by "Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein)
Published 09/22/2017 at 15:35
by "Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein)
Published 09/22/2017 at 15:35
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STARS: 5
You may have noticed that most of my posts on Oppo lately have been about phones. That’s because my Moto X Pure Edition, which I’ve had since September 2015, developed a wobbly micro USB port and I’ve been trying to replace it with something new. But this has been difficult! Here’s why.
Most of you are probably like, “why would someone be so enthusiastic about a phone from 2015 that never sold amazingly well and has long since been surpassed in specs by many other flashier phones?” Well I’m here to tell you, the Moto X Pure Edition is still a Very Good Phone™. Honestly, if it had a fingerprint sensor, I’d probably just get it fixed. Motorola has never really made a true follow-up to the X Pure Edition, and that makes me sad.
The Moto X Pure is the first smartphone I’ve had that I truly thought did everything great. Before that I had a few HTC Windows phones, an iPhone 3GS, a Moto Droid Razr, a Samsung Galaxy Nexus, and an LG G2. But the X Pure was the best.
Things that it does awesomely
Universal Carrier Compatibility
This is something that, outside of iPhones and Nexus/Pixel phones, Motorola did a great job with. The X Pure is SIM unlocked, and has CDMA radios for working with Verizon, Sprint and U.S. Cellular, plus GSM, HSDPA and LTE radios for all the US and many international carriers. Unlike say, LG who makes seemingly endless versions of the same phone, the X Pure had only two SKUs. The XT1575 is the US version with the CDMA radio, the XT1572 was the EU-market version with no CDMA radio, and different LTE bands, and called the Moto X Style. As LTE bands have proliferated over the years, it doesn’t have every single one, but you’re good to go with the vast majority of US carriers.
Screen
The Moto X Pure has a 5.7” IPS LCD qHD (2560 x 1440) screen. It doesn’t have blindingly oversaturated colors and the deepest darkest blacks like AMOLED screens, but it is a very nice screen to look at. Another thing very much in its favor is it has one of the best auto brightness implementations of any phone I’ve used. Some phones, the auto brightness is just straight up wonky, even now in 2017. The X Pure, you turn on auto brightness, but the brightness slider still works. The slider sets a baseline brightness and the auto brightness adapts to the lighting, in relation to this baseline brightness. This is really how auto brightness should work but not every phone (cough, LG V20) does it this way.
Ergonomics
Even though it has that bigass screen, the Moto X Pure is supremely easy for me to hold one-handed. I, being a human adult male with slightly above average sized hands (I wear a size 11 shoe, if that means anything). The back of the phone is curved, so while it’s 11 mm thick in the middle, at the edges it’s much skinnier, and it’s skinniest at the corners. The side bezels are extremely minimal, so it’s one of the narrowest phones with a 5.7” screen. The only 5.7” phones that are narrower are the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 (by 0.1 mm), the Galaxy S6 edge+ (0.4 mm) and Galaxy Note 7 (2.3 mm). There are many 5.5” phones that are as wide or wider than the Moto X Pure. Also, the little notch on the back of the phone under the camera lens is a perfect spot to rest your index finger, especially with a case on the phone since most cases leave the Motorola logo exposed, which gives you a nice lip to grip against.
Speakers
The Moto X Pure has dual front-facing stereo speakers. I don’t watch a ton of videos on my phone, and even less without headphones, because I also have a tablet and that’s my main device for lying in bed watching videos. But when I do watch videos on this phone, hey, wow, the speakers are pretty dang decent. I didn’t think this was a particularly remarkable feature until I went shopping for new phones and found that if I wanted to keep the carrier compatibility, not go backward in specs, and add a fingerprint sensor, my only options were the Huawei Nexus 6P and ZTE Axon 7, neither of which really appealed to me. The Nexus 6P was too big, and the Axon 7 has a mediocre camera and some annoying software quirks.
Nice Clean Software
Motorola wisely takes stock Android and doesn’t mess with it too much. Everything runs nice and smooth with minimal lag or slowdowns. It’s even smoother than even some newer phones with higher-spec CPUs. It comes with the stock Google launcher, keyboard, quick settings, dialer, contacts, calendar, etc. Motorola really only added one thing which is their Moto app which comprises ambient display, some different gestures you can launch specific functions with, and “OK Google” voice activation before Google built this feature into its main Google app for all phones.
Ambient Display
About that Ambient Display: it’s extremely simple, and works really well. Since the screen is an LCD, it doesn’t stay on all the time, but if you leave the phone sitting with its screen up and you have notifications, it occasionally flicks the screen on with notification badges, like this:
If you’re curious what notifications you might have and want to wake the phone up while it’s sitting on a desk, table, etc, there are sensors at each corner so you can wave your hand over it and it wakes up.
When you tap and hold on one of these notifications, you get more information about it, like this:
And if you swipe up from here, you can enter the app which sent you the notification. Nice, slick, and simple.
Do Not Disturb
This is what Do Not Disturb looks like when you tap it on the quick settings menu. This is the
stock Android Marshmallow
(and higher) Do Not Disturb quick settings function, and it works great, but many phone makers decide to fuck it up. Motorola very wisely kept it. I personally love this Do Not Disturb implementation. I set mine to Priority so calls and alarms can get through, but no app notifications. I set it to expire a little earlier than I plan to wake up the next day. The auto-expire option remembers the length of time from the last time I set it, so during the week, if I go to bed at a roughly similar time, I don’t have to change it at all. I have no idea why other Android phone companies don’t totally implement this DND functionality in their phones, but neither Samsung nor LG does, and it’s minorly infuriating, especially because I’m reminded of Motorola’s (and Google’s) wonderful way of doing it by my wife’s Moto G5 Plus. Curse you, Android phone makers tweaking things and making them worse!
Things that are mixed
Camera
The camera is 21 megapixels, but with a small sensor it’s obviously not capturing the same level of detail as a “real” camera of similar resolution. It doesn’t hold a candle to my 16 mp Olympus mirrorless camera, for example. But for a phone camera, in good light, it does a good job. It’s nice to have a large image file from which to crop things if desired. The only negative in good light is some purple fringing on high-contrast elements. But in low light, it’s not so good. There’s no image stabilization to help use slow shutter speeds with non-moving subjects, and the high resolution but small sensor means lots of noise as the camera bumps up the ISO. The selfie camera has a flash, which is nice.
Battery
The battery is 3000 mAh which is a decent, if not overly large, capacity. The problem is powering that big, high resolution screen eats up a lot of power. Standby power usage is thankfully low, even with the ambient display. I can usually get through a whole day at work where I’m not on my phone too much, but if I’m messing with it for extended periods it can drain quickly. On the plus side, it has Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0, which Motorola calls TurboCharge, and it’s super fast. Even on my main home charger which is a 5-port “smart” but not Quick Charge enabled charger, the battery tops itself up nice and quickly
Things that aren’t so good
Software Updates
Even before Motorola was bought by Google, they had already been only putting a light skin on their Android phones. Under Google ownership, Motorola moved towards becoming even more Google-y in their phones, and basically sold stock Android phones, even their carrier-branded ones. They got quick software updates, and all was well in the Moto-verse. Google sold Motorola to Lenovo in the beginning of 2014. At the beginning of Lenovo ownership, Motorola still did relatively prompt updates. My phone got several security updates, and was updated to Marshmallow pretty soon after it released. But as Motorola struggled to make a profit, Lenovo laid off lots of people from Motorola, and this impacted the frequency of software updates. In spring of 2017, Motorola tested a Nougat update for the X Pure, but for some reason never released it. So it’s still on Marshmallow. Dang.
No Fingerprint Sensor
At the time I bought the X Pure, it was really seen as an almost-Nexus type phone, and significantly cheaper than the Nexus 6P. The only significant differences between the X Pure and the Nexus 6P were the Snapdragon 808 in the X Pure vs. the 810 in the Nexus 6P, and the fingerprint sensor in the 6P. Some people actually think the 808 is a better chip because the performance is about 90% of the 810 but it’s much better on battery life. I have the 16 GB version of the X Pure which originally cost $399. The base 32 GB Nexus 6P was $549. I made the 16 GB work because unlike the Nexus 6P, it has a microSD slot. At the time, I thought the fingerprint sensor wasn’t a big deal, because I was one of those people who left their phone unlocked all the time.
But after having the phone for a while, I changed jobs where to access my email through the Outlook Android app, my companies had security policies that required some kind of screen lock on the phone. Besides, keeping some kind of security on your phone is just a good idea. With Google Smart Lock, I was able to set up a PIN lock where the phone stayed unlocked at home, at work, and while connected to bluetooth in my car. The only time it was really annoying to not have a fingerprint sensor was at the grocery store. I use an app called Our Groceries to sync grocery lists with my wife, so I’m constantly checking my phone while grocery shopping. I added my main grocery store as a trusted location in Google Smart Lock, but still, kinda annoying, and you figure maybe that’s a place where you do want the phone to be locked.
Bluetooth glitches with GM infotainment
For some reason, the X Pure had all kinds of trouble staying connected to bluetooth in GM rental cars. Sometimes I would start a call on the phone and it would transfer the call to the car but I couldn’t hear anything. Sometimes I would play music and even though the music showed on the car’s screen, the sound played out of the phone. They just didn’t play nice with each other. I don’t rent a ton of cars, but it got to the point where if I got a GM car I would ask for something else so I wouldn’t have to deal with the bluetooth glitches.
So if I liked the X Pure so much, why didn’t I just buy a newer Motorola phone?
The simple answer is, Motorola has never made a true successor to the X Pure.
My wife has a Moto G5 Plus which is by far the best budget phone out there, in my opinion. But it has a Snapdragon 625, a 5.2” 1080p screen, and a camera that’s just halfway decent. While it adds a fingerprint sensor, it doesn’t have NFC, so it wouldn’t get me into Android Pay. The new G5S Plus steps up to a 5.5” 1080p screen and improved camera, but still no NFC.
The new Moto X4 has a nice premium build and dual cameras, but it has a mid-range Snapdragon 630 and is only a 5.2” screen.
The Z Play and the Z2 Play have Snapdragon 625 and 626 chips, respectively.
While the mid-level Snapdragon 65x and 66x chips are approaching the performance of the older 808/810, the 62x and 63x are still a noticeable step down.
The Moto Z and Z Force have a Snapdragon 820, 4 GB of RAM, and 5.5” screens. The Force adds a better camera, bigger battery, and Motorola’s infuriating ShatterShield built-in screen protector that gets scratched up way too easily. But I’d still consider a Z and make the tradeoff in screen size because of the higher specs, smaller size, and AMOLED screen. Except...
It comes in Verizon, and unlocked GSM/global versions. The Verizon version is SIM locked, and doesn’t even have enough LTE bands to work properly on T-Mobile, let alone outside the US. Which sucks.
The new Z2 Force comes in 3 different versions in the US: Verizon/US Cellular, AT&T/T-Mobile, and Sprint. The Verizon/US Cellular version does have enough LTE bands for T-Mobile and global use, but it’s SIM locked to Verizon and US Cellular. I use Total Wireless, a Verizon MVNO, so if I bought this version, I wouldn’t be able to get Verizon or US Cellular to SIM unlock it unless I switch to their service. My only solution would be one of those third party SIM unlock code services of questionable legality.
Aside from this problem, the Z2 Force combines the small battery of the original Z with the ShatterShield of the Z Force, which to me, is the worst of both. And it’s friggin $720. Carriers and Best Buy have started discounting it down to the $500 range but that’s all tied to signing up for new service, and I’d want to use it on my existing Total Wireless service.
Where to go from here?
I tried and failed to like an unlocked LG V20, which I got for $350. I returned it.
Now I have an unlocked Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge, which I got for $475 , and I’m probably going to keep it because it addresses most of the issues with the X Pure. It has a much better battery, it has an always-on display (but you can’t interact with it), it has a CDMA radio and even more LTE bands. The camera is a step up in low light but in good light the 12 megapixel resolution doesn’t allow for as much cropping. It’s very pretty to look at and smaller than the X Pure. It adds wireless charging, which might be kinda cool, although I never bothered to try it back when I had an LG G2 which also supported it. I was able to remove/replace most of the Samsung annoyances, but there are a couple that remain, namely there’s no auto-expire for Do Not Disturb, and for some unknown reason Samsung makes you swipe down multiple times on a lock screen notification to open the app, instead of just double tapping the damn thing like every other Android phone. And no stereo speakers. Boo hoo.
The obvious choice for someone like me who wants a nice clean Android experience is the Pixel, but without the microSD slot, I hesitate to pick the 32 GB version. My S7 Edge has 32 GB and after installing my apps there are 17 GB available, but I just got the thing, and apps keep growing over time. But unlike the Pixel, it has a microSD slot, so no worries. So far the best price on a new Pixel XL 128 GB was a Newegg flash sale for $650, which has now ended. Maybe when the Pixel XL 2 comes out, the price could drop to that level or a little lower, but probably not by much. I don’t think I’d be able to buy one for $475 anytime soon. I already got side eye from my wife for spending $475 on a phone. Sure we can afford it but she doesn’t have to like it.
So here I am with a fancy new (last year’s) flagship phone, and I should like it a lot, but there are some things I miss from my previous phone. Which is an interesting position to be in, since my last phone, after I got it, I was just in love with the thing. It was, indeed, a Very Good Phone™.
"Chariotoflove" (chariotoflove)
09/22/2017 at 15:43, STARS: 0
Sometimes my wife emails me grocery lists, and I keep looking at it while I shop. I need to figure out a good way to not have to keep unlocking my phone every time I need to check the list. I need to have it stay on the lock screen, for instance. I don’t want to disable the sleep and keep the screen on all the time in my pocket.
"Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein)
09/22/2017 at 15:50, STARS: 0
If you have an Android phone you can use Google Smart Lock to set the grocery store as a trusted location. If you go to the same grocery store. If you have a fingerprint sensor, just use that. Also, check out Our Groceries, it’s awesome.
"Mercedes Streeter" (smart)
09/22/2017 at 16:03, STARS: 0
Fantastic review!! You should do more of them! :)
For myself, I scored a nearly mint 64GB Rose Gold iPhone 6S last week for $200, then just a couple days later I stumbled into an iPhone 8 Plus that I’m picking up today. Whoops. lol
"Jason Spears" (shadestalker)
09/22/2017 at 16:39, STARS: 0
I’m in a very similar boat. I have an HTC One M8 that I converted to the Google Play Edition, and software-wise I have been very happy with it. BUT - it stopped getting monthly security updates last year, and even after a recent factory reset I have issues I can’t explain or remedy, such as sudden reboots and crushingly slow response times.
I need something to replace it that’s going to function well and not come with crapware and look-at-me UI flourishes. I just want a phone that works for me without continually trying to sell me on “What a smart buy you made! Zing, POW!” I’m considering the Moto Z Play, but that’s probably only 12 to 18 months from forced obsolescence through lack of updates.
"Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein)
09/22/2017 at 16:39, STARS: 0
Thanks! Being as I try to keep my phones for at least a couple years, there’s not much to review. I kinda did the V20 when I returned it, although that was only of the things I didn’t like . I suppose I could do the S7 Edge at some point.
"Spasoje" (Spasoje)
09/22/2017 at 16:43, STARS: 0
Agreed on all points! I’m not feeling motivated at all to replace mine, unless perhaps a Nokia flagship with the same-size screen comes out (which is actually likely).
"404 - User No Longer Available" (toni-cipriani)
09/22/2017 at 16:47, STARS: 0
Check out the Moto X4 Android One coming soon.
"KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs" (kusabisensei)
09/22/2017 at 16:54, STARS: 1
I’m still rocking a 2014 version of the Moto X Pure (XT1095). It has issues with BT in general, but about the only thing that would even begin to be a replacement phone will likely be a Pixel.
But now that means waiting for the Pixel 2. Damnit.
"Chariotoflove" (chariotoflove)
09/22/2017 at 16:58, STARS: 0
I’m on an iPhone. I have a finger print sensor, but I don’t want to keep waking the phone up and logging on with it just to glance at the list. Yeah, I know, it’s lazy.
"Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein)
09/22/2017 at 17:01, STARS: 0
Android One vs. the already clean Moto Android doesn’t make it more appealing to me. I want a bigger screen than 5.2” and faster processor than the Snapdragon 630.
"Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein)
09/22/2017 at 17:04, STARS: 1
Check out the Moto X4. It wasn’t appealing to me because of the smaller size and mid-range CPU but to replace a One M8 it could do the trick. It will come in regular Moto and Android One editions, the latter of which you might like re: software updates.
"Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein)
09/22/2017 at 17:04, STARS: 0
If you’re not hung up on the big screen like me and are ok with a midrange SoC, Moto X4 is probably your best bet. It wasn’t for me, but it could work for many people.
"DipodomysDeserti" (dipodomysdeserti)
09/22/2017 at 17:13, STARS: 1
Tell me more about these above average, not at all baby sized, hands of yours.
(My Purim costume from a year ago)
"404 - User No Longer Available" (toni-cipriani)
09/22/2017 at 17:23, STARS: 0
With Moto Android you’re stuck with updates. Android One gets Nexus-like updates.
"syaieya" (syaieya)
09/22/2017 at 17:47, STARS: 0
Im havin the hardest time replacing my xperia z3 compact. The camera is pretty excellent, the size is perfect, and the software hasnt hiccuped.
But the build quality isn perfect and no one sells a cheaper phone that will do a good follow up without feeling like a step back
"Mandy Mac" (mandiamac)
09/22/2017 at 18:02, STARS: 0
I know exactly how you feel. I’ve had the Motorola Droid Turbo first edition with the Kevlar body since the week it was released. It’s hardly had an issue, except the OS won’t update. I’m still back at 4.4.4 version of KitKat. Yet, it still runs perfect. It used to remind me to update every single day, more than once, for over a year! It simply would not. Recently that reminder feature has disappeared. I drop it 3-4 times per week and am never afraid when I pick it up that I’ve busted it; even on concrete. It has slowed a bit more than usual in the last month or so. It often runs out of battery before I’m ready to recharge. It also gets hot but never overheats. I’ve only seen the overheat warning a time or two. It’s an oldie, but a goody. I was compelled to buy this phone when it came out. I even switched carriers to get it. I’ve not had that feeling about any new phone since. I’ve browsed, and shopped, held them and played with other friends phones but never found any I would consider a reasonable replacement. Is it perhaps because Motorola isn’t making quality phones anymore? Or are we just such snobs we can’t imagine anything better than what we already have?
"Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein)
09/22/2017 at 20:33, STARS: 0
I understand the difference, and Android One is a good thing. But it’s not enough to make me want the X4.
"Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein)
09/22/2017 at 20:39, STARS: 0
The new Sony XZ1 Compact would be the logical replacement. Unfortunately Sony doesn’t put fingerprint sensors on any of their phones in the US, like there’s some kind of patent issue or something for them.
"Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein)
09/22/2017 at 20:43, STARS: 0
Motorola still makes good phones. Their cheap phones are excellent within their segments. My wife has a G5 Plus and it’s great for her.
The problem is once you get up to the Z line, they’re relying on carriers to push the phones and you get stupid locked down versions.
And that ShatterShield nonsense. I personally put a case on my phone and no screen protector. If someone wants a screen protector, they can get one. But to make the screen of the phone itself so overly scratch prone, when every other phone has Gorilla Glass that stays pristine for years as long as you don’t beat it to shit, is misguided to me.
"syaieya" (syaieya)
09/22/2017 at 22:15, STARS: 1
Honest, I don’t have the attraction to the fingerprint sensor like some. I don’t have children and i keep my phone relatively close.
The price of the new flagships though is enough to make me just have a rough time.
Even with the build quality issues of my z3, I am looking to a standard Xperia X, it’s only a tenth of an inch wider and that’s the important dimension
"Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein)
09/23/2017 at 11:40, STARS: 0
For me the fingerprint sensor only became important when the Outlook Android app came out.
Back in the day accessing work email was either thru some random email app connecting to the server at work, or the Outlook web access web page.
Outlook for Android has this thing where your IT administrators can require you enable certain security features on your phone to access your email thru the app. They can remotely disable the Outlook app’s access to the company’s servers, but not the rest of your phone.
So if the company has that sort of policy in place, when you add your work account to Outlook for Android, it prompts you to set up Outlook as a security administrator of the phone and then it says you need to have some kind of lock, whether it’s a PIN, fingerprint, whatever.
The thing is, while Outlook web access thru Chrome is ok, the Outlook app is a lot nicer.
With Google Smart Lock, you can set up trusted locations and Bluetooth devices where your phone stays unlocked even though the lock is still technically enabled and keeping Outlook happy. Like I have my house and my car’s Bluetooth set up to keep the phone unlocked. But for other locations, fingerprint is more convenient than PIN.
I used to be fine with leaving my phone with no lock on it, but once I started, I didn’t want to go back. You never know when you might misplace it. I remember a while back I was checking in at my gym, the guy at the desk had someone’s phone that had been lost. The phone was locked and displaying a message with contact info for the owner because the owner had gone on Find My Phone and saw it was at the gym. He put that message on it then called the gym. “Actually yeah we have the phone right here.” Perfect example of that feature working perfectly.
Technically, yes, even if he didn’t have a lock enabled he could’ve remotely locked it with Find My Phone, but if it’s unlocked, the phone can be accessed by whoever finds it until you realize you’ve lost the phone and go on Find My Phone to lock it.
Google Smart Lock is an awesome feature and I highly recommend it. Even without a fingerprint sensor, it makes having a PIN lock much more tolerable. That’s what I did on my X Pure and that went a long way towards holding me over until I got a new phone with a fingerprint sensor.
"KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs" (kusabisensei)
09/23/2017 at 12:33, STARS: 0
I’ve found that Android Auto lives to eat as many resources as the phone has available. Pixel 2 XL it likely is.
"Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein)
09/23/2017 at 16:17, STARS: 1
It annoys the hell out of me that Moto has shit the bed so much on their higher-end phones ever since the X Pure 2015. X4 is the best unlocked phone they’ve made since the X Pure 2015 but in many ways it’s a step down from the X Pure 2015.
I played with a Z2 Force at Best Buy a couple weeks ago, it was thin, light, nice to hold, great screen, etc. But it has a dinky battery, it’s SIM locked, and it had already collected a bunch of scratches on the goddamn ShatterShield. I know in-store demo phones lead a hard life of people messing with their software but it’s not like they’re running their keys across the screen. I could only imagine what it might look like after a year or two of regular use.
If they took the Z2 Force, gave it the battery of the original Z Force, ditched the ShatterShield, and made it universal carrier compatible, I would buy it. But that doesn’t exist. Oh well.
"dogisbadob" (dogisbadob)
09/27/2017 at 22:05, STARS: 0
I totally agree with you 1000% on this! I also have a Moto X Pure. I got it last fall, just before they discontinued it.
Besides the things you mentioned, I also liked the ability to order the X just the way you want it in terms of colors. I got a white phone and silver frame with a blue back and a red metal accent. Plus, it came with a free clear case protector thing that goes around the perimeter of the phone. Free shipping direct from the factory, which only took a couple days. I ordered it on a Monday night and got it on Friday.
At first I didn’t like the size, thought it was a bit too big, but now I love it!
And I hate the new locked phones. What makes it even funnier is that Verizon
claims to sell all their smartphones unlocked, with very few exceptions
.
Google should’ve just made a Motorola phone as their Pixel! They bought Motorola, then sold it, then released a Google phone, Talk about WTF! And the best part is that a post-Google Moto phone is the first non-Google phone to be approved for Project Fi!
"Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein)
09/27/2017 at 23:13, STARS: 2
I didn’t do Moto Maker, I just bought the basic black one. But yeah that was kinda cool I suppose.
From what I’ve read about Google buying then selling Motorola, they weren’t selling enough phones, and there was too much overhead with the different manufacturing facilities that Motorola still owned. So it was losing too much money for the amount of phones they were selling
Unlike say Apple where they don’t own any manufacturing, even though they design their own chips and such now, they don’t make anything. Actually Samsung manufactures a lot of the components and the assembly is done by Foxconn and other contract manufacturers.
I know Lenovo laid off a lot of people from Motorola after buying it but I’m not sure if they kept the manufacturing capacity or what. At one time, I can’t remember which generation of Moto X it was, but Motorola was touting that it was made in America. It was at a factory owned by Flextronics, not Motorola, but still. Lenovo of course quickly did away with that.
The biggest casualty of the Lenovo layoffs has been software updates. Motorola still does a great job of leaving Android mostly intact and only adding a few mostly useful nifty little things like Moto Display. But they’re kinda crap at updates now. Like they got as far as soak testing the Nougat update for the X Pure with a select few users and then abandoned it. Several other more-recent Moto phones have also been getting slow or no updates.
Google now wants to be in the hardware game in a big way so the did that HTC deal where they hired roughly 2,000 engineering people to design the phones, but all of the manufacturing is going to remain outside Google. No overhead, just contract the manufacturing out to either HTC’s own factories, or some other manufacturer.
Meanwhile, the Moto lineup above the G series is a mess.
The X4 looks very nice, except I prefer a bigger screen, and for a $400 phone it should have a more powerful CPU than a Snapdragon 630. That’s fine in a $200-300 phone but a $400+ phone needs to have at least a 65x or 66x.
The Z Play & Z2 Play have bigass batteries, but they’re also $400+ phones with underpowered Snapdragon 625 & 626 chips. Plus the unlocked versions are GSM-only.
The X Pure 16 GB was $400 and its Snapdragon 808 was the 2nd best Qualcomm chip at the time. The 652 gets close to its performance and the 660 may well be a little better. At least have a chip that’s as powerful as your $400 phone from a couple years ago.
The Z, Z Force, and Z2 Force are also irritating. The first two came in either GSM unlocked or Verizon SIM-locked versions. The Z2 Force comes in 3 different SIM-locked versions. Both Force versions have that stupid ShatterShield that collects scratches like crazy. If people want a screen protector they’ll add one, and probably a glass one that’s harder to scratch. Making a built-in, super soft plastic screen protector is stupid as hell. The only one without it is the regular Z which is nice and thin, but to do that it’s got a dinky battery and the camera sticks way out the back where only the beefiest of cases will protect it.
No wonder Motorola sells a shit ton of the G series and not nearly enough of the ones above it.
"Rate" (ratenxs)
10/22/2017 at 20:39, STARS: 1
I FEEL THIS SO BAD!
I just want a 5.7" screen with dual front speakers, a near-flagship processor, and the cool Moto features for under $500. Is that so much to ask? I’d seriously pay $500 if they would just re-release the same phone with maybe a slight spec bump and fix the Bluetooth/volume issues.
The market for cellphones right now SUCKS compared to what we got with the X Pure.
"Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein)
10/23/2017 at 12:43, STARS: 0
It feels like the $350-500 price range is the land of last year’s flagships.
OnePlus5 is close to what you described, but no CDMA compatibility, no replacement for Moto Display, and it’s been out of stock for several weeks now. Huawei Mate 9 is interesting although also same no CDMA compatibility or always on display.
The Essential PH-1 just dropped to $499. Also no Moto Display replacement but it’s otherwise flagship specs and clean Android. It comes close to ticking all my boxes, except for the always on display.
Honestly if it were that price when I bought my S7E, it would’ve been a tough choice between the two. Samsung does have lots of bloat but I actually find several of their tacked-on features useful. Shocking, I know. I have a feeling that given the choice of the two phones within $25 of each other, and without having lived with a Samsung, I could easily have gone with the Essential.
"That one guy" (papamalo1)
11/03/2017 at 17:24, STARS: 1
Man oh man do I understand you!
I am currently having a discussion in androidforums about this same subject. Looking at the brand new phones out this year, their user ratings are not that much better than my Motorola X Pure, (MXP) most of them have lesser cameras,the same 3000mAh battery, smaller screens, (Mostly longer and thinner) and only bump up the RAM by 1 or 2 GB.
I decided to remain faithful to my MXP until I can find another phone with similar performance and feel, and better specs.
MEANWHILE:
I had the port replaced as micro USB charger/data ports are cheap and easily found.
After that I decided to protect the charger port by buying a WSken magnetic charger cable, just softly connects to the charging port saving any further damage.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/222229579171
And finally like everyone else I know with this phone, we’re just hoping someone decides to create a worthy actual successor to the MXP, by bumping, the specs, via RAM, Maybe improve the Camera software, and make the screen a little bigger. THAT would be a phone I’d buy.
Thanks!
"Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein)
11/03/2017 at 17:36, STARS: 0
I thought about replacing the port but the reality is with my security requirements for work email I need that fingerprint sensor. I hated entering my PIN over and over again.
Now that the Essential PH-1 dropped to $499 it’s probably the closest successor. The camera has supposedly been improved with software updates. My one and only knock against it is it lacks a headphone jack and it doesn’t have any high quality bluetooth audio codec support like aptX.
I’ve been happy with my Galaxy S7 Edge, here’s my similarly OCD review of it.
OnePlus 5T and Huawei Mate 9 & 10 are interesting options in this price range if Verizon/Sprint compatibility isn’t needed.
"Shoop" (shoopdawoop993)
12/16/2017 at 08:15, STARS: 0
If it helps, I really like my moto z2 force. I really wanted a modular phone though. I went fool Koolaid on the motomods too.
"Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein)
12/16/2017 at 11:59, STARS: 0
I didn’t want the Z2 Force because:
1. ShatterShield collects scratches like crazy
2. Weak battery
3. No use for mods (except a damn battery)
4. Not universal, different versions for different carriers
"Shoop" (shoopdawoop993)
12/16/2017 at 12:53, STARS: 0
I have a tempered glass screen protector, works great. You have to get the right one. Though because the screen isn’t flat b/c plastic. But all the bubbles get worked out over an hour or so.
I get a work day out of it with no battery, I’ve got the tumi battery moto mod now goes for a day and a half
I use the speaker all the time, particularly when I work out at home.
I’m on Verizon.
It’s a little too thin without the battery on it.
"Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein)
12/16/2017 at 22:58, STARS: 0
I only buy universal unlocked phones.
"John" (cuervoman)
02/02/2018 at 01:19, STARS: 0
I can sure relate to this. My 32GB Bamboo MXP has “and still is” the best smart phone I’ve ever used. As I look to “upgrade” there is “nothing” that can give me that same features.....Dual front facing speakers, great feel and look, great screen. I’ve tried the Moto X4, LGV20, ZTE Axon 7, LG G6, and returned them all. Trying the HTC U 11 right now but it is a finger print magnet and the screen is dull compared to my good old MXP.
Please bring back this phone with a faster processor and finger print scan...
"Beamz" (beamz32)
02/22/2018 at 09:39, STARS: 0
Glad I found this Forum! Exactly why I ‘m with My Pure still! I was ready to replace and pay the price but the specs on the new phones are far inferior to my phone! I have a problem with battery though...Is it safe to get the same phone on eBay or just replace the battery... Where will I go? Thanks
"Pablo S" (pabl0s)
08/12/2018 at 12:28, STARS: 0
I too rocked the MXPE for as long as I could. At one point, I even had two. I tried replacing it with the Nexus 6P,but the lack of Mot o Display & Actions was a deal breaker. I would up with a Moto Z2 Play. The unlocked for US version. It's a great phone. The battery lasts WAY longer than the MXPE and it does not heat up and it much thinner.
"trx0x" (trx0x)
09/15/2018 at 23:42, STARS: 1
I have a Moto X Pure Edition, customized using Moto Maker. My battery has consistently been giving me about half an hour of on time . And I couldn’t think of any other phone I would want that’s currently available. So a couple weeks ago, I bought a new battery, and went to the arduous task of changing it out. And everything was going great…until I ended up breaking the connector on the flashlight flex cable, which the power/volume buttons flex cable connects to. Ebay and Amazon had the part, but it would take a week in order to get the part shipped. Problem though: I was flying out on a trip in a few days. I needed to have a working phone . I ordered the parts, but then I also looked on Amazon for a newish/more recent phone , not too expensive, but something more powerful than my 3 year old Moto X, that I could get shipped Prime so I would have it before I flew out. I was open to anything that was reasonably priced. I was probably going to end up returning/selling it once I got my X fixed.
I found an open box buy Essential PH-1 for $280. I’ve heard some mixed things about it, but I liked the design, especially when it came to material choice (titanium with a ceramic back). I thought I just wouldn’t like using this, because I love using my Moto X. I love Moto actions, notifications, the speakers, etc. All the stuff you mentioned. The only thing that I’ve never really liked was the size (I wish the Pure was the size of the first Moto X); I could never really fit it in a pocket.
It’s been a couple weeks, I got the Moto X flex cables in…but I just haven’t gotten around to finishing the repair. This Essential phone is good. It feels good in the hand. It fits in my pocket nicely. It’s durable. And it’s FAST. Much faster than my X running Nougat. Yeah, it had a bum battery which limited it. But even in it’s prime, it can’t touch this Essential running Android Pie. AND the day I got the phone, I saw Google updated Android Pie, and Essential pushed out that update the same day. One of the reasons I got the Moto X is because of the Google connection, and I thought I would get timely Android updates. We all know what happened there.
I know this is an old post, but I just had to comment. I thought there was no other phone out there for me than the Moto X. But I like this Essential. The only things that I miss from the Moto X are the Moto Actions/notifications, the SD card slot (although I’m finding 128gb to be plenty of storage), and the fact that my Moto X was my Moto X. I made it the way I wanted it.
"Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein)
09/16/2018 at 00:30, STARS: 1
I bought an Essential when they were down to $224 haha.
"trx0x" (trx0x)
09/16/2018 at 16:35, STARS: 0
Hahaha, great minds think alike! :D
"Son of T'Chaka" (r3last)
10/09/2018 at 13:51, STARS: 0
I just found this article as well. I’m not interested in the Pixel due to price and a lack of a headphone jack. I’m still of the mind that I shouldn’t have to keep multiple pairs of BT heaphones charged in case one dies during my workout and the spotty performance of the usb-c dongle to 3.5 adapter isn’t worth it. I know I’m an old man yelling at clouds while I hold on to what they’re slowly phasing out just because they can not because anyone wanted it, but still.
I dislike the Moto z line for similar reasons, a friend had the z2 and having no jack, and needing a mod for music that the MXPE does fine enough with it’s own stereo speakers seemed a step back.
My MXPE is finally having issues and since moto won’t bring their android one phone to the US I’m waiting
to see if LG’s V7 one may fit my need.
"Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein)
10/09/2018 at 14:30, STARS: 0
I replaced my X Pure with a Galaxy S7 Edge that I never warmed up to. I then replaced that with an Essential PH-1 when they went on sale for $224 at Amazon. No, it doesn’t have stereo speakers or a headphone jack, but neither of those things are super important to me and I’m much happier with the PH-1 than the S7E.
"BeetleJes" (beetlejes)
10/26/2018 at 18:05, STARS: 0
I loved my Moto X Pure, a lot. I didn’t even want a new phone, but, the battery began to crap out, so, I had no other choice. I searched here and there, for a while, then towards the end, I searched daily. I attempted the Moto G6 Plus, seeing as how the basic G6 was garbage. I liked the G6 Plus, enough to not cry myself to sleep over my X Pure, BUT, I was only able to get 2G coverage at my house, so, I had to return it. After seeing one million people saying how they got the essential phone for around $200, I was not at all happy to purchase it for $339, but, I needed a damn phone. I’m not happy with the camera, I’m not happy to be losing the dual front firing speakers, the notch is annoying to me because I only take maybe 1 selfie a year, and it cuts into the actual usable screen space, I’m not happy with the sensor being on the back, so, I disabled it. After only having it for a few days without a case, and being hella cautious with it, like, overly cautious, I somehow ended up with tiny scratches near the fingerprint sensor, so, I still see them even with a case on (d on’t get me started on the case options, lol). Ugh . After coming from the X Pure, that didn’t even need a case, and was not a finger print magnet, the tiny scratches are just salt in the wound for me. Most times when you get a new phone, if you go back to holding your old phone, you’re like, how did I ever think this was a nice phone? With my Moto X Pure, that’s not the case . I keep it plugged in near my couch, I still use it, and I still enjoy it. Sigh. I have about a week left to decide if I’ll return the essential phone to Amazon or not. I have a feeling that as soon as I miss the return window, Motorola-Lenovo will release something that I actually want. I still find myself waving my hand over the essential phone, to check the time, and then I remember the good ol days with my X, and I can't help but hang my head down.
"Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein)
10/26/2018 at 19:55, STARS: 0
I’m rocking an Essential PH-1 that I snagged when Amazon dropped the price to $224. It's a worthy successor, although I'd rather have a headphone jack.
"jafi12" (jafi12)
11/01/2018 at 14:12, STARS: 0
H ere I am contemplating a MXPE replacement because of the dreaded charging port problem. I looked at replacing the usb port - and a new battery - but I could spend the money and no guarantee’s the repair would last (I am not good at micro soldering and am concerned about the flex cables as well ). And so far every phone I’ve considered has been tried and discarded by other MXPE owners. I dug my older Moto X out and have been playing with it - but it’s not quite as good as the Pure and the battery is showing it’s age. So maybe I go hunting an Essential bargain - Sigh.
"Screwlack" (brscrewlack)
12/04/2019 at 00:02, STARS: 0
After four years and two months with my Moto X Pure (purchased October 14, 2015) , I just bit the bullet and bought a new phone (Galaxy S10) on a cyber monday deal. The battery (replaced once) is not holding a charge and I’m a little nervous about not having gotten any security updates for two years. The transition this coming weekend will mark the end of an era.