[Q] Moto X v. GNex - Moto X Q&A

Ok, I have a question for everyone out there..
I currently have a Galaxy Nexus and am qualified for an upgrade on Verizon... I was thinking about the HTC One, but the Moto X software (near stock + moto features), but comparing the specs, the Moto X specs are very very similar to that which I already have on the GNex. My question is whether it is really worth the $ to upgrade from a Galaxy Nexus to the Moto X?
Thanks!
Kaz

Watch some reviews on youtube or read some articles. You will soon realise that its far superior
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Trust me, the specs are not similar at all. This is the best performing phone I've ever owned, and I had both the GS4 and the HTC One.
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Speaking as someone who has owned a Gnex you won't be disappointed unless you're a flashaholic. I had the GSM Gnex so it was a little bit different than the Verizon model but close enough for comparison sake. The X is faster, has better battery life, and just feels better in your hand. Even though the screen is the same size it feels smaller. The connection quality is better both radio and wifi-wise. Camera-wise I haven't taken enough pictures to say.

The Galaxy Nexus and this phone aren't playing in the same league. About the only thing similar between them is that they both offer a stock UI experience. There's just no comparison otherwise. For the record, the Moto X is also noticeably better and faster than the Nexus 4, which I had since November last year, so please don't make the same mistake as the uninformed. Just because its 2 cores vs 2 cores, doesn't mean they're on the same playing field. Its like saying the Intel Core-i7 haswell processor is on par with the Core 2 Quad from a few years ago.

Take everything you think you know about specs and forget it. On paper this phone is a ho hum mid range device, but that's the only place that description holds water. This phone is easily the best device on the market today. The only two things I miss about the one I've replaced with the Moto X are the viewability of the screen when outdoors and the superior front facing stereo speakers. This phone is fast, sips battery, and feels great in my hands. I absolutely love it and have no regrets replacing my one with it
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awesome. thanks, guys!

Far far far superior than the Gnex!

I love my moto x over my gnex.

Gotta agree with everyone. This thing is hands down the best phone I've owned.
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it is leagues better than the gnex.. battery alone blows it out of the water

I agree with all the comments here. There really is no comparison. I have been very impressed. Perhaps most noticeable to me is how quick the Chrome browser is. It was a dog on my GNex.
Sent from my Moto X

Related

Question about hardware (calling all owners)

How good/bad is the screen on the phone? The 1 thing holding me back from purchasing this phone is the 720p screen, I think everything else about the phone is near perfect (except the processor). If this phone came with a 1080p screen I would have already preordered being the pixel junkie that I am.
I left AT&T recently and went to Verizon and though I upgraded in service quality I downgraded in phone choices by a ton. Basically the only phones I will have to choose from are, the HTC One, Moto X, iPhone 5s or the Note 3.
I am looking for advice, as you can see by my signature I've owned tons of phones this year and I cant seem to find a phone that fits me as good as this iPhone does at this point. The Nexus 4 was close but AT&T is just bad so it ruined the whole experience. I believe the Moto X might be the best opportunity I have on Verizon for a phone with a bigger screen but with a small footprint and nearly stock android. On the other hand the HTC One with 4.2.2 on Verizon might be great and the Note 3 could be a tech nerds (myself) dream with its specifications.
I think with the 720vs1080 is just that. NUMBERS. I don't think on that screen size unless your LOOKING for a problem you won't see a noticeable difference to the naked eye.
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Just a numbers game. Watch any of the demo videos posted by blogs that reviewed the MotoX and the screen is beautiful during normal use. You aren't going notice the difference unless you place a 1080p screen next to the 720p and stare at the screens for a long time.
Just number game too here ... really like the quality of the screen... have used an s4 and prefer my moto x and the thin sensation of the phone... Ok google now is excellent ( and really work great in french language ... )
Go play with the droid Maxx and the gs4 at the store you will see the difference. None that the eye can see!!
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I switched from 4S to HTC one love it, and the viper Rom just pushes it over the edge with great battery life.
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Comparing to my N4, there is no difference in quality.
Bought my Moto X today after loving my LG Optimus Pro. I'm surprised by the screen quality. The 720 is much better than expected. Smaller screen so it appears to look good. The LG and HTC screens at 1080 are still nicer overall but don't let the 720 dissuade you. This is a great phone. The camera may be the only weakness. This phone is as quick as my LG Optimus Pro with a 600 Snapdragon chip.
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It's not a bad display, it's definitely worse than the One and the S4.
I thought the 720p screen was going to be horrendous compare to my galaxy s4's gorgeous 1080p screen but the screen quality actually surprised me. Its not like the droid razr's screens of the past. Without the s4 in front of you, you won't be able to tell without looking for the imperfection.
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I'd wait for the iPhone 5s announcement with iOS 7. Its going to make the iPhone look brand new again. On top of that I think once they release the official iOS 7 I think its already jailbreak able from what I've seen. I came from an iPhone too I miss alot of the features but hard yo give up my s4 just for an iPhone 5 maybe a 5s
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I went to the store today to play with one in person and I had my HTC one with me for comparison. I had originally thing that the ppi of Moto X is high enough anyway, but I can definitely see the pixels on smaller fonts on the X, unless somehow the font is optimized on the one.
The white on the X is also considerably more yellow than on the one, maybe it could be calibrated in software, but with the one next to it in similar brightness, the display of the X looks dull in color and pixelated compared to the one. And the text is not as sharp. Being Chinese, the fine details on the Chinese character is very important, and the bolded Chinese font that still looks great on the one was very disappointing to see on the X.
For anyone interested, go to http://tw.news.yahoo.com and make sure to request the desktop version. It is a pretty standard Chinese site that I use to check text readability.
For me the biggest benefit with a 1080 screen is if you are going to connect it to a 1080 tv or external display a lot, then you get correct pixel mapping. When I connect my sgs3 to a tv I only get a 720p signal.
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I like it...
I think the screen is pretty nice, not the best. But battery life is pretty stellar so far. Its VERY snappy too. Features rock and are really appreciated as light over stock. Feels premium in the hand too. Overall I am impressed but will likely sell it for a Nexus in December anyway...gotta have my klp fix.
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I'm happy with it, its not my 2013 nexus 7, but its pretty good. Its worth noting that they went with rbg instead of pentile so it looks better than other 720p screens I've used.
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inseconds99 said:
How good/bad is the screen on the phone? The 1 thing holding me back from purchasing this phone is the 720p screen, I think everything else about the phone is near perfect (except the processor). If this phone came with a 1080p screen I would have already preordered being the pixel junkie that I am.
I left AT&T recently and went to Verizon and though I upgraded in service quality I downgraded in phone choices by a ton. Basically the only phones I will have to choose from are, the HTC One, Moto X, iPhone 5s or the Note 3.
I am looking for advice, as you can see by my signature I've owned tons of phones this year and I cant seem to find a phone that fits me as good as this iPhone does at this point. The Nexus 4 was close but AT&T is just bad so it ruined the whole experience. I believe the Moto X might be the best opportunity I have on Verizon for a phone with a bigger screen but with a small footprint and nearly stock android. On the other hand the HTC One with 4.2.2 on Verizon might be great and the Note 3 could be a tech nerds (myself) dream with its specifications.
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1. the processor is not something to hate on. there are technically 8 cores in this phone. the main processor is dual-core but NOT last years model. this will save you battery as well as eliminate useless hardware that only takes up resources. quad core processing is a joke for mobile phones, especially when almost zero apps make use of anything more than two cores.
2. to complain about an HD resolution on a 4.7inch screen not being HD enough is petty and ridiculous. 720p or 1080p is no where near anything to complain about
3. the iphone doesnt have quad core. the iphone doesnt have 1080p. it doesnt even have 720p. how does it fit you more than the moto x?
this is the problem. people are way too concerned with over-hyped useless hardware specs and no one cares for how the hardware and software play together. the user experience is the reason the iphone was the best selling phone year after year. now with android, people rather show off a useless 8core processor instead of a finely tuned dual core that works much smoother. the moto x is attempting to fix what samsung destroyed.
I love it. Despite being 720 I can't tell. The colors are very vibrant and the only way you can see a pixel on it is if you put your eye right on it but you shouldnt be doing that so you should be fine
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I also have the iphone 5/4S/N4/S3/S2. It really depends. Screen resolution doesn't matter as much as screen quality IMO. Things like contrast and color reproduction are more important once you get into the 720p+ realm.
Basically it's a choice between:
AMOLED Variations (Moto X, Note 3, most Samsung) = best contrast, second best colors, best viewing angles
IPS (Iphone 5, HTC One, N4 etc) = second best contrast, best colors, second best viewing angles
TFT screens (TV's, most low end phones, some mid range) = worst contrast, worst colors, worst viewing angles
I personally missed the insane contrast levels when I used IPS screens, I'm a sucker for DEEP blacks for my themes/setup.
The screen quality for a 720p AMOLED screen is flawless on my sample. No dead pixels, perfect uniformity, zero backlight bleed (unlike S2, S3 which do have backlight bleed when you set an all black image and go in a dark room, you can still see the screen. On Moto X the phone dissapears in those same conditions)
A perfect screen for me would be Moto X screen with iphone 4s digitizer lol. The digitizer in the iphone 5 was pretty bad. Hardly registered my taps near the edge of the screen.
Thanks for all the replies, I decided against the Moto X, I played with it in the store and it had a similar look and feel to the Nexus 4 (which I had anticipated). I am going to wait out the Sony Honami (I REALLY REALLY WANT THIS PHONE) and the Note 3 seeing as how IFA is a week away. If I'm disappointed, I will go out an purchase the iPhone 5s and wait to see what the new Nexus brings.
I know the new Nexus won't be coming for Verizon, so I might have to try T-Mobile out if anything because AT&T is terrible in my area.
Thanks

Really interested in the Moto X...

So I just bought an LG G2 on Verizon last Saturday for $550 and while I love the phone, the Moto X is really tempting me to return my G2 and buy an X instead. I've already got CM10.2 on here so its nearly the same as what the Moto X is running and can currently get around 5-7 hours of screen on time with 19-24+ hours off the charger.
From what I've read, the Moto X gets fantastic battery life and despite its lesser specs, it still performs wonderfully which I've witnessed first hand. And the fact that the camera is no longer complete garbage is a huge plus as well. I'm not a big camera guy, but when I use it I need it to take good pictures.
So, do you guys think I should keep the G2 or return it for a Moto X? Really struggling with this decision and could use some insight. Has anyone else been in a similar situation?
Just ordered one yesterday when I saw jcase had an updated root method. I currently have an mdk s4 but the phone is just too big and I don't like capacitive buttons. To me it's just a matter of build quality... The s4 feels big and cheap and after playing with the x it doesn't even compare
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I owned the G2 for tmobile before I switched to ATT Moto X. Best decision ever.
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I just got my MotoX a few days ago (coming from a Gnex). I cant believe I didnt get this phone 2 months ago. Best phone I've had thus far. I am on the phone for alot of hours during the work week. Probably 100+ calls per day. I have never been able to not have to charge a phone mid way through the day before. I got home today with 23% batt left, with 15hrs of charger and 4.5 hrs of screen time, 4 hrs of calls.
I thought i wanted a larger screen phone, dont think I ever will now.
A friend of mine has an S4. Even though the S4 with CM10.2 gets higher "benchmarks", the fluidity of the stock moto x is much better. It is just a better overall experience. Like I said, not sure why I didnt get this phone 2 months ago.
magicriggs said:
I owned the G2 for tmobile before I switched to ATT Moto X. Best decision ever.
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What do you like better?
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barondebxl said:
What do you like better?
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Okay I was running stock on the G2. I liked the knock on feature on the G2 but it was inconsistent. The UX felt very much like touchwizz and even tho it was quad core, I noticed some lag. The one thing I like more on the G2 over the X is the screen and camera.
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magicriggs said:
Okay I was running stock on the G2. I liked the knock on feature on the G2 but it was inconsistent. The UX felt very much like touchwizz and even tho it was quad core, I noticed some lag. The one thing I like more on the G2 over the X is the screen and camera.
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True, there is some occasional lag on the G2 but overall it's pretty fast I think. I'm also intrigued by the moto x but the AT&T version has no development.
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barondebxl said:
True, there is some occasional lag on the G2 but overall it's pretty fast I think. I'm also intrigued by the moto x but the AT&T version has no development.
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Bro if your rocking stock on the G2 then you'll love Moto X stock. Pretty much straight vanilla with useful tweaks. Active notifications is awesome with that touchless control and moto connect. And these tweaks are flawless not a single issue.
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magicriggs said:
Bro if your rocking stock on the G2 then you'll love Moto X stock. Pretty much straight vanilla with useful tweaks. Active notifications is awesome with that touchless control and moto connect. And these tweaks are flawless not a single issue.
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I'm not too much of a stock android guy, I like custom UIs and I'm running cleanrom XE on the G2, it's pretty solid with insane battery life. But I like to try new phones so maybe I'll give a shot to the moto x
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I got ya bro
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See I just don't know if it's worth it when I'm already running stock Android on my G2 with no problems while also getting crazy battery life. It's just something about the Moto X is drawing me towards it, not to mention that Verizon is rumored to be getting MotoMaker on Nov 11th. My main concern, just like another user said, is that development doesn't seem that active for the Verizon variant. Or maybe I'm just blind?
I'm also waiting for Verizon to have access to Moto Maker (need at least 32GB of internal memory of I can't have an SD card) with fingers crossed that the wooden backs will be an option at that time.
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I've had pretty much every high end phone and I love the moto x. I bought a iPhone 5s only because they just happen to have a gold one while I was there. I sold that, made my profit, and went back to buy the moto x. I really can't think of anything negative to say about it.
dsimages said:
I just got my MotoX a few days ago (coming from a Gnex). I cant believe I didnt get this phone 2 months ago. Best phone I've had thus far. I am on the phone for alot of hours during the work week. Probably 100+ calls per day. I have never been able to not have to charge a phone mid way through the day before. I got home today with 23% batt left, with 15hrs of charger and 4.5 hrs of screen time, 4 hrs of calls.
I thought i wanted a larger screen phone, dont think I ever will now.
A friend of mine has an S4. Even though the S4 with CM10.2 gets higher "benchmarks", the fluidity of the stock moto x is much better. It is just a better overall experience. Like I said, not sure why I didnt get this phone 2 months ago.
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the benchmark tests are BS. They provide some insight into things, but as many reviews of phones have pointed out, the moto x actually does better in a lot of areas in real tests than other high end phones with better processors. I think the moto dev team worked hard to create a phone with lower specs that works faster than other phones because of all the new coding and filing systems they put into the device. This is also one of the reasons that development isn't as fast. A bunch of things are new to the dev community that moto was using and it will take some learning. I bet a lot of phones move to this type of coding and processors running their own thing, which will then make dev easier for phones like this.
hashcode said in his forum on SS that this was the hardest device he worked on getting SS to run properly with. How the system is set up and runs commands is different from other phones so benchmarks are not really benchmarks ya know. They are old benchmarks used just to test a processor, not a phones ability to perform tasks in real life. It's real life benchmarks beat out the htc one in many respects.
I have this phone and totally love it! I have hd every phone you could imagine all the galaxys, htc one, lg's all the iphones except 5s and it is the best phone I have ever had. I have a Nexus 5 coming and I may just return to sender because of how much this phone just works
AndreaCristiano said:
I have this phone and totally love it! I have hd every phone you could imagine all the galaxys, htc one, lg's all the iphones except 5s and it is the best phone I have ever had. I have a Nexus 5 coming and I may just return to sender because of how much this phone just works
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You had the G2 too? And you still think the Moto X is better? Reasons? Thanks in advance!
bd1212 said:
You had the G2 too? And you still think the Moto X is better? Reasons? Thanks in advance!
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It feels about a million times better in hand.
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I just recently purchased a Moto X, coming from a motorola Atrix 4G and I'll tell you why...
Motorola has always made good hardware. They have a integrated circuit and electronics division that creates very robust designs. Their consumer and industrial hardware has been top of the line since the beginning days of the 2-way handheld radio. They make good hardware. Solid and rugged stuff.
Now, the Atrix had some problems regarding software support. It was never officially updated past gingerbread. I was fine using the kernel that was developed, although it wasn't perfect. This was a major issue for many that pushed them away from Motorola. I still loved the ruggedness of the once-flagship phone.
However, now that Google and Motorola Mobility are one, I feel there is a good chance this will not be as big of an issue in the future. I really feel we will have the best of both worlds with Motorola now -- excellent hardware as well as long term software support (whatever long term really means nowadays). At least, it's a 'risk' I'm willing to take.
So far, I am extremely happy with my Moto X.
I was an android convert from an iPhone 5. I started with the G2, it was a pretty nice phone but I couldn't get used to the size. I operate my phone with one hand most of the time and couldn't secure it well. The actual hardware was nice. I switched to the moto X four days later. I can wholehearted say that I don't miss ANYTHING on the G2. I really do like all the features that Motorola built into the X and Android.
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I too had a LG G2 and returned it for a Moto X on verizon. My main concerns were lesser battery life and camera.... and, a little bit of a concern was the smaller screen size. I too also had rooted and placed CM10.2 on the phone.
My comparisons....
G2 Pros:
1) Screen is slightly nicer/crisper on the G2. Not by much, but it's noticeable to me.
2) Screen size was nice to have... not a deal breaker, but nice to have.
3) More development community.
4) Battery life was AMAZING
5) Camera was very solid
G2 Cons:
1) Back buttons!!!! If the LG G2 had not decided to place the buttons on the back, I would still have that phone.
2) Knock-on feature, while useful, didn't work all the time. So, you have to pick up the device and try and find the damn back buttons to check a notification. Or look like an idiot stabbing a black screen.
3) Slimy back. I felt like this thing would fall out of my hand. Please note, I really don't care what the phone is made of. I've owned the Note 2 and didn't feel the same way as with the G2. G2 was just slick in comparison.
4) cheezy LG UI. Why can't they just do like Motorola and improve camera/knock-on stuff and leave the stock apps to google?!?
Moto X Pros:
1) Form factor and build quality is really fantastic. Feels so good in the hand that the screen size argument vanishes.
2) Sound/speaker quality is noticeably better than any phone I've had. A little strange that I noticed this, but I've seen it mentioned before from others as well.
3) Active notifications are pretty handy, and am quickly getting used to them.
4) Always listening device... verdict still out on this, perhaps a bit gimmicky.
5) Prefect implementation of AOSP. improved in some areas, and left everything else alone! Hence, no needing for new ROMs. Root, yes. But only for Xposed stuff.
Moto X Cons:
1) Battery not up to par with LG G2... but very good. I get a full day and I'm a heavy user.
2) Camera not quite as good compared to the G2... but the sensor is faster...perhaps a tradeoff.
Anyhow, I think the Moto X is a winner. The fact that I had to

Galaxy Nexus to Moto X Anyone?

Thinking of finally parting ways with my Galaxy Nexus. It's slowing down, and I wouldn't mind a new toy. Has anyone here made the same change, thoughts/comparison of the two?
Also do you think with Amazon offering the Moto X for a penny now, people might look to make a quick profit and we could see the Moto X on eBay for $350ish?
You should buy one for sure.
Sent from my KICK ASS Moto X.
Watch the ifixit breakdown on this phone in regards to build quality.
I came from a gnex and the moto x is IMO the next iteration of the gnex. You still have the nice size that fits nicely in hand but you have all the new bells and whistles. My brother in law and I got the gnex on the day it came out and as soon as he played around with my x he went and ordered one. I have no doubt that you will love it
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I had a gnex for a year. Battery life and cell reception was a killer. I've had the X for a few weeks now and love it. It really is the perfect size. Call quality is great, screen is great, battery life is great, active notifications is great, everything is just great. You kinda find yourself in this weird content feeling because there us nothing to complain about ...lol
The phone feels solid too. Hold an s4 in one hand and the x in the other. Big difference.
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I had a gnex. I thought honestly it was not that good a phone. Battery life was awful and the camera sucked for all the concerts I go to. I actually hated it so much I bought a RAZR m on eBay. And now moto x. This is like selling a 10 year old corolla for a new lexus
I made the switch. Nexus was as great phone. This is a light year jump no brainer. Great phone.
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The SINGLE best thing about my N5

Total noob to the Nexus line... owned MANY phones, and just came from iphone 5, then SG3, and this phone absolutely tunes them all. Best phone Ive ever owned, and a customer for life.
Coming from the S3, I have to say... (and the point of this thread is the SINGLE thing you love the most ---- but make it ORIGINAL... see my example)
The SINGLE best thing about my N5, is that my screen doesn't come on after I receiver EVERY. SINGLE. SMS. It was quite possibly the most annoying and infuriating thing about my S3. drove me nuts from day one. such a useless feature and w the amount of SMS i receive, a total waste of battery.
So... coming from your LAST phone, what's the SINGLE feature you love most?
Soulfly3 said:
Total noob to the Nexus line... owned MANY phones, and just came from iphone 5, then SG3, and this phone absolutely tunes them all. Best phone Ive ever owned, and a customer for life.
Coming from the S3, I have to say... (and the point of this thread is the SINGLE thing you love the most ---- but make it ORIGINAL... see my example)
The SINGLE best thing about my N5, is that my screen doesn't come on after I receiver EVERY. SINGLE. SMS. It was quite possibly the most annoying and infuriating thing about my S3. drove me nuts from day one. such a useless feature and w the amount of SMS i receive, a total waste of battery.
So... coming from your LAST phone, what's the SINGLE feature you love most?
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Comming from an Xperia Play, i love the Performance, nothing out-beats it!
Coming from the cdma Samsung galaxy nexus (Verizon).
I love the battery life and how smooth it runs compared to the gnex.
Coming from the nexus 4 I love how light the phone is and the soft touch in the back, so sexy
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Coming from too many phones to list I like the N5 for its perfectly calibrated super sharp and super bright screen. Of course I like it for many other reasons as well but the display stands out and also stands above the rest
Nexus5
Single feature I like is stock android right out the box and getting updates straight from Google.
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Coming from the Galaxy Nexus (Verizon) I LOVE the battery life of this phone. Amazing.
for me it was the ability to run a true AOSP rom which I couldnt do with my d2spr
not a"cheap" device
the nexus is ok but at $349 it's far from being a "cheap" device
Coming from a Galaxy S4 I love using Vanilla Android with Gravity Box. No bloated skin etc. Love the Nexus line. Definitely sticking with it.
storm007 said:
the nexus is ok but at $349 it's far from being a "cheap" device
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Moto X has a nicer build quality but i was like NAH to its 720P Screen and its badder camera and its lacking of the newest flagship CPU/GPU
the Snapdragon 800
$349 for a top-of-the-line smartphone... sorry breh, that's DIRT CHEAP
storm007 said:
the nexus is ok but at $349 it's far from being a "cheap" device
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How does this have anything to do with this thread? Cheap is a relative term, you're right the nexus really isn't a "cheap" device, its quite good quality. But in comparison to other similar devices it is a VERY low priced device.
My single favorite thing about the N5 specifically is probably the sheer speed and smoothness, its so gratifying to use the phone even for just basis tasks. Most of my other "favorites" about the N5 could probably be applied to the whole nexus line in general.
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Pizza_Dox said:
Comming from an Xperia Play, i love the Performance, nothing out-beats it!
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I would have to agree with Pizza_Dox, we both came from the Xperia PLAY forum. Of course the single best thing about the XP was the dedicated built-in game controller. The N5 is so freaking fast and smooth on everything I throw at it... so Performance... hands down.
Coming from the S4, I love the total lack of Touchwiz and all that Knox nonsense.
Coming from the xperia play as well I love the screen size/look if this phone. The xperia play was 4 inches and I have giant hands. It made the game pad awkward to use. The screen also was pretty low quality I think it was 480p. This one blows it away.
I know it's only one thing but I gotta say a second one. It's nice to have the newest android version. On the play I was constantly flashing Roms because of being stick on ginger bread
Also the thin size of this. Lol too many good things for me to pick just one
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Coming from N4
lots of things but if it has to be only one
SCREEN. marvelous. crystal clear and has far better colors to my eye.
Comin from a Galaxy ace I love the performance !
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-Snapdragon 800!
-Being able to say I own a 'Nexus', sounds awesome doesn't it! Lol.
Google has done a superb job IMO.
Came from n4 and probably the snapdragon 800 + bigger screen and better camera over the n4. Everything else is just a plus

Thoughts from those of you who switched from a Nexus 5. Is it a good upgrade?

I have had the N5 since last November and I love the phone but it looks like Google will not be releasing a phone with this screen size anytime soon. Would like the features that the Moto X has with regards to waking the phone and a few other tweaks that they do.
I have a code from cyber Monday so it would cost $400 today, which is a great price compared to the Nexus 6 and other devices. Do I need a new phone? No, but I would like a new one to play around with for the next year until something better comes along.
The only thing it looks like I would really miss is the wireless charging.
So, for those of you who have come from the N5, was it the right choice?
Thanks
I thought it was going to be mostly a sidegrade with a couple bonus features and it ended up feeling like a reasonable UPgrade. The build is far nicer and more robust feeling, the curved glass on front that wraps around the edges feels infinetly nicer on your face. The moto display is just as awesome as I thought it would be, battery life is much better. The speaker for ringing/media is WORLDS AND WORLDS better, louder, clearer, deeper.
I think its well worth it, add to that, I sold my 5 for $260 (16GB black)
The camera is barely an improvement. Everything else is a pretty significant improvement here even though the specs dont show much, go ahead, it will be money well spent! The nexus 6 is just too big and too expensive!
I have both. The N5 is still an amazing phone but the Moto X is in a class all its own. It's a definite upgrade and well worth every penny, ESPECIALLY with the cyber Monday discount.
Sent from my iPhone 6 using Tapatalk
I traded my wifes N5 for a Moto X 2014 and i think it is a substantial upgrade. I benchmarked it even though it is an att phone with all of the att bloat and it still did 44000 antutu, whereas my N5 best score fully rom'd and custom kernel and everything only got 41750. I know some people think benchmarks are useless, but i like seeing higher scores from phones that have better specs.
I honestly think the camera on the x is not as good. I miss hdr+ and think the ois on the nexus is better, despite being a lower mp. The moto does feel better in hand to me and i didnt know how much i would love the dimple on the back. Its great to have to stabilize the phone with one hand.
Overall, the price is right, you can sell your N5 (i sold my n5 for $250 locally), and you are more up to date with the new phones out there.
Just my opinion.
Nick
I was hoping the camera would be just as good or a little better than on the N5, one person says that it is and another says it is not. Of course I know this is all subjective and I will be the only person who can determine this. I wish the camera was definitely better and not so close in quality.
Looks like I am just going to go ahead and order the Moto X, I will keep the N5 for a little bit just in case I don't like it and then I will try and sell it.
Raistlin1 said:
I was hoping the camera would be just as good or a little better than on the N5, one person says that it is and another says it is not. Of course I know this is all subjective and I will be the only person who can determine this. I wish the camera was definitely better and not so close in quality.
Looks like I am just going to go ahead and order the Moto X, I will keep the N5 for a little bit just in case I don't like it and then I will try and sell it.
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I honestly feel like the Nexus 5 is a bit snappier plus the camera on my Moto x doesn't seem to focus easily. I still think it's worth the upgrade though due to the build quality and the extras like active display etc. I always felt like I was going to break my nexus 5 at any moment
I remember I used to love the AMOLED display on my old Moto x but I'm having a little trouble getting used to it again. I know that's just temporary though and eventually it will be vice versa. Just some things to consider though
bobloblawsum said:
I honestly feel like the Nexus 5 is a bit snappier plus the camera on my Moto x doesn't seem to focus easily. I still think it's worth the upgrade though due to the build quality and the extras like active display etc. I always felt like I was going to break my nexus 5 at any moment
I remember I used to love the AMOLED display on my old Moto x but I'm having a little trouble getting used to it again. I know that's just temporary though and eventually it will be vice versa. Just some things to consider though
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There is no way the N5 is snappier than the Moto X. I use both phones daily and when side by side the Moto X is noticeably faster and more responsive than the N5. I'm running stock KitKat on both devices.
I do agree that the camera on the Moto X leaves a bit to be desired but for my needs it's just fine. I do think it is a little better than the N5's camera but not by much. Both cameras are capable of producing some really nice shots, it just seems that conditions have to be just right in order to do so.
And yeah, the screen does take some getting used to. Both my N5 and my iPhone 6 have near perfect color calibration so whenever I pick up the Moto X it always looks excessively warm to me. But I'm using CF.Lumen to fix it so mine is a LOT better now. The Moto X does have waaaay better viewing angles than the N5 though so it's a trade off.
Sent from my iPhone 6 using Tapatalk
I was very torn about spending the money but made a very last minute decision to buy the moto x last night before the coupon expired. It is going to be a fairly expensive toy/experiment to play around with at first to see if I like it better than the N5, but I am looking forward to it. I figure I can sell either one to make some money back in the end.
I also decided to get it engraved with "pure X moto", I may regret this later but I liked it at the time. doh!
Raistlin1 said:
I was very torn about spending the money but made a very last minute decision to buy the moto x last night before the coupon expired. It is going to be a fairly expensive toy/experiment to play around with at first to see if I like it better than the N5, but I am looking forward to it. I figure I can sell either one to make some money back in the end.
I also decided to get it engraved with "pure X moto", I may regret this later but I liked it at the time. doh!
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If you can afford it, I'd hang on to both phones, that's what I'm doing. I feel like the N5 is going to be a highly coveted phone a couple years from now, it's easily the best Nexus phone so far (yes, even better than the N6 IMO). Plus, if you are a fan of flashing custom ROMs and the like, you'll need the N5 for that because it's highly unlikely that the X will see much development.
Sent from my iPhone 6 using Tapatalk
_MetalHead_ said:
There is no way the N5 is snappier than the Moto X. I use both phones daily and when side by side the Moto X is noticeably faster and more responsive than the N5. I'm running stock KitKat on both devices.
I do agree that the camera on the Moto X leaves a bit to be desired but for my needs it's just fine. I do think it is a little better than the N5's camera but not by much. Both cameras are capable of producing some really nice shots, it just seems that conditions have to be just right in order to do so.
And yeah, the screen does take some getting used to. Both my N5 and my iPhone 6 have near perfect color calibration so whenever I pick up the Moto X it always looks excessively warm to me. But I'm using CF.Lumen to fix it so mine is a LOT better now. The Moto X does have waaaay better viewing angles than the N5 though so it's a trade off.
Sent from my iPhone 6 using Tapatalk
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Very true, the Moto X is easily the snappier of the two, and is probably the snappiest phone on the market right now. The problem with the camera seems to be with the focus, especially with a foreground and a background subject or macro shots, it struggles to focus correctly. I'm still hoping Motorola to bring some sort of worthy software upgrade to the camera now that lollipop allows more control over the camera hardware. With flash though, the Moto X does seem to perform better than the N5 almost every time. Overall, it seems to be on par with the N5 or a little bit better than the N5, but yes, we all wish that the camera was a little more better!
_MetalHead_ said:
There is no way the N5 is snappier than the Moto X. I use both phones daily and when side by side the Moto X is noticeably faster and more responsive than the N5. I'm running stock KitKat on both devices.
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Click to collapse
I still have my Nexus 5 and use it from time to time, there is definitely some noticeable stuttering in some apps that I've never experienced on the Nexus 5. I know certain apps are a bad comparison, the Facebook app for example, however I still have never experienced any lag, ever on the Nexus.
Nexus 5 has the stock lollipop image and my Moto was updated to lollipop immediately after powering it on. Maybe it's due to the OTA update
I love the new moto x. Just got it a couple weeks ago to replace my 5 and it's better in every way. I've always had nexus phones and shunned away from other customised android phones but the features Motorola adds in are actually useful and have a real world use unlike all the crap on galaxy phoned.
i prefer the moto x display, but the dev is literally nonexistent.
I switched from the Nexus 5 to the Moto X 2014 because Google ended up refunding me the cost of the Nexus 5 due to a defect under warranty. I posted my thoughts about the two on another forum and updated them below after having the Moto X for a week.
Build Quality
Overall, it feels more solid than the Nexus 5, not that the Nexus 5 was a poorly made phone. Both are fine here but I would give the edge to the Moto X. I got the royal blue back, and I will say that it's more slippery than my black Nexus 5, but not as slippery as my wife's white Nexus 5. I definitely prefer the soft touch of the black Nexus 5 though, as I really feel like I need to hold on to my phone.
Screen
I'd say it's a wash. You're basically looking at a middle of the road AMOLED screen vs a middle of the road LCD, with all the benefits and issues of each. Moto X has better blacks, brighter colors, no backlight bleed (since there's no backlight). But it has slightly pink whites unless you turn the brightness up. The Nexus 5 has more pure whites and gets a little brighter, plus you won't have to worry about burn-in.
Sound
Moto X is the clear winner here. Ignoring front vs bottom firing, the Moto X speaker is much louder and clearer than the Nexus 5. Headphone quality is about the same, though the Moto X response is lacking a bit in the sub-bass frequencies. I have the Sennheiser Momentum In-Ear and the ATH-M50, and the bass lacks some impact when using my Moto X headphone jack vs the Nexus 5. The Moto X headphone output also has more noticeable hiss than the Nexus 5.
Performance
Basically the same.
Camera
I don't think either of them have a great camera... but I also don't think the Note 4 has a great camera and that was rated as one of the best cameras on a phone. They just can't compare to even a cheap point and shoot. The lack of OIS is noticeable in low light though, especially when I was trying to take pictures of my Christmas lights. Neither camera took a great photo but the Nexus 5 was more acceptable.
Software
Again, very similar here. I like some of the Motorola tweaks but I don't make frequent use of many of them. Always listening is a neat gimmick but I don't find myself using it often "in real life." Active Display isn't that much of an improvement over a notification LED in my mind, but Approach triggering it is nice. "Sleeping" mode is a nice improvement over the complete lack thereof in KitKat but Lollipop implemented "Downtime" so it's not a killer feature. Only real annoyance so far is that Moto Display constantly triggers in my car even if I disable the Approach functionality.
Battery Life
Battery life is a wash. The Moto X gets better screen on time if I am actively using it, but the Nexus 5 seems to have better idle time.
Overall
I'm not really sure which I prefer. The better loudspeaker on the Moto X is a huge upgrade, but it's unfortunate that the headphone output isn't as good. The screens are about the same, though I do like the slightly bigger size of the Moto X. It's also unfortunate that the Moto X is not using soft touch plastic for its colors, despite saying that it has a "soft finish."
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bobloblawsum said:
I still have my Nexus 5 and use it from time to time, there is definitely some noticeable stuttering in some apps that I've never experienced on the Nexus 5. I know certain apps are a bad comparison, the Facebook app for example, however I still have never experienced any lag, ever on the Nexus.
Nexus 5 has the stock lollipop image and my Moto was updated to lollipop immediately after powering it on. Maybe it's due to the OTA update
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Click to collapse
Yeah, the N5 is completely lag and stutter free, there's no arguing that. But so is my Moto X, I've never noticed a single stutter. Maybe in FB, but it's no worse than the N5, and in my experience it's better. The N5 is a ridiculously smooth device, but side by side with my X, the X is smoother yet. One thing I find hilarious is how so many people dislike Android because it's not as smooth as the iPhone, but I own an iPhone 6 (typing on it now) and both the N5 and Moto X are actually smoother (at least in the UI) than the iPhone 6 is. It's quite remarkable, really. Both are amazing devices, and that's why I'll never sell my N5, and I'll likely hang on to my Moto X forever as well.
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I bought the N5 on launch day last year and loved it. I got bored with it around august and went with a G3. The G3 was great at first because it was new, but as the days went on, I couldn't stand the lag and the LG skin. So my dilemma was do I wait for a nexus 6, go back to the nexus 5 or try something new?
I started seeing all this hype over the moto X and I figured, "what the hell" and I ordered it. Best damn phone I've ever owned. Yes, there are some draw backs, like the camera (it's not bad, just no where near the G3), but overall, the look, the feel, the solidness, the pure android experience with moto add-ons (not moto trying to re-invent the wheel) and battery life make this phone awesome. I get double the SOT of my N5 and the same as the G3. Moto's voice assist is great and active display is second to none.
Well worth it.
_MetalHead_ said:
Yeah, the N5 is completely lag and stutter free, there's no arguing that. But so is my Moto X, I've never noticed a single stutter. Maybe in FB, but it's no worse than the N5, and in my experience it's better. The N5 is a ridiculously smooth device, but side by side with my X, the X is smoother yet. One thing I find hilarious is how so many people dislike Android because it's not as smooth as the iPhone, but I own an iPhone 6 (typing on it now) and both the N5 and Moto X are actually smoother (at least in the UI) than the iPhone 6 is. It's quite remarkable, really. Both are amazing devices, and that's why I'll never sell my N5, and I'll likely hang on to my Moto X forever as well.
Sent from my iPhone 6 using Tapatalk
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You have convinced me to do a factory reset on my moto x. Sounds like I might be having some issues from the 5.0 update
bobloblawsum said:
You have convinced me to do a factory reset on my moto x. Sounds like I might be having some issues from the 5.0 update
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I have no experience with 5.0 on the X, but I do with the N5... I'm not a fan. That's why I'm still running KK on both devices. Lollipop has just too many issues for me.
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Thanks for all the input, I appreciate it!
I have the Moto X on order and now the waiting begins, I guess I should have skipped the engraving...
Got a pure edition with slate back, black front and silver metallic accents and for the engraving: pure X moto
And I also ordered the Gelli case since I was able to get 30% off accessories with the cyber Monday coupon code.

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