[vi-android] Re: Motorola X Review
- From: Aaron <blindgeek1989@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: vi-android@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 24 Jan 2014 19:48:11 -0500
I’m actually getting a moto x to replace my S4. Well, not replace it to just
have an extra phone laying around. I’ll have my S4 laying around when the x
arrives. What configuration did you get as far as memory? how much is left of
the 16gb memory after everything is installed?
Thanks,
Aaron Linson
Podcaster Studios
Being Confident in your ability, not your disability
On Jan 24, 2014, at 6:58 PM, michael's mail boxl <michaelandjeanie@xxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
> Actually Chris the problem with the Nexus 7 tablets has been fixed I could
> not use mine on ear plugs.
> But now its nice and loud.
> I like the sound of your phone.
> Cheers Michael.
>
> From: Christopher gilland
> Sent: Saturday, January 25, 2014 6:38 AM
> To: vi-android@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [vi-android] Motorola X Review
>
> First of all, if you are on a screen reader that will let you do it, you can
> navigate this e-mail message heading by heading to jump to the different
> sections that I cover.
>
> Introduction
>
>
> Though I won't bore you all with the details specifically, I just recently
> received a white 16GB Motorola X Android handset through AT&T wireless. I've
> only had the phone now for about 24 hours, so keep in mind, this review is
> quite fresh. By that I just mean, I'm basing all these things only on a
> day's worth of use, so if something appears inaccurate, give me a break, I'm
> just starting to use the phone, so things could change as I make more
> discoveries along the way. Disclaimer out of the way, let's get started.
> And oh, by the way, if anyone wants to put this review on their blog, go for
> it! Just be sure you credit me as the author.
>
> Look and Feel
>
>
> Once I received the phone, I noticed that the box appeared to be taped shut.
> Not that this really is an issue, but when I say taped shut, I mean this
> sucker was taped! I don't feel I have the motor skills in my hands to be
> able to slit the tape with a knife or scissors. Thus, I just kind a went at
> it little by little with my fingernails. It took quite some effort, but
> eventually, I managed to get it opened. It may not actually have been taped
> shut as I suspect, but boy did it feel like it was!
>
> Once I got the box opened, I noticed that on the front of the phone, not just
> on the screen, but on about 95% of the front of the phone, there was a
> plastic cellophane covering that I had to break and tear off the screen to
> expose it. This could of just been due to me hardly having any nails, but I
> couldn't for the life of me get the thing off. Finally when I did, it was
> all bubbled up, and wrinkled. It looked absolutely disgusting! Not that it
> was a big deal, seeing it was coming off anyway, but had that been an actual
> screen protector, I would a been screwed.
>
> Once I held the actual pone in my hand completely opened and ready to go, I
> noticed something right up front. The phone is slightly wider than an IPhone
> going horizontally from the left side to the right side of the phone. It's
> not enough to be a problem though. the IPhone has a 4 inch screen. This
> handset is a 4.7 inch screen, so it's just barely below an inch bigger. So,
> we're not talking a 7 inch Note here. This thing's definitely! not a phablet!
>
> I also noticed that the volume and power/lock keys were over on the right
> side of the device. I sort of like this, but it can ge a bit annoying if the
> phone is in my pocket, and I'm trying to dig my hand in my pants to lock the
> screen or to reject a phone call etc. What tends to happen is, I'll go to
> reach for the lock button, and in the process I'll bump the screen with my
> finger, and sometimes do really undesired things. No, I've not managed yet
> to call 9 1 1, god forbid. LOL! Just kidding. I'm sure my day's a cummin
> though. LOL! The other reason I don't like it is, I tend to have a very
> heavy, and believe me, I do mean heavy! touch/grip. With this said,
> sometimes when I'm holding the phone, I'll grip it a little two high up on
> the side edges, and thus will wind up mashing the volume buttons without
> meaning to. I don't normally do it to the point where it gets turned down
> all the way, as usually I realize I'm doing it, then lighten up on my grip
> before it's too late. This problem is rare, and for most people, I don't
> perceive it as being much of an issue, so don't let that turn you off. My
> guess is, it's probably just the nature of how I hold the phone in my left
> hand in combination with how I grip the thing with my fingers.
>
> Unlike the IPhone, this phone isn't made out of metal/glass. I mean, ok,
> yeah, the screen obviously is glass, duh, but, I'm saying, the rest of the
> phone is not. Actually, now that I feel it as I'm writing, the edges might
> be metal, but I don't think so. I don't have quite enough vision to really
> fully tell. Sorry about that. What I, can! tell you though is, the back of
> the phone is a real hard very nice, and very heavy duty polly-carbon plastic.
> If you ever have seen the older white mac books, not the aluminum pro's, but
> I'm talking about just the plain standard mac books, then you'll know exactly
> what I'm talking about. It's basically the same type glossy material as
> those units. Granted, you'd think the smooth glossiness would make the phone
> harder to grip, but I'm actually very impressed. It really doesn't, believe
> it or not. The other real nice thing is, the back of the IPhone is totally
> flat. There's no angle in the thing. this kind a makes the IPhone feel very
> deck of cardish. I dono... some may like that, but me personally, I found it
> a bit annoying. the Moto X on the other hand is ever? ever! so slightly
> convexed. by this, more directly put, what I mean is, it's kind of jutted
> out a little ways. It's very suttle, but it's just enough to tactally be
> able to tell. I! love this, as it makes it way way easier for me to hold up
> to my ear. Normally, the way I hold a phone of any kind is I wrap my thumb
> on thn one side of the phone and let my middle and ring finger gently grasp
> the other side of the phone. Then I let my pinky do nothing. It's totally
> out of the way, not even in contact at all with the phone. then my index
> finger is raised and in the dead back center of the handset acting as a
> rest/anker to kind of guide the phone to say up to my ear. With this said,
> that convexed curve in the back of the phone feels really really nice against
> my index finger. It kind of gives me a little resistance on that finger.
> That probably doesn't make sense, but I don't know how to explain it. Trust
> me though, it really does feel very very hnice.
>
> When I tried pluggin earphones into the phone, they made a very definite
> snap/click which was both felt and heard very very easily. The USB cord was
> even cooler! One side of the end of the cord that goes into the phone is a
> little bit lipped. It's a little bit concaved, whereas the other side is
> completely flat. the side that is a little concaved needs to be faced up
> toward the ceiling when you plug the cord in. Again, it's suttle, but it's
> definitely also very noticeable. I also really like the fact that it takes
> quite an intentional pull in order to remove the cord from the phone. It's
> pretty snugged, so you don't really have to worry about it falling out.
>
> The sound quality and volume of this phone when turned up all the way is
> amazing! Even with my hearing loss, which is quite profound in some ways,
> this phone is incredible! Even all the way up, it doesn't distort in the
> least! That was impressive! I could a sworn it would clip really really
> badly all the way up, but unlike the IPhone, especially the 5S, and the 5C,
> it doesn't distort at all. I even put a TTS engine which has a really really
> loud voice, naturally, on the device, and though it was so loud that it was
> almost earsplitting, it wasn't distorted at all. Don't get me wrong, all the
> way up isn't deafening, nor earshatterring, but it is extremely loud.
> believe you me, you'll hear it! for those with the Nexus 7 tablets, either
> the 2012, or the 2013 models who've complained that the volume was really
> soft even all the way up, you won't have this issue with the Moto X, I
> promise! The Moto X goes about 3 and a half to 4 times louder than the Nexus
> 7 tablets. It is amazing! that's no exageration either on the amount
> calculation! I'm being dead seriously literal! You gotta hear it for
> yourself to appreciate it, but it's really good! And, not only this, but
> it's in full stereo! It's not even mono! In fact, I can't prove this, but
> somewhere, I read, though don't quote me on this, it's actually quadrophonic!
> I hear there are speakers in all 4 quadrant corners of the device. Again,
> that may not be true. I'm not totally sure. I'm only going there by what
> I've read online.
>
> Vibration Motor
>
>
> One thing I also noticed was that the vibration motor in the Moto X is
> wonderful! I'm not much of a fan of vibration, as I feel it normally feels
> too mooshy and just over all, kind of, ehh, to me. I dono, I can't explain
> it. I can't put my finger on it exactly, but something about vibration
> normally just gets on my nerves. I just don't like the buzzing effect in my
> hand. But then, I've never liked things buzzing in my hand. Creepy? Crawly?
> Firry? scratchy? LOL! Just kidding. No seriously, I just don't really
> care for it. This said, I found the vibration on the moto X is actually,
> somewhat tolerable! I dono, it just seems to feel more definite. I know,
> I'm just weird like that.
>
> The back facing camera
>
>
> You know... I've not had a chance yet to play any with the camera, front, or!
> back facing, so I really can't vouch for the quality quite yet, but I know
> the rear camera is 10 meggapixils, which should mean that it would be very
> very good. It would be interesting with something like Google Goggles, or
> the like, to see what it does, if anything. I've never had much luck with
> those apps on any Android device, so I can't really say. My milage may vary,
> and so may your's.
>
> The screen digitizer
>
>
> Unlike my Nexus 7 tablet, where sometimes gestures don't quite work, I've
> found that the digitizer in the Moto X doesn't seem to have this issue at
> all. All my gestures are seeming to register just fine. Now, this said, I
> did remap the up then right gesture for the local context menu, as for some
> weird reason, not only did this gesture not work out of the box on my Nexus
> 7, it's not working either on my Moto X. This may be a Talkback bug, as I've
> heard of some who can consistently get it to work without changing it, but
> I've heard of others like myself who try as they may, can't get it to work
> either. So, yeah, YMMV. Aside this though, it seems to work perfectly.
>
> Talkback's Two Circular context Menus
>
>
> I have found that the context menus in Talkback work a little bit better on
> my Nexus tab than on my Moto X. I don't think this is an issue of the phone
> or of Talkback though. It's probably just that on the phone, you have less
> screen real estate to work with than on the tablet, thus, the options going
> around the circle are smaller, and are a bit more smished closer together,
> thus, making it slightly harder to slide around and find the option you need.
> Being they're smaller, it also thus means that the circle is a bit more
> sensitive. The slightest little movement, and you'll move from one option to
> another. I'm finding that I gotta be really careful when I lift my finger,
> as if I'm not, I'll wind up lifting up on the wrong option.I kind a wish
> they'd make that screen where you gotta double tap to activate the option. I
> see their logic though of why they didn't do that. Why add more unnecessary
> gestures?
>
> The phone dialer
>
>
> I like the phone dialer a lot, however, one thing that is really taking me
> some getting used to is, on the keypad screen before you're in an active
> call, the numbers like, 1, 2, 3, are horizontally fine, however, going 1, 4,
> 7, star, or 2, 5, 8, 0: in other words, going virtically, are very very
> close together. They're smished really tightly on the screen. And, the fact
> that to dial, you basically do just like you do with your keyboard. You
> touch type the numbers. So in other words, you slide your finger to the
> number of your choice, then you lift your finger, and the number is pressed.
> I've found myself fat fingerring and dialing incorrectly quite often. Yeah,
> there's google Now, where I could voice dial, and I do use that sometimes,
> but I don't necessarily wanna use that as a crutch. You know what I mean?
> It's a tool/aide, not a servant, if you will. LOL! OK phone, go dial for
> me, bee och? LOL! Just kidding! I do! like that under
> settings>accessibility, I have the ability of making the lock/power side
> button be my hang up key. That is awesome!
>
> Typing on the beast
>
>
> Watch it! this is the only negative thing I'm probably gonna say. Typing on
> this thing is absolutely disgusting! I don't just dislike it, I flat out
> hate it! Even with the Nuance Google Swipe keyboard, it's terrible in my
> opinion! I find that the placement of the keys, regardless the keyboard of
> choice, makes it extremely! difficult to type. Now, I have fairly big hands,
> and decently big fingers, plus remember, in all fairness, I have mild
> cerebral pausy in both my hands, which causes my hands both to trimmer a bit.
> for this reason, it makes it more so difficult, as the ever ever! ever! so
> slightest bit of movement will result in either me sliding off the key I
> need, or will make me type the wrong character, or sometimes, at worst, both.
> I also don't like where they put the delete key. Both on the default google
> keyboard as well as on the Swype keyboard, it's near the bottom right side of
> the keyboard, instead of like on my tablet, where it's on the top most row of
> keys, on the far far righthand side. I know why they didn't put it there
> though. There would have been no room for it. the p, l, and delete keys on
> the far right side, as well as the q, a, and shift keys are so damn flushed,
> (parden my language,) with the edge rims of the phone that you literally
> almost have to use the sides of your finger tips to hit the letters. I mean,
> when I say they are flushed with the edge, I mean they are fee lushed!
> Frankly, it's enough to almost make me scream! I want to think positive,
> that I'll eventually get used to typing on this thing, but it's not looking
> very promising at the moment, I'll confess. I hope that I wind up eating
> crow, and am wrong in the long run.
>
> Proximity sinsor
>
>
> What can I say about this thing... Simply, put, amazing! Oh my god! This
> thing is simply gorgeous! the fact that I can wave my hand in front of the
> thing to silence speech? Oh man! that is nice! Keep in mind, for a lot of
> you, you're probably looking at me going, well, yeah? what's so cool about
> that! You've been able to do that since ancient of days! No? Not really!
> Keep in mind, I have a tablet. Tablets don't have proximity sinsors, so, I
> was left out in the cold as far as that went. Back in the days, I had an
> Android 2.2 phone, but that thing wouldn't do that natively with the sensor,
> and with the app to make it do it, it wasn't always very consistently
> reliable, so for most, this is old news, but for me, this is absolutely
> wonderful!
>
> Touchless Gestures
>
>
> You know... I see everyone's argument that you never know what audio is being
> transmitted and to where with this feature enabled. I have this concern too,
> bigtime. this is why I normally don't have it turned on. However, that
> being said, there is something nice about being able to wake up in the
> morning, not even yet roll out of bed, and just say: OK google now! Do I
> have voicemail? OK google Now! What time is it? OK google now! Do I have
> any missed calls? OK google now: turn on my ringer. OK google Now! turn
> off my alarm. OK google now: Text mom: Let me get dressed, and I'll be
> downstairs for breakfast in just a few minutes. Etc. All of this, not even
> once touching my phone physically. I also like that google has this feature
> disabled by default, and you always can opt out of using it at any time if
> you so choose, and doing so will not cause you down the road to have to
> retrain it, if you change your mind.
>
> Data usage
>
>
> This phone not only can do 3G/4G, but if you have coverage for it, it'll also
> do LTE, which is excellent!
>
> Conclusion
>
>
> I think that just about covers it. So over all, would I recommend this
> phone? Heck yeah! Darn straight I would! This phone is absolutely awesome!
> It comes with KitKat out of the box, no modding or rooting needed. If, you
> happen to get an older Moto X handset that has Jellybean on it after
> unboxing, though that now adays is unlikely, don't worry. There is indeed an
> over the air update, regardless your carrier in most cases, which will let
> you push it to KitKat 4.4.
>
> Chris.
Other related posts:
