Moto X Force: The indestructible smartphone test

With the Moto X Force Motorola offers the first smartphone with unbreakable display. We have analyzed the test, how stable the device really is and also what the Moto X Force else can.

Smartphones there really a dime a dozen. Finding a unique selling point, hence the producers should no longer be really easy. Motorola is this feat with the new Moto X Force definitely succeeded. The 5.4-inch mobile phone offers something with which no other device has been able come up: an unbreakable display.

A shatterproof smartphone?

What does a tester with a smartphone that is supposed to have a shatterproof display? You throw it first, of course on the ground - once, twice, three times and was also the fourth time the Moto X Force in one piece. I almost had some sympathy with the manufacturer Motorola, which is so soon operate only under the name Lenovo. Because the test patterns, the ship the company editors are likely to come back with plenty of scrapes. Our test specimen from the Moto X Force came already with a few scratches and scrapes on the housing, therefore, derived with certainty from previous drop test. The most important finding, however, is: display and operability have not suffered. But more on that later.

Design: The lobster among smartphones

The design of the Moto X Force is Motorola similar way as in the Moto X Play. The front of the smartphone is how could it be otherwise, dominated by the display. This is where the manufacturer to the AMOLED technology and a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels. The colors are heavily saturated, so extreme as with many Samsung devices, this effect is not. Above the screen there is a speaker and a front camera with LED flash.

The back of the quite broad and reasonably thick device is toward slightly rounded at the sides, whereby the Moto X Force is very good in spite of everything in hand. For a pleasant haptic sensation of chic aluminum frame and the equally pretty back ballistic nylon provide. Alternatively, the manufacturer, the device also with rubberized back cover or a leather back. Striking and very noble acts, the design of the camera with double LED flash, directly below that is the typical Motorola logo.

If a device like the Samsung Galaxy S7, the Mercedes is among the smartphones, this is the Moto X Force more similar to a Hummer. On his very special way, the Motorola device is as noble and high quality, but just less graceful and more robust.

Interior: Continuous high-end

The Moto X Force plays but not only visually in the upper class, but also provides high-end specifications inside. Thus, the smartphone is equipped with a Snapdragon 810 processor, which has eight cores. Four of them are clocked at 2.0GHz, the other four at 1.5GHz. To use multiple worker processes to run in parallel, the Motorola smartphone are also 3 GB RAM of memory available. In benchmark AnTuTu this combination cuts with 82,704 points very well and leaves most other smartphones behind. Here is the Snapdragon 810 just a year after its introduction, again, what is really in him.

The internal memory of the version we tested was 32 GB. Alternatively, Motorola also offers a 64-GB version of Moto X Force. Both variants can also extend to an external memory via microSD card, so that in practice should prevail no shortage of space.

Software: Marshmallow is already there

Who turns the Moto X Force, is greeted by a stock Android interface. Just as with the Nexus smartphones so the interface looks very tidy. The number of preinstalled apps adheres very limited and confined almost exclusively to the standard Google applications. Only a few additional apps like a gallery and a Connect app for connecting your smartphone to other devices are factory aboard. This is acceptable, because real bloatware there are therefore no. the Moto X Force is delivered by the way still with Android 5.1, but we were still in our tests an update to Android 6.0 Marshmallow, whereby the Moto X Force is officially one of the first smartphones in Europe with the latest version of Android.

The software runs very smoothly. Delays or stuttering were spühren any corner in the test. The performance is among the best that we could admire on different smartphones in recent months. So there was the test virtually no app that would have the Moto X Force also causes problems only in the beginning. On the contrary: Those who opt for the Motorola flagship, likely to be equipped for the coming years with sufficient power reserves.

Camera at a high level, but not tip

For hardware and software, the Moto X Force can therefore already points. But as it looks at the camera, which is becoming increasingly important for many smartphone users? On paper, the Motorola device scores with a 21-megapixel sensor and an f / 2.0 aperture.
In practice, this combo also then delivers pretty decent photos. The images make the main camera in normal daylight colorfast and highly detailed. An optional HDR mode provides depending on the subject also for something more vivid colors.

Macro Photos can also take pictures well with the Moto X Force, the autofocus does not work quite as fast as some competing smartphones. Schön is, however, that many options such as white balance and shutter speed can be adjusted manually - in high end smartphones that belongs by now de rigueur.

Overall, the Moto X Force can not quite keep up with top clippers such as the Samsung Galaxy S6 or the LG G4 but. Those looking for an absolute Photographic flagship, so you have to look around at the competition.

Enough juice for up to two days

The battery in the Moto X Force falls extremely lush made with a capacity of 3760 mAh. Of the smartphone benefits also in everyday life. In fact, the battery lasts namely loose throughout the day and in many cases may be in it even a second day - in any case, if the device is not used too excessive. Who is constantly on the road in the network or countless phone calls leads a day, but will persevere with the Moto X Force no two days. Overall, the large battery but can be clearly recognized as an asset.

How stable is the Moto X Force?

The shatterproof display of the Moto X Play is not just a marketing gimmick, but a reality. Numerous falls from a height of 1.50 meters, as sometimes happen in everyday life, has survived the smartphone in the test completely unscathed. The display was afterwards neither broken nor had any scratches. For other smartphones, however sometimes already sufficient a single fall, to completely destroy the display. Here the Moto X Force stands out from all and provides a unique selling point.

Made possible by a new technology called Shatter Shield. With this, the display consists of several layers. So not only the glass is even more stable but also involved in dampening the overall very stable housing. According to the information on its website, the manufacturer is even up to four years against the display breaks. However, this really only applies to the display. Whoever thinks he can throw the phone from a skyscraper and then send the items for repair to Motorola, should therefore be disappointed.

A few drawbacks

In addition to the impressive stable display must be made at the Moto X Force unfortunately also a few drawbacks. A pretty handy feature is missing from the flagship namely and this is the fingerprint sensor. While other high-end devices have such now standard, the X-Force can not unlock fingerprint unfortunately. Why the manufacturer has omitted the extremely practical tools, is not entirely clear. Maybe this is indeed connected with the stability-oriented design of the smartphone, when such a sensor would have offered a vulnerability. Too bad its absence is at a smart phone, which costs nearly 700 euros, definitely.

Conclusion: A robust flagship

The Moto X Force is definitely a very special smartphone. The shatterproof display called Shatter Shield does what the manufacturer promises and that is compared to other smartphones already a lot. The special display is also the main selling point with which the Moto X Force is offered. Complete indestructible the device is not natural. The stability is, however, absolutely impressive for a smartphone. This does not mean that the Moto X Force would otherwise be poor. On the contrary: As power and performance, the smartphone revealed in the test as a true flagship and runs with Android 6 now also the latest software on it.

Larger swabs there most of the missing fingerprint sensor - virtually the only premium feature that is not the Moto X Force aboard. Here buyers must choose if them the ultra-stable display is worth the extra cost so.