Moto G vs Moto X comparison review

The  Moto X is coming to the UK and the Moto G is already available so you might be trying to decide which to buy. Well that’s where we come in because we’ve compared the two Android  smartphones in various categories to highlight how they differ.

See also: Nexus 5 vs Moto X comparison review: Which Google Android smartphone should you buy?

Moto G vs Moto X: Price

Motorola smashed it in terms of value for money with the Moto G, offering users a mid-range smartphone for a budget price. There’s little to argue about with a price of just £130 to buy it outright.

Things are a little different when it comes to the Moto X. It’s Motorola’s current flagship smartphone so it’s bound to cost more than the Moto G and as such has a £350 price tag.

This means you can buy nearly three Moto Gs for the price of one Moto X. So it is worth the extra money? Read on to find out. See also: Best smartphones.

Moto G vs Moto X: Design

Both of Motorola’s phones look very similar. Even though the screen sizes are a little different, the devices themselves are about the same size. In fact, the Moto G with is smaller screen is a little bigger than the Moto X. It’s also understandably thicker and heavier than its more expensive brother.

Each is well made but feels quite plasticky so there’s little in it. With no Moto Maker in the UK just yet, the Moto X doesn’t have a big advantage over the Moto G here.

Moto G vs Moto X: Screen

Screen size is a great way to choose between two smartphones – you’ll want to pick a size that’s comfortable for you personally. There’s only a small difference between the Moto G and Moto X here. The former is rocking a 4.5in display while the latter give you a little extra at 4.7in.

They both use a 720p resolution so it’s in fact the Moto G which has a better pixel density but there’s not much in it so it’s better to go on the size.

As our readers have pointed out, the Moto X uses AMOLED technology. Colours are more vibrant and punchy but some users may prefer the more natural look of the Moto G’s display – I certainly do.

Moto G vs Moto X: Processor

Despite its bargain basement price, the Moto G has a 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 quad-core processor with 1GB of RAM. Meanwhile, the Moto X has a dual-core Snapdragon Pro chip clocked a bit higher at 1.7GHz. It’s got 2GB of RAM.

This might seem a little confusing but the bottom line is that both offer decent performance so you needn’t worry. The Moto X has a software optimised chip with a natural language processor and a contextual computing processor. Just bear in mind that the Moto G is punching way above its weight here.

Moto G vs Moto X: Storage

With no expandable storage available on the Moto G or Moto X, storage is another area to consider closely. The Moto G is available in 8- or 16GB models while the Moto X has double these capacities. However, it appears that the 32GB Moto X missed its flight to the UK.

Moto G vs Moto X: Cameras

The Moto G has a mid-range 5Mp main camera which takes surprisingly good photos. It’s even got an HDR shooting mode. Although the 10Mp camera on the Moto X isn’t quite as good as we’d hoped, it still offers more details and video in 1080p compare to 720p. It’s front camera is also better at 2Mp against 1.3Mp.

Moto G vs Moto X: Software

If you can’t find a Moto G or Moto X which ships with Android 4.4 KitKat, you’ll be able to upgrade to the latest software once you’re up and running – an advantage of being a Google-owned company.

Although both phones run pretty vanilla versions of Android, there are differences which you should be aware of.  On top of things like Moto Assist, the Moto X has unique features like Active display and Quick capture. It’s also got voice recognition which can learn your voice so there are a few reasons to opt for the Moto X over the Moto G here.

Moto G vs Moto X: Battery life

It’s worth noting that neither the Moto X nor Moto G has a removable battery. Each phone offers typical smartphone battery performance of one day with an average usage. Only light users will get more than a day.