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Motorola Moto X Style Smartphone Review

Just your style. The Moto X Style is the flagship of Lenovo's American subsidiary, and can be customized even more than its sister models. It also sports stronger hardware and a better camera. Its 5.7-inch screen makes it quite bulky. Despite all that, there is still room for improvement.

For the original German review, see here.

Following the Moto X Play, a smartphone of the upper mid-range, Motorola tops that and offers the Moto X Style (aka Moto X Pure Edition) that is to be seen as the Moto X's successor. However, the buyer does not get real high-end since the review sample is powered by a Snapdragon 808. The manufacturer apparently wanted to circumvent thermal issues of the 810, just like LG.

On the other hand, the Moto X Style has a comparatively low price starting at 499 Euros (RRP, ~$535). A wooden or leather back costs 20 Euros (~$21) extra. Doubling the internal storage to 64 GB adds 45 Euros (~$48) to the price, making up to 564 Euros (~$605) possible. Our review sample is the lowest priced model.

The Moto X Style pursues the trend of increasingly bigger screens, and has an impressive diagonal of 5.7 inches. Not many of these giants are found in the premium range yet. Besides Samsung's Galaxy S6 edge+, particularly the upcoming Microsoft Lumia 950 XL has to be mentioned. Otherwise, rivals like LG's G4OnePlus' 2Apple's iPhone 6s Plus or Huawei's Mate S are usually a bit smaller at 5.5 inches.

Motorola Moto X Style (Moto Series)
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 MSM8992 6 x 2 GHz, Cortex-A53/A57
Graphics adapter
Memory
3 GB 
, LPDDR3
Display
5.70 inch 16:9, 2560 x 1440 pixel, capacitive touchscreen, 10 multi-touch points, IPS, glossy: yes
Storage
32 GB eMMC Flash, 32 GB 
, 24.06 GB free
Connections
1 USB 2.0, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm headphone and microphone combo jack, Card Reader: micro SD max. 128 GB (SD, SDHC, SDXC), Sensors: ambient light sensor, proximity sensor, rotation, position and G sensors, digital compass, GPS, Glonass, NFC
Networking
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.1 LE, GSM/GPRS/EDGE (850, 900, 1800 and 1900 MHz), UMTS/HSPA+ (band 1, 2, 4, 5, 8 and 19), LTE Cat. 6 (band 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 17, 20, 25 and 28), head-SAR: 0.392 W/kg, body-SAR: 0.728 W/kg
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 10.6 x 153.9 x 76.2 ( = 0.42 x 6.06 x 3 in)
Battery
Lithium-Ion, 3000 mAh, Turbo Charging, Battery runtime (according to manufacturer): 24 h
Operating System
Android 5.1 Lollipop
Camera
Webcam: 5 MP (f/2.0, 87° wide angle, flash), primary camera: 21 MP (f/2.0, dual-LED flash, Phase Detection AutoFocus, auto HDR, UHD video)
Additional features
Keyboard: virtual, protection case, SIM tool, power supply, quick start guide, Connect, Moto, Migrate, Google apps, 24 Months Warranty
Weight
177 g ( = 6.24 oz / 0.39 pounds), Power Supply: 117 g ( = 4.13 oz / 0.26 pounds)
Price
499 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

The casing design of Motorola's Moto X Style resembles that of the Play. The different design alternatives just cannot be styled as colorfully, and are a bit more conservative. The review sample is quite heavy weighing 177 grams (~6.2 oz). The Galaxy S6 edge+ is 24 grams (~0.9 oz) lighter despite its identical screen size. The Moto X Style does not break any records in terms of height, either. The manufacturer states 7.5 millimeters (~0.3 in) at the edges and up to 10.6 millimeters (~0.42 in) in the tallest part. We even measured as much as 11.1 millimeters (~0.44 in). That is relatively bulky, but the smartphone is nevertheless comfortable to hold. The difference becomes very evident when compared directly with a slim device like the Mate S.

We liked the phablet's build quality. The gaps are narrow and even, and the metal bezel supports the high-quality impression. Only the card slot does not close quite flush with the casing. By the way, it accepts nano-SIM and micro-SD cards. The screen is Corning Glass 3 protected, and the grooved rubber back provides a good grip. A water repelling finish additionally protects the Moto X Style against splashes and rain.

The review sample will completely satisfy individualists. The smartphone's design can be configured quite freely in the Moto Maker. For example, there are three bezel colors to choose from, and the camera and speaker components can be configured. The options of back covers are especially lush. Ten different plastic covers and four wood or leather alternatives are available here.

158.2 mm / 6.23 inch 77.9 mm / 3.07 inch 7.3 mm / 0.2874 inch 192 g0.4233 lbs153.9 mm / 6.06 inch 76.2 mm / 3 inch 10.6 mm / 0.4173 inch 177 g0.3902 lbs151.8 mm / 5.98 inch 74.9 mm / 2.95 inch 9.85 mm / 0.3878 inch 178 g0.3924 lbs154.4 mm / 6.08 inch 75.8 mm / 2.98 inch 6.9 mm / 0.2717 inch 153 g0.3373 lbs148.9 mm / 5.86 inch 76.1 mm / 3 inch 9.8 mm / 0.3858 inch 155 g0.3417 lbs149.89 mm / 5.9 inch 75.35 mm / 2.97 inch 7.2 mm / 0.2835 inch 156 g0.3439 lbs148 mm / 5.83 inch 105 mm / 4.13 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 1.5 g0.00331 lbs

Connectivity

The micro-USB port of Motorola's Moto X Style only meets the 2.0 specifications, and does not support either MHL or Slim Port. However, it is OTG capable, making it possible to connect external storage devices or input devices to the smartphone.

The micro-SD slot supports memory cards with a maximum capacity of 128 GB. Apps can be moved easily to the additional storage providing that they support that. Bluetooth 4.1 and NFC are also installed, and Wi-Fi Direct is supported.

An infrared interface is not on board. Fitness fans will miss Ant+. The manufacturer does not install a fingerprint reader, either.

Left: No controls or interfaces
Left: No controls or interfaces
Upper edge: Card slot, audio
Upper edge: Card slot, audio
Lower edge: USB
Lower edge: USB
Right: Power, volume
Right: Power, volume

Software

Motorola stays on the safe side in terms of operating system, and preloads the pure Google Android 5.1.1 Lollipop without modifications. Proprietary apps are also kept within limits. The Moto app provides central access on the most important settings for smartphone control. For example, it is possible to configure the screen's standby behavior, adapt or personalize voice control, and to discover more about the Moto X Style's motion control. Motorola Connect also adds a Cloud service.

An update to the newest Google Android 6.0 Marshmallow is in the making. However, an exact date has not yet been stated.

Communication & GPS 

Motorola's Moto X Style sports a Wi-Fi module that supports the current IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac standards, and can thus transmit in both the 2.4 and 5.0 GHz frequency. Our review sample's Wi-Fi connection range was good. The connection quality was still decent even at a distance of approximately 15 meters (~49 feet) to the access point (Devolo dLAN 1200+ ac), and websites opened without noteworthy lags.

The smartphone can access Internet on the go via HSPA+ (max. 42 MBit/s downstream) or high-speed LTE Cat. 6 (max. 300 MBit/s). The latter has a broad frequency coverage, and supports all common bands in Central Europe. However, some bands that the Moto does not yet support will be added in the course of network expansion in the next years. That can be tolerated in view of the lack of LTE Cat. 9.

GPS Test: Indoors
GPS Test: Indoors
GPS Test: Outdoors
GPS Test: Outdoors

The Moto X Style uses both GPS and GLONASS satellites for localization. It found satellites even indoors within 15 to 20 seconds. That functioned much faster outdoors. The tracking accuracy was good in both cases.

The smartphone competed with Garmin Edge 500 bike navigation system in the practical test. The Moto did not exactly shine with accuracy here. It was far off track in the area of a railway underpass. Crossing the channel bridge still functioned well, but the device had problems with the subsequent tight pathway. It nevertheless only displayed a difference of 200 meters (~0.1 miles) on a total route of approximately 11 kilometers (~6.8 miles) - a decent outcome.

Garmin Edge 500
Garmin Edge 500
Garmin Edge 500
Garmin Edge 500
Garmin Edge 500
Garmin Edge 500
Motorola Moto X Style
Motorola Moto X Style
Motorola Moto X Style
Motorola Moto X Style
Motorola Moto X Style
Motorola Moto X Style

Telephone & Call Quality

The call quality of our Motorola Moto X Style is really good. We understand our contact very clearly when holding the device to the ear. An audible noise is only heard in quiet moments. We are also clear and static-free at the other end. The speaker also does a good job, and transmits the voice very clearly and loudly. Although it echoes marginally, it is definitely one of the better ones.

Cameras

Front-facing camera shot
Front-facing camera shot

Motorola's Moto X Style sports two light-sensitive cameras. The front-facing unit delivers up to 5 MP (f/2.0, 2592x1944 pixels) and shoots decent photos that are suitable for the one or other selfie. However, noise develops quickly in low-light situations. The front LED can help by retrieving some residual light even in the darkest conditions.

The primary camera with up to 21 megapixels (f/2.0, 5344x4008 pixels) not only offers a higher resolution, but also much better image quality. The range of dynamics is quite decent and the sharpness in the photo's center is also good although it decreases strongly toward the edges. Images even overlap. The Moto X also has major issues with backlight, as can be seen well in Scene 2. The area of the leaves in front of the sky is almost indiscernible and deteriorates to blurry formations. The iPhone 6s Plus and Galaxy S6 edge+ both cope much better with that even without enabled HDR mode.

Low ambient light is not the Moto's strong point. Intense noise becomes visible quite soon, and the photos are comparatively dark. The review sample is sufficient for occasional snapshots but it will not replace a camera.

Videos can be recorded in Full HD or Ultra HD with the Moto X, but only with 30 frames per second in both cases. While that is still standard for UHD, we would have hoped for more frames for Full HD videos. The presented quality is decent, and sufficient for short recordings.

Image Comparison

Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.

Scene 1Scene 2Scene 3

Color Accuracy & Sharpness

Moto X Style: Screenshot of ColorChecker colors. We displayed the original color in the lower half of every patch.
Moto X Style: Screenshot of ColorChecker colors. We displayed the original color in the lower half of every patch.

We took a picture of the X-Rite ColorChecker passport under controlled light conditions to examine the color accuracy of the camera in Motorola's Moto X Style. The lens' automatic mode was enabled for this. The pictures are compared without post-processing, and a subsequent white balance is not performed, either.

The picture already shows that the review sample displays the colors somewhat more intensely. Primarily pictures with blue parts are particularly intensive. The automatic white balance is a bit too warm, which is highly visible in the grayscale levels.

We took a screen-filling picture of our test chart for the sharpness test. The 100 percent image sections are from the objects center, and are quite sharp thanks to the high resolution of the camera in the Moto X Style. However, the outlines look a bit frayed when looking closer. The photo's sharpness decreases gradually towards the edges of the chart, and the outlines fade.

Motorola Moto X Style
Motorola Moto X Style
Honor 7
Honor 7
Apple iPhone 6s Plus
Apple iPhone 6s Plus
OnePlus 2
OnePlus 2
Sony Xperia Z3+
Sony Xperia Z3+

Accessories

Although the included accessories do not disclose surprises, the box is quite heavy. In addition to a tool for removing the card tray, the device is shipped with a big power supply that adds a weight of 117 grams (~4.3 oz), and which is twice as heavy as that of other smartphones. Unfortunately, the cable cannot be removed. We also miss the option of recharging a second device with the power supply, like in the Moto X Play.

Motorola does not yet offer any accessories designed just for the Moto X Style.

Warranty

Motorola includes a 24-month warranty on its product.

Input Devices & Handling

The 5.7-inch, capacitive touchscreen in Motorola's Moto X Style provides plenty of room for inputs. The coated Corning Gorilla Glass 3 surface has very good gliding traits. The touchscreen always responded accurately and was always very sensitive everywhere in the test.

Motorola uses the stock keyboard layout from Google's Android 5.1 with a very straightforward design, but is very suitable for inputting. When preferred, other keyboard apps can be downloaded from the Play Store.

The manufacturer again adds some features to voice control. However, not much has changed here when compared with the Moto X from last year. Voice detection functions very well and reliably.

The volume rocker and power button are easy to tell apart with the finger. Both input controls have a clear pressure point and crisp drop.

Display

Subpixel arrangement
Subpixel arrangement

Motorola relies on a 5.7-inch IPS screen with a lush QHD resolution (2560x1440 pixels, 16:9) for its Moto X Style. That equals a pixel density of approximately 515 PPI despite its large panel, and it is thus razor-sharp. The resolution and size are identical with that of the Galaxy S6 edge+.

The screen's illumination of 92 percent is very homogeneous. The review sample achieves a maximum brightness of 546 cd/m² on a pure white surface in maximum settings. That is quite good. We even measured as much as 613 cd/m² when the sensor was enabled.

However, the measurements using a consistent APL (average picture level) is more significant. We selected an equal distribution of light and dark areas (APL 50) on the screen. The brightness in the screen's center was then only 494 cd/m².

It looks similar with the black level. The device appears to dim its screen slightly on a solid black surface, and reaches 0.55 cd/m². It is 0.74 cd/m² at APL 50. Black is not particularly good in either case, and looks rather gray. The comparatively high black level has a negative effect on the contrast ratio, as well. 815:1 is not bad, but it is far from a top rate. When using the ascertained APL rates for calculation, the Moto X Style only manages 668:1. A weak rate for a high-end product.

517
cd/m²
503
cd/m²
504
cd/m²
546
cd/m²
538
cd/m²
528
cd/m²
536
cd/m²
543
cd/m²
540
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 546 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 528.3 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 92 %
Center on Battery: 538 cd/m²
Contrast: 815:1 (Black: 0.66 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 2.63 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 3.24 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
Gamma: 2.17
Motorola Moto X Style
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+
Mali-T760 MP8, Exynos 7420, 32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
Apple iPhone 6S Plus
A9 / PowerVR GT7600, A9, Apple AP0064K (iPhone NVMe)
Huawei Mate S
Mali-T628 MP4, Kirin 935, 32 GB eMMC Flash
OnePlus 2
Adreno 430, 810 MSM8994, 64 GB eMMC Flash
LG G4
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
Screen
-7%
6%
-53%
5%
-21%
Brightness middle
538
335.7
-38%
583
8%
352
-35%
451
-16%
566
5%
Brightness
528
332
-37%
560
6%
350
-34%
446
-16%
536
2%
Brightness Distribution
92
89
-3%
91
-1%
87
-5%
90
-2%
90
-2%
Black Level *
0.66
0.46
30%
0.3
55%
0.47
29%
Contrast
815
1267
55%
1503
84%
1204
48%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
2.63
2.33
11%
3.55
-35%
4.95
-88%
3.84
-46%
6.17
-135%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
3.24
2.15
34%
3.88
-20%
6.54
-102%
3.97
-23%
6.26
-93%
Gamma
2.17 101%
2.15 102%
2.2 100%
2.27 97%
2.46 89%
2.48 89%
CCT
6906 94%
6184 105%
7280 89%
6943 94%
7283 89%
8171 80%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
59.05
58.07
65.48
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
92.8
90.14
98.63

* ... smaller is better

Motorola's Moto X Style has two different display modes. Both deliver good results in grayscale and color reproduction. Normal Mode is a bit more accurate. That is because the color saturation in Vibrant Mode is marginally stronger. Seen only subjectively, the colors look brilliant and very vibrant. The grayscale shifts are virtually not visible for the naked eye. A minor bluish tint is vaguely perceived at most on very bright surfaces. The mixed color reproduction is also very precise. The color shifts for magenta are visible to a trained eye only in Vibrant Mode.

Grayscale (display mode: vibrant, target color space: sRGB)
Grayscale (display mode: vibrant, target color space: sRGB)
Grayscale (display mode: normal, target color space: sRGB)
Grayscale (display mode: normal, target color space: sRGB)
ColorChecker (display mode: vibrant, target color space: sRGB)
ColorChecker (display mode: vibrant, target color space: sRGB)
ColorChecker (display mode: normal, target color space: sRGB)
ColorChecker (display mode: normal, target color space: sRGB)
Colorspace (display mode: vibrant, target color space: sRGB)
Colorspace (display mode: vibrant, target color space: sRGB)
Colorspace (display mode: normal, target color space: sRGB)
Colorspace (display mode: normal, target color space: sRGB)
Saturation Sweeps (display mode: vibrant, target color space: sRGB)
Saturation Sweeps (display mode: vibrant, target color space: sRGB)
Saturation Sweeps (display mode: intensive, target color space: sRGB)
Saturation Sweeps (display mode: intensive, target color space: sRGB)

The screen of the Moto X Style is quite reflective even under cloudy skies. That is not distracting when looking directly on the screen, but it could slightly impair legibility in somewhat flatter viewing angles.

The smartphone's comparatively weak contrast is most noticed when the sun comes out. The high maximum brightness tries to retrieve as much as possible, but the reproduction remains relatively pale.

Left to right: Galaxy S6 edge+, Moto X Style, iPhone 6s Plus
Left to right: Galaxy S6 edge+, Moto X Style, iPhone 6s Plus
Reflections are annoying even under cloudy skies
Reflections are annoying even under cloudy skies

The viewing angle stability of Motorola's Moto X Style is very good. Even extremely flat viewing angles do not lead to the slightest color deviation, and the brightness hardly decreases. The Zero Gap touchscreen additionally prevents ghosting.

Viewing angle stability: Motorola Moto X Style
Viewing angle stability: Motorola Moto X Style

Performance

With the Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 MSM8992, the Moto X Style uses the same Hexa-core SoC as LG's G4. In contrast to the faster Snapdragon 810, this SoC only has two rather than four of the fast Cortex A57 cores, and it is therefore a bit weaker. It does not produce as much heat in return. 3 GB of working memory and the integrated Adreno 418 graphics unit are also installed.

The review sample's performance is on the expected level, and on par with LG's G4. The Moto X Style only outruns its rivals easily in PCMark for Android, and is only defeated by the ZenPad S 8.0 in our database. Even the Galaxy S6 edge+ is 12 percent slower. The Moto will greatly benefit from its unmodified Android version in this benchmark.

AnTuTu v5 - Total Score (sort by value)
Motorola Moto X Style
52279 Points
Motorola Moto X 2. Gen 2014
43985 Points -16%
LG G4
49941 Points -4%
OnePlus 2
58535 Points +12%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+
67512 Points +29%
Huawei Mate S
47732 Points -9%
Apple iPhone 6S Plus
58869 Points +13%
PCMark for Android - Work performance score (sort by value)
Motorola Moto X Style
5859 Points
LG G4
4579 Points -22%
OnePlus 2
4282 Points -27%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+
5130 Points -12%
Huawei Mate S
4872 Points -17%
Smartbench 2012
Productivity Index (sort by value)
Motorola Moto X Style
8815 points
Motorola Moto X 2. Gen 2014
8386 points -5%
LG G4
8940 points +1%
OnePlus 2
10472 points +19%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+
16793 points +91%
Huawei Mate S
5932 points -33%
Gaming Index (sort by value)
Motorola Moto X Style
3873 points
Motorola Moto X 2. Gen 2014
4496 points +16%
LG G4
4118 points +6%
OnePlus 2
4325 points +12%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+
4566 points +18%
Huawei Mate S
4293 points +11%
Linpack Android / IOS
Single Thread (sort by value)
Motorola Moto X Style
415 MFLOPS
Motorola Moto X 2. Gen 2014
388.1 MFLOPS -6%
LG G4
361.4 MFLOPS -13%
OnePlus 2
630 MFLOPS +52%
Huawei Mate S
129.6 MFLOPS -69%
Apple iPhone 6S Plus
669 MFLOPS +61%
Multi Thread (sort by value)
Motorola Moto X Style
590 MFLOPS
Motorola Moto X 2. Gen 2014
953 MFLOPS +62%
LG G4
507 MFLOPS -14%
OnePlus 2
819 MFLOPS +39%
Huawei Mate S
282.5 MFLOPS -52%
Apple iPhone 6S Plus
1295 MFLOPS +119%
3DMark
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) (sort by value)
Motorola Moto X Style
517 Points
LG G4
513 Points -1%
OnePlus 2
938 Points +81%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+
1253 Points +142%
Huawei Mate S
311 Points -40%
Apple iPhone 6S Plus
2318 Points +348%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Graphics (sort by value)
Motorola Moto X Style
440 Points
LG G4
440 Points 0%
OnePlus 2
846 Points +92%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+
1176 Points +167%
Huawei Mate S
259 Points -41%
Apple iPhone 6S Plus
2601 Points +491%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Physics (sort by value)
Motorola Moto X Style
1345 Points
LG G4
1216 Points -10%
OnePlus 2
1517 Points +13%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+
1627 Points +21%
Huawei Mate S
1051 Points -22%
Apple iPhone 6S Plus
1676 Points +25%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Score (sort by value)
Motorola Moto X Style
19702 Points
Motorola Moto X 2. Gen 2014
19619 Points 0%
LG G4
18821 Points -4%
OnePlus 2
22400 Points +14%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+
23798 Points +21%
Huawei Mate S
9423 Points -52%
Apple iPhone 6S Plus
27795 Points +41%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Graphics Score (sort by value)
Motorola Moto X Style
23321 Points
Motorola Moto X 2. Gen 2014
20806 Points -11%
LG G4
23390 Points 0%
OnePlus 2
31858 Points +37%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+
27549 Points +18%
Huawei Mate S
8931 Points -62%
Apple iPhone 6S Plus
41615 Points +78%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Motorola Moto X Style
12767 Points
Motorola Moto X 2. Gen 2014
16354 Points +28%
LG G4
11178 Points -12%
OnePlus 2
10985 Points -14%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+
16117 Points +26%
Huawei Mate S
11671 Points -9%
Apple iPhone 6S Plus
12854 Points +1%
GFXBench 3.1
on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen (sort by value)
Motorola Moto X Style
5.6 fps
LG G4
5.7 fps +2%
OnePlus 2
19 fps +239%
Huawei Mate S
4.4 fps -21%
Apple iPhone 6S Plus
28 fps +400%
1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen (sort by value)
Motorola Moto X Style
9.9 fps
LG G4
10 fps +1%
OnePlus 2
19 fps +92%
Huawei Mate S
3.9 fps -61%
Apple iPhone 6S Plus
28 fps +183%
BaseMark OS II
Overall (sort by value)
Motorola Moto X Style
1743 Points
Motorola Moto X 2. Gen 2014
1230 Points -29%
LG G4
1596 Points -8%
OnePlus 2
1681 Points -4%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+
1801 Points +3%
Huawei Mate S
1222 Points -30%
Apple iPhone 6S Plus
2206 Points +27%
System (sort by value)
Motorola Moto X Style
2783 Points
Motorola Moto X 2. Gen 2014
1540 Points -45%
LG G4
2368 Points -15%
OnePlus 2
2536 Points -9%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+
3321 Points +19%
Huawei Mate S
2129 Points -23%
Apple iPhone 6S Plus
3925 Points +41%
Memory (sort by value)
Motorola Moto X Style
1776 Points
Motorola Moto X 2. Gen 2014
619 Points -65%
LG G4
1558 Points -12%
OnePlus 2
1297 Points -27%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+
1298 Points -27%
Huawei Mate S
1304 Points -27%
Apple iPhone 6S Plus
1124 Points -37%
Graphics (sort by value)
Motorola Moto X Style
1918 Points
Motorola Moto X 2. Gen 2014
2731 Points +42%
LG G4
1995 Points +4%
OnePlus 2
2631 Points +37%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+
2457 Points +28%
Huawei Mate S
962 Points -50%
Apple iPhone 6S Plus
4299 Points +124%

Legend

 
Motorola Moto X Style Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 MSM8992, Qualcomm Adreno 418, 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
Motorola Moto X 2. Gen 2014 Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 MSM8974AC, Qualcomm Adreno 330, 16 GB eMMC Flash
 
LG G4 Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 MSM8992, Qualcomm Adreno 418, 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
OnePlus 2 Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 MSM8994, Qualcomm Adreno 430, 64 GB eMMC Flash
 
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ Samsung Exynos 7420 Octa, ARM Mali-T760 MP8, 32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
 
Huawei Mate S HiSilicon Kirin 935, ARM Mali-T628 MP4, 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
Apple iPhone 6S Plus Apple A9, Apple A9 / PowerVR GT7600, Apple AP0064K (iPhone NVMe)

Motorola's Moto X Style presents very good browsing performance. Websites are opened quickly, and the benchmarks confirm the positive impression. Only Apple's iPhone 6s Plus recurrently defeats it in the comparison field. The Galaxy S6 edge+ sometimes also has a marginal lead.

Octane V2 - Total Score (sort by value)
Motorola Moto X Style
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
8065 Points
Motorola Moto X 2. Gen 2014
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 16 GB eMMC Flash
5403 Points -33%
LG G4
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
7832 (6791min) Points -3%
OnePlus 2
Adreno 430, 810 MSM8994, 64 GB eMMC Flash
6955 Points -14%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+
Mali-T760 MP8, Exynos 7420, 32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
7724 Points -4%
Huawei Mate S
Mali-T628 MP4, Kirin 935, 32 GB eMMC Flash
4106 Points -49%
Apple iPhone 6S Plus
A9 / PowerVR GT7600, A9, Apple AP0064K (iPhone NVMe)
15967 Points +98%
Sunspider - 1.0 Total Score (sort by value)
Motorola Moto X Style
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
774 ms *
Motorola Moto X 2. Gen 2014
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 16 GB eMMC Flash
777 ms * -0%
LG G4
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
719 ms * +7%
OnePlus 2
Adreno 430, 810 MSM8994, 64 GB eMMC Flash
740 ms * +4%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+
Mali-T760 MP8, Exynos 7420, 32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
689 ms * +11%
Huawei Mate S
Mali-T628 MP4, Kirin 935, 32 GB eMMC Flash
1042 ms * -35%
Apple iPhone 6S Plus
A9 / PowerVR GT7600, A9, Apple AP0064K (iPhone NVMe)
223 ms * +71%
JetStream 1.1 - Total Score (sort by value)
Motorola Moto X Style
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
45 Points
LG G4
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
43.12 Points -4%
OnePlus 2
Adreno 430, 810 MSM8994, 64 GB eMMC Flash
44.29 Points -2%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+
Mali-T760 MP8, Exynos 7420, 32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
48.14 Points +7%
Huawei Mate S
Mali-T628 MP4, Kirin 935, 32 GB eMMC Flash
25.41 Points -44%
Apple iPhone 6S Plus
A9 / PowerVR GT7600, A9, Apple AP0064K (iPhone NVMe)
118.7 Points +164%
WebXPRT 2015 - Overall (sort by value)
Motorola Moto X Style
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
110 Points
LG G4
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
82 Points -25%
OnePlus 2
Adreno 430, 810 MSM8994, 64 GB eMMC Flash
80 Points -27%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+
Mali-T760 MP8, Exynos 7420, 32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
95 Points -14%
Huawei Mate S
Mali-T628 MP4, Kirin 935, 32 GB eMMC Flash
73 Points -34%
Apple iPhone 6S Plus
A9 / PowerVR GT7600, A9, Apple AP0064K (iPhone NVMe)
190 Points +73%
BaseMark OS II - Web (sort by value)
Motorola Moto X Style
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
974 Points
Motorola Moto X 2. Gen 2014
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 16 GB eMMC Flash
880 Points -10%
LG G4
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
881 Points -10%
OnePlus 2
Adreno 430, 810 MSM8994, 64 GB eMMC Flash
923 Points -5%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+
Mali-T760 MP8, Exynos 7420, 32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
993 Points +2%
Huawei Mate S
Mali-T628 MP4, Kirin 935, 32 GB eMMC Flash
834 Points -14%
Apple iPhone 6S Plus
A9 / PowerVR GT7600, A9, Apple AP0064K (iPhone NVMe)
1199 Points +23%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total (sort by value)
Motorola Moto X Style
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
7325 ms *
Motorola Moto X 2. Gen 2014
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 16 GB eMMC Flash
6243 ms * +15%
LG G4
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
4771 ms * +35%
OnePlus 2
Adreno 430, 810 MSM8994, 64 GB eMMC Flash
6585 ms * +10%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+
Mali-T760 MP8, Exynos 7420, 32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
5067 ms * +31%
Huawei Mate S
Mali-T628 MP4, Kirin 935, 32 GB eMMC Flash
11029 ms * -51%
Apple iPhone 6S Plus
A9 / PowerVR GT7600, A9, Apple AP0064K (iPhone NVMe)
1743 ms * +76%

* ... smaller is better

Motorola's Moto X Style has a 32 GB eMMC flash memory, and a 64 GB model is also available. The storage is quite fast, and is particularly convincing in sequential reading and writing of small data blocks. The other rates are also quite decent, but the rivals outbid them. It even outperforms all rivals in Basemark OS II.

The micro-SD slot supports cards up to 128 GB capacity. We tested the speed with the fast Toshiba Exceria SD-CX32UHS1 micro-SD card (max. 95 MB/s read, 60 MB/s write). The Moto achieved up to 87.5 MB/s primarily when reading data, which is very close to the test card's limits. The write rates (38.5 MB/s) were also good.

AndroBench 3-5
Sequential Read 256KB (sort by value)
Motorola Moto X Style
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
246.9 MB/s
Motorola Moto X 2. Gen 2014
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 16 GB eMMC Flash
140.7 MB/s -43%
LG G4
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
251 MB/s +2%
OnePlus 2
Adreno 430, 810 MSM8994, 64 GB eMMC Flash
234.2 MB/s -5%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+
Mali-T760 MP8, Exynos 7420, 32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
383 MB/s +55%
Huawei Mate S
Mali-T628 MP4, Kirin 935, 32 GB eMMC Flash
144 MB/s -42%
Sequential Write 256KB (sort by value)
Motorola Moto X Style
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
46.15 MB/s
Motorola Moto X 2. Gen 2014
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 16 GB eMMC Flash
27.42 MB/s -41%
LG G4
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
153 MB/s +232%
OnePlus 2
Adreno 430, 810 MSM8994, 64 GB eMMC Flash
125.5 MB/s +172%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+
Mali-T760 MP8, Exynos 7420, 32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
151.1 MB/s +227%
Huawei Mate S
Mali-T628 MP4, Kirin 935, 32 GB eMMC Flash
103.4 MB/s +124%
Random Read 4KB (sort by value)
Motorola Moto X Style
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
26.97 MB/s
Motorola Moto X 2. Gen 2014
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 16 GB eMMC Flash
13.49 MB/s -50%
LG G4
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
31.5 MB/s +17%
OnePlus 2
Adreno 430, 810 MSM8994, 64 GB eMMC Flash
21.87 MB/s -19%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+
Mali-T760 MP8, Exynos 7420, 32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
89.9 MB/s +233%
Huawei Mate S
Mali-T628 MP4, Kirin 935, 32 GB eMMC Flash
27.25 MB/s +1%
Random Write 4KB (sort by value)
Motorola Moto X Style
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
31.1 MB/s
Motorola Moto X 2. Gen 2014
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 16 GB eMMC Flash
2.43 MB/s -92%
LG G4
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
15 MB/s -52%
OnePlus 2
Adreno 430, 810 MSM8994, 64 GB eMMC Flash
13.94 MB/s -55%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+
Mali-T760 MP8, Exynos 7420, 32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
20.95 MB/s -33%
Huawei Mate S
Mali-T628 MP4, Kirin 935, 32 GB eMMC Flash
17.74 MB/s -43%
BaseMark OS II - Memory (sort by value)
Motorola Moto X Style
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
1776 Points
Motorola Moto X 2. Gen 2014
Adreno 330, 801 MSM8974AC, 16 GB eMMC Flash
619 Points -65%
LG G4
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
1558 Points -12%
OnePlus 2
Adreno 430, 810 MSM8994, 64 GB eMMC Flash
1297 Points -27%
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+
Mali-T760 MP8, Exynos 7420, 32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
1298 Points -27%
Huawei Mate S
Mali-T628 MP4, Kirin 935, 32 GB eMMC Flash
1304 Points -27%
Apple iPhone 6S Plus
A9 / PowerVR GT7600, A9, Apple AP0064K (iPhone NVMe)
1124 Points -37%

Games

A large screen and stereo speakers are the best preconditions for mobile gaming. The integrated Adreno 418 GPU from Qualcomm provides plenty of power for that purpose. Most games run very smoothly. A rare stutter is only noticed in more demanding games, such as "Asphalt 8", in maximum detail level. The superb touchscreen and impeccably functioning sensors round off gaming fun.

The performance advantage of the Moto X Style over the smaller Moto X Play is noticeable when playing Dead Trigger 2. The Play is not powerful enough when playing on High quality settings.

"Asphalt 8"
"Asphalt 8"
"Angry Birds 2"
"Angry Birds 2"
Dead Trigger 2
 SettingsValue
 high30 fps

Emissions

Temperature

Motorola's Moto X Style presented lightly increased surface temperatures in the area of the earpiece just in idle mode. It reached up to 36.2 °C (97.16 °F) here. The rates climbed to over 40 degrees Celsius (104 °F) on most parts of the smartphone under permanent load, and reached up to 41.3 °C (106.34 °F). That is comparatively high, but not disconcerting.

The inner temperature development is more significant. We checked the temperatures on the SoC and the effects via the Battery Test of GFXBench 3.1. The T-Rex Test runs thirty times in succession while the application records data quite comprehensively. Contrary to what the surface temperatures suggest, the Moto X Style copes quite well with the heat. Although the rates on the SoC climb to over 45 °C (113 °F), it does not have an impact on performance.

Max. Load
 41.1 °C
106 F
40.7 °C
105 F
39.7 °C
103 F
 
 41.3 °C
106 F
40.9 °C
106 F
40.6 °C
105 F
 
 41.2 °C
106 F
41.1 °C
106 F
39.8 °C
104 F
 
Maximum: 41.3 °C = 106 F
Average: 40.7 °C = 105 F
37 °C
99 F
40.4 °C
105 F
40.5 °C
105 F
38.5 °C
101 F
40.7 °C
105 F
39.7 °C
103 F
39.2 °C
103 F
41.1 °C
106 F
40.6 °C
105 F
Maximum: 41.1 °C = 106 F
Average: 39.7 °C = 103 F
Power Supply (max.)  29.7 °C = 85 F | Room Temperature 22.3 °C = 72 F | Voltcraft IR-260
(-) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 40.7 °C / 105 F, compared to the average of 32.7 °C / 91 F for the devices in the class Smartphone.
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 41.3 °C / 106 F, compared to the average of 35 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 56 °C for the class Smartphone.
(±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 41.1 °C / 106 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F
(±) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 32.4 °C / 90 F, compared to the device average of 32.7 °C / 91 F.

Speakers

Both front-sided stereo speakers in Motorola's Moto X Style are well positioned, but might be covered during gaming. While trebles could be more clear and bass more pronounced, particularly in low ranges, it has a decent maximum volume resulting in sound quality that is very good as far as smartphones are concerned.

The audio jack is convincing, and conveys sound output very clearly and static-free subjectively.

Energy Management

Power Consumption

The power consumption of Motorola's Moto X Style is on the expected level. The rates can be higher in standby, though. It climbs to 0.7 watts when the notification display is enabled. The always-on voice control generally increases the power consumption by another 0.1 watts, as well.

The smartphone's power supply might be bulky, but it also supplies plenty of power and charges the device very fast. Fifty percent is accomplished within 22 minutes. The Moto is recharged by three quarters within 38 minutes, and a full recharge is possible within 78 minutes.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0 / 0.2 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 0.7 / 2.2 / 2.3 Watt
Load midlight 3.9 / 6.8 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Voltcraft VC 870
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.

Battery Runtime

The 3000 mAh battery in Motorola's Moto X Style is relatively weak. We would have hoped for a somewhat stronger battery in view of the large screen and bulky casing.

Our expectations were correspondingly low, and they were unfortunately confirmed. The review sample is at the low end in the comparison field, yet performs well under load - which will primarily please gamers. The Moto X Style pays for the long battery life in the Reader's Test with a very dark screen that only shines with 7 cd/m² in the lowest brightness level. However, that is still sufficient for reading in the dark.

Most users will nevertheless manage a day with the phablet. An additional battery should be at hand for those who use their smartphone extensively and also like to play an occasional game.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
19h 01min
WiFi Websurfing
6h 40min
Big Buck Bunny H.264 1080p
6h 23min
Load (maximum brightness)
3h 39min
Motorola Moto X Style
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+
Mali-T760 MP8, Exynos 7420, 32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
Apple iPhone 6S Plus
A9 / PowerVR GT7600, A9, Apple AP0064K (iPhone NVMe)
Huawei Mate S
Mali-T628 MP4, Kirin 935, 32 GB eMMC Flash
OnePlus 2
Adreno 430, 810 MSM8994, 64 GB eMMC Flash
LG G4
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
Battery Runtime
18%
37%
30%
17%
3%
Reader / Idle
1141
1459
28%
1655
45%
1124
-1%
1393
22%
1654
45%
H.264
383
714
86%
569
49%
580
51%
501
31%
WiFi v1.3
400
501
25%
513
28%
575
44%
356
-11%
326
-18%
Load
219
223
2%
197
-10%
282
29%
229
5%
114
-48%

Pros

+ call quality
+ decent build
+ expandable storage
+ turbo charging
+ fast micro SD slot
+ performance stable SoC
+ good speakers
+ big QHD screen with high color accuracy ...

Cons

- ... that is a bit weak in contrast
- bulky design
- cameras only middling
- high surface temperatures under load
- battery could be bigger

Verdict

In review: Motorola Moto X Style. Review sample courtesy of Motorola Germany.
In review: Motorola Moto X Style. Review sample courtesy of Motorola Germany.

With 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.

The camera could be somewhat better in view of the price range. It is, however, sufficient for an occasional snapshot. The battery life represents a good effort, but as all its runtimes lag behind the rivals, the Moto X is unfortunately not for people requiring long runtimes.

The Moto X Style is a giant with rough corners and edges for individualists.

The unmodified stock Android version ensures very good system performance, and will receive an update to the latest Android 6.0 Marshmallow. Even voice control functioned well as always in the review sample, but has not been developed any further. The RRP is comparatively low for a premium range smartphone, but the Moto X Style will have a hard time competing with the rivals since their prices have dropped sharply in the meantime. Wood and leather back covers are no longer a unique selling point, either.

Motorola Moto X Style - 11/06/2015 v4(old)
Daniel Schmidt

Chassis
85%
Keyboard
67 / 75 → 89%
Pointing Device
96%
Connectivity
46 / 60 → 77%
Weight
90%
Battery
91%
Display
85%
Games Performance
67 / 63 → 100%
Application Performance
50 / 70 → 71%
Temperature
84%
Noise
100%
Audio
81 / 91 → 89%
Camera
72%
Average
78%
86%
Smartphone - Weighted Average

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Daniel Schmidt, 2015-11-15 (Update: 2018-05-15)