LG G2 vs Motorola Moto X

Introduction

Neither company is heralded as the elite force in the Android space right now, as the two trail Samsung no doubt, but LG and Motorola have been making some noise with their recent flagship Android smartphones. Just a month ago, the Motorola Moto X showed us how it’s possible to make Android easy to use – while also giving consumers the power to personalize the design of the handset. And even more recently, the LG G2 has proven to be a remarkable figure as well, seeing that it’s rich in the specs and features department. With these two poised to challenge one another, it’s only natural to stack them up side-by-side to figure out which one has the staying power to outlast the other.

Design

Each handset has a unique appearance to them, giving them distinctive looks to call their own, but in the end, we’ll give it to the Moto X for having the more interesting design. Sure, LG has done a wonderful job in minimizing the size of a handset with a monster sized 5.2-inch display, while also having the slimmer profile as well, but the Moto X’s customizable design is something that we don’t see too often amongst smartphones in general. On top of that, some will surely appreciate the more compact and natural feel of the Moto X, which is significantly easier to handle in our hands. From being able to choose the type of back casing on the Moto X, to the accent colors around its camera lens and physical keys, we totally dig its vast customizable element.

Display

This one is a no-brainer folks, as the LG G2 undeniably has the more attractive display. Before talking about the specs, we need to mention about the almost non-existent bezels on the left/right sides of the LG G2’s display, which one-ups what Motorola has done with its own device. And then there’s the specs portion! For the LG G2, it’s sporting a ginormous 5.2-inch 1080p advanced IPS LCD screen that shines brightly with its impeccable details and superior outdoor visibility. Meanwhile, the Moto X’s 4.7-inch 720p AMOLED display is still a pleasant one to look at, as its saturated colors still give it an attractive glow, but as a whole, it can’t compete against the specs heavy and outstanding visibility of the of LG G2’s display.

Interface and Functionality

Both companies are making great strides with the software running on their flagship devices, as they improve upon the foundations of Android. It’s tough to say which one is the superior of the two, as they have their specific elements that appeal to different people, so we’ll simply note some of their outstanding main functions – and how the two handsets go about doing them.


When it comes to ease, we’ll say that the Moto X’s mostly stock Android Jelly Bean experience does a better job of making the experience simple – it doesn’t try to inundate us with a host of features. In fact, it’s almost amazing to find how easy it is for anyone to pick up the Moto X and start using it. In contrast, the LG G2 with its heavily customized Android Jelly Bean experience has a lot to offer in the visuals and presentation department. From being given a host of LG-specific widgets, to the different scrolling animations with the homescreen, the G2’s experience is undoubtedly expansive over the Moto X. However, the added complexities can disorient first time users.


Although the two offer the same multi-tasking functions, which are done with the aid of the quick apps menu, the LG G2 adds a new element with its QSlide and Slide Aside features. Sure, some might not view them as being practical with their executions, but at least we have alternative options with the G2.

When it comes to voice control services, the Moto X’s Touchless Control feature is easily more potent than the LG G2’s Voice Mate feature. Indeed, the two offer all of the intricacies that come with Google Now, but with the Moto X’s Touchless Control, it’s actively listening for our command – even if it’s turned off. In order to launch the Voice Mate feature, we have to turn on the LG G2.

Without a doubt, the Active Display feature of the Moto X continues to be something innovative in the Android space, mainly because it provides us with relevant notifications without turning on the phone. Take it out of our pockets, and bam, it shows us the time and our notifications – something that the LG G2 can’t do.

Between them, there’s no questioning the insane amount of stuff that come along with the LG G2’s features – there’s just no comparison, it simply blows the Moto X out of the water. In fact, it features things like Knock On, Guest Mode, Answer Me, Text Link, Capture Plus, and Quick Remote, which gives us alternative ways of accomplishing basic tasks. Certainly, people will appreciate some of the features more than others, but the Moto X has a totally different approach with its simplistic offering. It boils down to whether you prefer something comprehensive, or something that’s easy to operate and just works.

Processor and Memory

Yet again, it’s the LG G2 that’s going to get the attention with its more cutting-edge hardware under the hood, where it’s packing a 2.26GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor with 2GB of RAM and the Adreno 330 GPU. In comparison, the Moto X’s hardware isn’t anything worth writing home about initially, as its Motorola X8 Mobile Computing System, which employs a modified 1.7GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro CPU with 2GB of RAM and the Adreno 320 GPU, seems less intimidating than its rival. However, we can attest that the Moto X isn’t a slouch either with its modest hardware, since it’s able to match the LG G2’s tight performance in almost every way imaginable.

Unfortunately, neither handset boasts expandable storage, which requires us to be more conscious about what we store. With the Moto X, it’s available in 16GB and 32GB capacities, while the LG G2 starts off at the minimum with 32GB of memory.

Internet and Connectivity

Needless to say, the larger and higher resolution display of the LG G2 makes it the more suitable device for web surfing, but when it comes down to it, the two get the job done with their responsive navigational controls and speedy page loads thanks to their 4G LTE connections.



Knowing that these are flagship smartphones, they’re stuffed with all the connectivity gear we’d come to expect. Not only are they both available in GSM and CDMA flavors, but they also feature aGPS, Bluetooth 4.0, dual-band 802.11 a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, and NFC.

Sticking with the simplistic route with its operation, the Moto X doesn’t try to inundate us with a host of shooting modes or manual controls with its camera interface. Instead, it’s barebones and offers us minimal features. Oppositely though, the LG G2 is filled to the brim with so many camera shooting mode – with some being more practical than others. At the end of the day, it all comes down to choice: you can either go with the Moto X’s hassle-free experience, or the eclectic features of the LG G2.

So, we have the LG G2’s beefier 13-megapixel camera versus the Moto X’s 10-megapixel “Clear Pixel” camera. And of course, the question that remains is which one is better? Honestly, we can’t complain about the qualities with their outdoor shots, since it’s almost nearly identical with their precise details and good exposure. However, we realize the superior performance of the LG G2’s camera when we take photos under low lighting. Indeed, details are noticeably softer in tone with the two, but the Moto X has more distractive elements in its shots – like the amount of heavier noise and its muddy looking details.


Okay, we’ll admit that 1080p 60 fps video recording on the LG G2 is pretty sweet – something that’s rarely seen in the smartphone space. Plus, it has that cool new feature of track and zoom that hasn’t been seen before. Still, when it’s compared to the 1080p 30 fps recording of the Moto X, we notice that the LG G2’s videos have a lower exposure, which causes it to look considerably darker – resulting in some loss of details. Regardless of that, we still favor it slightly more than the Moto X, mainly because the Moto X’s results are a bit over exposed and artifacting elements are present when panning.

Multimedia

Out of the box, we have the Google Play Music app on board, but as an alternative for the LG G2, it comes packaged with its own home brewed one. Playing the same song and putting them to their maximum volume settings, our ears take notice of the stronger tones put out by the Moto X’s speaker. Also, even as we project their respective speakers towards us, we can still audibly hear the stronger output of the Moto X.



Having the larger and higher resolution screen benefits the LG G2 in the video watching department, as the two help to make the experience simply breathtaking. Well, the Moto X is still a pretty snazzy device on its own too, but since it’s smaller and has the lower resolution, it really can’t compete on the same level as its rival. Nonetheless, videos play smoothly on both – with no evidence of sluggishness!

Call Quality

To tell you the truth, neither device really impresses us with their call qualities – so they pretty much fall under the average category. As a whole, conversations are still carried out, but there are some distracting elements that cause us to tell our callers to repeat themselves. On the Moto X, voices tend to have a robotic tone with them, while the LG G2’s microphone causes voices to sound unclear at times.

Battery

It could be attributed to the power saving optimizations found with its newer Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, and the fact that it’s packing along a sizable 3000 mAh battery too, but whatever it is, the LG G2 proves to give us the longer battery life. Whereas the Moto X’s 2200 mAh is capable of churning out a single day of normal usage, the LG G2 permits us roughly 1.5 days with the same usage.

Conclusion

When the dust settles, it’s almost hard not to talk about the specs superiority of the LG G2, especially when the two flagship devices start at $200 on-contract. For the money and all, there’s no denying you get the most bang for the buck with the LG G2 – it’s simply a specs beast, donning all the latest hardware gear to make the geek in us squeal with joy! Performance wise, it’s also more than capable of showing us why it’s one of the snappiest devices out right now.

Although it won’t impress people by looking at its specs sheet, the Moto X is still an Android smartphone to think about. First and foremost, the customizable aspect of its design is something that no other device offers – so it’s unique in that aspect. Secondly, the hardware in it isn’t the most intimating, but it’s not trying to be because it shows us that you don’t need the most cutting-edge hardware to run smoothly. And finally, it’s the kind of Android phone that’s simple to use and operate.