<div><em><strong>Mala Bhargava</strong> says Moto X is a "lesser" device and should have had a brand new alphabet of its own, somewhere between G and X</em><br><br><br>Motorola changed the smartphone market with the predecessor of this very phone – the Moto X. Showing the world how you didn't need to be in the race for hardware specs to work really well, the Moto X and later the Moto G and Moto E set the benchmark in a new way for budget Android phones with experiences that centered around an un-tampered form of Android.</div><div> </div><div>And now Motorola has come up with two versions of the Moto X, one of which has been recently launched in India. The Moto X Play costs Rs 18,499 and isn't quite an upgrade of the original Moto X. Surprisingly, it's a "lesser" device and should have had a brand new alphabet of its own, somewhere between G and X.</div><div> </div><div><strong>Not Much Of A Looker</strong></div><div>Nobody is going to look at your Moto X Play and say "Wow, which phone is that?" It's got a nice enough back panel, soft rubber with a texture that makes for a good grip and is removable to let you get at two nano SIM slots and a memory card slot as well. The back has a slight curve to it and so the device won't sit flat on a table. While the ergonomics of the X Play are really just fine, even at 5.5 inches, and it feels sturdy and solid, it's also just plain downright boring to look at. I was casually comparing it with my mother's Moto G which just happened to be within reach and found I easily would pick the Moto G in the looks department. Something about the Moto X Play keeps it from being classy. It's all plastic, but that isn't it. The fit and and finish and lack of attention to details, perhaps – on my review unit the power and volume buttons actually rattle when you touch them or shake the phone. There's absolutely no other stylization other than that the back panel comes in many colours and you can just buy a lot of them and give the phone a different look whenever you like. But the Moto X Play was probably not created the way it was for its looks anyway.</div><div> </div><div><strong>Big Fat Battery</strong></div><div>One of the main attrtactions of the Moto X Play is its 3,630mAh battery, bigger than you get in most of the flagship phones, in fact. And on top of that, it has quick charging. This is a battery that will definitely last you the day with varied usage and you ca actually charge it in the morning instead of leaving it to top up all night. </div><div>The battery alone could prompt many to consider the Moto X Play. It would make a good second phone or, because of its fairly good speaker and call sound, a good option for those who need to speak to work associates a lot through the day and want to leave their more expensive phones to use at other times. I notice teenagers also getting fairly interested in this device so it's also a good option to give to a youngster who spends a lot of time on the phone.</div><div> </div><div><table border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2" style="width: 650px"><tbody><tr><td><img alt="" src="http://bw-image.s3.amazonaws.com/flower2.jpg" style="width: 650px; height: 350px; margin: 1px;"></td></tr><tr><td><strong>An outdoor picture clicked by the phone camera</strong></td></tr></tbody></table><br><strong>A 21-megapixel Camera </strong></div><div>The one thing Moto phone users missed at first was a really good camera, or even a usable one, for that matter. The Moto X Play comes with a 21-megapixel primary autofocus camera. But then, the megapixels count doesn't by itself automatically make for high quality pictures. Motorola touts the camera as being a fast one -- and that it is. You can trigger the camera off with a quick double twist of your wrist (something that gives me a sprain but that others like) and a little tap gets you a quick photo. Just as megapixels don't necessarily mean a great photo, neitherr does speed. Here, the photo is in before you have time to focus or steady up properly and so the results aren't always good. The settings wheel is hidden on the left and will come out with a swipe to let you play with some parameters including drag-to-focus. But the rest of the settings are basic.<br> </div><div>Photos taken outdoors are pretty good and show natural colours. Indoors, in good enough light, you continue to get good detail and colour. But in low light, as with the majority of phone cameras, you get softness and noise. </div><div> </div><div>The rear camera, a 5-megapixel shooter that doesn't have a flash but lights up the portrait a bit. There are no beautifucation modes.</div><div> </div><div><strong>Power And Performance</strong></div><div>The Moto X Play works with a 1.7GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 processor with Adreno 405 GPU and 2GB RAM. You could have once said that was enough for a mid-range phone but today some are actually beginning to come equipped with 4GB RAM. It's running Android 5.1.1 with all of Motorola's signature software lke Motorola Assist. For the most part it performs well, but expect some lag without warning no matter what the task may be. Occassionally, some heating as well. If you're using it for basic stuff and not keeping a whole multitude of apps open, you should be just fine.</div><div> </div><div>The Moto X Play could have been a real workhorse of a phone if it weren't for its niggling performance issues, specially given its solid battery life. But in reality it competes with the One Plus 2 and the Zenfone 2. If the One Plus 2 were only freely available, it would be the device people would go for in this category. The Zenfone 2 too has a lot to offer and is quite a draw as well. </div>
