Gadgetory

in mobile technology it's the same thing over and over new device comes out new device gets reviewed new device gets forgotten almost no one follows up no one follows along no one sticks around to see how well a gadget ages over time because there's always something new to drool over so let's do something about it let's take a second look at Motorola's second take on the ideal android smartphone i'm michael fisher with pocket now this is the Moto X 2014 and this is episode 41 of after the buzz to paraphrase an old saying I'm not just a Moto X reviewer I'm also a customer shortly after reviewing the second gen Moto X back in September I bought one of my own to replace the first gen Moto X I'd carried for the Year previous so this is a device family I've been living with for 18 months despite the fact that I can carry pretty much any Android phone I want to at any given time despite my earlier editorial protestations at pocket now that says something for its quality part of my dedication no doubt has to do with the fact that the Moto X has my name on it my twitter name anyway and this is item one in Motorola's corner even one and a half years after the company's Moto maker smartphone customization suite came out no one on the market can match it you can get a Moto X in bamboo walnut smooth the leather football leather even the boring old plastic comes in more colors than you can find anywhere else and that's not even counting the made-to-order aluminum trim custom engraving and custom boot greeting we are seeing some manufacturers like a sous take the message offering a wider choice of back panels for its zenfone 2 and even smaller players like Yola have long understood the value of customization but when you buy a Moto X through moto maker you're truly building your own smartphone and if you're the sentimental type that makes for a much more personal connection from unboxing to retirement if that sappy stuff doesn't move you too much well you probably won't care about spotlight stories either every quarter or so motorola partners with animators and storytellers to kick out a new augmented reality game that's pushed right to your home screen now that sounds kind of intrusive but it's really not it only happens once every few months and you can disable it if you really hate it but I leave it on because the games are cute beautifully animated really short and they reinforce the feeling that the motox experience is something special it's not just another stock Android smartphone while we're talking software the moto suite has the same effect it's not every phone you can talk to from across the room when you want to ask it what notifications you've missed or you want to set a reminder to change the laundry or set an alarm for the morning this still comes in handy almost every day for me but a problem from the old Moto X is already starting to assert itself on the new one it's starting to chug a little that is as the months go by moto voice gets slower and slower to carry out vocal command sometimes I'll find myself waiting up to 8 or 10 seconds for something as simple as an alarm clock confirmation or a web search and other times the command just never registers moto voice is one of the most convenient features of Motorola software package so it's really frustrating to see it stumble like this particularly since the competition is slowly but surely catching up hey Cortana fortunately other aspects of the suite like moto assist and moto display are still in top shape after six months and I really miss them when I'm using another device in terms of general performance the phone is still snappy though not quite as brisk and crisp as it was before the lollipop update the Moto X isn't the only smartphone suffering a little from this so-called new and improved software and with its relatively modern internals I think it'll aged better than its predecessor did but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little wary of Motorola in this regard by the time I give up the first gen Moto X using its software had become something of a slog and I hope the same thing doesn't happen here other pain points we mentioned in the full review persist whenever I recommend the Moto X to a new phone buyer which I do quite often I'm sure to inject this important qualifier just don't expect it to last too long and don't buy it for the camera battery life is barely adequate for me as a heavy user maxing out at four hours screen on time between charges and near as I can tell lollipop did nothing to change that after the Nexus 6 came out I did start keeping the turbo charger plugged in for quick Moto X charges and that's helped a bit but if you don't have one already that charger will cost you 35 bucks and the camera well in daylight it's still just fine more than enough for the kind of casual snaps that probably make up about 80% of my photo taking but when the lights go down in the city well let's just say there's a reason a Nokia Lumia makes up the other half of my two phone lifestyle pretty much the best part of the Moto X's camera continues to be its twist the wrist launch gesture which protip you can do twice in a row if you want to jump right into selfie mode again it's the little things that make this device the tiny comforts not many companies bother to think about that's something worth keeping in mind as we approach a busy flagship release season this spring and you know the Moto X already has many of those devices beat in one important respect price like its forerunner the new X got a big discount on carriers within a few months of its release in an upload time it's starting at $4.99 unlocked direct from Motorola with republic Wireless shaving a whole benjamin off of that and some major operators like verizon offering it for free on contract in the end a little more time with the Moto X has reinforced my original position this is the smartest smartphone around yes you can find less expensive options but I wouldn't recommend it few cheaper phones will pack these specs and none offer the particular cocktail of features and custom options that make owning the Moto X such a singular experience despite my natural inclination to drool over the new smartphones coming up and a little uncertainty about the future of Motorola under its new owner Lenovo I still think the Moto X is one of the best Android smartphones to come out of 2014 and I continue to two new smartphone buyers here in the first quarter of 2015 for more on the second generation Moto X including our full review and a durability report covering how well it holds up to bumps and bruises check out the links above and visit us for all the latest smartphone news at pocketnow.com till next time this has been michael fisher captain two phones on twitter reminding you once again that specs are only half the story thanks for watching everyone we'll see you soon