Motorola Moto X (2nd Gen)

“Motorola's second-generation Moto X is a successful and consistent development of its precursor. The upscale configuration clearly places it in the premium range, although it lacks technical superlatives. The smartphone more convinces with its flexible design options, even if we miss the last bit of precision in the build. Besides that, there is currently no contender that uses such an elaborate speech control or the possibilities of touch-less use in a smartphone. We really like that, although there is still some room for improvement. Alongside the update guarantee, we find these useful features worthy of an upgrade.There is still improvement potential in the screen's brightness. Although the battery life benefits from that, the manufacturer could counter this with a bigger battery. The installed battery is comparatively small. The buyer should also expect to find a headset among the accessories for a smartphone that costs over 500 Euros (~$638). Besides that, the available storage is very tight. We painfully miss a micro-SD slot here.”

“This year's Moto X addresses many of the hardware shortcoming its predecessor had and brings unparalleled fit and finish to its price range. The newcomer is easily among the nicest Android flagships to hold and operate. Its tactility and overall ergonomics are second to none, especially considering its substantial 5.2 display.The range of customization options has gotten even better than last year's groundbreaking set. Our smartphone is probably among the objects we interact with the most on a daily basis, so being able to have it in a color and finish of your choosing is truly amazing. Good design and quality materials become increasingly more common these days, so the added individualism the Moto X offers really goes a long way.We were pleased with the hardware of the new Moto X and its overall performance. Unlike last year's iteration that left us asking for more screen real estate and chipset oomph, the setup of this year's model will surely appeal to even the most demanding Android users.”

“Motorola has fallen back a bit in the public eye compared with its Droid and RAZR glory days. This shrewdly updated, beautiful Moto X is a more-than-welcome return to form. The LG G3, our other top Android pick on AT&T is a killer competitor, thanks to its 1,440p display, memory card slot, removable battery, and useful UI and camera enhancements. But the Motorola Moto X counters with exceptional voice and build quality, myriad hardware customization options, and superior voice control software. Plus, it has the most appeal to stock Android fans, both in the interface and the fact that this phone will get Android L more quickly than other handsets. AT&T has a slew of large, top-end devices available, and if the rumors prove true, Apple's even getting in on the game.”

“The new Moto X costs $99 with a two-year contract and $499 unlocked. This price is not drastically lower than what you'd pay for a flagship from Samsung, HTC, or LG, nor is it as low as what you'll pay for an unlocked first-generation Moto X ($349, as of this writing). But it's a nice reversal of the situation last year, where the Moto X was cheaper on paper than its price tag implied. Motorola will now give you a nice, high-end Android flagship with all the trimmings for less than its competitors.We're sure that Motorola is going to continue selling way more Moto Gs and Moto Es than it will Moto Xs, just because the high-end phone market is saturated with competitors, and it's hard for any individual phone from anyone other than Samsung or Apple to make much of a dent. But having a solid flagship is a good way to win early adopters and technology enthusiasts to your side, and those kinds of people are the ones who are the most likely to evangelize on your behalf. The Moto X is an important halo model, and it's great to see Motorola treating it that way.If we have one major criticism, it's that the new Moto X just doesn't feel as good to hold as the old one did. It doesn't feel bad—the contours and curves see to that—but the original Moto X crammed a 4.7-inch display into a phone that felt much smaller than that. It was unique in a field where most OEMs seem to have settled on five inches as a reasonably average screen size. Large-screened phones are undeniably popular, so it probably makes better business sense for Motorola to go with the flow. Still, we can't help but feel a little wistful when we pick up the original Moto X.”