LG G2 vs Motorola Moto X: first look

Just over a week ago, the industry was at a buzz over the Moto X, which surprised many people for its intriguing approach for a flagship device. Normally, we’d associate these god-like devices to feature only the most cutting-edge of hardware and features, but the Moto X didn’t necessarily follow that recipe. Instead, it merely went for the simplicity route. This week, though, the LG G2 didn’t mess around for a moment to make it known throughout the land that it was packing heat – like serious fire power under the hood! Despite the different approach, they both ultimately end up in the same spot as being direct competitors.

Wow! We were just commending Motorola last week for producing one form fitting and compact handset in the Moto X, which of course is further complemented by its unique and personalized design process. In obtaining its stature, Motorola pushed things to the edge by reducing the bezel around its display – enabling the handset to really become snug in the hand. Like everything in tech, yesterday’s big thing can quickly be phased in the blink of the eye. And of course, the LG G2 showed us that today, as the bezels around its display appear to be even skinnier! We’ll applaud the two handsets’ tenacity for keeping such a miniscule frame for their respective screen sizes, but we still find the Moto X to be the more ergonomic and sturdier device between the two.

This one is a no-brainer for us, mainly because one display is instantly larger, more detailed, and generally sharper looking to the eye. Taking a peek at the 4.7-inch 720p AMOLED display of the Moto X, it doesn’t excite us as much over the larger 5.2-inch 1080p True HD IPS display of the LG G2. Whereas LG’s behemoth has the advantage on paper, we’ll still vouch for the showroom wow factor that’s attached to the Moto X’s AMOLED display, which is noteworthy for its saturated color reproduction. Despite that, seeing that it’s an IPS panel in the LG G2, we’d give it the benefit of the doubt that it would prove to be the better display for outdoor visibility.

Underneath it all, these two handsets share the same basic principles and features of Android, but whereas one extends that functionality to new outlets, the other entirely keeps things simple. Quite frankly, the LG G2 delivers some exciting new software features that give us multiple ways of doing certain functions – like how the Slide Aside feature supplements Android’s existing quick switch apps menu. Conversely, the Moto X’s mostly stock Android experience entices us with its Touchless Controls and Active Display – two intuitive features that actually help us USE our phones intelligently. One tries to make things simplified, while the other merely throws multiple things at us.

Truth be told, it’s rather difficult to say who will prove to stay on top in the end, seeing that both handsets have yet to be officially released to the general public. The Moto X is attempting to change the mindset of consumers by making us believe that specs don’t make a flagship phone, but when we look at it from the other side, the LG G2 is telling us that its roots are still deeply intertwined in our mindsets.