Moto X seems to be this year's best candidate for a Nexus phone in everything but in name and maybe price, as Google likely didn't wan't every Android maker to freak out if it does a Nexus handset with the subsidiary Motorola, after swearing it won't play favorites.
Still, in shape and, surprisingly, in specs, it walks like a Nexus 4, and quacks like one, that's why we are pitting the two in the specs comparison tablet below, adding the flagship Google Experience HTC One with the same screen size for those who got to have them Full HD screens and scorching fast processors.
In all honesty, if in 2012 someone told us Google's own phone this year will be almost identical in specs as last year's Nexus 4, we wouldn't believe it. OK, we've got a few changes, like an OLED 4.7-incher instead of an LCD one, a customized S4 chipset instead of the S4 Pro, 10 MP camera instead of 8 MP, slightly bigger battery, but no major changes.
On paper, the HTC One beats them both with its crazy 468ppi pixel density of the same-size display, and the quad-core Snapdragon 600, not to mention the amplified BoomSound speakers, and its 2 micron UltraPixels. What was Google thinking telling Motrola to make what can be considered an upper midrange handset these days?
The devil seems to be in the details, though, as Google took its time to explain how every aspect of the phone was rehashed in line with the function it performs, rather than chasing the specs-o-meter. Moto went with OLED, as it makes possible the Active Display notification function, but it is a standard RGB matrix OLED, so you still get plenty of true pixel density, "without wasting power on pixels most people can't see".
The X8 processor might have "just" two CPU cores, but it is rethought from the ground up to make the always-on environmental awareness of the phone possible with power-sipping extra processing cores. The 10 MP camera might not be in line with the 13 MP on current flagships, but is the first to utilize the Clear Pixel technology that lets it soak much more light, and so on.
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This approach seems preferable to us compared to the specs-chasing game, and actually reminds a lot of Apple's way of doing things, customizing things for their purpose, rather than the spec sheet, and fusing software with hardware together. Which approach do you prefer?
DESIGN
Device
Moto X
Nexus 4
HTC One
OS
Android (4.2.2)
Android (4.3, 4.2.2, 4.2.1, 4.2)
Android (4.2.2, 4.1.2)
Dimensions
5.09 x 2.57 x 0.41 inches (129.3 x 65.3 x 10.4 mm)
5.27 x 2.70 x 0.36 inches (133.9 x 68.7 x 9.1 mm)
5.41 x 2.69 x 0.37 inches (137.4 x 68.2 x 9.3 mm)
Weight
4.59 oz (130 g) the average is 4.4 oz (127 g)
4.90 oz (139 g) the average is 4.4 oz (127 g)
5.04 oz (143 g) the average is 4.4 oz (127 g)
Body material
Glass
Side Keys
Right: Volume control, Lock/Unlock key
Left: Volume control; Right: Lock/Unlock key
Right: Volume control
Colors
Black, White, custom colors
Black, White
Black, Red, White
DISPLAY
Physical size
4.7 inches
4.7 inches
4.7 inches
Resolution
720 x 1280 pixels
768 x 1280 pixels
1080 x 1920 pixels
Pixel density
316 ppi
318 ppi
468 ppi
Technology
AMOLED
IPS LCD
S-LCD 3
BATTERY
Talk time
13.00 hours the average is 11 h (650 min)
15.30 hours the average is 11 h (650 min)
Stand-by time
16.2 days (390 hours) the average is 18 days (444 h)
Capacity
2200 mAh
2100 mAh
2300 mAh
Type
Li - Polymer
Li - Polymer
Not user replaceable
Yes
Yes
Yes
Wireless charging
Built-in
HARDWARE
System chip
Motorola X8
Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro APQ8064
Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 APQ8064T
Processor
Dual core, 1700 MHz, Krait
Quad core, 1500 MHz, Krait
Quad core, 1700 MHz, Krait 300
Graphics processor
Adreno 320
Adreno 320
Adreno 320
System memory
2048 MB RAM (Dual-channel, 500 MHz) / LPDDR2
2048 MB RAM (Dual-channel, 533 MHz) / LPDDR2
2048 MB RAM (Dual-channel) / LPDDR3
Built-in storage
16 GB
8 GB
32 GB
Maximum User Storage
12 GB
26 GB
CAMERA
Camera
10 megapixels
8 megapixels
4 megapixels
Flash
LED
LED
LED
Aperture size
F2.0
Focal length (35mm equivalent)
28mm
Features
Auto focus, Touch to focus, Digital zoom, Geo tagging, High Dynamic Range mode (HDR), Panorama
Auto focus, Face detection, Smile detection, Exposure compensation, ISO control, White balance presets, Burst mode, Digital zoom, Geo tagging, High Dynamic Range mode (HDR), Panorama, Scenes, Effects, Voice activation
Back-illuminated sensor (BSI), Auto focus, Optical image stabilization, Burst mode, Digital zoom, Geo tagging, High Dynamic Range mode (HDR), Panorama, Scenes, Effects, Self-timer
Camera sensor size
1/4"
1/3"
Camcorder
1920x1080 (1080p HD)
1920x1080 (1080p HD) (30 fps)
1920x1080 (1080p HD)
Features
Video calling
Optical image stabilization, High Dynamic Range mode (HDR), Video calling
Daniel, a devoted tech writer at PhoneArena since 2010, has been engrossed in mobile technology since the Windows Mobile era. His expertise spans mobile hardware, software, and carrier networks, and he's keenly interested in the future of digital health, car connectivity, and 5G. Beyond his professional pursuits, Daniel finds balance in travel, reading, and exploring new tech innovations, while contemplating the ethical and privacy implications of our digital future.
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