The Motorola Moto X Foldable Display Review
Motorola deserves props for taking foldable display technology and putting it into an iconic design. But it still feels like a work in progress.
For one, the outer screen can only show notifications and controls. Motorola reinvented the notification panel with a custom UI that uses a smartwatch API but is limited to simple functions.
Display
Moto Display can show you a peek of your notifications, even when your screen is off. It subtly fades in and out, making it easy to see what’s important without touching your phone. And if you want to respond to a notification, just nudge it or pick up your device.
The Motorola 68000, also known as the m68k or 68k microprocessor (pronounced sixty-eight thousand), is a 16/32-bit complex instruction set computer (CISC) microprocessor developed by Motorola Semiconductor Products Sector in 1979. It is the first member of the Motorola 68000 series.
Unfold a stunning pOLED display for an infinite contrast of deeper blacks and richer colors. And a mind-blowingly fast and fluid refresh rate reduces lag in compatible games, so you can play with ease and precision. Plus, Dolby Atmos audio brings the action to life with immersive sound that fills your senses. It’s a perfect blend of design and performance. Choose from a range of inspiring colors including Pantone Color of the Year 2024, Peach Fuzz, Glacier Blue and Infinite Black.
Camera
The Moto X’s sensor has a high base sensitivity, and it motorola sIr8000 generally manages to keep shutter speeds above 1/30 sec, even in low light, which helps avoid shake-induced blur. Its image quality is solid through ISO 1600, but it starts to struggle a bit at higher sensitivities and has some odd color shading that seems tied to the sensor’s RGBC filter array.
The camera’s flash is very bright, and it does a good job of erasing red eye from portraits. However, its output is highly variable; given the same scene the Moto X can produce pleasant shots or images marred by high-ISO softness and/or weirdly desaturated colors. It also has a tendency to overexpose the lightest areas of the frame, which can be remedied by turning on focus point selection and focusing carefully.
In general, the Moto X is a capable shooter, and its camera Mod adds a lot of flexibility to its capabilities. But if you’re going to use the camera frequently, it might make sense to get a phone with built-in optical image stabilization.
Battery
Motorola offers high-performance batteries that are as reliable as your radios. These rechargeable lithium-ion batteries are backed by a 48 month workmanship warranty, ensuring that you get the most out of your investment. At Atlantic Radio, we keep a large selection of Motorola batteries in stock, so you can be sure to have the right power source for your radios at all times.
The battery’s YYWW code is a four-digit date code that indicates when it was manufactured. The first two digits are the year, while the last two digits indicate the week motorola dp4401e (or rollover to the following year) of manufacture.
A fully charged battery should have the ability to hold a charge for two days on standby. However, battery life varies depending on workload. For example, if the phone is being used as a hotspot while playing GTA III, it may only be able to stay charged for a few hours. This is why it’s important to examine your battery usage pattern to see what is draining your battery.
Performance
You can give Motorola props for taking the foldable display tech and putting it into a beautiful and iconic design, but as a smartphone this phone falls far short of what we expect for more than double the price of some competitors. Even when it’s working correctly, it doesn’t feel like a smartphone that someone would want to use for the long term. Despite its relatively fast processor, the touchscreen starts to break down over repeated openings and closings. After a few hours, you’re left with a completely dead upper half of the screen or a demon that pushes buttons at about 10 actions per second. I can’t even get Google Voice to work with it, though the phone will show you a notification on the cover display if you have an incoming call.
Motorola says it will offer three years of bi-monthly Android security updates for the device, which is a bit shorter than Samsung’s four years. It also offers a low IP52 rating, which means that while you can technically use it underwater, it probably won’t survive for long. The sharp edges of the folded-up device will irritate your hands after extended use. Creases will form above and below the fold within a day, and they won’t go away.
Design
Back in 2004, three years before the iPhone drew lines around the block, Motorola’s Razr line of flip phones revolutionized cell phone design. Those sexy little clamshells slid easily into jeans pockets, were a status symbol, and provided an experience that felt both smooth and satisfying when you opened it up or slipped it closed.
In order for the screen to close smoothly without a hard crease, Motorola had to come up with a very complicated hinge system that places mechanical support plates under the display on the left and right sides of the hinge. When open, those plates swing out of the way to allow the screen to fold flat.
Unfortunately, the hinge system is so complex that it can cause the front display to develop creases that will never go away. I experienced this firsthand as I was evaluating the sIr8000. After a day or so of opening and closing the phone, the screen started developing creases above and below the hinge that would not budge. The creases also caused the touchscreen to deteriorate until it stopped working above the halfway point. I had to resort to controlling the phone with a USB mouse to complete this review.
