Motorola Moto X4 review

Synthetic benchmarks

The Moto X4 is powered by the Snapdragon 630 SoC, the latest in a line that's produced some of the most popular midrange chipsets. A noticeable upgrade to the 625/626 models, the 630 is also built on a 14nm process like its brethren, but features a more powerful GPU.

The CPU, on the other hand, is a rather classic octa-core Cortex-A53 setup, its clock rate capped at 2.2GHz (same as the S626, higher than than the S625's 2.0GHz). The Moto X4 we have for review comes with 4GB of RAM, but 3GB versions will also be available depending on region.

We won't be breaking tradition and we'll start with GeekBench as usual to see how the X4's CPU stacks up against the competition. In the single-core portion the differences are marginal and the X4 places slightly behind the HTC U11 Life that packs the same chipset. The 10% increase in clock frequency doesn't give the X4 an edge over S625 rivals, while the Helio P20-equipped Xperia XA1 Plus ends up second to the Mate 10 Lite and its Kirin 659.

GeekBench 4.1 (single-core)

Higher is better

• Huawei Mate 10 Lite / Honor 9i
  916
• Sony Xperia XA1 Plus
  901
• Samsung Galaxy C7 Pro
  891
• Samsung Galaxy J7 Max
  888
• Sony Xperia XA1
  887
• Xiaomi Mi A1
  877
• HTC U11 Life
  873
• Xiaomi Mi 5X
  868
• Motorola Moto X4
  866
• Moto G5 Plus
  847
• Huawei P10 lite
  834
• Xiaomi Mi Max 2
  824
• Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017)
  734

The multi-core results make a stronger case for the Snapdragon 630 when compared to other platforms like the Helio P20 and the Kirin 659, though it's Snapdragon 625 on top this time, go figure.

GeekBench 4.1 (multi-core)

Higher is better

• Xiaomi Mi A1
  4292
• Moto G5 Plus
  4255
• Xiaomi Mi 5X
  4225
• HTC U11 Life
  4140
• Motorola Moto X4
  4136
• Samsung Galaxy C7 Pro
  4037
• Sony Xperia XA1 Plus
  3783
• Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017)
  3779
• Sony Xperia XA1
  3611
• Samsung Galaxy J7 Max
  3509
• Huawei P10 lite
  3344
• Huawei Mate 10 Lite / Honor 9i
  3251
• Xiaomi Mi Max 2
  2445

We mentioned the GPU upgrade and, sure enough, the results are there. Looking at some GFXBench offscreen fps scores, the Adreno 508 inside the Moto X4 is on par with or better than the Mali-T830MP3 that's in charge of the graphics department in the Galaxy A5 (2017). Those two GPUs are on top of the charts in this selection, the Adreno 508 represented by the HTC U11 Life as well.

GFX 3.0 Manhattan (1080p offscreen)

Higher is better

• Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017)
  15
• HTC U11 Life
  14
• Motorola Moto X4
  14
• Oppo F5
  11
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (S625)
  9.9
• Xiaomi Mi Max 2
  9.9
• Motorola Moto Z2 Play
  9.8
• Xiaomi Mi 5X
  9.8
• Xiaomi Mi A1
  9.8
• Samsung Galaxy C7 Pro
  9.8
• Moto G5 Plus
  9.7
• Sony Xperia XA1
  9.6
• Sony Xperia XA1 Plus
  9.6
• Samsung Galaxy J7 Max
  9
• Huawei P10 lite
  7.8
• Huawei Mate 10 Lite / Honor 9i
  6.5
• Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017)
  5.1

GFX 3.1 Manhattan (1080p offscreen)

Higher is better

• Motorola Moto X4
  9.8
• HTC U11 Life
  9.6
• Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017)
  9.1
• Oppo F5
  7.1
• Motorola Moto Z2 Play
  6.5
• Moto G5 Plus
  6.4
• Xiaomi Mi Max 2
  6.4
• Xiaomi Mi 5X
  6.4
• Xiaomi Mi A1
  6.4
• Sony Xperia XA1
  6.2
• Sony Xperia XA1 Plus
  6.2
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (S625)
  6.2
• Samsung Galaxy C7 Pro
  6.1
• Samsung Galaxy J7 Max
  5.8
• Huawei P10 lite
  4.6
• Huawei Mate 10 Lite / Honor 9i
  3.8
• Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017)
  3.3

GFX 3.1 Car scene (1080p offscreen)

Higher is better

• HTC U11 Life
  5.4
• Motorola Moto X4
  5.3
• Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017)
  5.2
• Oppo F5
  4.2
• Samsung Galaxy J7 Max
  4
• Sony Xperia XA1 Plus
  3.7
• Sony Xperia XA1
  3.7
• Xiaomi Mi 5X
  3.5
• Motorola Moto Z2 Play
  3.5
• Xiaomi Mi A1
  3.5
• Moto G5 Plus
  3.5
• Xiaomi Mi Max 2
  3.5
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (S625)
  3.4
• Samsung Galaxy C7 Pro
  3.4
• Huawei P10 lite
  2.8
• Huawei Mate 10 Lite / Honor 9i
  2.6
• Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017)
  1.9

The onscreen results are a little misleading if you forget to take into account the 720p resolution of the Xperia XA1 - half the number of pixels that need to be rendered certainly gives the Sony handset the upper hand. Among 1080p devices the Moto X4 leads the way, sharing the accolades with the U11 Life and, to a certain extent, the Galaxy A5 (2017).

GFX 3.0 Manhattan (onscreen)

Higher is better

• Sony Xperia XA1
  19
• Motorola Moto X4
  15
• Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017)
  15
• HTC U11 Life
  13
• Oppo F5
  11
• Motorola Moto Z2 Play
  10
• Sony Xperia XA1 Plus
  10
• Xiaomi Mi Max 2
  9.9
• Samsung Galaxy C7 Pro
  9.8
• Moto G5 Plus
  9.7
• Xiaomi Mi A1
  9.7
• Xiaomi Mi 5X
  9.7
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (S625)
  9.7
• Samsung Galaxy J7 Max
  8.9
• Huawei P10 lite
  8.4
• Huawei Mate 10 Lite / Honor 9i
  6.1
• Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017)
  5.1

GFX 3.1 Manhattan (onscreen)

Higher is better

• Sony Xperia XA1
  15
• Motorola Moto X4
  11
• HTC U11 Life
  9.6
• Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017)
  9
• Motorola Moto Z2 Play
  6.9
• Oppo F5
  6.8
• Sony Xperia XA1 Plus
  6.7
• Moto G5 Plus
  6.4
• Xiaomi Mi Max 2
  6.4
• Xiaomi Mi 5X
  6.3
• Xiaomi Mi A1
  6.3
• Samsung Galaxy J7 Max
  6.2
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (S625)
  6.2
• Samsung Galaxy C7 Pro
  6.1
• Huawei P10 lite
  5
• Huawei Mate 10 Lite / Honor 9i
  3.6
• Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017)
  3.3

GFX 3.1 Car scene (onscreen)

Higher is better

• Sony Xperia XA1
  7.9
• Motorola Moto X4
  5.8
• HTC U11 Life
  5.3
• Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017)
  5.2
• Oppo F5
  4
• Sony Xperia XA1 Plus
  4
• Samsung Galaxy J7 Max
  4
• Motorola Moto Z2 Play
  3.8
• Xiaomi Mi A1
  3.5
• Moto G5 Plus
  3.5
• Xiaomi Mi Max 2
  3.5
• Xiaomi Mi 5X
  3.5
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (S625)
  3.4
• Samsung Galaxy C7 Pro
  3.4
• Huawei P10 lite
  3
• Huawei Mate 10 Lite / Honor 9i
  2.4
• Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017)
  1.9

We have no records of the Galaxy's visit to Basemark X, but the Moto X4 and HTC U11 Life show a 40% improvement over S62x phones - quite significant.

Basemark X

Higher is better

• Motorola Moto X4
  14479
• HTC U11 Life
  14286
• Xiaomi Mi Max 2
  10482
• Xiaomi Mi A1
  10472
• Motorola Moto Z2 Play
  10455
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (S625)
  10446
• Moto G5 Plus
  10406
• Xiaomi Mi 5X
  10403
• Samsung Galaxy C7 Pro
  10394
• Sony Xperia XA1
  9714
• Sony Xperia XA1 Plus
  9543
• Oppo F5
  9205
• Samsung Galaxy J7 Max
  9034
• Huawei P10 lite
  7588
• Huawei Mate 10 Lite / Honor 9i
  7004
• Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017)
  5489

With comparable CPU performance and superior graphics results, it's no wonder the Moto X4 excels in compound benchmarks as well. In Basemark OS II 2.0, for example, the Moto X4 is comfortably ahead of the Exynos 7880-equipped Galaxy A5 (2017) and other competitors are further down the charts.

Basemark OS 2.0

Higher is better

• Motorola Moto X4
  1532
• Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017)
  1417
• Sony Xperia XA1
  1351
• HTC U11 Life
  1342
• Huawei Mate 10 Lite / Honor 9i
  1309
• Huawei P10 lite
  1284
• Xiaomi Mi A1
  1262
• Xiaomi Mi 5X
  1246
• Samsung Galaxy C7 Pro
  1228
• Motorola Moto Z2 Play
  1213
• Sony Xperia XA1 Plus
  1198
• Xiaomi Mi Max 2
  1107
• Moto G5 Plus
  1089
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (S625)
  1050
• Oppo F5
  424
• Samsung Galaxy J7 Max
  379
• Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017)
  349

Switching over to Antutu, the HTC U11 Life takes the lead, the Moto X4 securing second spot, ahead of its Z2 Play stablemate. The S626 Galaxyy C7 Pro is trying to keep up, but the competition can't really match the Moto X4's performance.

AnTuTu 6

Higher is better

• HTC U11 Life
  72854
• Motorola Moto X4
  71224
• Motorola Moto Z2 Play
  68322
• Samsung Galaxy C7 Pro
  67540
• Oppo F5
  63889
• Xiaomi Mi 5X
  63548
• Moto G5 Plus
  63390
• Xiaomi Mi A1
  61762
• Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (S625)
  61616
• Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017)
  61020
• Huawei P10 lite
  60895
• Sony Xperia XA1
  60707
• Huawei Mate 10 Lite / Honor 9i
  58068
• Samsung Galaxy J7 Max
  57996
• Xiaomi Mi Max 2
  57902
• Sony Xperia XA1 Plus
  55657
• Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017)
  46822

Overall, the Moto X4 delivers performance to be expected from its class, but punches above its weight when it comes to 3D graphics. Or rather, the Snapdragon 630's GPU has taken the lower tier of the 600 series (65x and 66x excluded here) a notch higher, and the X4 reaps the benefits.