Motorola Moto X Style Smartphone Review
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 G4, OnePlus' 2, Apple's iPhone 6s Plus or Huawei's Mate S are usually a bit smaller at 5.5 inches.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
Color Accuracy & Sharpness
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.
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
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.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Ø4.91
ΔE Greyscale 3.24 | 0.5-98 Ø5.2
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.
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.
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.
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 | |
| Motorola Moto X 2. Gen 2014 | |
| LG G4 | |
| OnePlus 2 | |
| Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ | |
| Huawei Mate S | |
| Apple iPhone 6S Plus | |
| PCMark for Android - Work performance score (sort by value) | |
| Motorola Moto X Style | |
| LG G4 | |
| OnePlus 2 | |
| Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ | |
| Huawei Mate S | |
| GFXBench 3.1 | |
| on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen (sort by value) | |
| Motorola Moto X Style | |
| LG G4 | |
| OnePlus 2 | |
| Huawei Mate S | |
| Apple iPhone 6S Plus | |
| 1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| Motorola Moto X Style | |
| LG G4 | |
| OnePlus 2 | |
| Huawei Mate S | |
| Apple iPhone 6S Plus | |
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 | |
| Motorola Moto X 2. Gen 2014 | |
| LG G4 | |
| OnePlus 2 | |
| Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ | |
| Huawei Mate S | |
| Apple iPhone 6S Plus | |
| Sunspider - 1.0 Total Score (sort by value) | |
| Motorola Moto X Style | |
| Motorola Moto X 2. Gen 2014 | |
| LG G4 | |
| OnePlus 2 | |
| Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ | |
| Huawei Mate S | |
| Apple iPhone 6S Plus | |
| JetStream 1.1 - Total Score (sort by value) | |
| Motorola Moto X Style | |
| LG G4 | |
| OnePlus 2 | |
| Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ | |
| Huawei Mate S | |
| Apple iPhone 6S Plus | |
| WebXPRT 2015 - Overall (sort by value) | |
| Motorola Moto X Style | |
| LG G4 | |
| OnePlus 2 | |
| Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ | |
| Huawei Mate S | |
| Apple iPhone 6S Plus | |
| BaseMark OS II - Web (sort by value) | |
| Motorola Moto X Style | |
| Motorola Moto X 2. Gen 2014 | |
| LG G4 | |
| OnePlus 2 | |
| Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ | |
| Huawei Mate S | |
| Apple iPhone 6S Plus | |
| Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total (sort by value) | |
| Motorola Moto X Style | |
| Motorola Moto X 2. Gen 2014 | |
| LG G4 | |
| OnePlus 2 | |
| Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ | |
| Huawei Mate S | |
| Apple iPhone 6S Plus | |
* ... 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.
| BaseMark OS II - Memory (sort by value) | |
| Motorola Moto X Style | |
| Motorola Moto X 2. Gen 2014 | |
| LG G4 | |
| OnePlus 2 | |
| Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ | |
| Huawei Mate S | |
| Apple iPhone 6S Plus | |
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.
| Dead Trigger 2 | |||
| Settings | Value | ||
| high | 30 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.
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 41.3 °C / 106 F, compared to the average of 35.1 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 63.7 °C for the class Smartphone.
(±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 41.1 °C / 106 F, compared to the average of 33.9 °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 32.8 °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.
| Off / Standby |   0 / 0.2 Watt |
| Idle |  0.7 / 2.2 / 2.3 Watt |
| Load |
3.9 / 6.8 Watt |
    
| |
Key:
min: ,
med: ,
max: Voltcraft VC 870 | |
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.
| 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
Cons
Verdict
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
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