Motorola Moto X Pure Edition Review: Straight-Up Premium Android
Camera and Battery Life
The 21 megapixel rear-facing shooter is Moto's most advanced to date, boasting a f/2.0 aperture for gratuitous bokeh, dual LED flash, Phase Detect Auto-Focus, burst mode, night mode, auto HDR, tap-to-shoot, 1080p video recording at 60fps, and even 4K video recording at 30fps. Beyond all of the technobabble, the reality is that the camera captures images quickly, and the resulting images are fantastic. Macro shots in particular are drool-worthy given enough surrounding light. As you'd expect, results are much weaker in low-light scenarios, and while the flash helps to deflect blur when used, it has a tendency to wash things out.
All that said, this is one of the most impressive cameras we've seen on an Android device, and for most, it'll more than suffice. Have a look for yourself in the gallery below.
Unedited photos from the Moto X Pure Edition (2015); click any to enlarge
Now, on the topic of battery life. The 3,000 mAh cell is fairly standard for phones of this stature, but it won't last two or three days off of the charger. If longevity is an absolute top priority, you may want to look elsewhere. (Phones like the iPhone 6 Plus, Droid Turbo, and OnePlus Two all offer significantly longer life.) The upside to its average battery life is the addition of TurboPower. That's a fancy name for a quick charging apparatus that enables it to gain 10 hours of talk time after just 15 minutes on the charger. You'll need to tote around the (fairly large) AC charger that Moto includes in the box to ensure that maximum juice is injected, but it's worth it. The recharge speed truly is exceptional.
Now, on the topic of battery life. The 3,000 mAh cell is fairly standard for phones of this stature, but it won't last two or three days off of the charger. If longevity is an absolute top priority, you may want to look elsewhere. (Phones like the iPhone 6 Plus, Droid Turbo, and OnePlus Two all offer significantly longer life.) The upside to its average battery life is the addition of TurboPower. That's a fancy name for a quick charging apparatus that enables it to gain 10 hours of talk time after just 15 minutes on the charger. You'll need to tote around the (fairly large) AC charger that Moto includes in the box to ensure that maximum juice is injected, but it's worth it. The recharge speed truly is exceptional.
Now, on the topic of battery life. The 3,000 mAh cell is fairly standard for phones of this stature, but it won't last two or three days off of the charger. If longevity is an absolute top priority, you may want to look elsewhere. (Phones like the iPhone 6 Plus, Droid Turbo, and OnePlus Two all offer significantly longer life.)
The Moto X Pure's TurboPower feature does mitigate the smaller battery, somewhat. That's a fancy name for a quick charging apparatus that enables it to gain 10 hours of talk time after just 15 minutes on the charger. You'll need to tote around the (fairly large) AC charger that Moto includes in the box to ensure that maximum juice is injected, but it's worth it. The recharge speed truly is exceptional.
