Design and Build
Moto G: 129.9 x 65.9 x 11.6mm, 143g
Nokia X: 115.5 x 63 x 10.4mm, 128.7g
Upon first look, you might mistake the Moto G for the much-more-expensive Moto X, Motorola's flagship smartphone. Though it looks the same, the phone is a bit thicker than Moto X. It's built around a 4.5" 720p edge-to-edge display that's covered in Gorilla Glass 3 for extra protection against scratches and drops. The phone features liquid repellent nano-coating technology both inside and outside, which prevents water from being absorbed onto the phone's surfaces. The phone's curved rear panel is made of a soft-touch polycarbonate, which makes it comfortable to hold and grip. The panel is removable even though the battery isn't. The front is dominated by a 4.5-inch screen, which is only marginally smaller than 4.7-inch display found on the Moto X. The front panel features a black strip of glass around the screen that visually differentiates the plastic front and rear panels. Regarding button allocation, there's a headphone jack on top, a power port on the bottom, and power and volume buttons on the right. That's it. Unfortunately, that means there's no microSD card slot.
With Nokia X, the Finnish smartphone maker chose to use the same design language that underpins its Asha line. Nokia X looks a mix of Nokia Lumia 520/525 and Asha 503. The device has the same rectangular design and a polycarbonate colourful shell, which is a bit chunky. The phone also has the Asha-like capacitive button with the arrow label. Measuring 115.5 x 63 x 10.4 mm, and weighing just 128.7 grams, the Nokia X is really easy to hold, and very comfortable thanks to the curved edges. It nestles in your hand quite easily and has a screen size comparable to most Android phones today. The phone is also easy to operate through one hand, as your thumb can probably reach all corners of the screen. The new product lineup by Nokia also comes in pleasant colors like green, white, yellow, cyan, red and the usual black and white.
Winner: Moto G
Display
Both Motorola and Nokia have given their handsets IPS LCD screens. The Moto G's display is probably one of the best you'd find on a budget smartphone. The 4.5in screen offers a resolution of 720 x 1280 pixels, a pixel density of 326ppi, meaning sharper and detailed images.
Nokia X features a 4-inch IPS LCD display with a 480x800 pixel resolution, translating to a pixel density of 233ppi. The screen is good for indoor and outdoor viewing, but tends to look dull in direct sunlight. The contrast, color reproduction and deep blacks come as a welcome surprise for a device this cheap. Although the screen does not feature a Nokia ClearBlack display, it is still okay. The screen, however, does not come with protective glass and can attract scratches over time.
Winner: Moto G
