Motorola has been in the smartphone game for quite some time, initially becoming particularly notorious for its DROID line. They also made a slew of other Android smartphones like the Motorola Photon, Motorola Charm, Motorola Atrix, among others. Somewhere along the line, Motorola seemingly dropped off the face of the earth when it came to making smartphones. Then it was announced that Google actually acquired Motorola Mobility. Two years later, Motorola (under Google’s care) resurfaces with the Moto X and Moto G lines of smartphones.
The Moto X had a rocky start, but it had a lot of things going against it. First of all, you had all of the rumors of the alleged “X Phone” swirling around, because when you pair up with a company like Google you’re expected to come out with something better than great. Then, once the actual Moto X was revealed, not only were people disappointed with the specs compared to other Android flagships on the market, but the initial asking price of the device was too much because they were expecting the same amount you would pay for a flagship phone.
So, initially, nobody really cared about the Moto X. Over the coming months, though, these problems would be addressed. The Moto X was later much more appropriately priced (even full price), and the introduction of Moto Maker only made the Moto X look like an even sweeter deal. Throw in the reveal of the Moto G and suddenly Motorola has won its way back into our hearts.
2014 marks the second generations of both the Moto X and the Moto G, and both phones are popular choices among users now that all of the initial kinks have been worked out. However, another Motorola device has also been thrown into the mix - the Nexus 6. Taking the Moto G out of the equation at this point, if you’re somebody who has been interested in a Motorola smartphone this year, you have a couple of big options to choose from. Both the Moto X and the Nexus 6 are extremely popular devices for different reasons.
When you’re initially comparing the Moto X to the Nexus 6, you’ll find that the Nexus 6 is undoubtedly the more powerful option with a bigger battery, better processor, more RAM and a bigger (not to mention better) display. You also have what makes the Nexus line so appealing in the first place - completely stock Android and direct updates straight from Google.
The Nexus 6 is somewhat unconventional when it comes to what many expected to see from a Nexus phone, especially in terms of price, but I’ve mentioned in articles before that I actually thought the Nexus 6’s price was pretty justified. This is the first year that the Nexus was really worthy of the “flagship” title, so you can’t really argue with Google’s decision to go with a flagship price. The Nexus 5 cut it close, but there were arguably a couple of features holding it back. At the end of the day, the Nexus 6 is a pretty beast phone overall.
However, the Moto X has certain perks of its own worth mentioning. While stock Android is particularly important to many Nexus users, you might find that Motorola’s own UI with the Moto X isn’t all that different from stock Android. You have a few Motorola-centric features (and perhaps some carrier apps as well, if you get a carrier-specific model) but overall the look and feel of the Moto X’s UI is largely described as being as close to stock Android as you can get without actually being stock.
I’ll also mention (and this is purely my opinion on the subject) that I felt that Motorola’s features on the Moto X were some of the most useful features I’ve ever used. Active Display, Touchless Controls, Motorola Connect and Motorola Assist were all features that I used on a consistent basis. I can’t say the same for any other Android phone I had ever used before that.
You also have access to Moto Maker with the Moto X, where you can customize certain aspects of the design of your Moto X. You can change base colors, trim colors, or even the material the back is made out of with either a wooden or leather material - that’s pretty neat.
At the end of the day, you’re faced with two great phones made by the same manufacturer. You’re also faced with a glaring price difference between the two, with the Nexus 6 being sold for $649 without contract and the Moto X for sale at just $399 full price (or $99 with a 2-year contract). So which one do you go with? Do you go with the larger, more powerful device, or do you go with the more affordable option with customization options? Which one ultimately seems like a better deal to you? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!