 camera. All of Motos cameras on this year Droid line up and the Moto x look washed out. On top of all that the Nexus 5 still gets faster updates than the Moto X. The only people that would claim the Moto X is better than a Nexus 5 are those currently using one as a daily driver, but then again you have S4 owners claiming the S4 is better than the Note 3, which we all know isn’t the case. I don’t own a Nexus 5 or a Moto X, I have used both extensively though and the Nexus 5 is the definite winner, not saying the Moto X is a bad phone, I would still pick it over a galaxy S4 or a HTC one.
Sorry but the Moto X is definitely better than the Nexus 5. I’d rather have the non-pentile AMOLED 720p display in the Moto X anyday over the Nexus 5 1080p display with those horrible black levels and pointlessly high PPI that just wastes processor/memory.
The Moto X at 4.7″ is a better form factor, narrower and not as tall. Finally it has a nicer design, better battery life and is available on ALL carriers in the US and is $99 on contract. The fact that it’s updated so quickly from Google running a near stock Android OS makes it worthwhile.
The only real negatives for the Moto X is the camera, which is definitely sub par, and it’s a bit thicker than most phones. The lack of quad core processor means nothing, just look at the Apple A7, it destroys any Android processor and it’s 1.3GHz dual core.
Destroys it in what exactly? Meaningless benchmarks? Compare real world performance with any top Android phone now and there isn’t really a difference.
I agree with you on the Amoled display, because i prefer Amoled over LCD as well but from a performance standpoint and OEM support the Nexus 5 wins out. The pricing of the Moto X on contract is low but that’s because your paying for it during that 2 year contract, The Moto X unlocked price is around 520-530 compared to the Nexus 5’s 350, that’s almost 200 bucks less, without a contract lol. You also need a phone thats future proof though, because these phones are getting more powerful its inevitable that we will see more graphic heavy apps, the Moto X might not make it through that full 2 years of your contract, even phones you buy with top of the line specs at the time of purchase slow down after 2 years.
lol the ihone is running a whole different operating system its not even close using an iPhone as a example, the iPhone has no multitasking whatsoever, comparing it to an Android device that’s running tens of apps in the background not to mention all the Widgets and services is completely meaningless, every top of the line Android phone as of right now has 2.3x more pixels on screen than the iPhone. l have used this analogy before but its the best one i can think of lol, imagine having 2 of the exact same cars, now stuff about 300lbs of baggage into one of them and fill up all the seats , keep the other one as empty as possible. Which one do you think is going to be able to go faster? Its the same thing with gaming consoles vs PC’s, they don’t need as much processing power because they are more of a bare bones system compared to PC’s which having a lot more background process and running on a heavier OS. Thats why you can play 1080p games on a PS4 but if you had a PC with the same specs youd be lucky to have non stuttering 720p game play.
As if the points you made are facts. I returned my moto x cause the display is crappy. The nexus 5 display is outstanding and performance is unmatched.
long winded. jt,’s a phone. who cares about a camera. can’t remember last time I snapped a picture. next time I want to make a call I’ll buy a camera.
People like to take pictures who go to events where cameras are banned or certain sizes of camera are banned…care about a camera. That’s just one example. People who like to take pictures, who like the availability and access to a camera at any time, also care about cameras on phones. That’s just another example. Buying a camera when you want to make a call would just be plain dumb. That being said, though, the Moto X camera is better than that of the Nexus 5.
lol he was joking when he said he would buy a camera next time he wanted to make a call, to point out they’re phones first and above all else. Also their are some pretty small cameras now that offer way more clarity that a cell phone camera.
I realize it was a joke. And that’s why I said it was dumb. It’s called sarcasm. I am also aware there are small cameras, and as i said, people like the availability and access to a camera at any time, and people usually have their phone with them most, if not all of the time. They don’t walk around with a stand alone camera all of the time, no matter how compact.
I don’t care about the camera personally. I have 2 DSLR’s and a few mirror-less cams with sensors that dwarf cell phone camera’s but if you are comparing two device than its something that would matter to the average joe, you wouldn’t believe how many crappy phone pictures i have seen on my Facebook page to document special events. My aunt shot a birthday party entirely on the iPhone 5, then she went to get prints of the pictures and they all looked smudgy as hell. The same can be said about most phone features though, like how many people actually use voice assistants constantly because while im out i have not see a single person talking to their phone, nor have i heard a single person listening to music through their external speakers at full blast, they usually have headphones in. Things like display, form factor, and feel in the hand are all personal preferences, the only thing that can actually be proven as better in terms of smartphone comparisons are camera, battery, and performance. the Moto X only beats Nexus 5 in one category and it isn’t a big win either.
You do realize that since you don’t own either one, you really aren’t qualified to make that claim. “Using them extensively,” (whatever that means, considering the Nexus 5 has been out for all of 3 weeks, and you don’t own it) does not adequately gauge a phone’s performance in the long run.
The Nexus 5 is meh because it’s “1080p” screen which some like you, like to use as some sort of reason as to what makes it a better phone than the Moto X, is washed out. It’s washed out and can not even display black properly. It PALES in comparison to non “meh” 1080p screens like those of the Droid DNA, HTC One and Galaxy S 4. And I watched a video on it side by side with a 720p Galaxy Nexus, and the Galaxy Nexus looked better. Additionally, unlike those phones and the Moto X, the Nexus 5 has backlight bleeding from the edges of the screen. Also, the battery and camera suck. The Moto’s battery life is much better. After the Moto’s software update, most people also rate the Moto X camera better than the Nexus 5. I have yet to see one review claiming the Nexus 5 has a great camera, but have seen many saying the Moto X’ is better. The Nexus 5’s size and feel in hand, and awkward gigantic icons, also don’t compare to the Moto X. The speaker of the Nexus 5 is also horrendous, while Moto’s is quite nice. The camera sensor and optics, and speaker in the Nexus 5 are lower end than those used in the LG G2, from which most of it’s other insides are borrowed. The call sound quality is also better on the Moto X, thanks to Moto’s trailblazing in noise cancellation. The Moto X, unlike the Nexus 5, is also available on all carriers. The LG Nexus 5’s sexy but redundant “black slab design,” stolen from the Asus Nexus 7 and the interesting, but horrible feeling white design are boring next to the tons of Moto X customizations available. And the Moto X offers stock android PLUS many useful features the Nexus 5 lacks, like always on Touchless Controls, Active Notifications, Trusted Bluetooth, Text to PC, and Contextual Awareness…so those are all of my reasons why I find the Nexus 5 to be “meh,” and not just in comparison to the Moto X, but just “meh,” in general…Oh, and by the way, as for the Nexus 5 getting faster updates than the Moto X, we have yet to see that, since the Nexus 5 hasn’t gotten an update since the Moto X. (The Moto X DID get Kit Kat before the Nexus 4 and most Nexus 7’s and 10’s).
While I do like Amoled display, there’s a lot of drawbacks to them as well, like outdoor visibility, and btw i own a Galaxy Nexus and while it might not have color bleeding, the screen burn is fricken horrible on it. The whole screen debate is a matter of preference, i used the Nexus 5 and although the display isn’t as saturated as an Amoleds, it isnt washed out as you put it either, maybe if you are looking at it from a angle. The whole feel in the Hand thing is also a matter of preference, im sure there are plenty of people that prefer the Nexus 5’s feel over the Moto X and ofcourse it borrowed its looks from a Nexus device it was designed by the same company that designed the Nexus 7 ( Google) just like the Moto X looks like a Motorola device fused with a HTC one. For the whole camera thing, from my own personal use of the device and all the people that have weighed in on the issues, no it doesn’t even compare to the Nexus 5 color wise, it might have improved a little but the white balance is still way off, all they did was make the colors a bit warmer. The only reason i mentioned the 1080p display was to point out that the Nexus 5 performance wise was so much greater that even with the 2.3x more pixels on screen its still running at 25 FPS which is twice that of the Moto X with its 720 display. That Software update comment is just plain LOL, of course the Nexus 5 hasn’t been updated since, its already running the latest Verizon while the Moto X is just getting the update the Nexus 5 was released with over 3 weeks ago. You don’t expect Google to release a new update every other day lol. Dude the whole software feature thing can also be used by any Samsung user to justify why their phone is the best, hell i can just mention the S-pen on my Note 3 and their goes like 100 features that the Moto X doesn’t have lol, i personally don’t use voice controls so its not a big deal to me but if you really wanted you can easily download a app from the play store that does the exact same thing, same goes for active notifications, i was actually using the active notification app on my Gnex before switching to the Note 3. The battery life on the nexus 5 is only bad because of a software problems with the radios drawing too much power keeping the device awake more frequently instead of going into deep sleep, its something that’s easily fixed with a bugz update. in my opinion the only thing thing that differentiates the Moto X from every other phone is its customizable colors and the always on voice features but as i said before their are a lot of people who don’t use voice assistants, just ask pretty much any iPhone user how much they use siri lol, the only time i would use a feature like that would be if i was in my car. It might come in useful if i dint already have voice integration through out my car.
You clearly don’t understand the Moto X, as everything you said abut the Moto X is incorrect. There are apps that attempt to mimic the Moto’s functionality, however, none of them ape it fully, and also maintain the low power consumption and efficiency. Download a faux Active Notification app to a Nexus 5, and tell me how that LCD screen is going to illuminate only the pixels needed for the specific text. I’d also like to see the app on the Play Store that allows you to activate a Nexus 5 while the screen is asleep or even locked. So no, you can NOT download these apps on any device and make it the same. The Nexus 5’s screen IS washed out, and the backlight BLEEDS from the edges, because it is not as much of a premium device as it’s LG G2 big brother. There’s a reason it only costs $350. I’ve never had “ghosting” issues on amoled devices other than sometimes on bright white screens, after leaving a homepage or app drawer, but video quality is much more important to me than white screen ghosting, and bottom line is I found the Nexus 5 video playback subpar to the 2 year old Galaxy Nexus. Your comment about “ofcourse it borrowed its looks from a Nexus device it was designed by the same company that designed the Nexus 7 (Google)” is just dumb, as Google has had a hand in designing all Nexus devices and NONE of the rest of them look like the New Nexus 7, but the Nexus 5. The software update comment, was pointing out that you were speaking of things that have yet to even come into existence…it was you that claimed the Nexus 5 got updates faster, and it was me pointing out the Nexus 5 hasnt even gotten an update yet. The next major version of Android won’t be released until probably next year, and if history repeats itself, it’ll be released on a “Nexus 6” and the Moto X will get it before the year old Nexus 5. And your comment about Samsung users being able to claim they have the best phone since they have so many features, again shows, you don’t understand the Moto X, because that is not a valid analogy. Your analogy is extremely poor because a Samsung device is weighed down with Touchwhiz, tons of software that most people don’t use, and that often doesn’t work as it should, and the software design is awkward, confusing, overwhelming, and clunky in many regards, while Moto’s software is the exact opposite and actually IMPROVES the phone’s performance, rather than slowing it down. “The battery life on the nexus 5 is only bad because….” coulda, shoulda, woulda…I also didn’t hand in my homework, because the dog ate it. What matters is the Nexus 5 currently has a bad battery life, and it is inferior to the Moto X. Period. I didn’t realize this was a discussion about, “oh wow, down the line, in the future some time, if a certain software upgrade is pushed, it could be…” You keep comparing the Moto X to devices/software like Siri and the Galaxy S 4, which again, proves you just don’t get it, as they don’t function the same way. Regardless, I’m not quite sure how this became such a debate, as I originally just stated that I felt the Nexus 4 sucked and the Nexus 5 was “meh.” You then asked how was the Nexus 5 “meh,” and I explained very thoroughly why. The Nexus 5 didn’t even have a launch event, which just further exemplified the “meh-ness” of the device.
Nexus 5 destroys the moto x.
3 people think that.
Or the 100s of thousands that bought it over the moto x. Obviously this article will have bias moto x owners.
100s of thousands? LOL. Sales numbers for the Nexus 5 have not been released yet…but I’m pretty sure they’re not in the “100s of thousands.” Also, because someone does buy something, doesn’t mean they feel it “destroys” something else…it’s called “buyer’s remorse.”
That’s funny cause nexus 5s are being sold like bread every single day on eBay, Google play store, swappa….you name it. The price is definitely a big reason too but it also is because the phone is awesome. It offers the best android experience on a phone. Did u know that the moto x is not doing very well despite all the advertising?
Again, no sales figures have been released for either the Nexus 5 or Moto X. There was a GUESSTIMATE a couple weeks ago of 5 weeks worth of sales of the Moto X, but no official sales figures have been released for either phone, but I can guarantee you that more Moto X’ have been sold than the Nexus 5. Nexus phones are never huge sellers. The Nexus 5 “sells out” on the Play Store because Google creates limited quantities, has limited stock, and limited shipping capabilities. Those limitations, in turn, cause people to try to hawk the devices at jacked up prices on ebay and other internet outlets, trying to take advantage of the situation and make a quick buck. I’m sure other people, who were underwhelmed by the product, are also selling them. As you said, also, the price is another reason…you can’t get another 4G phone, of that caliber off contract at that price, so people who don’t want to be locked down to a carrier or contract but also don’t have the funds to toss $600 at a phone would definitely buy it. I get that. I’m not saying the Nexus 5 is a BAD phone, because it’s not. For it’s price, it is very good. But the plain truth is the majority consensus appears to be that the Nexus 5 is NOT the best phone around or even the best android phone experience, but “the best phone…for that price.”
The only reason you can ” guarantee” that the moto x had sold more than the nexus 5 is because it has been available for like what…3 months? Nexus 5 is 3 weeks old. I.S that a fair comparison? Which figures are you using to determine that the plain truth is that the general consensus says that the nexus 5 isn’t the best phone around? Phandroid?And who said it was the best phone? Certainly not me. I said it destroys the moto x, me having owned both and making an objective point.
“It offers the best android experience on a phone.” Those are your words, which I disputed. “100s of thousands that bought it over the moto x. ” Also your words.
And those are yours “i can guarantee you that the moto x sold more than the nexus 5″ ” the general consensus….”The sales figures may be wrong or right, the android experience can’t be wrong since its a matter of opinion. It does offer the best android experience on a phone.
Of course an experience is more than an opinion. The experience is dictated by the facts at hand. No one looking at a sharp, vibrant screen on say the Droid DNA is going to say, boy, I wish I had that washed out, backlight bleeding screen of the the Nexus 5. And no one using the Galaxy S 4’s great camera is going to say, boy I wish I had that crappy camera on the Nexus 5. And no one using an HTC One is going to say, boy I wish I didn’t have this awesome build quality and this incredible boom sound, but the plastic casing and tinny speakers of the Nexus 5 instead. And no one using Active Notifications, or Touchless controls on the Moto X is going to say, boy, I wish I had this exact same version of Android, but withOUT these awesome features. The Nexus 5 is an amazing $350 phone, but not an amazing phone. There’s a reason why it costs $350. Sacrifices had to be made.
I’m afraid you got it wrong my friend and you misunderstood my point. First of all, the nexus 5 is 350 $ because Google subsidies the phone. Otherwise it is totally worth 499$ – 599$. In comparison I can say with complete confidence that the moto x is way too overpriced, and I’m certainly not the only one who think so. 3rd, it is your opinion that the display on the nexus 5 is washed out, I find it to be amazing. It is so sharp and cleAr. The major reason why I sold my moto x was cause the display was pretty bad. And you do not give credit where credit is due. The nexus 5 performs better than all the device you mentioned and has more horsepower but of course since your goal appears to discredit the phone you can’t see that. And last, the nexus offers the best android experience with it’s stock software and the latest version of android, fast and extremely smooth.
You keep believing that. (And since the washed out screen is the only thing you disputed, I guess you acknowledge all of its other shortcomings that I listed, LOL.) And fyi, the Nexus 5 has a skinned launcher.
Skinned from aosp, yes but it it’s stock. There’s a difference. That’s the way Google intended it. The points I have raised are valid. You cant argue that the nexus 5 is more powerful than the phone you mentioned but you can’t see that since you just want to make points and not give credit where it’s due.
I really like this new trend, now OEM’s are competing on who can get the latest version out first. If the Moto X had top of the line hardware and software it would have been a no brainier for me, but it doesn’t. Maybe they will have something more amazing for us next year ? The Moto X to me seems like a device for those who want a Nexus experience but cant get a Nexus, >.> *looks at Verizon*
By your “standards,” no one should get a Nexus 5…because the “specs” of the LG G2 and HTC One are “top of the line,” ie, better than the Nexus 5.
Sorry but how are the specs of a HTC one or a LG G2 better than a Nexus 5? the Nexus 5 has the same exact specs as a LG G2, but faster updates, and it has the snapdragon 800 so its an entire generation of chip sets above the HTC one. Also were talking about Moto X unless you just accidentally wrote Nexus 5, then yes i would pick the LG G2 over it simply because its super easy to port over a Nexus 5 image and get the latest stock android on the device. A HTC one no but then again if you re-read my comment i also mentioned software and the Moto X has better software than the HTC One(Closer to stock). I wouldn’t pick the Galaxy S4 or HTC one over the Moto X, but I also wouldn’t pick the Moto X over the Note 3 or LG G2. The Moto X as I said before is an in between phone, its not heavily speced, or full of features its more for those who just want something that works well (Nexus Experience) and receives updates in a timely manner. Now i would also like to point out that i said “The Moto X to me seems”, which means its just my opinion, its ok for your thoughts on the matter to differ, I don’t expect everyone to think the same way I do. I don’t want a phone that just works, i would have stuck with the iPhone if i did, but that was boring as hell and i like to tinker, its the reason why I switched to Android.
The Nexus 5 has a lower end camera sensor, optics and speaker than the LG G2. One of the ways Google skimped to keep the price down. They do NOT have the same exact specs…As for “tinkering,” that’s a whole different thing (which you did not make clear in your original post), but for people who actually want a phone to use a phone and have the best experience using said phone, no one can say the Moto X doesn’t have “top of the line hardware and software,” because it performs exceptionally well at what it’s supposed to be doing, due in part to the X8 Computing system, which, last time I checked, was THIS YEARS SPECS, and runs that phone in a pretty top of the line way to me….And it’s confusing how even a “tinkerer” can say it does not have top of the line software, seeing as it is running the newest version of Android PLUS many new, actually useful additions. So how is that software not top of the line?
Clearing google services framework breaks things…
I switched from Motox to LG G2 and after using the G2 for a week; Im going to switch back. The G2 feels clunky. The LG UI is poorly designed (looks like designed by 5 different teems). The LG screen is sometimes too responsive then non repsonsive. I miss the reliability and consistent fast performance of the Moto X. Now that it has KitKat it will be even better. Dont dismiss the MotoX as a midrange phone. It is just as fast as G2 or S4. I prefer it much better.
It’s not a midrange phone, it’s a top end device with the exception of the camera. No clue why you would go G2 over Moto X.
I switched to the G2 for the camera and bigger screen. But it is not worth it. I am switching back to MotoX. The Moto X is just a joy to use.
Moto X is a beautiful intelligently designed light phone, which is light and powerful … have been using Android over 5 years, and trust me, it is the best combination of optimum power, battery usage & screen size…as Motorola is a google company, it is the HOUSE NEXUS …why are people surprised…
I hope these folks have better luck getting their updates than those with Nexus 7 and 10 Wi-Fi tablets. That rollout was announced 11 days ago, and so far virtually no one has received it yet.
My ATT MotoX was updated to KitKat yesterday. Smooth as silk. Good Job Motorola.
Hey get Moto X from Republic Wireless for just $299 and get $19 discount through this coupon- http://referrals.republicwireless.com/a/clk/1lW4vS
I’d love to see a retest of this with performance numbers, battery life, memory usage and camera on KitKat.
Gotta love the notification system this phone has. Can only be done with OLED.
A question for you. I heard that the voice commands (“OK, Google Now”) doesn’t work without unlocking the screen if you are using Exchange (you know, the corporate thing). True or false? Many thanks.
True, after you say the command the unlock screen comes up and you have to unlock it before you can continue.
Do you know if there is an app that can disable an Exchange lock screen? Thanks.
Not that I’ve seen. Maybe if you’re rooted but this does go against the security measures.
For my rooted Droid 4 I can set a timer to only lock my device after a certain period of time (ie. 30 minutes). I’m not sure about stock but the extended lock time helps if you’re using voice commands.