From the minute Motorola announced the Moto X4, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on one. As a huge fan of the first three Moto X phones, yet also one who almost immediately made it clear that this phone doesn’t deserve to be a part of the line, I really just wanted to see how this phone would play in Motorola’s grand scheme. After all, the new Moto X4 is not trying to be a top tier phone like its predecessors and drops in at a reasonable price, all while packing in a decent set of meaningful specs. It’s available as an Android One phone too – the first in the US and it works on Project Fi.
I’ve spent the past week or so with both the regular Moto X4 and the Android One Moto X4 to try and get a feel for both. The goal was to see not only if the differences matter, but if either stood out as the better option. Without spoiling much, I’ll just say for now that neither really impressed me and I’m fully ready to be onto the next phone.
Sorry, Moto X fans, I don’t think this is your next. Let’s talk about why in our Moto X4 review.
NOTE: As I mentioned, I used both the regular and Android One versions, so if something differs between them, I’ll call that out below. If I don’t, then you should assume the experience in that area is identical.
What’s good?
Design
I can’t tell you the last time I had a phone in-hand that multiple people inquired about within a short review period, but that’s exactly what happened with the Moto X4. Over the weekend, I had separate conversations with different family members who each asked which phone I was currently using and the reason they asked was because they thought the phone looked nice. I was using the Sterling Blue (silver/blue) model at the time and would tend to agree with everyone I talked to – this is a handsome phone.
The Moto X4 is a great size for those who might not want an oversized phone, feels premium in-hand with its metal and glass body (even though no one should consider glass to be premium), sports an edge-to-edge display (from side to side, just not top to bottom), and has nice curves throughout to help it settle into your hand.
It’s the shiny glass and color that help this phone standout, though. This might be a $400 phone, but it looks like a phone that could cost another $200 or $300. Sure, it doesn’t have an all-display front, plus its rear camera hump won’t appeal to everyone (I’m not exactly a fan). However, both Super Black and Sterling Blue versions do look great. The black carries a sophisticated sleekness, while the silver/blue model is nothing short of pretty.
Overall in the design department, I think Motorola is on to something here. If they are able to capture this style and carry it through to other phones in 2018, as long as they start reducing bezels and expanding display sizes, we should all pay them some attention.
Specs
Motorola packed in a 5.2-inch FHD LCD display, Snapdragon 630, 32GB storage (with SD slot), 3GB RAM, 3000mAh battery, IP68 water and dust resistance, Bluetooth 5.0, fingerprint sensor, and dual rear camera setup (12MP standard + 8MP wide-angle). The phone (both versions) works on all major US carriers (including Verizon) and runs Android 7.1 with Motorola’s simple take on an Android skin, if you can call it that. If you were to choose the Android One version, nothing changes outside of some of the software experience.
That’s a pretty solid set of specs for what Motorola is pushing as a mid-to-high-end phone. I hate to call the Moto X4 a budget phone because it’s not exactly acting like one. A true budget phone is something like the Moto G5S Plus, yet this phone does top that in a few key areas including design and finish, newer processor, water resistance, and NFC. Are those things worth the extra $120 you’ll pay for the Moto X4 over that phone? I tend to think so.
Software
Like all Motorola phones these days, the Moto X4 ships with a pure Android experience along with some on-top tweaks that add value (like Moto Display, Actions, and Voice). The Android One version isn’t all that different either. In fact, the only noticeable differences are the missing Moto Voice and Key options from within the Moto app on the Android One model, no option for fingerprint navigation, different phone apps, and a different color to the app drawer. Otherwise, you’ve got Moto’s custom clock widget, the Moto Display and Actions, and clean Android 7.1.1 on both.
While there is nothing exceptional about the software experience of either phone that stands out as groundbreaking, it’s again, the clean Android approach that I appreciate. I know that notifications will act properly, where all settings are, and that no terrible UI decisions have been made for me. You can still launch the camera quickly with a wrist twist, wave your hand over the phone to check notifications, and even do a little chop-chop to turn on the flashlight in a pinch.
It is a bit disappointing that both models are stuck on Android 7.1.1 and the September security patch (it’s November already). Google said that the Android One model will get Oreo before the end of the year, so that’s good. Unfortunately, it’s already months behind in security patches and runs horribly (see performance commentary below).
Battery life
I don’t know that I would call battery life on the Moto X4 exceptional, but it’s very good. On the regular X4, my stats show slightly better than the Android One version and typically topped 4 hours of screen on time while still leaving plenty of battery to sit on my night stand until the following morning with juice to spare. On the Android One model, I was seeing similar screen on time, but I often started considering the idea that I may need a charger before going to bed.
Regular Moto X4 battery life
Either phone will get you through a full day, though, plus you have Motorola’s Turbo Charging on board for quick top offs. Motorola continues to show that it knows how to get the most out of a battery.
Android One Moto X4 battery life
Price and availability
At $399 for the regular Moto X4 or Android One Moto X4 (or as low as $329 for the Amazon Prime Exclusive model), I’d call the price just about right. As I mentioned above, the phone tops the Moto G5S Plus in a handful of key areas that raised the price to where it’s at. Overall, I just find the fit and finish of this phone to be far superior to the G5 line like one would expect.
If you compare it to a phone like the OnePlus 5 that started at $479, the conversation becomes tougher. The OnePlus 5 clearly outranks the Moto X4 in processor, RAM, display tech (AMOLED), cameras, and performance (we’ll get to that on the X4). The OnePlus does cost more, though, and it doesn’t have near the network capabilities or water resistance, so again, I think the X4 is priced just right.
As for availability, you can buy this phone as an Android One phone from Google, from Motorola as a regular Moto phone, or Amazon with a discounted rate as long as you are OK with some Amazon ads. It works on all major US carriers and shouldn’t be hard to get a hold of even if it isn’t sold at any of those carriers.
What’s not-so-good?
Performance
I’m just going to say it – the performance on the Moto X4 sucks, and that includes the Android One version. I haven’t used a phone this jittery from Motorola in years. Moto had become one of those companies that was so good at fine-tuning Android that the hiccups and stutters almost everywhere on this phone were shocking.
You can see the jitters the minute you swipe open the app drawer and scroll through a list of apps. The icons almost skip as if the drawer were paginated. It’ll give you a headache if you look at it for too long. Opening apps, like the camera, is a painful process too. I can’t tell you how many pictures I more than likely missed at my son’s birthday this past weekend as I switched between both Moto X4 devices trying to get the camera to load up. I also can’t tell you how many times I tapped on an icon for an app and it sat there thinking for a handful of seconds before finally opening it.
I should point out that Motorola may be aware of how badly this phone performs because the regular Moto X4 had all animations turned off out of the box. I’m not sure if you’ve used a phone with animations set to 0 in a while, but it’s not fun. It’s an attempt to speed things up, yet all it does it disorient you as if something is missing. Thankfully, I know where developer settings are and unlocked those to turn animations back on immediately.
Again, the issues here show on both phones, including the Android One model, which seems so odd since it runs an even leaner version of Android. I don’t know who is to blame for that. Just know that whichever phone you were considering, it probably won’t run well. I’d imagine all of this, well, jank, can be fixed, but how long is it going to take for that to happen?
Camera
I know you are seeing the camera listed here and assume it’s awful, but it’s not really. At $400, you shouldn’t expect it to be great either, though. So you know, the camera apps on the Android One and regular Moto X4 are the same and provide the exact same set of features.
You’ve got a 12MP (f/2.0) standard shooter coupled with an 8MP (f/2.2, 120-degree) wide-angle shooter. They are housed in a hump that you either love or hate (me) and are as capable as most phones that fall out of flagship levels. That’s a nice way of saying that the Moto X4 can take decent photos in good lighting and outdoors, but the struggles are immediate indoors.
As I mentioned above, I took a bunch of pictures from my son’s 4th birthday over the weekend and made sure I took about 4x too many. I did that because I expected most to be unusable, with blur, since the camera’s shutter isn’t exactly the quickest, and wanted to make sure at least some were keepers. With non-moving objects, you’ll get OK results, though.
I like the camera setup here because it’s the same as LG’s, where you get a standard shooter along with a wide-angle camera. As I’ve said numerous times, I like this flexibility vs. the dual camera setups that include a secondary zoom lens that most people just use for fake bokeh effects (which this camera also does). With that said, switching between the two shooters isn’t easy like it is on LG phones. Instead of zooming in and out to make that switch happen, Motorola forces you to tap a button off to the left side of the camera app that isn’t obvious at first.
As for results, you can see a handful below. The camera is OK at capturing color, has average dynamic range, is OK in indoor macro settings but not so much when indoors and not in a close-up setting, and does a poor job at faking its way through the bokeh portrait effect. Again, you’ll want to snap photo after photo because it’s not the most trust-worthy shooter on the market.
Anyways, you get it – the Moto X4 camera is fine at times and not so much in others. It’s not lacking features, but isn’t really great at any one thing either.
Should you buy the Moto X4?
I’m not sure I would tell you to run out and do that. At $400, you should probably do what you can to spring for a slightly more expensive phone, like the OnePlus 5(T) or Essential Phone. Sure, those don’t have the water resistance nor do they work on Project Fi, but the overall set of specs tops the Moto X4, as does the performance from each.
And that’s mostly my beef here. The Moto X4, at least on paper, has so much going for it, yet the performance side of things is such a disaster that the phone just isn’t fun to use. I’m talking for both the regular and Android One models too. Poor performance is also one of those areas that can only improve with software updates. The problem there is Motorola’s poor history of updating phones regularly, so you shouldn’t exactly go in expecting improvements.
Honestly, I’m not really sure who this phone is for. The price point is such a weird in-betweener from the $250-$300 budget range and $500-700 high-end range, that I don’t know why someone would settle here. You could drop down to the much-better-performing Moto G5 line and save a couple of hundred bucks or splurge a bit for true flagship like OnePlus’ latest.
It’s gonna be a no for me, dog.
I have an essential phone and just picked up an X4 to use instead. Essential phone camera, in spite of frequent updates, is still awful. The touchscreen is unresponsive and scrolling is always jerky. I knew it sucked when I picked up my son’s Moto G5 he’s been using since July (and loaded up with garbage apps and games) and it felt buttery smooth by comparison. X4 is better still.
Can I use the regular Moto X4 with Project Fi? Regular Moto X4 costs less then Android One Moto X4. Basically aren’t they the exact same phone?
Disagree on animations being turned off – I actually really like it on my 5X. Imo animations are just hiding poor performance on phones, and are generally kind of slow regardless of device. I tend to fall on the utilitarian side of things with technology though.
I was tempted by this phone, but the specs for Snapdragon 630 just kill it for me. 660 would have made it a real contender, but with a 630 it’s a wash with most other devices.
Coming from a 6P and on Project Fi this phone is great for me. Similar performance to the 6P but a worse camera. Hope Fi gets even more phones soon.
so if you NEED a project fi phone, whats the comparison?
LOL at recommending the Essential. I just read an article on Phandroid that said the Essential phone was experience lag and jittery performance as well.
https://phandroid.com/2017/11/14/essential-phone-touch-screen-problems/
I also have X4 on Project Fi and overall like it, but it has few critical flaws.
a) Camera is awkward to use, a bit slow (samsung has instant camera), but I am not instagram/snapchat pro so it does the job
b) Missing Moto features, like fingerprint navigation
c) Disabled notification LED, it is there, just not active
d) No wireless charging, USB-C charging pads do not really work well
and most importantly
e) TOO DAMN SLIPPERY
I gave phone to few people to play with and most almost dropped it. I ended up dropping it and cracking back glass (idiotic design).
Why do all that design if you have to smack case on it anyway.
f) Curved screen, WHYYY
Curved screen serves no practical purpose, just makes buying glass protectors that much harder
Curved screen? Ugh
You can barely notice but enough to mess with glass protectors, just look at amazon reviews for them
Android One will receive updates earlier than the other versions. The November security update seems to have helped with battery drain which wasn’t too bad to begin with. The Gorilla Glass III front and back are problematic, though. I’ve already cracked the back and it wasn’t from dropping it. I’ve seen pictures to Motorola and Project Fi has a replacement in route. I’ve not had any performance issues. At $399 this is an excellent phone that you should probably consider buying a protective case (I’ve ordered a clear one so that you can see the best part of the phone at least).
Yeah, I am all about clear cases. Don’t know what the complains about the bump are, since I always get cases that flatten the back. Can still see the color, the rubbery coating makes it non-slippery, and the back is preserved really nicely without having to worry how you put the thing down on surfaces.
You call 5.2inches a small phone?
Yes actually. In todays day and age when a 5.5 inch phone is average in size this is considered a small phone.
Thats crazy, our hands dont grow with the phones.
I want a lawyer dog.
I feel like buying a used og pixel XL on swappa for around $380-410 is a better bet here, but maybe that’s just me
edit: typo
I used the Moto X4 Android One version from Google, as an unlocked phone for T-Mobile, for one day, and then I sent it back. It was so horribly jittery, even my wife agreed it wasn’t worth keeping. Scrolling through the home screen, opening apps, and multi tasking was so unbearable I couldn’t use the phone.
Wonder what the deal is. Some in this thread say there are no jittery issues, but we’ve got another handful who agree with my testing, that the phone is no fun to use at all due to performance issues. Either way, that’s enough complaining about awful performance for me to still tell most to avoid it.
I recently bought the Moto X4 here in Malaysia and I’m really not sure why this phone is getting a lot of bad reviews.
Coming from the HTC 10 and Huawei P10, I find the Moto X4 at par in terms of performance. I did NOT find this phone sluggish in any way.
It’s not as zippy when opening apps but never did I experience any slowness whatsoever.
The animations are turned ON by default btw. The phone being sold here is the 4gb/64gb combo (dual sim variant).
As for the camera, it will ONLY act up when changing the setting to depth effect.
I made a side by side comparison with the P10 in indoor light (auto default mode) and the X4 managed to compete.
I couldn’t say the same in the wide angle lens BUT it should be useful outdoors.
And the fact that the Moto app is VERY useful in every way. I think this could be the best upper midrange phone of 2017.
I’m used an Android One version of the Moto X4 and haven’t seen a single stutter. Quite the opposite this feels like the most responsive Android phone I’ve owned. Which is ironic because it’s the first one I’ve had that wasn’t a best in class high end device.
First non-Samsung Android phone, eh? Congrats.
That’s an odd comment. Why would you assume I’ve owned Samsung? I haven’t.
Nexus One, HTC One X, Nexus 6.
Is there a difference between the regular Moto X4 and Android One Moto X4 to use on Project Fi?
I just checked and my Moto Z Force Droid (OG) is the same software wise, with 7.1.1 OS and Sept security patch. This is a just slightly over a year old Moto flagship phone and Motorola is slacking with software updates. Honestly, with their dropping the battery capacity of the new Moto Z2 Force and Moto Z2 Play, I would not recommend a Moto phone to any of my family and friends. This coming from me being a Moto fan for years.
TC, I feel exactly as you I also had a love affair with Motorola phones. The Lenovo takeover sucks, plain & simple. When a mid-ranger is your best over your flagship, something is definitely wrong in Lenovo land. Look at the price reduction with the force. That means it ain’t selling. No more lenovo-motorola for me.Would not recommend any of their phones to anyone!
This is really depressing for me. This is the first project fi phone to offer a FM tuner activated. I was all set to save for this phone until I read this review. Sad. Guess I’m keeping my multi phone setup for another year.
I have yet to get the tuner to give me anything but static. Anyone know if it uses what’s plugged into the headphone jack as an antenna? I use BT headphones and I get no stations.
Yes, headphone jack serves as antenna.
There’s a app called mono Bluetooth. With it and a cord plugged into the headphone jack you can redirect the radio to your Bluetooth headset.
Wholeheartedly agree: I had the Moto X4 Android One from Project Fi and it lasted less than 48 hours before I returned it. Performance and camera were awful. I was hoping for a good midtier inexpensive replacement phone but not in this case…
It’s too bad really. On paper, this phone has quite a bit going for it at the price.
Got the Moto X4 unlocked from BB with $50 gift card for wife. Just got the November security and performance update, performance is better but not buttery smooth like the original Moto X. Installed Google camera app from Xda which fixed camera issue. Original moto x amoled screen was much better than this LCD panel. Battery life is around 4hrs SOT. Kellen is spot on with his review.
I just received November security update on the amazon prime version moto x4 – and it included stability and camera improvement updates. Motorola seems committed to this phone and the monthly update schedule doesn’t appear to be affected even with the Prime version. Kellen, I’m not seeing the performance issues you talk about regarding scrolling or opening apps. This has been way smoother and faster coming from a clean Nexus 5x on Oreo.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/05628f40568026931b2111295c83fe17b46104d9f18940617f240541bef2a14c.png
Amen
I have to wonder if some devices are faulty because I have had zero issues with mine. I chose it because I needed a new phone and wanted to save money. I’ve been pleasantly surprised with the device and glad I bought it.
Same.. I’m going to defend this phone as I never encountered those issues mentioned above EXCEPT for the sluggish performance in the camera depth effect (ONLY). I’m so happy i bought this as well.
Me, too. Seems zippy to me, but I do use Nova Launcher, so maybe the lagginess is in the default launcher? Dunno. Anyway, I’m happy with it.
All I know is I had two phones side-by-side and they both stuttered regularly and the performance in general was just not good. I can’t imagine I just happened to have two unlucky units. But I’m glad to hear that not everyone is experiencing the same.
Also, yay for updates!
My project Fi x4 had animations set to 1x out of the box and not “no animation” and I saw no slowdown opening apps, including the camera. I also got Nov 1 security firmware today(Nov 14).
I got the update today too.
Kellen – after reading your review…I’ve been thinking about what you said. You mentioned not knowing who this phone is for given the price. I speak for myself on this and maybe for others too: It’s a phone for someone who wants an unlocked option on Verizon, who wants USB-C, fast charging, NFC, good fingerprint, decent design and a smaller overall footprint…. And —important– something that is new with a warranty. I’ve bought plenty from swappa and that can be a mixed bag.
Not a lot of options exist for this price point, build quality and Verizon support. Basically it’s for those of use who had the 5x or something similar and don’t want the flagship price. I don’t play a single game that would warrant an 835 cpu but do like a few flagshipish features that come on the x4.
With the above said – If you had to choose between an unlocked lg g6, moto x4 and an Essential handset (when $450), what’s your choice?? As a Verizon user, those are the options for a new handset with a warranty in the price range. The G5 is not an option without NFC or USB-C.
It’s for people like me, who want all the features of a flagship minus a flagship SOC and screen. The battery of every phone I’ve used with a 2k screen and 800 series SOC plummets when you actually use it, and I’m fed up with that. Give me midrange SOC’s (I LOVED the 625 in my old Moto Z Play) and 1080p screens any day, especially with light software like Motorola’s that doesn’t need flagship specs to run smoothly. I’ll take the cheaper cost and extra battery life over extra processing power that I’ll never use.
I think Lenovo should try to concentrate on making 1 good phone. They have so many phones out they make me dizzy. Their two best releases are the g5plus 4gb model & possibly the z2play. I wouldn’t even consider the force, their best with a downgraded battery & no OIS on the camera. After owning the orginal turbo, turbo2 & Zforce I’m very dissapointed with their takeover of Motorola. It will be a cold day in hell before I purchase a Lenovo product! Yikes!
The only reason their committed with the X4 is because it’s an Android One phone! Yikes!
I have been using the Moto x4 on Project Fi since Oct. 22. I don’t agree with the performance review. I find mine to be lightening fast and don’t see any issues with app icons. This phone is far better on the performance scale than the Nexus 5X which it replaced. If you are on Fi and don’t want to blow a lot of money on a buggy Pixel 2 this is your phone. Now lets just hope we see some updates coming soon.
Buggy Pixel 2? Come on now, I don’t know where you got that. Pixel 2 phones are stupidly fast and buttery smooth. Probably the best performing Android phones out there.
https://www.dev.droid-life.com/2017/10/19/pixel-2-xl-display-issues/
The screen isn’t buggy, it’s just bad. I hate the idea of spending pixel 2 money on a phone with a bad screen, but the performance on it could make me overlook the screen.
What’s the most used feature on a phone? The display, for myself if the display sucks what good is performance. For the money it costs, an OK display is definitely not worth the money. And let’s face it the pixals are not cheap!
Yeah display issues aren’t bugs. We’re talking about performance, which typically directly relates to software.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/pixel-2-xl/help/getting-random-reboots-t3692366
Thanks. I’ve followed a couple of other reviews of this, since I am also interested in using it as a Project Fi device. IIRC nobody else has mentioned any problems with jankiness or slowness. But Kellen’s similar experience on two different variants is something I want to pay attention to and see how others’ experiences compare.
Yep, two different versions, both acted exactly the same. Also, another reader below used both and agreed with me on performance.
Define “far better.” On paper it seems like a minor side-grade. It’s 4+4 Cortex A53 vs 808’s 4 A53+2 A57. A57 is ~2-5x faster at single-threaded operations than A53 across the board last I found the benchmarks. So technically you are getting a minor bump in frequency on the 4x low A53s, and are replacing 2xA57 with high-clocked 4xA53s, none of which compare to A57 on single-threaded operations. Way I see it if you are running something with burst compute demands, then a couple of really strong A57s will be a wash with four alright cores – better in some cases, maybe not as good on a rare quad-thread operation that does not fall into the 2-5x performance category. A53 does have massive power consumption advantages, but that’s not been a concern for me at any point.
Not sure how the GPUs compare.
I’m working on selling my current phone and the last few days moved back to my Moto X 2014 while I wait to see what happens with the Oneplus 5t. I didn’t realize how much I missed the Moto X, and it still runs surprisingly well.
First 3 Moto X phones were really nice! This one, just isn’t.
Don’t know why they insisted on the X moniker
A janky Motorola? Now that’s a shame. Seems like the G5+ is still the Moto of choice.
I would say so
After reading this idk what to do. I’m using a oneplus x but right now is damage and wanted to see what could i get. Right now the essential at 450 or the Moto G5S seems to be the only choice.
Why not get another oneplus?
Cause right now out of stock and the 5T will probably have a price increased.
5T will be the same price as the 5. Otherwise grab a used 3T or 5 from swappa
Battery life deteriorated a lot on the 3/3T from what I’ve read. May still be worth considering but something to be mindful of.
I’d go with Essential, if for nothing else out of principle. I know NFC isn’t a feature everyone uses but Moto didn’t just simply not include it in the G5 line. They dropped it specifically for the US model while including it internationally. This was such a stupid move since it’s otherwise a fantastic line for the price. My wife has the G5+ and loves it… outside of no Android Pay after just adapting to using it on her previous phone.
Z2 Play is another option (or OG Z Play).
G5S Plus, Moto Z2 Play (as suggested below), Essential, all better choices than X4.
If you can hold out a little longer (Black Friday and beyond) the Essential may drop below the $449 it is priced at now at Best Buy and Amazon.
Kellen, is the Essential really better performance wise? I’ve heard it also has janky software and stuttering. Also, is Essential’s camera better than the Moto X4’s?
I have a Moto X4 and love it. I’ve seen none of the stutter stated in the article.
I recently bought the Moto X4 here in Malaysia and I’m really not sure why this phone is getting a lot of bad reviews.
Coming from the HTC 10 and Huawei P10, I find the Moto X4 at par in terms of performance. I did NOT find this phone sluggish in any way.
It’s not as zippy when opening apps but never did I experience any slowness whatsoever.
The animations are turned ON by default btw. The phone being sold here is the 4gb/64gb combo (dual sim variant).
As for the camera, it will ONLY act up when changing the setting to depth effect.
I made a side by side comparison with the P10 in indoor light (auto default mode) and the X4 managed to compete.
I couldn’t say the same in the wide angle lens BUT it should be useful outdoors..
In the under $300 range:
Moto G5+ (smaller, closest in size to your OPX) or G5S, or consider the Asus Zenfone 3 Zoom if you want the best battery life (if it works on your network bands, likely so if you’re using a OPX).
If you’re willing to spend closer to the $500 range:
Essential is worth considering at it’s new lower price, and I’d wait to see OnePlus 5T (launching soon), and black Friday options.
The g5 plus 4gb model, 64gb’s of storage appears to be a better phone. On sale at Amazon for 239.00. Seems like a better deal!
I need to know more about Moto’s phone app. The last Moto phone I had was the MXPE, which had the stock Google Dialer, so I’m astounded that they’ve dedicated any resources to developing something they’re guaranteed to be lagging behind other OEM’s at and probably doesn’t play nearly as well with Duo as Google’s does.
It’s pretty much just Google’s with a different icon and some color tweaks. As for functionality, it only lets you search your contacts, whereas Google’s lets you also search places.
Oh. They just tweaked the AOSP app? Welp, you can guarantee you’ve seen the last update that thing’s ever gonna receive.
Heh probably