At IFA 2017, Motorola unveiled the Moto X4 handset – the latest addition to its middle-range portfolio. Motorola already has a few mid-rangers on the market including the Moto G5, G5 Plus and G5S, G5S Plus models.

In what follows we’ll compare the newly launched Moto X4 with the Moto G5 Plus, a product that is already available for purchase in the US. So let’s see what the main differences between the two models are:

 

Design and Display

 

The new Moto X4 comes with an anodized aluminum frame with IP68 protection against dust and water. The body is made of 3D contoured glass, unlike that of the Moto G5 Plus which comes with a backplate made of aluminum, while its core frame is made out of plastic.

 

 

In both cases, below the display sits a physical home button which also acts as a fingerprint scanner. But the scanner can be used for more than the obvious. You can also swipe left on your fingerprint scanner to go back or swipe right to open recent apps or tap to go to home screen.

Form factor-wise the two smartphones are the same, as both come boasting a 5.2-inch fullHD IPS LCD display with 424ppi.

 

 

Power and Performance

 

 

 

Being a newer device, the Moto X4 takes advantage of a Snapdragon 630 processor – which is an octa-core affair made up of eight 2.2GHz Cortex-A53 cores. It also includes 3GB/4GB of RAM and 32GB/64GB of storage (with microSD support for up to 2TB).

In contrast, the Moto G5 Plus takes advantage of an older Snapdragon 625 (octa-core SoC clocked at 2.2GHz) with either 2GB/4GB of RAM and 32GB/64GB of storage (microSD available).

 

 

Cameras

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unlike the Moto G5 Plus, the Moto X4 follows this year’s trend and includes a dual-camera onboard. Working in concert with Motorola’s advanced camera software, the two 12-megapixel with f/2.0 and 8-megapixel with f/2.2 sensors are expected to be able to deliver professional portraits and blurred backgrounds (bokeh).

The phone takes advantage of additional features like Dual Autofocus Pixel technology which brings the faster focus in lower light conditions.

 

 

 

When it comes to selfies, the Moto X4 carries a 16-megapixel one with f/2.0, 1080p and LED flash.

Moving on to the Moto G5 Plus, its main camera consists of a singular 12-megapixel sensor with f/1.7, autofocus and dual-LED flash. The self-portrait shooter is far less impressive as it’s only a 5-megapixel one with f/2.2.

 

Other features

 

 

 

Motorola has included a few new features which it hopes will boost the appeal of the new Moto X4. For example, there’s Amazon Alexa support built-in.

On top of that, Motorola has added something called “Landmark Detection” which allows users to point the camera at items to find more about them. There’s also a new Face Filters for selfies.

The US company also worked with French start-up Tempow to improve the Bluetooth experience with the new phone. As a result of the partnership, Moto X4 owners will be able to pair up to four audio devices to the phone including speakers, headphones and more.

Software-wise, the older Moto G5 Plus ships out with Android 7.0 Nougat, while the new Moto X4 has the newer Android 7.1.1 Nougat version. Both look pretty stock, as it’s tradition with Motorola.

 

Battery

 

 

 

 

Both models rely on a non-removable 3,000 mAh battery. This is what we found in our Moto G5 Plus review and we expect results to be similar in the case of the Moto X4.

“Six hours of on screen time comes easy. Two days of regular use comes easy. I’ve had this phone for seven days and I’ve charged it three times.”

 

Value

 

The Moto X4 will retail for around $480 which is not exactly super cheap. The Moto G5 Plus on the other hand is a true budget affair and you can pick it up starting at $229 for the 2GB of RAM+32GB storage version.

But if you want a dual-camera, Alexa and the option of pairing up to four audio devices to your phone, you might want to save up and buy the Moto X4. It will become available in the States later this autumn.