Moto E Edges The Samsung Galaxy S5 In Speed Test Video

You do it, I do it, everyone does it: when a new smartphone comes out, we clap excitedly at the robust spec sheet, and pontificate the power we'll have in the palm of our hand. The Galaxy S5 is one of the better specced phones we've seen lately, while the Moto E is — well, it leaves hardware fans wanting.

In theory, the Galaxy S5 would hot-walk the Moto E around like a show pony when doing everyday tasks, but a new video challenges that notion entirely. The Moto E, which is closer to stock Android than the TouchWiz laden Galaxy S5, is slightly faster than the Galaxy S5 when doing simple things like unlocking the device or launching the camera. That may sound a lot like TouchWiz needs to go on a diet — which it does — but also suggests KitKat is on a good path.

On launch, Android 4.4 was touted as the single version that was meant to bring smartphones of all spec ranges together. Features in KitKat (like the camera app) are a bit more modular than previous versions of Android, which is meant to enhance the hardware present on those "lesser than" devices. The Moto E, with its stripped down Snapdragon 200 processor and limited RAM, makes a good case for KitKat's use on low-end devices.

Beating up on the Galaxy S5 hits home for the Mot E as well. A low-end device meant to replace feature phones does quite a bit of day-to-day tasks more efficiently than a flagship from the largest Android OEM. Benchmark tests are fun, but actual use cases are more indicative of what your experience will be.

Check out the video below, which comes courtesy of Tom Rich. Though the Moto E may not have all the bells and whistles of the Galaxy S5, it does show just how nice it performs in day-to-day scenarios. We're not saying it's better than the Galaxy S5, or that stock Android is better than TouchWiz, but actual use in real-world scenarios suggests it's no slouch — even if it looks that way on paper.