Introduction

Here we go, comparing the new Motorola Moto X with the Meizu MX4 and this is as USA versus China in the battle of the smartphones as one can get – the Moto X is built right here in the U.S. and the Meizu MX4 is built entirely in China.  There was a time when a smartphone made in China meant a low-end spec device headed to the emerging nations – but not any longer.  Yes, they still make those cheaper devices, but soon realized if they wanted to sell devices in Europe or the U.S. that they were going to have to up their game.  I am happy to report that they have done exactly that – the MX4 is a well-made, nice looking, solid device with flagship specs.

Both devices are great to look at and have the feeling of quality – the new Moto X is larger in every direction, but still maintains the curved back and is a joy to hold, and if you get the optional leather or wooden back, it looks simply stunning.  The MX4 is no slouch in the looks department either with its metal frame and buttons, but has a soft-to-the-touch material on the back that not only functions to make holding the phone more secure, but also adds to its looks.

These two devices share a few things in common – both have about the same size display and both are Full HD.  They both have 2GB of RAM and neither device has room for expansion of its internal memory.  The Moto X and MX4 are about the same in size and weight with the MX4 ever so slightly taller and wider.  They both have the usual Wi-Fi, NFC, Bluetooth 4.0 and a microUSB port for charging and data transfer.

Please take a look at the detailed specifications below and after you look at those we will take a closer look at each individual device to determine their strengths and weaknesses in order to help pick a winner to this comparison.

Specifications

Meizu MX4

The Meizu brand is very popular in China and the MX4 model sold millions right after it was first introduced.  They have the ability to design and build a smartphone of high quality, yet at a reasonable price and that combination is going to be hard to beat.  The 5.36-inch display with its 5:3 ratio is a little odd to us, but it does offer a wider viewing area – perfect for reading or web browsing, especially since the display goes almost edge-to-edge.  It is ever so slightly larger than the 5.2-inch display found on the new Moto X.  Both are Full HD, meaning a resolution of 1920 x 1152 for the MX4 and 1920 x 1080 on the Moto X…the big difference here is that the MX4 uses the popular IPS LCD technology while the Moto X uses an AMOLED technology.

The processors, though completely different, offer about the same type of performance – the MX4 uses a MediaTek MT6595 Octa-Core processor with its fastest four cores clocked at 2.2GHz and the Moto X uses the venerable Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 quad-core processor clocked at 2.5GHz.  The MX4 offers internal storage choices of 16GB or 64GB while the Moto X offers up 16GB and 32GB – manufactures should stop using 16GB and make 32GB the minimum storage option, especially when neither device has a microSD card slot for expansion.

In the camera area, the MX4 shines with its Sony 20.7MP main camera with auto focus and a dual-LED flash and for its front-facing camera (FFC) it packs a 5MP shooter for great video chats and selfies.  The Moto X has a 13MP with auto focus and a dual-LED flash ‘ring” that encompasses the camera lens and a 2MP FFC.  The MX4 also wins out with a 3100mAh battery versus the small 2300mAh battery found on the Moto X…both are non-removable.

As far as miscellaneous items go – the MX4 does have a nice bottom mounted speaker, making it great for use as a speakerphone when lying on your desk or table.  It covers 13 band frequencies on 3G and LTE and hooks up great to T-Mobile’s network.  Pricing is about $450 for a 16GB device completely off-contract and must be purchased and serviced in China.

Motorola Moto X (2014)

The new Moto X is a great update of an old favorite – not only physically larger all around, but also larger in the specification department as well.  This year’s Moto X can finally compete directly with the ‘big boys,’ but how does it stand up to the newest crop of high-end Chinese devices – the Meizu MX4 in this round.  We have already shown that these two devices do have a few things in common, so we will not rehash them here – I want to look at the positives and negatives of the Moto X as compared to the MX4.

Since the displays are about the same size and resolution, I just need to mention that the Moto X uses the AMOLED technology versus the LCD technology of the MX4.  The AMOLED technology gives much blacker blacks and hence better contrasts, making the colors jump out so much that some people think the colors looks too saturated.  The processors are totally different manufacturers and different design, but they should be about equal in performance.

The 13MP camera, even with auto focus and a dual-LED flash ring, just will not outdo the 20.7MP on the MX4, nor will its 2MP FFC outdo the 5MP found on the MX4.  We cannot look to the 2300mAh battery to help, as it is much smaller than the 3100mAh battery in the MX4.

Now, when it comes to features, the Moto X does shine – Motorola included four microphones for excellent noise cancellation and voice clarity.  Moto put the speaker on the front of the device and included a nano-coating for water resistance.  Dynamic tuning is an engineering marvel – it adjusts the antenna depending on how you hold the device…it can increase your signal strength by up to 500X better.  The battery may be smaller, but with the Moto X being so optimized, you still get quite a bit of service, but you can also purchase the Motorola Turbo Charger that can give you up to 8 hours of additional service with only a 15-minute charge.  I also have to mention that the real leather or wood back looks awesome and really differentiates it from other devices.  It is running n pure Android 4.4.4 KitKat and is available on Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile.  It too is very reasonably priced at $99 on a two-year contract and $499 with no contract.

…And the Winner Is…

Summary

I pick the new Moto X to barely edge out the Meizu MX4 – if you want strictly a better camera experience, the the MX4 is for you, and while the MX4’s battery is larger, Motorola has a way of getting every last drop of juice from its battery and if you run into trouble, Turbo Charger can save the day…or at least up to 8 hours of it.  The Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 is a proven dynamo and they simply make the best processors.  With several things being equal, I have to give the nod to the new Moto X for its features, availability, U.S. made and repairability and the fact that it is running pure vanilla Android.  Most other high-end devices with the specs of these two devices would sell for a whole lot more, but in the case of the Moto X, you are indeed getting a good value for you dollar.  The MX4 is a terrific device, but it still has a ways to go before it can defeat the new Moto X, IMHO.

Please hit us up on our Google+ Page and let me know which one of these devices you would pick as the winner and WHY…as always, we would love to hear from you.