The benefits of stock Android: Moto E vs Galaxy S5 performance test (video)

When it comes to smartphones people often go gaga for specs and while beefy processors and gigabytes of RAM always sound good, quality software can be a real game changer. For example, Samsung’s new Galaxy S5 ships with a 2.5GHz quad-core processor pushed by 2GB of RAM. On paper this handset should breeze through everyday tasks and crush a bargain bin device like Motorola’s Moto E in any performance-based challenge.

Sure, Motorola’s newest smartphone packs a modest 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor and 1GB of RAM, but this $130 handset has a secret weapon — it’s running near-vanilla Android. While Samsung’s new flagship would make short work of the Moto E in a benchmark challenge, you’d be surprised to see how Motorola’s budget-friendly device holds up in a real world performance test filled with tasks like: unlocking the phone, using its camera and  launching various applications. Here’s a look at the two devices in action.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3P9vDAY0U0A]

Now of course we’re not saying the Moto E is a better phone than the Galaxy S5, however this demonstration is a prime example of how software can be a huge difference maker. In this case, Samsung’s TouchWiz is weighing down the GS5’s hardware so badly, it occasionally lags behind a device with pretty much half of its power.