Tag: camera

Moto G (2014) 2nd Gen Camera Test and Comparison

September 15, 2014
Moto G (2014)
Moto G (2014)

In the video I show many different scenarios in which the camera may be used and I compare it directly to the Moto X (2013) and the OnePlus One. It performed very well in most scenes and really passed my expectations for a phone of this price. It’s worst performance was during a macro shot as the camera doesn’t allow for getting very close. In most situations, its colors were more accurate than the Moto X and overall they looked great. It takes low res 720p videos which are decent in day time and surprisingly clear in low light, even out performing the OnePlus One while in low lit situations. It also does a great job when recording very loud audio keeping away any saturation and holding the volume at an acceptable level.

Watch the video to see for yourself whether or not it is worth it and look under the video for the raw images:

IMG_20140914_175659862
Moto G (2014) Front Cam

IMG_20140914_170133998 IMG_20140914_170139468_HDR IMG_20140914_170343714 IMG_20140914_170548600 IMG_20140914_170808105 IMG_20140914_172759176 IMG_20140914_174709056 IMG_20140914_174734653 IMG_20140914_174942877 IMG_20140914_175002778

OnePlus One 4.4.4 Update XNPH30O Review (CM 11s) (Updated)

August 12, 2014
Without Clear Image
Without Clear Image
With Clear Image On
With Clear Image On

Finally, the update has arrived, but not for everyone…including me. So if you go here over at Android Police, you can find the zip file that you can manually install. You can put it on the root of your device and just go to the stock recovery and apply update since it is an official update. I did it this way and it worked fine for me. Overall, the update is great so I will list the nice new things and I will also list the bad new things.

  • Good:
    • New Dialer
    • Search Feature in Settings
    • Clear Image Feature
    • Performance Improvements
    • App Drawer Grid is Now 6 Rows
    • Gestures Won’t Activate While in Pocket
    • Camera Features/Settings Tightened Up
    • Audio Recording Issues Fixed (Quality Is Still Bad Though)
    • Heads Up Notifications (If you like them)
    • New Launcher (Transition Settings and more!)
  • Bad:
    • Update 8/17/2014: Much worse battery life, getting around half the usage compared to before. A fix was promised to come soon though.
    • Screen is Now Too Blue (Let us choose the warmth please)
    • Back Removed From Settings Top Nav Bar
    • Clear Image Requires a Stable Hand/Tripod (Fine with me :D)

Enjoy the video below showing everything I just wrote about:

Update 8/23/2014: Update XNPH33R Incremental

This update is supposed to address the battery life issues and have security fixes. So far I have not noticed any real difference, but I will make a video after testing it for a few days to see how it is after it settles.

Incremental Update
Incremental Update

Update 9/18/2014: The update did not help much and the battery drain is still present as are the serious touch issues.

Update 10/7/2014: CM 11S 38R Update is out. It is supposed to fix the many things that were wrong. Check here for the changelog.

Moto X: Balanced Perfection (Micro Review/Comparison with G2)

March 23, 2014

Moto X back

I have recently switched to a Moto X from the LG G2 and the device is surprisingly great. On paper, it doesn’t seem like it would be the best phone to use, but in actuality, it runs smoother and faster than my LG G2 ever did. This holds true for all of the roms I had tried, even stable builds of CyanogenMod 11.

The active display comes on an any slight hint of movement which is a nice way to check notifications without draining the battery. The video below shows how I check the time by just holding the phone.

The screen is only 720p but because it has a full RGB matrix and isn’t pentile, it is a much better experience than previous 720p AMOLED devices as text is not crunchy on the edges. I wouldn’t mind better whites but it isn’t too bothersome.

The battery lasts for around 5 hours of solid screen time but not for over a day off of the charger as the standby isn’t as great as the G2. The G2 would also reach 5 hours of screen time but if used minimally could reach 2 days off of charge as well. The speaker is great as it balances a loud volume with a full range of sound and is one of the better phone speakers I have heard.

The camera so far seems to be good enough for my nature shots but maybe not as good as the G2.

Macro Moto x Moto X flower macro Moto x flower macro

The BUILD is my favorite thing about the Moto X, from the way it feels to the way it looks, it is all done right. The attention to detail is much better than that of the G2 as a device is only as good as its weakest component and the Moto X is just a pleasurable device to use.

Pros:

– Performance

– Build Quality

– Battery Life

– Features Without Bloat

– Speaker

– Active Display

Cons:

– Display Resolution and Whites

– Standby Time