At Rs 20k, it is not the sole contender for the segment crown, but the invitation-based purchasing system for something like One Plus 2 or a Xiaomi Mi4 allows the Moto X Play to run away with the competition.
If Motorola can address the shutter lag and bring more granular controls for the camera app with the next OS update, Moto X Play will easily stand a chance to cannibalise its more capable sibling, Moto X Style, says Himanshu Juneja.
Due to all the hullabaloo surrounding the launch of flagship mobile phones by various manufacturers, Motorola's Moto X Play slipped under the radar. That didn't prevent the phone from creating the impact it was capable of.
Moto X created quite a flutter when it was launched in 2013. The phone got rave reviews and was only betrayed mainly by its sub par camera. The second avatar saw the phone improving its battery life significantly, but the disappointing camera performance lingered on.
A resurgent Motorola couldn't have ignored the glaring shortcoming any longer and 2015 seems to be the year of reckoning for the Moto X lineup. Motorola has launched not one or two, but three variations of the Moto X phones, and it is the budget version which has wowed the users on every front.
It is not perfect, but is it the the best bang for buck within the Rs 20,000 segment? Let's find out.
Build and design
The Moto X Play measures 148 x 75 x 8.9 mm in dimensions, and at 169 gms it is not exactly feather light either. But when held, the phone gives a very solid feel. It is important to take a look at the construction of the the phone here. It has the dead giveaway of cost cutting measures literally plastered over it with the plastic build. Gone is the last year's aluminium frame, and is replaced by a polycarbonate shell.
Thankfully, it doesn't give a cheap feel, but who would say no to metal's premium looks?
The phone's textured back feels rubbery to touch and assists in obtaining a good grip. The dimple on the rear panel provides the extra bit to marvel over Moto's thoughtful additions. There is the vertical bar as well which provides aesthetic value.
It was disappointing to see the Moto X Play coming without dual speakers. Only the lower speaker works as one, while the grill above is an earpiece only. The power button and the volume rocker are located on the right side; the top side carries the SIM and microUSB tray as well as the 3.5 mm audio jack. Left edge has been left untouched.
The lack of premium built quality is again highlighted with the volume rocker, which wobbles when the phone is shaken about. Also, the Moto X Play does is not waterproof and has only been made water resistant.
Display
The Moto X Play comes with a 5.5-inch LCD panel. The Full HD display of 1080 x 1920p resolution delivers a pixel density count of 403 ppi. While the screen lacks the deep blacks and punchy colours of an AMOLED screen from earlier editions, the IPS panel provides some excellent viewing angles and good brightness levels. Readability under direct Sunlight is just about manageable.
The colours came out pretty well balanced, and contrast level was about satisfactory. Black levels are not disappointing either. It is definitely not a class leading panel and amply shows the cost effective production values.
Hardware
Coming with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 chipset, Moto X Play is an Octa core device. Four of the Cortex A53 cores are clocked at 1.7 GHz, while the rest of the Cortex A53 cores operate at 1.0 GHz respectively.
The CPU has been paired with Adreno 405 GPU, along with 2 GB of RAM. All this seems pretty good considering the mid range segment mobile phone the Moto X Play is.
Users can opt from 16 GB or 32 GB storage memory models. The storage memory can also be increased using a microSD card for a maximum of 128 GB.
Connectivity
While the Moto X Play is an LTE enabled device, it also carries plethora of other connectivity options as well. Coming with features like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth (ver 4.0) and NFC, the resume for Moto X Play looks well beefed up.
Users get to avail AGPS services for their navigational needs, and the presence of FM Radio is reassuring.
OS
Motorola can be forgiven for making the Moto X Play still ply on Android Lollipop (ver 5.1.1) as it was released ahead of Marshmallow. Given Motorola's track record, the users can expect a swift transition to the latest Android OS once Google delivers the source code to them.
The phone comes with good amount of pre-installed apps, but thankfully most can be either disabled or uninstalled. It won't be too wise to discuss the OS in a lot of depth, given that it is about to be phased out, but the details that can be pondered over are how Motorola has added its own touch.
These features and apps also have the good chance of getting carried over to Marshmallow release.
Moto Display
Undoubtedly one of the attractions from Motorola camp. The ambient display allows the users to take a look at the notifications only by lifting the device. The notifications show up in a monochromatic colours, and allows the battery to take it easy. Users also get to swipe off a notification if they feel like.
Quite Hour setting
After a day of hustle and bustle, users might want to catch upon the forty winks without getting disturbed. The Quiet Hours setting automatically activates the silent mode on, and only the priority contacts will be allowed to contact the user.
Calendar integration with Quiet Hours
The Quiet hour setting is also capable of interacting with the user's calendar entries and will extend the automatic silent mode when important meetings are going on. Users also get to send automated text messages when such an even is taking place. Similar text messages can be sent when the user is driving a vehicle for example.
Launch camera via gesture
For the quick launching of the camera app, all the user has to do is to twist the wrist twice while holding the phone, and if done correctly, the camera will be ready to take snaps.
Moto Assist
The virtual assistant from Motorola. Users can count on this nifty app to get the names of the callers or even text message senders while the user is preoccupied. The location based settings profile can also be activated and allows users to latch onto the Wi-Fi according to confirmed time stamps of daily routine.
The Motorola Migrate feature allows users to move content to or from the phone wirelessly.
Another gesture based action, Chop Twice, fires up the torch light instantly. This will come in handy especially when in tricky situations.
All in all, these are some very good add-ons, and yet, Motorola has allowed a near stock Android to be pushed to the devices and allowed users to feel less concerned about OS glitches from their side.
Performance
It is safe to say that performance wise, the Moto X Play comes out pretty much a winner. Given the near budget segment it belongs to, the mid range specifications come together nicely to deliver performance which should keep most if not all, users satisfied.
The phone showed no signs of stuttering, lags or any issues with the app functionalities either. The apps launched, closed and switched with ease. The HD content played out as expected. Even the high end games can be played with high settings, with next to no signs of frame rate drops.
However, there were slight inconsistencies with frame rates during prolonged usage or when the going really got cramped when there was too much data to handle. Heavy gamers should consider other high end phones.
Overall, it is a solid performer which delivers the performance as promised. The phone should nicely serve as a no hassles daily driver.
Camera
Moto X traditionally has been plagued by bad camera performances, but this time things are different. For the record, there is the 21 MP rear facing camera and front facing camera is a 5 MP unit. Moto X Play's camera sensor is a significant boost when compared with previous editions. While Optical Image Stabilisation is missing, a software substitute has been provided.
To put the performance of the camera in a single word -- Impressive. The colours come out rich and vibrant, while there is also good amount of details packed in the photographs. The HDR mode will find itself being summoned often, as it assists nicely during situations when the subject involves uneven light conditions. The night mode is good, but not too great. The dynamic range is also pretty good and provides more leg room to the users.
The camera does struggles during night time photography. The flash comes to the rescue, reducing the grains and allowing some very acceptable pictures showing up as the final result, but without the flash, the results are nothing to be spoken about. The camera clearly struggled.
The phase detection autofocus tries to get the focusing job done more easily, but Motorola needs to get their act together on this. The shutter needs to be a tad more quick with its clicking as there is visible lag present. This, along with a camera app which lacks manual controls, were the most disappointing features and should have been addressed.
The double twist of the wrist to launch the camera app is a nice touch. The camera is capable of capturing good 1080p videos only, and does so at 30 fps. The lack of UHD capture rankled, but thankfully the users get to capture slow motion videos at 720p. The results were pretty much satisfactory.
Front facing camera grabs some good quality selfies which can easily be used around for avatar or on social media websites.
Battery
One of the main bulwark for the phone is the 3,650 mAh battery. Powering up a full HD screen is one thing, supplying a capable beastly battery pack is another. Even though the back panel is removable, the battery remains sealed in.
Battery performs admirably well, even though Moto's claim of two day's worth of battery life do not hold true. One can easily find running the phone into its second day before realising that the phone is in the need of rejuicing. This was when the phone is being used with a moderate to heavy usage pattern.
Qualcomm's Quick Charge 2.0 ensures that the phone goes from fully drained to 100 per cent charged up in two hours flat. This is an impressive add-on for an already impressive battery backup.
Verdict
Motorola has priced the Moto X Play quite right. The 16 GB storage model will cost Rs 18,499, whereas the 32 GB storage model has been priced at Rs 19,999. For a phone with a good display, impressive camera, fantastic battery life, and of course a good user experience overall. Motorola has come up with a device which seems ready for consumption.
It is not that the phone is the sole contender for the segment crown, but the invitation based purchasing system for something like One Plus 2 or a Xiaomi Mi4 allows the Moto X Play to run away with the competition. The near stock Android OS of the X Play is something which will draw even the purists.
If Motorola can address the shutter lag and bring more granular controls for the camera app with the next OS update, Moto X Play will easily stand a chance to cannibalise its more capable sibling, Moto X Style. That amply signifies the pedigree the X Play holds.
