Hot topics

Motorola Moto X Pure Edition review: pure magic

camfrontmotoxstyle
© nextpit

Read in other languages:

The Moto X Pure Edition is the third generation of the acclaimed Moto X series, which was launched in 2013. The original Moto X was a compact device with modest specifications; this new edition is impressive in terms of both specs and design. The Moto X Pure Edition (known as the Moto X Style outside of the US) maintains the series' features while adding some exciting new functionality. But just how good is Motorola’s most premium smartphone? Find out in our Moto X Pure Edition review.

Motorola Moto X Style

Good

  • Beautiful QHD LCD display
  • Strong camera
  • Convenient design
  • Superior audio

Bad

  • Relatively small battery capacity
Motorola Moto X Style
Motorola Moto X Style
Motorola Moto X Style: All deals

Motorola Moto X Style release date and price

The Moto X Pure Edition release date has not been confirmed, but you can pre-order the device now at the US and UK Motorola websites. The Moto X Pure Edition price starts at US$399.99 for the 16 GB version, which is available in a range of customizable colors. In the UK, the Moto X Style price starts at £399 for the 32 GB version.

Motorola Moto X Style design and build quality

The Moto X Pure Edition is larger than its predecessor and, despite the visual similarities, brings a host of unique features to the series. Inside the box you get all the essentials, such as a charge-cable, instruction manual and in-ear headphones (the same model that was shipped with the Moto X 2014). The supplied power cable fits into a wall-socket, but the X Pure doesn't come with a separate USB cable for data transfer, sadly.

teasermotoxstyle
The Moto X Pure edition is known as the Moto X Pure Edition outside the US. / © ANDROIDPIT

The handset can be customized in Motorola’s Moto Maker store, with options including a genuine leather or bamboo rear cover, but our review unit came in the standard silicone variant. Silicone is a material that might divide opinions, but personally, I like the soft grip. Not only does it feel good, but Motorola says that it won’t yellow over time.

acabamentomotoxstyle
An closer look at the Motorola Moto X Pure Edition's rear cover. / © ANDROIDPIT

I did notice that it’s easier to clean fingerprints off the back of Moto X Pure Edition than the Moto X Play, which has a rubberized polycarbonate coating. Up close, the raised diagonal lines of the back panel also look rather elegant.

The back of the handset is slightly curved, making it comfortable to handle, and it has an oval aluminum detail around the main camera and dual-tone LED flash, like on the Moto G 2015, with the company logo at the lower end.

traseiramotoxstyle
The rear of the Moto X Pure Edition is slightly curved. / © ANDROIDPIT

Despite its curved spine, the Moto X Pure Edition is perfectly usable even when it's lying flat on a table – it doesn't wobble – and unlike a number of devices released this year, like the Galaxy S6, the Moto X Pure Edition’s rear camera lens doesn’t protrude. This all adds to its premium looks. 

At the top of the device is the slot for two SIM cards and just behind the chip tray is a slot for a microSD card up to 128 GB. On the bottom of the device is the micro USB port and on the right-hand side is the power button and volume control.

As on other Motorola models, the power button is lightly textured so that it isn’t confused with the volume controls. All of these buttons are easily reachable when using the smartphone with one hand.

chipsimmotoxstyle
The SIM card/MicroSD slot reveals the superior craftsmanship on the Moto X Pure Edition. © ANDROIDPIT

The front of the device is the same as on the Moto X Play, except that the LED flash is now in the upper right corner. Additionally, Motorola has included stereo speakers on the Pure Edition for multimedia and audio playback, but they protrude from the surface of the device a little.

camfrontmotoxstyle
The speakers on the Moto X Pure Edition protrude slightly. / © ANDROIDPIT

We're not sure we like the look of the speakers sticking out so visibly. On the plus side, they do help protect the screen from being scratched when the device is placed face down on a flat surface.

speakermotostyle
The Moto X Pure Edition's micro USB port. / © ANDROIDPIT

All in all, Motorola has once again delivered a high quality design. While the Moto X Pure Edition isn't visually bold or fresh, Motorola has nailed the key components and crafted a well-rounded and very comfortable handset.

frontmotoxstyle
The front of the Moto X Pure Edition looks similar to its predecessor. / © ANDROIDPIT

Motorola Moto X Style display

The Moto X Pure Edition features a 5.7-inch display with QHD (2,560 x 1,440 pixels) resolution and 520 pixels per inch. The company chose a TFT LCD panel with IPS technology for its new flagship, rather than the AMOLED screen of the previous model.

displaymotoxstyle
The TFT LCD display of the Moto X Pure Edition is a gem. / © ANDROIDPIT

With TFT LCD, Motorola was able to achieve a more balanced and less intense color tones. Whites are purer and the reproduction of colors in photos and videos is much more accurate. For me, the shift from AMOLED to LCD TFT was a good choice. 

modelmotoxstylefront
The display is protected against scratches and scrapes by Corning Gorilla Glass 3. / © ANDROIDPIT

What’s more, the display is designed to be energy efficient, making the impact of the new display tech on the phone's on battery life less severe than it otherwise might have been. The viewing angles are excellent and it remains readable even when viewed at 57 degrees.

The brightness of the Moto X Pure Edition is not as intense as its predecessor, though, making the screen visibility a little less good in outdoor environments. 

Motorola Moto X Style special features

The Moto X Pure Edition’s voice features are an amalgamation of Google Now controls and special commands enhanced by Motorola, which expands the possibilities further. I had to wait a couple of days for the software to become optimized, but once it had, it went beyond the functionality offered by Google Now because it had learned from my behavior. 

The commands present in the Moto X Pure Edition are the same as the X Play and the Moto X (2014), which were standardized with the arrival of Lollipop 5.1. However, there's one novelty that's specific to this device that caught my attention: you can activate Moto Voice by moving the device to your ear like you would if you wanted to talk. It’s useful even if only to avoid saying "OK Google" out loud in a public space.

androidpit moto x style review 35
The Moto application is the core of the Moto X Pure Edition's custom settings. / © ANDROIDPIT

The speech recognition is accurate even in a relatively noisy space, far moreso than even the Moto X Play.

Moto Assist

The Moto Assist software now comes with a new feature for recognizing locations, which was introduced in a recent update, and it can detect when a user is at home, work or at school.

The settings can be easily configured for each of these locations. For example, you can assign a 'work' profile. which automatically changes your phone's volume to the silent while you’re there. It’s a simple idea, but can be very useful.

localmotoxstyle
Moto Assist can change your device's settings depending on your location. / © NextPit

Motorola Moto X Style software

The X Pure arrives running Android 5.1.1 Lollipop, with the promise of an upgrade to Android 6.0 Marshmallow in the future. The software delivered by Motorola is cleaner than ever, mainly thanks to the removal of the voice features and gestures from the system settings. All of Motorola’s extra features can be found in the dedicated Motorola application.

androidmotoxstyle
Android 5.1.1 Lollipop running on the Moto X Pure Edition. / © ANDROIDPIT

The device comes with 32 pre-installed applications, and only four of them belong to Motorola: Help, Migration, Connect and Moto. The normal suite of Google apps are there, with the exception of Google+ and Google Play Games. The software experience itself is the same as we have come to expect from Motorola’s more recent devices: almost stock Android, hopefully providing for a swift upgrade to Android Marshmallow in the fall.

lollipopmotoxstyle
The Moto X Pure Edition runs on Android 5.1.1 lollipop, but an upgrade to Marshmallow is guaranteed. / © ANDROIDPIT

Motorola Moto X Style performance

Like the LG G4, the Moto X Pure Edition is packed with a hexa-core Snapdragon 808 processor (MSM8992) clocked at 1.8 GHz, with 3 GB of LPDDR3 RAM. The decision not to go with a Snapdragon 810 means that the threat of overheating is reduced.

The GPU is an Adreno 418 (600 MHz), which provides for exceptional visual performance. The latest games and videos can be displayed at high-resolutions without any dips in frame rate.

The X Pure also comes with two co-processors called natural language and contextual computing. These processors are responsible for managing the unit's sensors, voice capture and power saving to do things such as reduce background processing while the device is in a pocket, for example.

We ran an AnTuTu benchmark test to assess performance and learned that the Moto X Pure Edition scored above the Asus Zenfone 2 and Samsung Galaxy Note 4 with 53,692 points.

antutumotoxstyle
The AnTuTu Moto X Pure Edition benchmark test results. / © ANDROIDPIT

Motorola Moto X Style audio

Finally we have a Moto X model with stereo speakers at the front. The audio on the device is excellent, pumping out clean treble and bass frequencies without distortion. The level of immersion in videos and games is enhanced by the speakers being on the front of the device – they sound great even at full volume.

There is no EQ in the system settings however, and Motorola lacks the audio features that the likes of the Sony devices boast. 

casemotoxstyle
The sound emitted by the Moto X Pure Edition headphone port is sharp. / © ANDROIDPIT

Motorola Moto X Style camera

The Moto X Pure Edition camera is said to be the best Motorola has ever produced, it performs accordingly. The rear camera comes in at 21 MP (5,344 x 4,008 pixels) and is accompanied by a dual-tone LED (CCT) flash, with f / 2.0 aperture lens. The pictures obtained by this camera are superb, with good color balance, exposure and definition.

Night mode reduces the images to 3 MP, but does a decent job of taking photos with little noise and blur. Check out the results of our camera tests in the gallery below:

The front camera has a 5 MP sensor with LED flash and the results in daylight are good, but not perfect – it’s better to find a good lighting source than use the flash.

Motorola Moto X Style battery

Before I start talking about numbers on the battery life of the Moto X Pure Edition, I want to talk a little about the charger that arrived with the device. This is the same Turbo Charger that also arrives with the Moto Maxx. It has 25 watts of power and is capable of reachingabove average charge speeds. In my tests, I could fully charge the Moto X Style in 1 hour and 23 minutes, and it charged to 16 percent in the first 15 minutes of being plugged in. 

This initial 15 minutes was fastest, then the unit dropped in speed a little, but these are still impressive figures. The fast-charging only works for the X Pure, not other Quick-Charge 2.0 compatible handsets, but it will charge other Motorola devices normally.

turbopowerchargermotoxstyle
The Moto X Pure EditionTurbo charger has 25 watts of power. / © ANDROIDPIT

And the Moto X Pure Edition battery itself? It has a 3,000 mAh capacity, and even though it charges fast, the life of the battery isn't great. I usually had my display brightness set at around 35 percent and the device never provided more than a day of use. You can expect it to last until night-time on a full charge, but with heavy use and higher brightness will reduce this further. 

Motorola Moto X Style technical specifications

Final verdict

The Moto X Pure Edition is easily capable of competing directly with the latest Android flagship releases. Motorola did an impeccable job with its new flagship phone and the quality can be seen from the design right through to the hardware specifications. It's just unfortunate that the battery life isn't better.

This device is the best evolution of the Moto X line – the Moto X Play looks unimpressive by comparison. At US$399 for the base model, the X Pure offers incredible value for money. With turbo-charging, expandable storage, a QHD display, premium design, strong performance and excellent camera, there's no reason this shouldn't sell very well indeed. 

What did you think of Moto X Pure Edition? Give us your thoughts in the comments below.

Top Samsung Galaxy Watches: Choosing Your Best Fit

  2023 models 2023 models 2022 models 2022 models 2021 models 2021 models
Product
Image Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Product Image Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic Product Image Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Product Image Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro Product Image Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Product Image Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic Product Image
Review
Review: Samsung Galaxy Watch 6
Not yet tested
Not yet tested
Review: Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro
Review: Samsung Galaxy Watch 4
Not yet tested
Offers*
Go to comment (53)
Bruno Salutes

Bruno Salutes
Editor

Degree in Web Design and Relationship Marketing, is in love with Android devices and a good cup of coffee! Currently living in São Paulo is always tuned in all the trends, innovations and launches the mobile market. Love watching videos and reviews whenever possible are involved in any discussion about technology.

View all articles
Liked this article? Share now!
Recommended articles
Latest articles
Push notification Next article
53 comments
Write new comment:
All changes will be saved. No drafts are saved when editing
Write new comment:
All changes will be saved. No drafts are saved when editing

  • Jjjj 1
    Jjjj Jan 9, 2016 Link to comment

    Too big, unfortunately... Otherwise it would have been perfect.


  • 1
    siri khalsa Nov 22, 2015 Link to comment

    over 7000 hits on the motorola forum thread about crackle and popping from the top speaker. comments say that 6.0 has not fixed it.


  • 1
    Marcin Oct 14, 2015 Link to comment

    What bumper is it on one of the last photos - the one with headphones connected?


  • Vladimir Enin 1
    Vladimir Enin Oct 5, 2015 Link to comment

    Hi mates! Do you know, which countries have dual sim version of moto x pure?


  • Gouri Thanda 1
    Gouri Thanda Oct 1, 2015 Link to comment

    please confirm the date of release in India


  • 1
    Todd Richardson Sep 17, 2015 Link to comment

    With Google pay out there a fingerprint reader is high on my list so that, and the size of this phone, is holding me back. Otherwise the pricing and performance really make this a great "more than good enough" phone. I'm of the opinion that I no longer need or want the best phone. While there are a number of better, higher spec devices out there the price differential doesn't seem worth it to get an even more excellent screen, and even nicer case, an even better camera under some conditions, and even slight faster processor, etc.

    I like what Motorola is doing, and I look forward to seeing what it does with Lenovo's resources and behind it. obviously it was great when they were Google, but Google really isn't hardware focused where as lenovo is.


  • Paolo Pizzi 1
    Paolo Pizzi Sep 17, 2015 Link to comment

    I don't know why some reviewers claim that the camera isn't up to snuff. DxO Labs recently rated it as the second-best camera of any smartphone, only outdone by the Samsung S6's. And Motorola still has to improve the software. Which means it may easily become THE best smartphone camera.


  • Gouri Thanda 1
    Gouri Thanda Sep 16, 2015 Link to comment

    moto x style is not available in India, till date. confirm the date of launch in India. Also confirm like moto x play does moto x style also has 2 version 1 with 16 gb internal memory and other with 32 gb internal memory


  • 1
    Emiliano Samaniego Sep 13, 2015 Link to comment

    Can i ship the moto x pure edition to latin america via amazon?


    • 2
      shyam lin Sep 14, 2015 Link to comment

      No its not possible dude


  • 2
    Vikranth Reddy Bhimanapati Sep 13, 2015 Link to comment

    one doubt moto x play when we purchased from united states will work in india or not


    • 2
      shyam lin Sep 14, 2015 Link to comment

      Hws the perfomance of moto x play? plz reply me dude...


  • 2
    Vikranth Reddy Bhimanapati Sep 13, 2015 Link to comment

    when moto x style launch in india


    • 2
      shyam lin Sep 14, 2015 Link to comment

      Moto X style is already launched & it will be available in Flipkart on Sep 14 2015 from 2pm onwards


  • 2
    Derek Shafer Sep 13, 2015 Link to comment

    Have a moto x 2nd gen just a few months old..cracked the screen (my bad, would've damaged any non-cased smart phone) I was about to reorder exact same phone when the $399 pure edition Style news hit, so I thought that as much as I enjoy the pure Android experience of my X 2nd gen, I better grab one of these. Ordered it (using motomaker) Sept 3..received it Sept 11. I could not be more pleased. The slightly larger size scared me but I cut a piece of paper 6" by 3" and set my 2nd gen on it..the size difference appeared inconsequential. After using the new phone for 2 days, I have come to appreciate the slightly greater size and weight (the small size and light weight of my 2nd gen were contributing factors to the cracked screen). As to the turbo charger..yes it works much faster than a regular charger. Combine that with holding a charge longer and my charging downtime is greatly reduced. Buy one now!!

    john morris


  • 2
    Mike James Sep 12, 2015 Link to comment

    This article shows two sim slot. is this going to be available in the US or just UK?


    • 3
      coreyho Sep 13, 2015 Link to comment

      This is available in china.


  • The Tig 4
    The Tig Sep 11, 2015 Link to comment

    how does this compare to the moto x play

    is there any improvement in camera on the x style compared to the play (speed, quality )


    • Facundo Dilota 1
      Facundo Dilota Sep 16, 2015 Link to comment

      Same resolution, but much better sensor and optics. Obviously, completely different results.


  • 5
    Deactivated Account Sep 11, 2015 Link to comment

    First thing I have to say is here all the disappointment about the camera are not that good on some phones.. Who really cares??..If you need that good of pictures go buy a Damn camera.. they work good enuff and it makes the point. I thought the purpose of the phone is to talk are text people not how many pics you can post. I have note 4 and it's ok.. wishing they wouldn't have all the bloatware that would be nice. I like speed no lags and a battery that last. I am thinking about a MotoX Pure Edition becuase it doesn't come with all kinda of BS. also front speakers are nice and should come that way on all phones.. (Wake Up Samsung) and make it easy to connect between devices.. Just my opinion.

    Leland Whitlock


    • Paolo Pizzi 1
      Paolo Pizzi Sep 17, 2015 Link to comment

      The camera on the Moto X PE was recently rated by DxO Labs as the second best of any smartphone. The Samsung S6 won by a hair. Oh, and the video stabilization is way better than Apple's and Samsung's.


  • 1
    Vincent Hoornaert Sep 11, 2015 Link to comment

    Damn,why does it takes so long before this phone is available in Belgium?I can't wait any longer!


  • 31
    Deactivated Account Sep 11, 2015 Link to comment

    from my current moto X 2nd gen perspective this is a very nice all-round upgrade, great spec's and unbeatable value...
    Motorola are really doing a truly great android experience.


  • 3
    Adventure Analog Watch Face Sep 11, 2015 Link to comment

    Moto X Style is legit. It has its unique features, specs, performance and visual appeal. We can expect excellent offering from one of the best smartphone makers in the world.


  • 14
    Nickname303 Sep 11, 2015 Link to comment

    The only downsides of the Moto X 2014 were the camera and the battery. Well they've improved the camera now for the Moto X Style. Let's hope that in the next Motorola flagship they finally put a decent size battery in there too, then it will be the perfect phone


    • 1
      duelistjp Sep 11, 2015 Link to comment

      moto x force has a nicer battery and shatterproof screen. but it will be a verizon exclusive in the us as the droid turbo 2


  • john morris 2
    john morris Sep 4, 2015 Link to comment

    I'm looking forward to giving this phone a test drive. Hope it lives up to the hype! I tried to wait for OPT invite


  • Kyle 8
    Kyle Sep 3, 2015 Link to comment

    To all Canadians:

    I've emailed motorola asking if this particular phone will come out in Canada, and yes, they said NO.


    • Paolo Pizzi 1
      Paolo Pizzi Sep 17, 2015 Link to comment

      Pure Edition is US-only. In Canada it will be available as the Moto X Style. Essentially the same phone.


  • 5
    Deactivated Account Sep 3, 2015 Link to comment

    l think I'll wait to find out more about the rumoured Moto X Force aka Bounce before buying a new phone.


  • 2
    J Bingard Aug 23, 2015 Link to comment

    Good one on Motorola's part, with Samsung trend of ditching the MicroSD card slot and making their phones sooo expensive for a 64 and 128gb internal, I can see Motorola as a winner here and many Samsung unhappy customers might jump on the Motorola wagon.

    Davide CalvoSteve


    • 11
      Steve Aug 23, 2015 Link to comment

      I've been using Samsung for years now and am totally disappointed in the latest s6 phones. Am seriously considering this as my next phone in 2016.


  • 5
    Sarfaraz Habib Aug 14, 2015 Link to comment

    I want this phone in India


  • Ger Adriaans 2
    Ger Adriaans Aug 13, 2015 Link to comment

    Beautiful device and good specs. Performance isn`t about specs alone, hardware/software optimization is much more important. Just look at the lagging S6 for instance ha ha.This will be my next phone for sure, allready loved the Nexus 6 they made and this one is a bit more user friendly (size wise).

    GT OhhSteve


    • 1
      duelistjp Aug 17, 2015 Link to comment

      well the s6 problem is the processor can't run for more than 30 seconds without massive throttling


  • 11
    Steve Aug 12, 2015 Link to comment

    And there I was thinking that I would keep my nearly 2 years old Samsung Galaxy 4 phone for another year at least (bought new battery and cover for it ) and then Motorola announce this phone! Fallen in love with it already. Can't wait to see the proper reviews but looks like I will be upgrading to this phone next February now. Ha.

    GT Ohh


  • 2
    Vanessa Steed Aug 12, 2015 Link to comment

    I'm tired of paying $750 for a phone. Love the moto assist features, can't wait for this to be released!

    GT OhhSteve


  • 6
    RobertH Aug 11, 2015 Link to comment

    Amen

    GT OhhSteve


  • 6
    RobertH Aug 11, 2015 Link to comment

    An upgrade in every way (except battery) over my note 3. I'll be very happy to give Samsung the boot asap. Front facing speakers, SD card, no idiotic glass, style choices and I'll probably save $300 to $400 over the craptastic note 5. So long Samesung.

    David MarshallSteve


    • 11
      Steve Aug 12, 2015 Link to comment

      So long to Samsung indeed!!

      David MarshallGT Ohh


  • trevor treandy 2
    trevor treandy Aug 11, 2015 Link to comment

    Is moto x style going to release in india ? Moto x pure is going to release in US so that means moto x style will release world wide and india is the biggest market for smartphones , even Motorola sold moto g in india and they sold the largest no. Of moto g here in india compare to other countries .. So waiting for x style

    Steve


  • Kyle 8
    Kyle Aug 11, 2015 Link to comment

    This is one good mid range phone to pick as i red the article.

    Steve


  • 2
    Vikranth Reddy Bhimanapati Aug 11, 2015 Link to comment

    Will it be available in india

    trevor treandy


    • trevor treandy 2
      trevor treandy Aug 11, 2015 Link to comment

      Even i want to know the same thing .. Is it going to release in india ? And if yes then when ?


  • 2
    Vikranth Reddy Bhimanapati Aug 11, 2015 Link to comment

    Will it be available in india


  • 4
    Wilson Ndebay Aug 11, 2015 Link to comment

    Good bye to all those high earn smartphones like Apple and Samsung.

    GT OhhSteveRobertH


  • 16
    Deactivated Account Aug 10, 2015 Link to comment

    Nothing special here just another large screen fake wanna be phablet you can only laugh at Motorola


    • 6
      RobertH Aug 11, 2015 Link to comment

      Yep, laughing all the way to the bank with the 3 or $400 I don't spend on the technoposer Note 5. I'll gladly give up the S-pen that I use once every other day for an sd card, front facing speakers and water resistance that will come in handy and be used all of the time. Can't wait to dump samdung and my Note 3.

      john morrisSteveGT Ohh


      • Bob visser 14
        Bob visser Aug 13, 2015 Link to comment

        Don't feed the trol that pathetic guy does nothing but praise samsung and bash other phones. Just search his name on Google

        Bimmy JimmySteve


    • Bimmy Jimmy 1
      Bimmy Jimmy Aug 13, 2015 Link to comment

      Lololol u mad


    • 4
      David Marshall Aug 19, 2015 Link to comment

      Yeah OK now go back into mommies basement. Nobody wants to listen to your nonsense any longer.

      Steve


    • 11
      Steve Aug 19, 2015 Link to comment

      And he doesn't even know what he is talking about!!


  • 9
    Richard Page Aug 10, 2015 Link to comment

    can't wait to buy.....your done samsung...

    john morrisGT OhhBimmy JimmyRobertH

Write new comment:
All changes will be saved. No drafts are saved when editing