The Moto X Style is one of the latest smartphones from Motorola and Android fans may well want to consider this phone as a prime buy, following Motorola’s announcement that the Android Marshmallow operating system will soon be available. The update will take place over-the-air and is free of charge.

This will give consumers another choice in the small market of phones that have the latest version of Android.

Marshmallow upgrade

When the update goes through there will be a few key changes. The first is that Moto Assist will be dropped as the Marshmallow operating system will offer the same functionality. This means that Do Not Disturb will save embarrassing moments in meetings and ensure that your sleep isn’t interrupted.

Google’s Now on Tap will also become available and this service is activated with a long press on the home key. When this happens, Now on Tap scans the screen to pick out information such as hotel and restaurant names and addresses. This information is then used in a small pop-up to offer next-action links to reviews, maps, navigation and booking sites.

Moto X Style review

The Moto X Style has a large 5.7 display with a very good resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels, which equates to 520ppi. The display is protected from scratches and bumps by Corning Gorilla Glass 3. The body is also durable and made from a solid piece of metal.

At the edges the phone is only 6.1mm thick and the design is accented with various inlays. A special nano-coating protects the Moto X Style from splashes and the rain, while hand gestures give easy access to notifications, the flashlight and camera app.

Forward facing stereo speakers produce sound that is hard to believe and the positioning of these ensures that the sound isn’t muffled when the phone is placed on a surface or held in the hand.

The experience is powered by a fast 1.8GHz 6-core processor with 3GB RAM, making this phone a good choice for consumers who play games and stream content. The 3000mAh battery is one of the biggest on the market and this is recharged using a new USB Type-C cable. This has a symmetrical shape so it can be inserted either way up. TurboPower charging is also supported, giving 10 hours of use in 15 minutes.

Moto X Style photography

A superb 21MP camera is included and this, in the current market, is only bettered by the expensive Sony Xperia Z5 range. Zero shutter lag and a colour balancing flash ensure great results and video can be recorded at 4K quality. 4K has four times the definition of Full HD.

The secondary 5MP camera has a wide-angle lens to enable group selfies or group video calling. The camera’s sensor has large 1.4um pixels for night time photography. These allow more light photons to hit each pixel and this works to accurately record the right colour, while reducing photo noise that is caused by background interference in the environment.

Overall, the Moto X Style is priced well below that of other brand’s premium range of smartphones and Motorola phones have a unique look that differentiates them from the competition’s.