Motorola Moto X4 first impressions: Focus on design and accessible price

Motorola Moto X4 has been launched in India, and here’s an early first impressions of the device.

When the original Moto X was launched in 2013, it quickly became the phone for the geeks. Although the phone wasn’t that successful commercially, it will always be remembered for its unique customisable design and clean software. The next Moto X phone was better than the original but it went unnoticed, and so was the third-generation model. In 2017, Motorola is reviving the Moto X lineup with the launch of the Moto X4 without the trademark the Moto Maker service and the customisable design. Still, the fourth-generation Moto X4 promises to offer a premium design and sold performance for the price. I briefly used the Moto X4 at the launch event, and here’s an early first impressions of the device.

Moto X4 first impressions design and display 

There’s a lot to talk about the design of the phone. Motorola understands that people want more than a functional phone in the mid segment. They want a premium looking device. Moto X4 is good looking, well-designed phone. Moto X4 has a metal and glass body, something rare to find in this price point. The phone  feels great in the hand, but the glass back is prone to fingerprints and smudges. I will advise you to buy a case in case to protect the device. With an IP68 rating, the Moto X4 is both water- and dust-resistant. And yes, it retains a headphone jack. A capacitive fingerprint sensor sits underneath the display, and it does the job.

Moto X4’s 5.2-inch display looks bright and colorful.

On paper, the 5.2-inch (1920 x 1080) LCD  display, protected by Gorilla Glass 3, may not seem like anything special. Surprisingly, the display looks bright and colorful. We didn’t get a chance to see quite how well under sunlight, though.

Moto X4 first impressions hardware and software

Under the hood the Moto X4 packs in a Snapdragon 630 chipset, paired with 3GB/4GB RAM. We believe the performance should be good, with no lag or slow-down. During my brief hands-on, I didn’t experience any drops in performance,  but again this is something that requires further testing in our full review. You also get either 32GB or 64GB of internal storage; plus, that storage can be further expanded with memory cards up to 2TB in size.

Moto X4 is one of the first smartphones in the market which can connect the device to up to four Bluetooth devices simultaneously. It’s a part of new Wireless Sound System

Motorola has added a sizable 3,000mAh battery into the Moto X4, which we hope should last a day on a single charge

Moto X4 runs Android 7.1 Nougat which isn’t the latest version of Google’s mobile operating system, but we were told that the Android 8 Oreo update will arrive early next year. You also need to remember that it’s not stock Android. Motorola has added a slew of its apps over the top, such as Moto Display, Moto Voice, Moto Actions and Moto Key. Moto X4 has Amazon Alexa integration built-in, however, the feature is currently disabled.

Motorola has added a sizable 3,000mAh battery into the Moto X4, which we hope should last a day on a single charge. It  supports TurboPower, offering up to six hours of power in 15 minutes of charge. It’s too early to reserve judgment now, though.

Moto X4 first impressions camera

Moto X4 offers a dual camera system, one featuring  a 12MP Dual Autofocus Pixel sensor with an aperture of f/2.0 and an ultra-wide angle 8MP sensor with a 120-degree field of view and f/2.2 aperture. The phone takes advantage of dual cameras to achieve an enhanced bokeh effect. Also, there is a  background replacement feature as well,  though the company says it’s in  beta phase at the moment. The image quality of our shots was a little blurry during my testing. I haven’t had a chance to fully test the capabilities of the Moto X4 yet, but early signs aren’t promising.  On the front is a 16MP camera sensor with f/2.0 aperture. It features a selfie flash, beautification mode, and face. filters.

Moto X4 first impressions early verdict

Moto X4 isn’t just about hardware or software. To my understanding, Moto X4 is focused on two core elements: design and accessible price. Moto X4 price starts at Rs. 20,999 for the 3GB RAM/ 32GB storage variant, while the 4GB RAM/ 64GB storage variant is priced at Rs. 22,999. It will be available exclusively from Flipkart starting midnight. I can’t wait to put the Moto X4 through our in-depth review process, to see if it really rise above  the competition, but the early impression is kind of positive.