Motorola has upped the ante in terms of durability, with its latest flagship the Moto X Force, called the Droid Turbo 2 in the US. The smartphone comes to India with a price tag of Rs.49,999 (32GB) and Rs.53,999 (64GB). Interestingly, this is going to be the first Motorola smartphone that will be available at Croma and Spice Retail’s offline stores, as well as on the web through Flipkart and Amazon. Usually, all Motorola smartphones in India are initially available exclusively on Flipkart. The key highlight is the shatterproof display, but we aren’t very sure if that justifies the huge price tag.
Display: Shatter-proof, but dents easily
The Moto X Force’s 5.4-inch AMOLED display offers a screen resolution of 2560x1440p. This is in line with what one expects from a top-of-the-line flagship smartphone. The company claimed that it is more rugged than any other smartphone in the market, thanks to the five-layer screen which boosts durability and prevents the display from shattering. And while the phone did stay true to its promise and the screen didn’t shatter when we dropped it on a concrete surface from a height of 3 feet, it is as vulnerable as other smartphone screens when it comes to scratches and dents. Even the slightest of jabs at it with a plastic object ended up in multiple scratches and dents on screen. For a screen that is supposed to be shatterproof, this is quite unexpected, and we remain uncertain about its larger claims, when the Force will actually get put through rougher use in the real world.
In terms of performance, the 2K resolution display is at par with any of the high-end flagships. Text and colour reproduction is very good, and that makes the screen perfect for gamers and movie buffs. There is a feature called attentive display which won’t let the screen go off or dim as long as you are looking at it. This is quite useful for users who like to read a lot on the smartphone; they won’t have to deal with the display switching off midway through an article.
Design: Unique and robust
The Moto X Force’s back panel is made of stitched fabric of ballistic nylon and has a slim but sturdy metal frame on the side. The combo gives the device a unique appearance and rugged feel. But for some reason, it does not really have the aura of a premium flagship device. We have seen something similar in the Moto Turbo, launched last year. One has to be a bit more careful as the fabric finish catches dust and dirt quite easily and is not easy to clean.
The Force’s back is flat, and the curves appear more towards the edges. It is 9.5mm thick and weighs 169g, yet keeps the footprint in check and feels more like a 5-inch smartphone than a 5.4-inch screen device in the hand. The speakers have been placed on the front for better audio effect, while the SIM slot is at the top.
Performance: Fast and long-lasting
Motorola has used Qualcomm’s most powerful Snapdragon 810 quad-core processor and has paired it with 3GB of RAM. Though the processor has a tendency to heat up when stressed, we didn’t notice any heating up on the back or edges while using the Moto X Force, as Motorola has used an under-clocked (2.0GHz) version of the chip. Switching between apps and multi-tasking worked smoothly, and this phone will not disappoint power users or gamers. The 3,760mAh battery provides a full day’s backup at most, which is not surprising considering the Snapdragon 810’s issues with power consumption and heating.
Software: Latest Android with clutter-free user interface
It has Android 5.1 (Lollipop) and comes with a standard set of Google and Motorola apps. The stock Android interface looks a bit bland and has hardly any customisation features in it. However, there are some interesting elements like the voice control feature, Moto Assist and the Always On display that shows time and notifications when you wave a hand over the display.
Though it comes out of the box with an older version of Android, the prompt to update to Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) shows immediately after connecting the device to Wi-Fi or 3G/4G. There are no third-party apps or themes that may interfere with user experience.
Camera: Good with daylight shots
The smartphone’s 21-megapixel camera has a very basic interface. However, it doesn’t have manual focus, something seen across all Motorola phones. So you have to rely on the auto-focus to get it right. There are no filters or modes and all the elements are placed in a circular wheel hidden on the left side of the screen. The camera is fast and takes crisp shots during the day. What impressed us most is the colour reproduction, which looks rich and natural. Even in frames with multiple bright colours or multiple light sources, there is good contrast. Pictures clicked in low-light look a bit washed out and hazy.
Verdict
The Moto X Force’s prime attraction is the shatter-proof display, but from what we experienced in testing, it shouldn’t be the reason to invest in this phone. At the current price, the Apple iPhone 6s Plus (Rs.58,000 for 64GB) is a better bet as it offers superior looks, a superior camera, fingerprint sensor and a better battery. And in case you want to stick with Android only, the Moto X Style (Rs. 29,999) offers similar performance at a significantly less cost.
