Hacked By Badc0de
May 10, 2013
0
Moto X 2nd Gen Now With Expanded Storage
Motorola seems to have come back with a vengeance to the market with its Moto G and Moto X smashing all records and becoming forerunners in the smartphone race. Recently, the company launched the second generation models of the two handsets. However, the limitations in in-built memory were disappointing for both parties. Taking into account customer feedback, Motorola has come up with the new 64GB Moto X Pure Edition which would sort out storage problems for all.
The pure edition of the smartphone is the unlocked version which has been made available in the US. It costs USB 100 more compared to the 32GB variant, which makes it roughly Rs 37,900. The new 64GB Moto X Pure Edition with a wooden or leather rear panel shall cost around Rs. 39,500/-. The latest handset from the company was announced on Twitter with the tweet “new 64GB Moto X Pure Edition”.
The Motorola Moto X 2nd generation used to be available in the 16GB and 32GB variations worldwide while the inbuilt storage of 64GB is available only in the Moto X unlocked version for now. Those who have wanted the phone but did not buy it because of limited storage can now get it. Even though the in-built storage has been expanded for the phone, no MicroSD card slot has been included which means you cannot expand the storage. The second generation Moto X has been crafted well and feels quite slick. The frontal panel glass seems to float to the edges of the device and is protected by a narrow strip of plastic on the corners and sides only where most big phones use metal strips for protection. It is a little concerning to think how the phone would perform when it is dropped on a corner. The company has opted for a metal body this time which looks great where it has been exposed.
Specifications of the Handsets
There is hardly any mistake that you can commit with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 system-on-chip that integrates 4 processor cores that clock a speed of 2.5GHz each and a graphics unit of Adreno 330. Motorola has included a touch of its own by using dedicated hardware for controlling motion detection and vocal recognition. The specialised processors powered Motorola’s unique software settings and aid to minimize battery life’s impact by allowing the handset’s hardware to stay asleep when they work.
The built in space is now offered with 16GB, 32GB and the new 64GB Moto X Pure Edition while the RAM is 2GB. The screen resolution of the handset has been upgraded to 1080p from a 720p one and the screen size has also been increased from 4.7″ to 5.2″. Most of the flagship handsets of today are similar in terms of size of screen and Motorola is no different. Every other aspect of the phone is consistent with Google’s and Motorola’s vision of a stress free and simple Android handset. Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi accessibility support along with NFC has been provided on the phone. The camera has been given a boost of 13MP which can now take care of 4K video recording too. The regular sensors that should be there have been included along with the IR motion sensors.
The charger for the handset has been given an interesting twist with twin USB powering outlets which allow you to charge the Moto X along with other devices. This is very useful especially with those who own multiple devices or travel frequently.
Software
The company’s staunch support of the stock version of Android continues with this handset. Most would be happy with the absence of a skin. The company has embedded its unique functionality within it but none of the icons have been rearranged or changed on the home screens for a different look. The new handset works on Android 4.4.4. The only aspect of the phone that may intrigue you is the prompter on the search field in Google that encourages giving out phone based instructions aloud. One of the tricks that Motorola employs is listening passively so that the Moto X searches and voice instructions can be given out without actually touching the screen for starting up voice recognition.
Performance
The Moto X has one of the best specs and its performance is quite good. There is hardly any complaint regarding responsiveness. As a matter of fact, the automatic detection of gestures is a little too fast for response and you must be careful about choosing voice command triggers which aren’t a part of common patterns of speech. It looks very good in terms of value of money for just performance of application and shall thus be a great gaming choice. HD videos played back did not pose a problem but the built in speaker sound was very scratchy and thin. The quality of calls was fantastic. The only complaint would be the serrated metal bar texture on the earpiece which irritates the ears.
The camera of the phone may be a little disappointing. A downside of the stock Android is the barebones application compared to what its competitors offer. Not too many alternatives can be downloaded from Google Play if you want something which offers effects and tricks and handles easily. The autofocus is also a little inaccurate and slow. For close up shots, it works well in great light and works well for casual purposes. The flash is quite remarkable and does not blow out close by subjects for focusing on the back. The phone’s low light performance without flash is quite poor. The battery life is much on the higher side and you can get 9 hours and 36 minutes of juice by continuously running it. With heavy usage, the battery will last around a day. No significant drain is caused by gesture, voice or ordinary usage even though they may become apparent over a longer usage period.
Verdict
Many people were in love with the Moto X and disappointed that a new model in the same price and class is not available any more. The company has upped the ante but has left a void where the Moto X first generation clearly ruled. With the new storage capacity, it is only normal to expect that its flagship models are inching towards Samsung or LG ones.
