Introduction

Boy, do we have a good one for you today – the new Xiaomi Mi Note Pro goes up against the favorite of Motorola, the Moto X 2014, or second generation.  Both devices offer solid builds with the Mi Note Pro using Gorilla glass for both the display and back of the device and a metal frame holding it altogether – the Moto X uses a solid metal frame for strength, gorilla glass for the display and optional backs from real leather to genuine wood.  In other words, both devices have a premium look and feel about them.

These two smartphones have very little in common, but we can find a few things – neither one offers expansion of their built-in memory, they both use a 13MP sensor for the main camera along with autofocus, and a dual LED type flash, although the Mi Note Pro includes OIS.  They both offer Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and a microUSB port for charging and data transfer.  They both offer extra microphones for noise cancellation – the Mi Note Pro has one and the Moto X has four – and thanks to their Qualcomm processors, they both offer Quick Charge.  Both devices have the newest Android Lollipop 5.0.1 OS…the Moto X uses almost a pure vanilla version while the Mi Note Pro will have a heavy dose of MIUI 6 overlay.

Please take a deliberate look at the detailed Specifications Comparison chart below and here you will see just how these two great devices stack up against one another – click on the “View Full Comparison” link at the end of the chart to expand the details.  After that, we will look at each individual device in greater detail and point out some of its pros and cons.  From all of this information we will try to determine the winner based on specs and execution of design and functions.

Xiaomi Mi Note Pro

The Xiaomi Mi Note Pro is a classic glass and metal combination that simply looks gorgeous – with 2.5D Gorilla Glass on the front and 3D Gorilla Glass on the back…all held together by a metal frame, sort of ala early iPhone or Xperia Z series.

We are looking at the Xiaomi Mi Note Pro with 4G FDD-LTE (used in the US) bands 3 (1800MHz) and 7 (2600MHz) – it was revealed at a private viewing in Beijing and it was the talk of the show – Xiaomi hopes to have it available in March.  The Xiaomi Mi Note Pro comes with a 5.7-inch Quad HD (QHD) IPS LCD Display with a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels and 515 pixels-per-inch (PPI).  This out does the FHD display on the Moto X with its 423 PPI.  The Mi Note Pro uses the newest Qualcomm 64-bit Snapdragon 810 processor with four cores clocked at 2.0GHz and the other four cores clocked at 1.5GHz.  Xiaomi wasted no time in adding a full 4GB of RAM (versus 2GB in the Moto X) and there will be only a 64GB model, and like the Moto X, there is no room for expansion.

The main cameras are about identical – they both use a 13MP sensor, autofocus, dual-tone LED flash on the Mi Note Pro, while the Moto X uses just a dual-LED, but incorporates it as a flash ring that goes around the lens…the Mi Note Pro also adds OIS.  The front-facing camera (FFC) is a different story…the Mi Note Pro has a larger 4.0MP FFC to improve the quality of selfies and video chatting, whereas the Moto X has the more traditional 2.0MP sensor

A larger 3000mAh battery powers the Mi Note Pro versus the small 2300mAh battery in the Moto X.  It has an extra microphone for noise cancellation whereas the Moto X uses four microphones, it has Dual-SIM capability, it can handle LTE Cat 9 speeds (if you can find any), the speaker is on the bottom end of the device and it is running 5.0 Lollipop with Xiaomi’s MIUI 6 custom shell.  It works on 4G FDD-LTE bands 3 (1800MHz) and 7 (2600MHz) and it will cost you only $532 off-contract and should be available later in March.

Motorola Moto X

The Motorola Moto X 2014 is the new and improved version of an original favorite.  Motorola improved the new Moto X in every area – from size to specifications – and it is now a true flagship device that can directly compete with Samsung, LG and HTC.  They finally have a device and price for everybody, from the Moto X to the Moto G to the Moto E.  It has a solid metal frame for strength, a comfortable curve in its back for holding, and user select materials for the back, with options such as real leather or genuine wood.

The display is larger, but not too large and now hits that ‘sweet spot’ of 5.2-inches and uses the AMOLED technology with a FHD resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels and 423 PPI – not quite up to the new QHD on the Mi Note Pro with 515 PPI.  Motorola used the best processor available at the time – the Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 quad-core clocked at 2.5GHz and with Motorola’s optimizations along with running almost pure Android, it will fly through its tasks with a smoothness not always found on Android devices.  This one of the reasons that its 2GB of RAM, though not ‘fashionable’ in this day of 3 or 4GB, like the Mi Note Pro, is more than enough.  While this processor is great for the Moto X, the 64-bit octa-core processor and its newer graphic chips in the Mi Note Pro really outclasses the 801.  The Moto X does have a 16GB and 32GB internal memory option, but no microSD card slot here to expand beyond those boundaries.  The Mi Note Pro boasts 64GB of internal storage…also with no room for expansion.

The Moto X uses the same size 13MP sensor as is in the Mi Note Pro.  It also includes autofocus and a dual-LED Flash Ring that encompasses the lens – still no OIS, but it does take decent photos.  The ‘standard’ 2MP FFC is fine for social selfies or the occasional video chat with friends or family, but is dwarfed by the 4MP on the Mi Note Pro.  The 2300mAh battery is on the small side, but it will get you through an entire day of normal usage, and should you get low, just hook it up to the optional Turbo Charger for up to 8 hours of battery life in just 15 minutes!

As far as extras on the Moto X – Motorola used four microphones for excellent noise cancellation and voice reproduction on phone calls, they also added front-mounted speakers, nano-coated the inside for water resistance, and engineered Dynamic Tuning to help increase the radio strength.  It is already updated to 5.0.1 Lollipop and is available on Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile, all for only $99 on a two-year contract and only $499 off-contract.

…And The Winner Is…

Summary

Surprisingly, this was a tough one to pick – the Moto X has so much to offer and at an excellent price, but a side-by-side comparison shows the Xiaomi Mi Note Pro to be superior in almost every specification…and it has a great price for the value you receive.  This is not to say that you would be disappointed in a Moto X, on the contrary, it is a great device and if you can live with a 1080p display (it is nice looking) and give up the 64-bit processor, you will love your Moto X.

The Mi Note Pro does have a solid build, better QHD display, much better 64-bit processor, twice the RAM and internal memory, a better camera on either side, a larger battery, a decent bottom mounted speaker with enhanced audio circuitry, LTE Cat-9, and Dual-SIM.  It should be running the newest Android 5.0 Lollipop and it does have 4G FDD-LTE capabilities for bands 3 (1800MHz) and 7 (2600MHz)…so check with your carrier or Xiaomi’s website to insure compatibility.  It will cost you only $532 off-contract and should be available later in March.

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