Hello fellow android users,
My name is Fishwithadeagle, and I have recently purchased the Moto X from Republic Wireless. I just wanted to summarize in a semi deep review my own opinions on Republic’s new phone and plan. Some places may already have some of this information, but I wanted to summarize it and put it into a niece, compact review. Also, if you are interested, there is a link at the bottom that will not only help support me, but also give you 19 dollars off your first month.
Republic Wireless is a new wireless company founded by bandwidth.com that has a focus on value for the consumer. The cheapest plans that are available start at $5 and work their way up to $40 (more on this in the plans section). They plan to do this by putting some of the responsibility on the consumer. The thing that is special about the Republic Wireless phones (hence why there is currently no byod) is that they all run a custom rom that supports Republic’s proprietary wifi calling and messaging service. RW wishes that customers connect their phones to wifi whenever they can. This allows them to circumvent the carrier’s fees (which is sprint). This is not based off of Google voice or anything of the sort, and thus will not be affected by Google’s new enforcement of their policies against 3rd party apps using Google voice as their primary means of communication. Read below for an in depth analysis of whether this service truly stacks up against competitors at a cheap price.
Out of the box:
You will get the basics, a Moto X, a dual port usb charger, a micro usb cord. And for some added touches, RW puts in a nice congratulations card for purchasing a phone from them. There really isn’t all that much to see her.
Setup:
Once booted up, the phone will prompt you to update service. I highly recommend that this be done on wifi because the sprint activation seems at this point to be at best, shoddy. I have yet to see a successful activation over cellular, even though RW claims that it can be done. Other than some minor complications (had to restart once) there really isn’t anything all that surprising. My phone came straight from Republic Wireless with all account information on there, all I had to do was log into the Republic Wireless app and I was good to go.
Specs:
These are the same specs as any other Moto X. Nothing new here except that it uses a proprietary cdma frequency, and therefore the phone cannot be used on any other carrier except for Republic Wireless even though the internal chips may support it. Also it runs an older 4.2.2 version, which should be updated to Kit Kat by Q1 of 2014. There doesn’t seem to be a big difference to me between the various versions (I have a Nexus 7 2012 running 4.4.2). Everything is in working order. As another note, comparing the performance of this phone to other leading phones (such as that of the galaxy s4) by specs alone is not actually all that accurate. This phone has the same exact video card as the galaxy s4, except that it has roughly half of the pixel to power. This in turn results in a greater performance from the same chip. Also don’t worry about the screen resolution, it more than clear enough, I have only been able to see the pixels when I have taken a magnifying glass and looked at the screen. As a second note, the memory on this phone tends to read at about 70 megabytes a second, leading to a significant performance increase over phones with slower memory read speeds. This means that many large games load in very short times on the startup.
Screen:
This may be categorized under the section of specifications, but it needs a separate section in my own opinion. The colors on this phone are phenomenal. After looking at this screen for hours on end, I go back to the led displays that I have on my desktop and laptop, even my 2012 Nexus 7, and each one looks simply washed out compared to that of the Moto X. And for all the people that are going to complain about the screen resolution, this phone boasts a strong 323 ppi, which is above that of the iPhone with its supposed retina quality screen. As a side note, while this phone has a gorilla glass 3 screen, I would still recommend a screen protector because there is always the possibility that the screen will get scratched. On black Friday, I had a keychain that I left in my pocket, and with sufficient force, it scratched my screen. So just take this as a warning.
Software:
Seeing that this is a standard android phone, this is running a near stock rom that Motorola has put on the phone, with the exception of the Republic Wireless app. For those wondering, yes it can be disabled. Some may want to just buy the phone straight up, and you can use stock Motorola skinned os. This is the same copy that you will be able to find on any other Moto X. This can be found in many other reviews.
Republic Wireless Software:
This is the biggest feature that separates this version of the Moto X from every other version and is probably the reason why you are buying this phone. Because this is built directly into the rom, yet still upgradeable through the play store, the updates on Republic Wireless will be slightly delayed as this must be incorporated into the updates.
Call quality could be improved on wifi a little because in certain parts of my house, there was some static with a wndr 3400 router and about two bars. Other than that call quality is as expected. It is very clear and easy for the people on the other end to hear you since there are two mics on the moto set aside for the sole purpose of voice identification. The interesting feature about the phone is that there is seamless transitioning between cell and wifi. I have had no issues with this and the phone seems to not even have a delay when it transitions. I didn’t even know that it had switched to cellular the few times that I have switched to cellular.
Texting is exactly the same as calling. It can be done on both wifi and cellular, the features are exactly the same. You are able to even send mms videos through wifi. Everything works spectacularly here. As a side note, even when downloading, I did not notice any degradation in call quality or the ability to text.
Reception:
When the phone is on wifi, you can do everything that you could on cell. This means that in areas where there is no reception, you can have perfect reception on wifi. When the phone is on cell, it is as expected with sprint; it depends on the area that you are currently located in. In certain instances, I have been able to get better reception than others who have cellular through sprint in the same area. This can most likely be attributed to the better radios in the moto, but don’t expect any miracles. Although I have been quite impressed with sprint service so far.
Plans:
$5 Dollar: Unlimited calls, data, texting on wifi.
$10 Dollar: Unlimited calls and texting on cellular, unlimited data on wifi.
$25 Dollar: Unlimited calls, texting, and 3g data (capped at 5 GB per month, 100mb roaming)
$40 Dollar: Unlimited calls, texting, and 4g data (capped at 5 GB per month, 100mb roaming)
*Each cellular plan includes 100 minutes of roaming calling.
For most people, the $25 dollar a month plan is the best. It is a shame to ruin a phone such as the moto x by not having mobile data when not on wifi. Only use 4g if you really need to get your data fast. So far, 3g has been fast enough in the Cleveland area and I have had no issue using it. The other two plans are for those looking to conserve more money. $25 dollar plan is ideal.
Battery:
This is the area where the moto shines. I can get around two days of use with two and a half hours each day. That is phenomenal, in combination with the fact that the moto charges fully with the stock charger in about an hour and a half. Leaving the wifi on constantly (as per Republic business idea of receiving all calls and texts through wifi when possible) does not seem to decrease battery life that much. When roaming, battery is chewed up very quickly, but this is expected. When first received, I highly recommend shutting off activity monitoring. This monitors movement of the phone to detect whether a call should be placed and received on cell or wifi. This is just to prevent possible interruptions during calls, but can easily be turned off in the Republic Wireless app settings and provide a great boost in battery life.
Camera:
Same as what every other website says. One of the better cameras on phones, but not a dslr.
Concluding thoughts:
This phone is just your average moto x with a new app added to the rom.
Positives:
Good call quality
Good Battery Life
½ price of moto x from Motorola (unlocked)
2x data of other prepaid plans
Top android smartphones
Negatives:
Sprint not available in certain locations
Limited memory (solved by the meenova memory card reader)
Phone not as scratch resistant as gorilla glass hopes.
SHOULD I BUY IT?
I would recommend it. There is a plan for everyone on one of the best smartphones that I have ever used. Nothing really not to like, plus this is such a new service with many things to offer. Highly recommended. 9/10.
Miscellaneous Reviews:
http://www.engadget.com/2013/08/05/motorola-moto-x-review/
http://reviews.cnet.com/motorola-moto-x/
Meenova Memory Card Reader For memory expansion:
http://www.meenova.com/
If you have any further questions, leave a comment. Also, if you are considering purchasing this phone, get 19 dollars off your first month’s service, and also help support me by using this link: http://referrals.republicwireless.com/a/clk/1mJGhs
Thanks for reading this review!
Related
Im on Sprint and have been phoneless since my epic broke (for the 800th time lol)....and am waiting on the evo3d wich comes out friday to use my early upgrade. However Im not so sure i want to switch over to htc and am just mesmerized by the infuse (seems to be the closest thing to the sgs2 IMO)......would it be worth it to switch over to att and skip the evo? I see its on sale at best buy for only $99 as well. This might seem a little illogical as i cant find anything on the infuse vs the evo3d lol.
I have been on ATT for 8 years. Signal coverage in my area is excellent (Western Washington). I have had zero problems with customer service. As of today, all dealings with CS has been very enjoyable.
The phone is outstanding. The only issue was long waits for GPS to lock. A few setting changes (No hacks) and now 2-3 sec GPS locks. A 4.5 inch screen seems like it would make a large phone, but it fits well in the hand and feels good while talking.
Hope this helps.
The Pinhead said:
I have been on ATT for 8 years. Signal coverage in my area is excellent (Western Washington). I have had zero problems with customer service. As of today, all dealings with CS has been very enjoyable.
The phone is outstanding. The only issue was long waits for GPS to lock. A few setting changes (No hacks) and now 2-3 sec GPS locks. A 4.5 inch screen seems like it would make a large phone, but it fits well in the hand and feels good while talking.
Hope this helps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
May I ask what setting changes you did for GPS?
That question has a couple of varying factors in it:
The most important, IMO-
1) Does AT&T work the same (or better) than Sprint where you live?
If it does, then...
2) Do you have a problem paying more, for less? I have had AT&T for 8 years now, and the coverage is great where I live (we just got 4G, as well), but my bill is about $210 a month, for 5 lines (2 smartphones), with 450 minutes to share between all 5, 5000 N&W, and unlimited mobile to mobile, text, and 4GB data with my Infuse (with tethering) and 2GB for my wifes iphone 4. The 3 other lines are my "rotating upgrades", so I pay $30 extra a month for the right upgrade essentially whenever I want, so you can say you'd be paying about $180 for the same exact plan as I have. If you're on your own, I think Sprint is about $70 for 450 anytime minutes, unlimited M2M, text, and UNLIMITED data... IIRC. I know you have Sprint now, so you know how much you pay.. I'm just stating for comparison purposes.
If both of those aren't an issue...
I would determine what you want to do on your phone, and whether or not 3D is important to you. For me, I use my phone for light gaming (some emulators/Let's Golf! 2 HD/etc, watching flash videos, taking pictures, Pandora about 3-5 hours a day, occasional email, about 100 texts a day, and occasionally watching a movie. The Infuse has never, once, prevented me from doing any of the above. Flash video (especially on a custom rom) plays 100% fine with no stutter, it has a great camera, big screen, and the battery is more than enough to power me through a whole day and come out with 30%+ left.
If you "need" the power that a DC phone provides, then by all means, touch it out and go for the Evo 3D. For me, the Infuse has provided everything I need and then some. Will I eventually jump to a dual core phone? Most certainly. I'll get AT&T's first LTE phone that comes to market (which i'm assuming will probably have a dual core processor in it)..but for now, this is the best phone i've had in the past 4 years.
angieutc said:
May I ask what setting changes you did for GPS?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just followed these directions
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1107860
timmillah said:
but for now, this is the best phone i've had in the past 4 years.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree 100%. This is the best phone ATT has had in a long time.
The Pinhead said:
I agree 100%. This is the best phone ATT has had in a long time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not just on AT&T, I've had unlocked phones, everywhere from the HTC Touch HD, the Nokia N95/e71/e75/N8, SE Xperia X1/Arc... It's THE best phone i've used. I had the Inspire, and while I liked it, the battery life was a huge downer for me.
I just can't wait for more devs to come on board and get some CM7 or MIUI love! (love the work the devs that are here are doing, though!)
well it depends, are you a talker? unlimited everything on att will be much more expensive. but if you csn use a minimum talk plan or you have a family plan with many lines its not too bad. check for work discounts as well.
other than price the service is really good lately. my area was weird but recently I wouldn't have anything else, not even Verizon. the data speeds are better than sprint, and though t-mo can be faster and lte is way faster t-mo has crappy coverage and lte is in a limited number of markets. with att you get good 3g speeds almost anywhere. 3g on Verizon is agivatingly slow in most places so you either have crazy speed in a big city, or you want throw the phone in frustation.
if cost isn't an issue att is probably not a bad idea, unfortunately there is no unlimited data unless you had the old iphone plan, that could be the deal breaker for many smartphone users.
timmillah said:
That question has a couple of varying factors in it:
The most important, IMO-
1) Does AT&T work the same (or better) than Sprint where you live?
If it does, then...
2) Do you have a problem paying more, for less? I have had AT&T for 8 years now, and the coverage is great where I live (we just got 4G, as well), but my bill is about $210 a month, for 5 lines (2 smartphones), with 450 minutes to share between all 5, 5000 N&W, and unlimited mobile to mobile, text, and 4GB data with my Infuse (with tethering) and 2GB for my wifes iphone 4. The 3 other lines are my "rotating upgrades", so I pay $30 extra a month for the right upgrade essentially whenever I want, so you can say you'd be paying about $180 for the same exact plan as I have. If you're on your own, I think Sprint is about $70 for 450 anytime minutes, unlimited M2M, text, and UNLIMITED data... IIRC. I know you have Sprint now, so you know how much you pay.. I'm just stating for comparison purposes.
If both of those aren't an issue...
I would determine what you want to do on your phone, and whether or not 3D is important to you. For me, I use my phone for light gaming (some emulators/Let's Golf! 2 HD/etc, watching flash videos, taking pictures, Pandora about 3-5 hours a day, occasional email, about 100 texts a day, and occasionally watching a movie. The Infuse has never, once, prevented me from doing any of the above. Flash video (especially on a custom rom) plays 100% fine with no stutter, it has a great camera, big screen, and the battery is more than enough to power me through a whole day and come out with 30%+ left.
If you "need" the power that a DC phone provides, then by all means, touch it out and go for the Evo 3D. For me, the Infuse has provided everything I need and then some. Will I eventually jump to a dual core phone? Most certainly. I'll get AT&T's first LTE phone that comes to market (which i'm assuming will probably have a dual core processor in it)..but for now, this is the best phone i've had in the past 4 years.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I do beleive att would work better in my area. Im in upstate NY. And the everything data plan for sprint is 79.99 but all in all ends up costing me about 96$ with all the otehr charges a month so $120 doesent seem that much more steep. Im actually pretty impressed with everything on the evo3d EXCEPT the camera.....and i dont mean 3d , could care less about that......just the camera in general seems to suck.
Hey all!
After doing about an hour's worth of research in total, I noticed that there is a general lack of information on the topic of wi-fi reception range of various smartphones.
I for one would consider such information useful, as it could be used to compare performance of the various devices out there. So I figured I'd start this thread to collect some data and experiences.
If you are interested in participating, then please test how far you can move away from your wireless router while still maintaining a reasonably stable connection(i.e. you can browse the web without constant timeouts).
Overall, please try to include the following information if possible:
- Brand and model of your device
- Approximate distance from your wireless router
- How many walls/ceilings/big objects are between you and your router(try as few as possible for the most accurate result)
To start it off, here are my results:
Device: Samsung Galaxy S2
Range: ~50ft(15 meters), 20-30% signal strength average
Obstructions: A desk and 1 wall.
Just some points to consider:
WiFi routers differ in terms of transmission power, thus rendering the results useless without any information about the router.
Other radiating sources might cause interference which will negatively affect the signal
A "reasonably stable connection" is a very subjective opinion. The dBm value would be better.
Yeah, scientifically speaking this is sort of a wasted affair. Curiosity sake though, why not.
This is probably a better test of router transmission than anything, fun nonetheless .
HTC Incredible S, HD revolution 1.0.1 rom (yeah thats right, I haven't updated)
~50 feet. Through 1 floor, 3 walls, 1 door.
Or at work: ~30 feet through one wall.
I can say though, with a sad face, that the iPhone's get better wi-fi reception at work.
Hmm, I suppose you are actually right! For some reason I forgot to consider that the wireless router itself also plays a big role, seeing as they tend to be quite different from each other. I guess I assumed the routers would just about always have bigger range than the phones, but I suppose this isn't always true, is it?
That does make it rather difficult to get accurate and reliable results.. A shame
My Incredible gets decent reception throughout my house. One end to the other the signal is a bit low. Outside sitting about 100 feet from the router inside I get decent reception.
That would be nice, but frankly i think it's impossible to make a decent comparison, there are too many different reuters...
i have se mini desire hd and a hero and they all still get wifi at the bottom of my garden going through two walls, about 100 ft from bt hub
Using a linksys modem from 2005, on HD2, I get poor, but still working signal at the other end of my house (at least 50 feet away from my modem through 4 walls)..
Device:Samsung i5700 Spica
Range:~50ft (15 meters) 40% signal
Obstructions: Nothing
It seems to me like the phone would be more important than the router (assuming that the router has a longer transmitting range than the phone) because in order to establish a TCP connection you would not only need to be able to receive signals from the router, but also send signals back to it. So it would really be your phone's Transmition rate that matters. This of course is not true if different routers are better at receiving week signals than others.
Love this topic, truly wonder why wifi range isn't among standard specs of phones. Tried and tried to find information on it but not yet.
I was dad so got all the hand me down phones . At one time I had all these phones and tried them, wi-fi range being important because I spent a lot of time out in the shop.
2012 Samsung Exhilarate i577 #2 on wi-fi range.
2013 HTC One M7 #3 (lovely phone, they only let me have it for couple of months, but wasn't impressed with range.
2014 Moto G XT1045 #1 and still the champ. cracked screen and little storage, can't believe it's a 2014 phone it was beat on so much by daughter. But still use it as a wi-fi stereo w/ bluetooth speaker.
2016 LG K10 #4 Sucks. In most ways. It seems like it's fast but not. had to get with US Cellular, they basically gave it to me for $20
So yeah, still want to know why it isn't in the specs of a phone? pretty darn important.
Android enthusiast
Guys my first-ever post in any forum!
I am too lazy to post any thing but this thread made me take this step. I have two devices right now. Results :
Xiaomi 4A (80 USD)
Range from router (100+ feet) if not less. I crosses the road and still getting reception. (Using youtube)
Blackberry priv (Flagship) NEW
30 feet and wifi disappears
I am testing this Xiaomi 4a since months and difference is too higher than any brands stop dude i.e. iPhone 6s, priv and note8. Sorry if I missed some format but please end my curiosity by telling how the hell can a midrange phone out perform giants with such huge difference? In Xiaomi 4a I receive signal where no other phone ever got even single bar.
Will appreciate.
https://ehtrust.org/science/peer-reviewed-research-studies-on-wi-fi/
https://ehtrust.org/france-new-national-law-bans-wifi-nursery-school/
Use wifi sparingly. Avoid taking kids to wifi schools and limit time in shopping centres and shops wherever possible. Way too many access points. Run a 24-hour wifi router at home at your own risk.
That said, too many variables for meaningful range results, though I have yet to see any product worse than the Teclast x80 Pro I briefly owned. I am still shocked that the wifi could pass basic testing, let alone be foist on the masses.
last not list
in this is kind of idea i share others
2011:laugh::laugh::laugh:
Hebekiah said:
Love this topic, truly wonder why wifi range isn't among standard specs of phones. Tried and tried to find information on it but not yet.
I was dad so got all the hand me down phones . At one time I had all these phones and tried them, wi-fi range being important because I spent a lot of time out in the shop.
2012 Samsung Exhilarate i577 #2 on wi-fi range.
2013 HTC One M7 #3 (lovely phone, they only let me have it for couple of months, but wasn't impressed with range.
2014 Moto G XT1045 #1 and still the champ. cracked screen and little storage, can't believe it's a 2014 phone it was beat on so much by daughter. But still use it as a wi-fi stereo w/ bluetooth speaker.
2016 LG K10 #4 Sucks. In most ways. It seems like it's fast but not. had to get with US Cellular, they basically gave it to me for $20
So yeah, still want to know why it isn't in the specs of a phone? pretty darn important.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Listing the range specification wouldn't be THAT useful though -- manufacturers would be listing the range from results in a test lab under the best-case scenario, which would be mega-inflated beyond meaning in the real world and wouldn't help anyone. For range maybe they realize that there are too many variables to even get away with doing that *shrugs*
Hi guys, I'm sorry my first post isn't a contribution, but a question.
I basically need to know -realistically-, how long (as an estimate) will the battery last if the only app being used NON-STOP is Tunein Radio, on a stock ROM, with as little side processes running as possible, meaning, no games, or apps pushing data, or unnecessary widgets and such.
Now, before you think of me as an egotistic, demanding, unclear, and confusing user, let me explain my dilemma in more detail for the few willing to read (thanks for that btw):
I don't consider myself a cheap person, in fact, I admit I am guilty of buying few -unnecessary- gadgets in the past, only for pleasure, and unproductive distraction. However, I have managed to get my money's worth, or my investment back off mostly every material possession in some way or another... for example, I have only paid for one cellphone in full retail price in my life, which was the old Motorola Razor, which I was able to sell for the same or higher price or exchange, for all future phones I had, including the Apple ecosystem with the jailbreak scene, even though I'm fairly young.
I have owned big, and top of the line android cellphones before, learned how to root, flash, and brick them to revive them with much joy (loved the original Evo 4G), and my current cellphone is an LG Motion 4G on Metro PCS.
The phone was FREE on a third party promotion, it's processor is almost as good if not better, than the S3 on the same carrier, and feels just as smooth, and has lots of developer support...hate being tied down to a carrier, and it just so happens that after 2012, the Metro PCS coverage in my area improved a LOT, so I can browse the web and stream radio shows nonstop at work with 2.1Mbps down on 3G!!! (I disabled it's 4G LTE capabilities to save battery), and all of this, on a 40$ a month plan. I even got used to it's smaller screen size, and liked it better than any of my old fetish big screen phones that seem ridiculous now.
All of this is nice, and all, but even after deoxing it, debloating it, and using a strict manual task manager, underclock it, and using an extended internal battery (the fat ones), I just get 3 hours and 40 minutes of NONstop Tunein Radio alone, and nothing else.
I realize I ask too much of this little guy that it's done more than expected, so I'm pondering on getting a Nexus 5, and see the difference.
I already purchased an Anker® Astro 3E 10000mAh Dual USB Backup External Battery Pack, but I want to ask nonetheless
Okay so back story....
I broke my Optimus G, it took me a year but I am finally getting it fixed ($140) with a new screen and glass.
However my stand-in a ZTE Radiant is getting progressively worse.
I can no longer update apps without deleting other apps. I did Link2SD 5-6 months ago to help with this and thought my problems were solved.
The battery doesn't last more than about 4-6 hours now with LIGHT use.
The charge/sync port has become damaged and now requries pressure in one direction to force charging. I have to use a small 1500 mlh backup batter cocked in the port to keep it charged up, but that requries charging it up continuously.
I am tired of the poor video quality. That has delayed the start of my new You Tube channel (even my old You Tube channel). My old 8 MP Point N Shoot only does 640x480 as max resolution for video; in an age of HD and now increasing 4K content, there's no way I can use either device. My Infuse 4 G still works but has poofy 3rd party batteries and I don't if I want to go back to sluggish single core performance even if only for a few days.
So I am considering another stop-gap phone I could use for a few days until my Optimus G is fixed. I have looked on Craigslist and don't really see anything I want to pay for, except for maybe a Note 3 for only $110, sounds stolen to me.
I use my phone for work as a merchandiser (for submitting work orders + pictures via the companies mobile app, similar to Gigwalk).
There's plenty of light in the stores so the pictures are acceptable with the Radiant, but as I mentioned video is TERRIBLE.
I know any budget phone is going to mostly have this problem so I am not looking for miracles.
I would say the upper range of my budget is the Moto E 2015 edition. It's camera is no worse than the Radiant but it's Quad Core and has more on-board memory. It's also twice as much as I paid for the Radiant which runs on the LTE network, despite all the other issues.
I am currently looking at Cricket for the Moto E since I am currently on AT&T via the Family plan. I can't unlocked the phone via Cricket until after 3 months of service.
Cricket also has the Optimus G L70 cut-down version of my main phone and HTC Desire 510.
The 510 is $49 after MIR ($50 Debt Card) so it would be over $100 OTD.
The Moto E right now is going for $79 with activation, making it more tempting given my current issues. It would be just about $100 OTD and that's about the max I can afford at the moment.
If anybody has any other ideas let me know, Metro PCS is also an option.
I went to Best Buy to pick up a Moto G7. When I seen they had the Android One version of the Moto X4 on sale for $150 (3gb/32gb) and $200 (4gb/64gb), the G7 was no longer a consideration. Many would say that the G7 has a better display and more modern design. I'm personally not a fan of rear fingerprint sensors and was happy to avoid a "notch" (even though the teardrop isn't all that bad). The G7 being $300, I saved $100 and got a comparable CPU, same ram, same storage, better cameras, NFC, front firing speaker, and IP68 water proofing. The IP68 was important to me to because my main hobby is metal detecting and I'm outdoors a lot. Hoping for longer software updates as well being Android One. I love bone stock Android, I'm pretty stoked right now! lol I remember wanting one of these when they came out, but not bad enough to pay $400 for one.
I'm basically back. I ditched my iPhone SE and came back to Android. I really liked the design and form factor of the SE but it was time for an upgrade/larger display. I was actually able to pull $150 for it pretty quick, so my X4 only cost me $61 out of pocket with tax. I've had several Nexus devices in the past, my last being the 5X. I'm a stock Android fan that is far from a power user, main usage being calls, texts, and YouTube music. I don't game on my phone at all or take many pictures either. So as much as I would love to have a Pixel 3, I can't justify spending that much. The Android One X4 is seriously just perfect for me. I went with the 4gb/64gb variant mainly for the extra gb of ram, longevity factor. Happy to be back!
Goodbye IOS, gone for good.
Beyond Android Q, you will then be able to keep the phone updated with Lineage OS and most GSI's going forward. Congrats! ?
If you want the Google (Pixel 3) Camera I suggest starting with the download from the first link.
The second link gives some explanation of the camera features and why some work and other's don't.
I don't know 100% for sure if you need Google Services or Google Photos installed for the basic camera to work but I've read that MicroG will work as a substitute in custom roms in place of Google Services.
If that's too technical, just download the latest update from the first link and install as a normal app (I haven't used my new X4 yet but I think it will work w/o any issues).
https://forum.xda-developers.com/nokia-7-plus/themes/gcam-nokia-7-plus-t3905686
https://forum.xda-developers.com/apps/google-camera-mods/gcam-google-pixel-1-2-3-t3875663
ToastyOhms said:
I went to Best Buy to pick up a Moto G7. When I seen they had the Android One version of the Moto X4 on sale for $150 (3gb/32gb) and $200 (4gb/64gb), the G7 was no longer a consideration. Many would say that the G7 has a better display and more modern design. I'm personally not a fan of rear fingerprint sensors and was happy to avoid a "notch" (even though the teardrop isn't all that bad). The G7 being $300, I saved $100 and got a comparable CPU, same ram, same storage, better cameras, NFC, front firing speaker, and IP68 water proofing. The IP68 was important to me to because my main hobby is metal detecting and I'm outdoors a lot. Hoping for longer software updates as well being Android One. I love bone stock Android, I'm pretty stoked right now! lol I remember wanting one of these when they came out, but not bad enough to pay $400 for one.
I'm basically back. I ditched my iPhone SE and came back to Android. I really liked the design and form factor of the SE but it was time for an upgrade/larger display. I was actually able to pull $150 for it pretty quick, so my X4 only cost me $61 out of pocket with tax. I've had several Nexus devices in the past, my last being the 5X. I'm a stock Android fan that is far from a power user, main usage being calls, texts, and YouTube music. I don't game on my phone at all or take many pictures either. So as much as I would love to have a Pixel 3, I can't justify spending that much. The Android One X4 is seriously just perfect for me. I went with the 4gb/64gb variant mainly for the extra gb of ram, longevity factor. Happy to be back!
Goodbye IOS, gone for good.
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When I had to replace my Samsung S7's I bought Amazon Prime moto x4's. I found them to be every bit as good as the S7, more than adequate for me, and I liked the cleaner android experience. But then Pie started rolling out. I needed to stay on 8.1 because I use a phone recording app in my work and I could not root the Amazon Prime version.
Then I saw the best buy deal for $200 for the 4gb/64gb rootable X4 (Android One version). I replaced my three amazon prime versions, rooted the android one versions, and all is well. Sold one of the amazon prime versions, gave one to a relative, and turned the other one into a bedside clock and radio.
The only downside was the lack of wireless charging which I use for 99% of my charging (including a wireless charging dock in the car. I even have a few portable charges with built-in QI wireless charging). But a $12 wireless charger adapter that sits inside my case overcame that problem.
I think the moto x4 4gb/64gb Android one version for $200 is the best value in an Android phone right now.
I went to best buy and bought a Moto One, returned it for Moto X4 because there was no development for the Moto One.
HACK3DANDR0ID said:
I went to best buy and bought a Moto One, returned it for Moto X4 because there was no development for the Moto One.
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Smart move.
I also was looking for the best value for the lowest cost.
Continuous development gives a phone value over time, and thus I bought this phone (after $30 refund) new for $135 that had a long good two year history and continuous increased developmental work over time. Much better than buying an expensive new phone with no support. Part of that history also included a high carrier VoLTE coverage, also important. I expect this to be a big upgrade from my last phone (50% more RAM, 70-90% faster processor, and 100% more storage).
nogods said:
I think the moto x4 4gb/64gb Android one version for $200 is the best value in an Android phone right now.
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Agreed! Yes, the design is a little dated with the display and 16:9 aspect ratio. I greatly prefer a front fingerprint sensor over rear and I am fine with what comes with that, larger bezels.
Stock Android, nice design/build quality, 1080p ips display, SD630, 4gb/64gb, solid cameras, NFC, ip68, USB C, headphone jack, and a front firing speaker for $200. You can't beat this. Especially if you need CDMA/Verizon support like I do.
One big thing Motorola always has over many other unlocked phones is CDMA support. I unfortunately can't utilize the many great GSM only unlocked phones on the market. Where I live in Wisconsin, Verizon and US Cellular are the only logical choices. Horrible AT&T / T Mobile coverage. I pay $105 a month for 3 lines on Verizon Prepaid, 15gb of data on each line. It's nice to have priority over the thousands of people in my area who use straight talk/total wireless (Verizon MVNOs) to. I used Straight Talk for a month on my iPhone SE and the data speed capped at 5mbps. After I switched to Verizon Prepaid, my data speeds are always around 50mbps.
I'm stock Android or nothing. I love that Motorola doesn't waste time and resources on ruining Android OS by skinning and bloating it. Motorola will always be my go to for unlocked phones for 3 reasons. CDMA support, stock Android, and Value.
Ditto, I'm a happy camper with my new Android One X4 (on Fi's software) 4G/64GB capacity, plus more storage with mSD card, mostly for pix & videos when we travel - for a net cost of about $80 including a nice Poetic heavy-duty case, after getting a $92/94 trade-in credit for an aging SS Galaxy S7 Edge with its infamous ghost screen (annoying as hell) that I had been using, since selling the Nexus 6 with a new battery on Swappa; and DW traded her Nexus 6P with the aging (45% capacity remaining) battery into Google, for a (gasp) Moto G6 - and got refunds, enough to get an integrated 4,000 mAh battery case for her all day (gaming) use.
Back on my impressions & likes on the Moto X4, memory & storage/expandable capacity, decent battery life, running Pie after a series of OTA update (probably leaving it stock, "restore" G.Pay (Magisk ... yeah, lots of constant attention) and NFC, and, of course, 3.5 mm headphone jack/front-facing (solo) speaker and a decent "hobby" piered camera for those travel & family photos (not great, good enough) and Android Auto that works (in-dash navigation, supported by our 2019 Hyundai Sonata on a 7" display ... was a pain with the G6, easy with the iPhone SE on Apple CarPlay). For our global travel needs, the X4 has more radio bands & flexibility than the G6 or G7, comparable to the newer iPhones - this should serve me well abroad on "Fi" supported partner/roaming cellular networks & VPN-enabled WiFi hotspots.
I kind of missed the slightly bigger 5.7" (18:9) G6 screen & sleek look but it is still on Oreo patched thru Jan. 2019 - probably at some point, unlock BL/root & load Lineage OS to keep it going, a year or more from now when DW wanted something better, she's happy with her "Fi" services & OTA updates for simplicity. I looked & considered the G7 and even the "Play" variant & the bigger screen, yet without NFC - not truly worth it for a marginal "upgrade" of incremental jump in values for money. For my XDA fun & challenges, I'm going next with a Xiaomi Mi/Redmi global dual-sim in the 6" factor (6.2" or 6.3" if I feel like it) running Android One, that should keep me busy.
All these done at minimal/subsidized Google Fi trade-in when promotions were being run between last year & now, I realized that both the G6 and X4 are getting bad trade-in, but I ain't paying $500+ for a Pixel 3/XL brand new, even with whatever generous trade-in & credits. For play, I got a Huawei Honor - dual sim, running Pie (Linerage OS) for travel & on WiFI, and, down to a good old iPhone SE (16GB only) with a Google Fi data-only sim, that's great for travel for VoIP (Ooma, G.Voice, WhatsApp, Duo, etc.) except that Fi blocked it from tethering ... including Apple CarPlay.
Lastly, I am running the X4 on T-Mobile's network and when traveling outside the USA, switch out the nano sim to Fi's data only sim, since I've been using our Google Voice's number, practically 95% of the calls are VoIP/WiFi calling (and, Ooma's mobile app for outbound call, using a ported "home" number.)