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Moto X vs. Droid Ultra: Google’s vision of Motorola versus Verizon’s

Last week, Motorola made a big splash with Verizon subscribers by unveiling its new Droid lineup that would be handled by that carrier. Today, the company showed off what everyone else would be getting: The Moto X. The handset will be available on every major carrier in the United States and aims to be the device that is consider the best of the best as far as Android phones go. Is it giving us much different than what the Droid lineup already provides, or is it just another entry in the same vein but for those not on the Verizon network? We put the Moto X up against the top Droid devices to see how it stacks up in a spec showdown.

 

Moto X

moto-x-phone
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Droid Maxx

DroidMaxx
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Droid Ultra 

Screen shot 2013-07-23 at 11.03.00 AM
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Size 129 x 65 x 10.4 (mm) 132 x 68 x 9.4 (mm) 137 x 71 x 7.18 (mm)
Weight 130g 167g 137g
Screen 4.7-inch AMOLED 5-inch AMOLED 5-inch AMOLED
Resolution 720×1280 pixels 720×1280 pixels 720×1280 pixels
OS Android 4.2 Android 4.2 Android 4.2
Storage 16/32GB 32GB 16GB
SD Card Slot No No No
Processor X8 chipset, 1.7GHz dual-core X8 chipset, 1.7GHz dual-core X8 chipset, 1.7GHz dual-core
RAM 2GB 2GB 2GB
Connectivity Wi-Fi, 4G LTE, EV-DO Rev.A Wi-Fi, 4G LTE, EV-DO Rev.A Wi-Fi, 4G LTE, EV-DO Rev.A
Camera Front MP, Rear 10MP Front 2MP, Rear 10MP Front 2MP, Rear 10MP
Bluetooth Yes, version 4.0 Yes, version 4.0 Yes, version 4.0
Battery 2200mAh 3500mAh 2130mAh
Charger Micro USB Micro USB Micro USB
Marketplace Google Play Store Google Play Store Google Play Store
Price $200+ $300 $200
Availability AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile, US Cellular Verizon Verizon
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All of these new handsets from Motorola come packed with power. There was concern that the Moto X may underperform, but the inclusion of the X8 mobile computing system should eliminate any worries. It’s hard to not notice a lot of similarities between all three devices, with similar chipsets, internal storage options, connectivity, etc. A lot of the specs are comparable, which isn’t a bad thing given most are impressive. The Moto X sports a slightly smaller screen but with the same resolution as the other two phones, it manages a higher pixels per inch count.

The stand out features for the Moto X that won’t appear in the specs include the ClearPixel camera, which shoots at 10MP but promises to yield impressive results, and color customization as the handset is available in 2 front colors, 18 back colors, and 7 accent colors. It might take some playing around and handling of these phones to see which one is best for you. Some that have gotten their hands on the Moto X thus far have said the specs don’t do the performance justice. You’ll have to make that call while you shop devices.

AJ Dellinger
AJ Dellinger is a freelance reporter from Madison, Wisconsin with an affinity for all things tech. He has been published by…
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