What's good
- Customizable design through Moto Maker
- Connects to 14 different LTE bands
- Excellent camera quality in outdoors lighting
- Very crisp display
What's bad
- Some slowdown when navigating homepage and playing 3D games
- Mixed photo quality in low light settings
- Missing vibrancy and deep blacks of AMOLED displays
- Horrible battery life
The Moto X Style, known in the US as the Moto X Pure, is Motorola's third iteration in its Moto X flagship lineup. The original Moto X impressed reviewers with its sleek design and Android experience, but does the Moto X Style live up to its predecessors? For most, the answer is yes. One of the biggest selling points of the Moto X Style is its price and ability to connect to 14 different LTE bands. Rather than purchase from a carrier, you order directly from Motorola's site. From there you can use the Moto Maker to customize the phone as much as you like. While you can customize the basic look of the phone, the actual build is similar to the second-gen Moto X. Motorola has taken a "if it ain't broke don't fix it" stance with the design. For some, the phone was comfortable, but for others they found that despite the ergonomically sloped back it was still a bit awkward and difficult to use one-handed. Still, they admit that the comfort depends on hand size so those with larger hands might find it more comfortable than those with smaller ones.
Adorning the front of the phone is a 5.7-inch quad HD (1,440 x 2,560 pixels) LCD display. With a pixel density of 520 pixels per inch, reviewers had no issues with fuzziness or blurriness of text, icons or images. They were a bit disappointed with the move to LCD, however. Although they admit their complaints are more of nit-pick, they found blacks were not very deep and colors not as vibrant as AMOLED displays. The Verge sums it up by saying, "…it's not eye-popping or class leading by any stretch…it doesn't encourage you to stare at it and appreciate its beauty." On the plus side, experts were able to easily view the screen in sunlight as the maximum brightness level was quite bright. On the opposite end, the minimum brightness was also dim, making it much easier for them to avoid eye strain when using their device in the dark.
The Moto X Style comes equipped with a 1.8GHz hexa-core (6-core) processor and 3GB of RAM. When compared to flagship phones of its competitors, critics did notice the Moto X Style was slightly slower even when swiping through the homepage. The lack of power became more noticeable when they played more graphics heavy tasks like 3D games. Still, they note that while it isn't as fast as the likes of the Note 5 or OnePlus 2, it was fast enough for most consumers for years to come. The battery life was the biggest disappointment in terms of internal hardware. While Motorola boasted the 3,000mAh battery would last a full day, most critics were barely able to eke that out with moderate usage with it lasting a little over 5 hours during battery draining tests. Unfortunately the battery is also non-removable so you cannot simply swap out a freshly charged one. With that said, the X Style does come with quick-charging technology and critics were able to get the battery fully charged in less than an hour.
One of the biggest upgrades Motorola made to the X Style is its camera. Rather than a 13MP main camera, it sports a 21MP camera. It also bumped the lens to an f/2.0 aperture, which basically means it captures more light even in low light situations. When put to the test, reviewers were able to get nicely detailed and accurately colored photos in daylight situations. Droid-life notes, "In outdoor situations, this camera might be the best I have ever used" though they add low-light settings often produced mixed results. Other experts had similar results, but overall had few complaints regarding the quality of photos and ease of use.
Although it might be a bit slower than other flagship phones, reviewers fully stand behind the Moto X Style. Bright Hand states, "We like just about everything about it. It's 'just right,' a basic but exception Android smartphone." CNET adds, "All in all, [it's] a reliable and quality-built device…"
What the Critics Are Saying...
- Justin Herrick, Talk AndroidMotorola’s Moto X Pure Edition is the perfect phone for you as long as you’re not seeking a flashy package. If you’re seeking something off-contract and high-end, the Moto X Pure Edition has to be the choice.
- Dan Gardiner, APCYou get a device that’s blazing fast for general OS tasks and things like switching between apps — like the Nexuses, the Moto X Style really does showcase Android at its best.
- Carly Page, The InquirerIf it wasn't for the Moto X Style's disappointing battery life, it would be near impossible to criticise. At £399, the handset is £150 cheaper than many of its big name rivals, including the Galaxy S6 Edge and iPhone 6S, yet managed to compete with these devices when it comes to screen q...
- Daniel Schmidt, NotebookcheckWith Motorola's Moto X Style, the buyer opts for a good smartphone that we can recommend despite minor shortcomings. The device is pleasant to hold despite its size, and can be personalized like no other. The high-resolution screen convinces with its color accuracy, but shows weaknesses in sunlight....
- Prasid Banerjee, DigitThe Moto X Style can be considered as the big screen alternative to the Nexus 5X, given there similar pricing. That said, the phone provides lesser performance and battery life, which means that the Nexus is the better choice, unless you want a bigger display.
Prices (Where to Buy)
Common Questions
We've got you covered! Download a free PDF copy of the Motorola Moto X Style user manual here.
Motorola backs up the Moto X Style with a 1 Year parts & labour warranty.
If your Moto X Style has problems and is still within its warranty period, you could contact Motorola support or the retailer you purchased the phone from. You'll find Motorola's contact information here. If your phone is off warranty and needs repair for a physical problem such as a broken screen or bad battery, you should visit an authorized service centre or a local phone repair shop. You can also connect with others in The Informr Community Forum to find and share answers to questions.
Ask the Community
Resources
Manuals / User Guides Helpful Links Share / Embed
Maybe one of your friends will find this review helpful? Please help us spread the word.
