Engadget
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Engadget Review
Moto X review (2014): from also-ran to amazing in one year
Summary
The 2014 Moto X is a huge step forward from last year's model, and it's finally equipped to compete with a sea of strong competitors. With an impressive (not to mention customizable) design and some thoughtful software features, this is the flagship phone that Motorola should have made in the first place.
Pros
- Runs near-stock Android
- Motorola's additional features are smart and useful
- Snappy performance
- Thoughtful, comfortable design
- Lots of customization options
Cons
- Cameras are average at best and frustrating at worst
- Unremarkable battery life
- Some carrier bloatware
I'll be honest with you: When the first Moto X came out last year, some early apprehension soon gave way to unwavering fondness. It wasn't because of the sheer horsepower (there wasn't much of it) or a stunner of a screen (it was fine, at best). No, it was because the Moto X smacked of pluck. You could customize it to hell and back. It tried to improve on stock Android with software features that were actually quite useful. And the icing on the cake? It was a pure joy to hold. Motorola -- a company that basically jump-started the premium Android phone movement with the Droid before getting lost in an endless loop of modest annual upgrades -- seemed to have a pulse again. So here we are, one year later, and the X has finally gotten an upgrade to match the rest of the mobile big boys. Is it enough to make the new X a winner? Is Motorola really back? Read on, dear friends, and we'll see.
