Motorola Moto X Force review: Plans | Pricing | Specs

Where to buy

A lot of Motorola’s Android offerings have catered to a market of klutzes and ruffians. While it has generally gone for a clean and tidy Android UI, its range of smartphones has never been too afraid to get down and dirty.

The Moto X Force continued that legacy by offering a premium smartphone in a seemingly indestructible shell. In addition to a 21MP camera, 4K video capture a Snapdragon 810 chipset, the X Force also boasts a shatter-proof display and water-repellant coated internals. Oh, and it’s clearly named after one of the most indestructible superhero teams in history.

Design

• Near indestructible screen.
• Water-repellant coating is good, but not good enough.

• Read more on the Motorola Moto X Force design

  The Moto X Force’s claims of a shatter-proof screen aren’t anything to balk at.

  Its five layers of glass can take a serious pounding. We weren’t game enough to take a hammer to the screen of our X Force, but you can find loads of videos on YouTube of people putting it through the wringer. One gentleman dropped it from 1,000 feet to have it survive without so much as a scratch. Whereas another repeatedly bashed it with a heavy mallet.

  While the display indeed made it through the ordeal without shattering, the shock was strong enough to scramble the phone’s insides and it became inoperable. This is something to consider before you go testing the X Force’s mettle, because there’s a line between "shatterproof screen" and "indestructible smartphone", and on one side of it you end up with an inoperable phone.

  There’s also the fabric rear-plate which is made of "ballistic nylon". The tightly-weaved fabrics not only provide cushion should the phone hit the deck, but it's also scratch-resistant.

  We scratched the phone’s back up pretty aggressively with a screwdriver, but the marks wiped away in a matter of seconds.

  I also think the fabric rear looks quite classy up close, which is not something you usually hear about "tradie" phones. Its porous surface also offers significant grip, which I can certainly appreciate after letting more than one iPhone slip from my hand onto hard concrete.

  Motorola’s X Force isn’t waterproof or even water-resistant, but it does feature “water-repellent nano-coating” that will safeguard it from a light spray or spill.

  Motorola makes it a point to indicate that the X Force is not waterproof and will not be covered by warranty for any water-related damages. While something is better than nothing, it’s odd to me that a smartphone (with a sealed battery) that’s all about longevity wouldn’t go the whole hog and offer some waterproofing or water resistant assurance.

  The Moto X Force also isn’t scratch resistant, despite its incredibly tough screen. The review handset we received has a few noticeable scratches on the front display, and a few scuffed edges. It’s possible that whoever got their hands on the X Force before us really put the screen to the test (which you won’t be doing), but it’s still a point worth considering. Especially when Samsung and Apple’s flagship handsets come with proper IP-rated water and dust resistance.

  Back to top

Camera

• Impressive 21MP camera with 4K recording.

• Read more on the Motorola Moto X Force camera

  While megapixel count isn’t everything, it’s still a good indicator of the kind of quality you can expect from a smartphone camera.

  As always, Motorola’s camera UI is incredibly simple. When launched there are only two buttons on screen, video recording and rear/front camera switch. The X Force’s impressive auto-focus means you can tap anywhere on the screen to take a photo, which makes snapping pics on the go a cinch.

  If you’re a little more serious about your photography, there are all the usual extras you would expect like flash, panorama, low light mode and timer hidden in a menu that’s accessed by swiping right while the gallery can be accessed by swiping left.

  The auto-focus, while mostly reliable, can get a little finicky at times. For those moments there’s also a manual focus ring that can be dragged around the screen and swiped to increase and decrease exposure.

  Images captured from the Moto X Force and our Galaxy S7 were near indistinguishable in all environments except under fluorescent lighting. Images captured under unnatural light with the X Force show a slight yellow tint. Something I’ve experienced with previous smartphones, but not with the Galaxy S7’s effort.

  Below is a comparison of the two shots under fluorescent lighting. The X Force’s 4K capture is also relatively painless thanks to the digital image stabilisation and the camera’s rapid focus adjustment.

  
  Motorola Moto X Force

  
  Samsung Galaxy S7

  Back to top

Performance

• Processor lacks punch.

• Read more on the Motorola Moto X Force performance

  We ran the Moto X Force through Geekbench 4’s single core and multi core benchmark tests and the results were average. As you can see from the results below, the Moto X Force doesn’t really hold up against the Samsung and Apple flagship handsets, or even Apple’s budget SE handset. It’s roughly the same calibre as the Google Nexus 6P, but that handset is over a year old now and as a result, much cheaper. Past some expected lag after booting up, transitions are as smooth as you would expect from any premium device, just don’t expect it to hold up down the line when you’re running more intensive tasks.

  Handset	Geekbench 4 CPU Single Core (higher is better)	Geekbench 4 CPU Multi Core (higher is better)
  Motorola Moto G Play	522	1,334
  Sony Xperia XZ	1,133	2,506
  Sony Xperia X	1,122	2,626
  Motorola Moto X Force	1,352	3,581
  Google Nexus 6P	1,293	3,594
  Apple iPhone 6s	2,465	4,052
  Apple iPhone SE	2,449	4,171
  Samsung Galaxy S7	1,378	4,718
  Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge	1,359	5,333
  Apple iPhone 7 Plus	3,374	5,649

  Back to top

Battery life

• 3000 mAh battery

• Read more on the Motorola Moto X Force battery life

  For a phone of its era, the battery life of the Motorola Moto X Force was also pretty outstanding. When we compared it against mid-range 2016 handsets using Geekbench 3's battery test, the Huawei Mate 8 was the only handset to beat it in duration. The Huawei Mate 8 is also a larger phone, so naturally it has a larger battery than the Moto X Force.

  Handset	Geekbench 3 Battery Test Duration	Geekbench 3 Battery Score
  Huawei Mate 8	11:14:40	6,659
  Motorola Moto X Force	9:46:50	3,914
  Huawei P9	8:26:30	4,948
  LG Stylus DAB+	8:11:40	3,278
  Oppo R9	6:41:50	4,018
  Google Nexus 6P	6:39:20	3,754
  Telstra Signature Premium	5:48:50	3,260

  Back to top

Verdict

• Another good Motorola handset, although its newer efforts do eclipse it.

• Read our Motorola Moto X Force verdict

  As we’ve pointed out multiple times above, the Moto X Force is tough. Very tough indeed. The Moto X Force is the kind of handset you would recommend to a construction worker, an outdoorsy sort or even someone who just has a really bad track record of broken screens, although as a much older Android phone now, it's not otherwise a remarkable phone.

  Back to top

Pricing and availability

• Price: RRP $599
• Where to buy: eBay

Specifications

Latest Motorola Moto X Force news

Motorola Edge 20 range: Australian specs, price and release date

The G series isn't dead yet, but Motorola's new range of phones for Australians are distinctly targeted towards the mid-range market.

Read more…

Motorola Moto G9 Play review

Motorola's Moto G9 Play includes some compromises to meet its price point, but it's an overall appealing smartphone.

Read more…

Motorola Edge review

Motorola's first 5G-capable handset for Australia aims high with a funky curved design, but its limitations in other areas leave us wanting.

Read more…