Related
http://www.androidcentral.com/sprints-motorola-photon-4g-available-july-31-199-contract
I'm waiting on the SG2 but for all you Photon fans
Meh. I think it looks ugly and MOTOBLUR just makes it that much more undesirable.
CDKJudoka said:
Meh. I think it looks ugly and MOTOBLUR just makes it that much more undesirable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The locked bootloader makes it undesirable.
They unlock that and we could possibly talk.
I'm not considering it but I do like it's angular design & the kickstand.
mattykinsx said:
The locked bootloader makes it undesirable
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah that was something I forgot to mention.
Motorola Android phones on Verizon test well in battery life on anandtech.com. Hopefully this will be the same for their Sprint phones.
I'm probably going to save my upgrade for the next Nexus phone.
Sent from my PG06100 using XDA App
Im a former DroidX and Droid 2 owner and as far as hardware, Moto does it right. Best battery life and radios of any other phones ive had. I think Moto will follow through and unlock bootloaders later this year. So ill be getting a Photon on launch day.
mikeyinid said:
Im a former DroidX and Droid 2 owner and as far as hardware, Moto does it right. Best battery life and radios of any other phones ive had. I think Moto will follow through and unlock bootloaders later this year. So ill be getting a Photon on launch day.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you going to make a Rom for it once the bootloader is unlocked? Thinking about getting this phone.
I had the NS4G and really liked your rom, but had to return the phone because of the dropped calls.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA Premium App
I heard they had no plans on opening / unlocking the Photon ... ?
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA Premium App
conqu1stador said:
I heard they had no plans on opening / unlocking the Photon ... ?
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA Premium App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Motorola pretty much said the same thing as HTC. They will be unlocking bootloaders later this year. But, Moto also said it will be up to the carrier. Im almost certain Sprint will go with unlocked...Not to mention the Atrix has been hacked and they now have unlocked bootloaders.
Yeah, I remember hearing Moto say as much but also remember seeing, 'somewhere', that the plans didn't include the Photon even though it was a 'future' device. If I remember where, I'd hunt it down. It might not have been official but I am certain it was a Moto statement. It was a while ago ... hope it isn't the case as I know some folks are pretty interested in the device.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA Premium App
mquinn24 said:
Are you going to make a Rom for it once the bootloader is unlocked? Thinking about getting this phone.
I had the NS4G and really liked your rom, but had to return the phone because of the dropped calls.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA Premium App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had to return mine too :/ But I will get another soon. I will probably do something on the Photon, probably very basic though, i.e. debloat and maybe change a few of the awful blur/gb images lol.
mikeyinid said:
I had to return mine too :/ But I will get another soon. I will probably do something on the Photon, probably very basic though, i.e. debloat and maybe change a few of the awful blur/gb images lol.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sweet, that's all I ask for
Props to the SGII (if does make it stateside) but I think people are going to be pleasantly surprised with the Photon.
Immediate pro's I see are:
- better signal (not a given but Moto's track record suggests it might be)
- dedicated camera button like the the 3D (I know you can shortcut it from the
home screen but it's note the same as a hardware button)
- kickstand since I don't use a case and love to pop it out for the kids to watch
movies while we're out to eat
- accessories (like the car dock) and provided HDMI cable
- higher resolution screen means more screenspace
- world phone for the possible yearly trip abroad
Likely con's:
- motoblur although having given up HTC Sense I've found I like stock android
better with my aged hero
- non AMOLED screen (SGII evidently rocks)
- initial locked bootloader
- older Tegra 2 when Tegra 3 is evidently due out later this year and is 5x faster
Anxious to see how it stacks up head to head in testing with the 3D since spec wise that things a beast.
Also doesn't have the newer 800MHz band that Sprint is migrating to.. other FCC passed phones starting with the EVO 3D have this. They're supposed to start the migration at the end of the year. It'll be a long process, but it should help with coverage down the road.
spaulding-grandmaster said:
Sweet, that's all I ask for
Props to the SGII (if does make it stateside) but I think people are going to be pleasantly surprised with the Photon.
Immediate pro's I see are:
- better signal (not a given but Moto's track record suggests it might be)
- dedicated camera button like the the 3D (I know you can shortcut it from the
home screen but it's note the same as a hardware button)
- kickstand since I don't use a case and love to pop it out for the kids to watch
movies while we're out to eat
- accessories (like the car dock) and provided HDMI cable
- higher resolution screen means more screenspace
- world phone for the possible yearly trip abroad
Likely con's:
- motoblur although having given up HTC Sense I've found I like stock android
better with my aged hero
- non AMOLED screen (SGII evidently rocks)
- initial locked bootloader
- older Tegra 2 when Tegra 3 is evidently due out later this year and is 5x faster
Anxious to see how it stacks up head to head in testing with the 3D since spec wise that things a beast.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Stock, the Photon should beat the 3D in all benchmarks, the Atrix does. And the screen is actually very nice on these new dual core Motos. Granted, its not samoled, but still nice none the less.
It's possible it won't, but this will likely have a Pentile display too, so it won't be quite as sharp as the EVO 3D's display.
I'm excited for the phone, but i don't want to wait for and upgrade, i guess ill just have to pony up the dough (im guessing around $600?) haha
The more I see about this phone the more I like it. Looks a lot like the EVO to me. More than the 3D does. The dock option is just wicked with the tablet like interface and USB ability. My phone is mostly for business so it has some better features for me. Would be nice to have a phone with better battery life without having to rely on extended battery.
I was going to wait for the SGS2 also but by the time it hits Sprint other devices will beat the pants off it as far as speed goes. Hear quad core processors are in the works for maybe even Q4 of this year.
Still on the fence about burning my upgrade.
jreuschl said:
Also doesn't have the newer 800MHz band that Sprint is migrating to.. other FCC passed phones starting with the EVO 3D have this. They're supposed to start the migration at the end of the year. It'll be a long process, but it should help with coverage down the road.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So what is the 800Mhz listed here?
Bands/Modes
WiMAX 2.5, WCDMA 850/1900/2100, CDMA 800/1900, GSM 850/900/1900, CDMA EV-DO Release A, EDGE Class 12, GPRS Class 12
taken from http://mediacenter.motorola.com/Fact-Sheets/Motorola-PHOTON-4G-Fact-Sheet-36f3.aspx
CCallahan said:
The more I see about this phone the more I like it. Looks a lot like the EVO to me. More than the 3D does. The dock option is just wicked with the tablet like interface and USB ability. My phone is mostly for business so it has some better features for me. Would be nice to have a phone with better battery life without having to rely on extended battery.
I was going to wait for the SGS2 also but by the time it hits Sprint other devices will beat the pants off it as far as speed goes. Hear quad core processors are in the works for maybe even Q4 of this year.
Still on the fence about burning my upgrade.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree. With quad cores possibly coming out late this year and the rumors of the Nexus Prime, really hate to get a Tegra 2 based phone. Then again, any technology buy is going to be dated the moment it's in your hands and thus as long as it does what I want it for which for me appears the Photon just might, it's probably better to get a phone sooner rather than later so that the upgrade timer becomes eligible again sooner
Just picked up my M earlier...
Tempted to try Motofail or Matt's utility, but don't want to screw anything up. Anybody with any advice?
Congratualtions on your purchase..
How is the audio quality on it? No one mentioned it anywhere. Is it good in the earphones? Can you post any first impressions/ detailed review?
Sorry for the off topic
It's pretty much exactly what I expected, so far anyway. Most of the reviews I've read on it so far have been pretty accurate. Solid build, good sound (haven't used any headphones yet, but the speaker sounds great), good signal/call quality, mediocre camera (good when well lit, but typical Moto when not well lit). Even though it has the same screen as the Razr/Maxx, the S4 and new gpu definitely make a difference in the feel and animations - very smooth and snappy. It was between this and the S3 for me. I have a Nexus 7, so I didn't feel a huge phone was necessary any more.
jntdroid said:
Just picked up my M earlier...
Tempted to try Motofail or Matt's utility, but don't want to screw anything up. Anybody with any advice?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are those root utilities? Been awhile since I owned a Motorola device.
-Sent from my TMOUS HTC One S.-
-Stock/rooted 2.21 + 1.06s baseband-
-Hboot 1.06-
Motofail was drjbliss's root utility for the Bionic.
Matt's Utility was mattlgroff's utility for the Razr / Razr Maxx. Did a lot more than just root... a LOT.
A word to the wise for those want to root and mod this phone and future Motorola devices.
All of the Motorolas since the Droid 3 have been rooted by one person, djrbliss and he has stated that he will not be doing this any longer.
If you want to be certain of the ability to root and modify your phone and flash custom software, you should purchase the developer edition.
cellzealot said:
A word to the wise for those want to root and mod this phone and future Motorola devices.
All of the Motorolas since the Droid 3 have been rooted by one person, djrbliss and he has stated that he will not be doing this any longer.
If you want to be certain of the ability to root and modify your phone and flash custom software, you should purchase the developer edition.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hopefully someone else then will find a way to root the M and Razr HD.
FAUguy said:
Hopefully someone else then will find a way to root the M and Razr HD.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed because this is an awesome phone that I hope does not slip through the cracks for whatever reason.
Sent from my XT907 using xda premium
alwaysbelieve1 said:
Agreed because this is an awesome phone that I hope does not slip through the cracks for whatever reason.
Sent from my XT907 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think the launch time could have been better. Everyone is focused on the iPhone launch now. I think for people that want an android phone on Verizon, most people will still go with the Galaxy S3. Larger phones have been the trend for the past few years. It's nice to see a high performance device like RAZR M available for people who want something in smaller form factor.
It would be great to see this community on XDA grow and I think it will in time. Hopefully root comes at some point too. The phone is brand new. Not everyone is willing to be an early adopter unless they're buying from Apple or Samsung.
thephased said:
I think the launch time could have been better. Everyone is focused on the iPhone launch now. I think for people that want an android phone on Verizon, most people will still go with the Galaxy S3. Larger phones have been the trend for the past few years. It's nice to see a high performance device like RAZR M available for people who want something in smaller form factor..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd venture to guess that VZW will sell a crapload of these Razr Ms. People will walk into a Verizon store, play with the phone, find out how fast it is, are blown away by the price, and tell the guy or gal to wrap it up. Hotcakes, I tell you.
Not_A_Dev said:
I'd venture to guess that VZW will sell a crapload of these Razr Ms. People will walk into a Verizon store, play with the phone, find out how fast it is, are blown away by the price, and tell the guy or gal to wrap it up. Hotcakes, I tell you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The problem lies with what was previously stated. Most people are trending to bigger devices/screens (I don't know why personaly, but I also don't see how people think the Nokia smartphones are "sexy" either...guess I am out of touch). I laugh at a co-worker daily about his Note. It looks like he is smuggling a clipboard in his pocket and when he makes a call, it reminds me of movies from the mid 80's and the massive cells from that era. The GS3 even makes the M look like a dwarf. I wouldn't want to go back to a 3.5" screen, but a 4.8"-5.5" screen on a phone is rediculous IMO. To each his own, but I don't think the M will blow up the sales charts as basicaly a mid-range spec'd, non-HD, niche market phone. On that note, I love my M, lol.
ExNukeSquid said:
The problem lies with what was previously stated. Most people are trending to bigger devices/screens (I don't know why personaly, but I also don't see how people think the Nokia smartphones are "sexy" either...guess I am out of touch). I laugh at a co-worker daily about his Note. It looks like he is smuggling a clipboard in his pocket and when he makes a call, it reminds me of movies from the mid 80's and the massive cells from that era. The GS3 even makes the M look like a dwarf. I wouldn't want to go back to a 3.5" screen, but a 4.8"-5.5" screen on a phone is rediculous IMO. To each his own, but I don't think the M will blow up the sales charts as basicaly a mid-range spec'd, non-HD, niche market phone. On that note, I love my M, lol.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But you also have to consider that before the M, there weren't really any good small Android phones. Manufacturers are convinced that bigger is better, so they keep putting the good specs in giant phones. Motorola has finally tapped the market that existed all along...people who want small phones that perform just as well as the Roid Rage phones. It's quite possible that a lot of people picked up bigger phones because they had no other option, other than the iPhone.
Additionally, his phone hasn't even been available in stores for 2 days, and it's already dropped to $50 on Amazon. At this rate, it will be free by Christmas, and people always love free. As long as Verizon doesn't stuff it in a corner underneath some cobwebs, I see this phone flying off the shelves.
freak4dell said:
But you also have to consider that before the M, there weren't really any good small Android phones. Manufacturers are convinced that bigger is better, so they keep putting the good specs in giant phones. Motorola has finally tapped the market that existed all along...people who want small phones that perform just as well as the Roid Rage phones. It's quite possible that a lot of people picked up bigger phones because they had no other option, other than the iPhone.
Additionally, his phone hasn't even been available in stores for 2 days, and it's already dropped to $50 on Amazon. At this rate, it will be free by Christmas, and people always love free. As long as Verizon doesn't stuff it in a corner underneath some cobwebs, I see this phone flying off the shelves.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree that there is an untapped market of people who want high end specs in a small package. I'll be curious to see just how big that market is.
-Sent from my TMOUS HTC One S.-
-Stock/rooted 2.21 + 1.06s baseband-
-Hboot 1.06-
Count me in as one that wanted good specs in a smaller phone. I've been sitting on an upgrade for my Incredible since the beginning of the year. The trend towards huge phones really had me disheartened. If I didn't see the Razr M, I probably would've gotten a iPhone 4s.
My Razr M arrives Monday. Can't wait.
I have a Galaxy S3 but I wanted to share a tip for anyone looking to unlock the bootloader....Samsung was supposed to release a Developer Edition Galaxy S3, but they never did....When the bootloader still hadnt been unlock they were saying it was completely possible to take the unlocked bootloader from the developer edition(if it had existed) and port it to the Locked S3...so if someone does happen to buy the Developer edition, they should look into helping out the rest of the Razr M community
schwartzman93 said:
I have a Galaxy S3 but I wanted to share a tip for anyone looking to unlock the bootloader....Samsung was supposed to release a Developer Edition Galaxy S3, but they never did....When the bootloader still hadnt been unlock they were saying it was completely possible to take the unlocked bootloader from the developer edition(if it had existed) and port it to the Locked S3...so if someone does happen to buy the Developer edition, they should look into helping out the rest of the Razr M community
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That would be nice, and if something like that existed, we wouldn't have to use the Motorola tool, so they wouldn't know that we unlocked it. We might just be able to go back to the locked one before sending the phone in for service.
Herbbowlman said:
Count me in as one that wanted good specs in a smaller phone. I've been sitting on an upgrade for my Incredible since the beginning of the year. The trend towards huge phones really had me disheartened. If I didn't see the Razr M, I probably would've gotten a iPhone 4s.
My Razr M arrives Monday. Can't wait.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed and I was actually going to be doing the exact same thing, but was quite disheartened because I didn't want to be giving up android.
So glad that didn't happen!
Sent from my XT907 using xda premium
Well, i am not a developer, but I bought a RAZR M off eBay and apparently its a developer phone... don't know if I could be any help, but I might be willing to give it a try if no one else steps up...
Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk 2
richard_rsp said:
Well, i am not a developer, but I bought a RAZR M off eBay and apparently its a developer phone... don't know if I could be any help, but I might be willing to give it a try if no one else steps up...
Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you unlocked it yet? Please PM me if you need help
richard_rsp said:
Well, i am not a developer, but I bought a RAZR M off eBay and apparently its a developer phone... don't know if I could be any help, but I might be willing to give it a try if no one else steps up...
Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
mattlgroff said:
Have you unlocked it yet? Please PM me if you need help
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just make sure your Android SDK tools are updated to 4.1 and that your your device drivers are up to date. Also helps to plug the phone in, after the moto software is installed, while it's in debugging mode once. It will install some diff drivers for that mode. you should have no problem unlocking.
To get the phone ready to get the code, just power it down. Hold both volume +/- keys down and then the power button. Use the down volume key to select AP Fastboot. Then volume up, once, to select it. Now, connect the usb connector and go to c:\Android-sdk-Windows\tools in a cmd console. Type what the site advises and go from there (- the $'s).
https://motorola-global-portal.custhelp.com/app/standalone/bootloader/unlock-your-device-b
---------- Post added at 03:08 AM ---------- Previous post was at 02:54 AM ----------
And, I have to add... Those who use the Atrix HD as an example that this thing will be hard pressed to be rooted...we will have unlocked bootloaders out there. That means someone can find an exploit to at least get us root. Unlocking the bootloader is probably not going to happen. It's hardware locked. I would love a root exploit, though.
A little background first. VZW is my only option due to my line being a corporate line. Roughly a year and a half ago, I got fed up with the crappy phone choices (only blackberry at the time), so I just started buying my own and calling the 3rd party service that runs our wireless operations and telling them "I just got a new phone, could you please do an ESN swap?". That has always worked. Recently, the phone choices have gotten much better and include a variety of BB, Android and iOS devices now. Over the last few years I've gone from DINC (personal device I had since it first came out) to blackberry to DINC2 to iPhone4 to currently the Razr M. Now with SIM cards it's super easy for me to use whatever device I prefer.
Here's my current "dilemma". I have a retail Razr M (which I picked up shortly after release). Definitely loving this phone and couldn't be more happy to be back on Android after a brief hiatus to iOS. Had to give it try. Big believer in "you can't bash something without trying it". But damn iOS gets boring fast. Ha! I was excited about the M due to it's smaller footprint AND high end internals. The only thing I don't like is the locked bootloader. I was quite the crack flasher with my DINC and DINC2. The locked bootloader has led me to have interest in the S3. But I've always had an aversion to large screen phones. I like to be able operate my phone one handed. So now I have a brand new S3 sitting on my desk and I'm unsure what to do with it. I'm really enjoying my M and Jelly Bean is (almost officially) here. But I'm very interested in some CM10 or AOKP. I definitely prefer the AOSP stuff.
So the question is, do I continue my "don't bash it without trying it" theory and move over to the S3 for some AOSP love??? Or stick with the M and live with whatever fate that lies ahead?? I can only keep one. Will sell the other.
(sorry for the novel)
hokieputter said:
A little background first. VZW is my only option due to my line being a corporate line. Roughly a year and a half ago, I got fed up with the crappy phone choices (only blackberry at the time), so I just started buying my own and calling the 3rd party service that runs our wireless operations and telling them "I just got a new phone, could you please do an ESN swap?". That has always worked. Recently, the phone choices have gotten much better and include a variety of BB, Android and iOS devices now. Over the last few years I've gone from DINC (personal device I had since it first came out) to blackberry to DINC2 to iPhone4 to currently the Razr M. Now with SIM cards it's super easy for me to use whatever device I prefer.
Here's my current "dilemma". I have a retail Razr M (which I picked up shortly after release). Definitely loving this phone and couldn't be more happy to be back on Android after a brief hiatus to iOS. Had to give it try. Big believer in "you can't bash something without trying it". But damn iOS gets boring fast. Ha! I was excited about the M due to it's smaller footprint AND high end internals. The only thing I don't like is the locked bootloader. I was quite the crack flasher with my DINC and DINC2. The locked bootloader has led me to have interest in the S3. But I've always had an aversion to large screen phones. I like to be able operate my phone one handed. So now I have a brand new S3 sitting on my desk and I'm unsure what to do with it. I'm really enjoying my M and Jelly Bean is (almost officially) here. But I'm very interested in some CM10 or AOKP. I definitely prefer the AOSP stuff.
So the question is, do I continue my "don't bash it without trying it" theory and move over to the S3 for some AOSP love??? Or stick with the M and live with whatever fate that lies ahead?? I can only keep one. Will sell the other.
(sorry for the novel)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd say stick with the phone you like better. Yesterday I was analyzing what I'm missing without root (I'm on team EOS 3.0 on my Xoom) and I couldn't really come up with much. One of the biggest pluses: WiFi tethering, now can be done with any app on verizon because of that lawsuit. Other than that, TiBu is a loss, and maybe some OCing and performance but I mean I loaded up the phone and its still buttery smooth with good battery. Definitely the interface modding and some fun bells and whistles are missing without custom rom but it doesn't really add up to much.
The s3 is gigantic and more expensive. I'm happy with my choice.
Sent from my Xoom using xda app-developers app
Unfortunately, the two phones you've chosen represent opposite ends of the "experience spectrum" - so personal preference is going to play a big part. The only real thing the S3 has over the M that's not subjective is a better camera, and 2gb of ram vs. 1. The rest will depend on your preferences. Yes, the S3 will have more dev support. But the M won't be without it, either - root should be closer, though not guaranteed, based on a comment by P3 last night - but obviously rooting and romming are not always correlated.
Dyelon said:
I'd say stick with the phone you like better. Yesterday I was analyzing what I'm missing without root (I'm on team EOS 3.0 on my Xoom) and I couldn't really come up with much. One of the biggest pluses: WiFi tethering, now can be done with any app on verizon because of that lawsuit. Other than that, TiBu is a loss, and maybe some OCing and performance but I mean I loaded up the phone and its still buttery smooth with good battery. Definitely the interface modding and some fun bells and whistles are missing without custom rom but it doesn't really add up to much.
The s3 is gigantic and more expensive. I'm happy with my choice.
Sent from my Xoom using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree the S3 is gigantic. I also was trying to come up with things I miss by not having root and couldn't really come up with much that seemed overly important. All were smaller bells and whistles type things. Blur on this phone is very minimal, which I like and is a big plus (for me). I'm really enjoying the M. And love the size. I too am having a smooth experience with pretty solid battery life. No issues whatsoever thus far. Best bet is to probably stick with the M. I got a good deal on the S3 and should have no trouble getting back what I paid, maybe more.
Plus, I've been wanting a Nexus 7...
jntdroid said:
Unfortunately, the two phones you've chosen represent opposite ends of the "experience spectrum" - so personal preference is going to play a big part. The only real thing the S3 has over the M that's not subjective is a better camera, and 2gb of ram vs. 1. The rest will depend on your preferences. Yes, the S3 will have more dev support. But the M won't be without it, either - root should be closer, though not guaranteed, based on a comment by P3 last night - but obviously rooting and romming are not always correlated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, they are definitely very different experiences. My preference has always been for smaller, easily pocketable phones. Which exactly describes the M. I don't need/want a tablet in my pocket.
I agree about the camera, but overall the M hasn't really let me down. Sure it would be nice to have a better camera, but it's not a deal breaker for me. You just have to know the limitations that you're working with. And the extra ram would be nice too. But not sure either are worth giving up the form factor that I prefer.
And I have been following the dev support of the M closely as well. I saw the comments by P3 and his team. They are very promising. And definitely helping to influence my ultimate decision. Honestly, I don't really need (or want) to be able to flash billions of roms. Just looking for a (close to) stock experience that is snappy, fully functional and bug free. Which is what I've got right now with the M. Still running the stock ICS, have not updated to the JB leak.
(I think I'm confirming my gut feelings / answering my own questions as this thread moves along... Thanks for the dialogue)
The simplest choice would seem to be ordering a Developer Edition RAZR M. If you really like the M but want the ability to fiddle, that's your route. There are already recovery and root images available for it and I think the devs will be supporting it for a while especially since the RAZR HD and HD MAXX are also running the same internals.
As for the SGSIII - Verizon is the only carrier that doesn't sell it with an unlocked bootloader so technically you'd need to buy the developer edition of that to get what you want anyway.
Neither the RAZR M nor the SGSIII Dev Editions are available via Verizon subsidized contracts.
Personally I think Sammy missed the boat. If the SGSIII Mini did what the RAZR did (same internals with smaller screen) they might have won me over, but they really skimped on the thing. What a shame.
Just my $.02.
I'm a runner and a cyclist, so the smaller the better which is why I loved my Atrix 4G (which is now running JB). The RAZR M is a narrower phone with a bigger screen. It's great to simply stow and go.
Well, now that the M has root, I think your decision is a lot easier. I would say that seeing CM9 and/or 10 is a likely bet. However, the problem now is that anything after that may not run optimally, since the bootloader is still locked and we won't be able to run a kernel optimized for the newest version. That's the problem with my Pro. Somebody ported CM9 and an AOKP ICS ROM for it, and while it does run, it's not as good as it could be. We're still stuck on the Gingerbread kernel.
freak4dell said:
Well, now that the M has root, I think your decision is a lot easier. I would say that seeing CM9 and/or 10 is a likely bet. However, the problem now is that anything after that may not run optimally, since the bootloader is still locked and we won't be able to run a kernel optimized for the newest version. That's the problem with my Pro. Somebody ported CM9 and an AOKP ICS ROM for it, and while it does run, it's not as good as it could be. We're still stuck on the Gingerbread kernel.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm really hoping we can bust the M open over the next year or so =/
Sent from my XT907 using xda app-developers app
mk1151 said:
The simplest choice would seem to be ordering a Developer Edition RAZR M. If you really like the M but want the ability to fiddle, that's your route. There are already recovery and root images available for it and I think the devs will be supporting it for a while especially since the RAZR HD and HD MAXX are also running the same internals.
As for the SGSIII - Verizon is the only carrier that doesn't sell it with an unlocked bootloader so technically you'd need to buy the developer edition of that to get what you want anyway.
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Click to collapse
Verizon's bootloader can be unlocked with a single app from the play store. Super easy. The development on the S3 phone has been amazing thus far - currently on Liquid Smooth. I'm also considering switching to a smaller phone however and the M seems to be the only phone that's small with power. Following rooting and modding very closely on this phone before making the switch as I have gotten used to all the aokp+CM10 mods in the many S3 roms I've flashed.
You make an excellent point about the Razr HD and HD Maxx, I hope that helps this phone in the mod scene.
aznguyen316 said:
Verizon's bootloader can be unlocked with a single app from the play store. Super easy.
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That's why I said "technically"
But I do agree it is easier on the SGSIII. Part of that is that HTC and Samsung have not taken the time to build system safeguards into their products the way Motorola has.
Browser vendors take pride in the headaches they cause to hackers trying to find vulnerabilities. Handset manufacturers, IMO, should be thinking the same way. With all the personal data on your phone, do you really want to be able to unlock it and obtain root from an app in the Play Store?
This is one of the reasons I like Motorola devices, despite the very limited flexibility.
mk1151 said:
The simplest choice would seem to be ordering a Developer Edition RAZR M. If you really like the M but want the ability to fiddle, that's your route. There are already recovery and root images available for it and I think the devs will be supporting it for a while especially since the RAZR HD and HD MAXX are also running the same internals.
As for the SGSIII - Verizon is the only carrier that doesn't sell it with an unlocked bootloader so technically you'd need to buy the developer edition of that to get what you want anyway.
Neither the RAZR M nor the SGSIII Dev Editions are available via Verizon subsidized contracts.
Personally I think Sammy missed the boat. If the SGSIII Mini did what the RAZR did (same internals with smaller screen) they might have won me over, but they really skimped on the thing. What a shame.
Just my $.02.
I'm a runner and a cyclist, so the smaller the better which is why I loved my Atrix 4G (which is now running JB). The RAZR M is a narrower phone with a bigger screen. It's great to simply stow and go.
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The M is my first ever Motorola device. It's also my first device running ICS or JB (there were a few of us on here that had issues running ICS on our DINC2s). Spent a little time messing around installing the JB leak and flashing back to stock just to get used to using the stock recovery, fastboot etc. With wifi tether now working on the stock ROM and the ability to disable bloatware in ICS/JB, combined with the very minimal Blur skin, I don't really see the need to root this device right away. Plus, you really can't do everything you'd want to do without an unlockable bootloader. So I agree, the Developer Edition is the way to go if you want to ultimately fiddle with things at some point down the road. May have to pick one up at some point.
Couldn't agree more on Sammy missing the boat. The SG3 Mini would have won me over too if they hadn't watered it down. Maybe we'll see a slightly improved device ending up on VZW? I presume it will eventually come to VZW. Does that SoC they're using even support LTE? Who knows. Maybe wishful thinking. I love the M anyway. But it's always nice to have more options to consider.
mk1151 said:
With all the personal data on your phone, do you really want to be able to unlock it and obtain root from an app in the Play Store?
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Good point. I don't..
I've definitely made my decision (which was realistically already made, just need to confirm). Let me know if you know anyone looking for a brand new blue SG3.
hokieputter said:
Good point. I don't..
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Well plenty of people have done it. Check the forums over there. There are other applications that can do it for u on your own pc if u wanted too. Just saying it's available now. Plus doesn't rooting your phone technically make it a little less secure anyway? That's what blizzards authenticator has lead me to believe Haha. But the point was a locked bootloader isn't end of the line.
VZW-S3 on CM10 via tapatalk
Hey guys, i think about buying me a new phone with a dual core, because i think that this is the minimum configuration of a smartphone today (At the moment i have an optimus black).
Can you still recommend the RAZR (and why) or would you prefer other lowpriced (older) smartphones like the Nexus oder the Galaxy S2.
Thanks
I have a Galaxy Nexus and my girlfriend just got the Razr HD Maxx (Major upgrade from her Droid 2), and it really depends on what you are into. The device is amazingly snappy (Even more than my fully rooted, ROM'd, custom kernel Galaxy Nexus), and the radios are much stronger than my Galaxy Nexus (A lot of times she will have 4G in buildings where I only have 1 or 2 bars of 3G). Also, the 3300 Mah battery is insane, it literally is a full day phone, usually she has 45% at the end of the day (She uses it a lot for pinterest, facebook, all that girly stuff). But, the main problem is that it does not have stock Android, and probably won't for a while. If that bothers you then go with the Galaxy Nexus otherwise this is definitely a great phone to have.
miketoasty said:
I have a Galaxy Nexus and my girlfriend just got the Razr HD Maxx (Major upgrade from her Droid 2), and it really depends on what you are into. The device is amazingly snappy (Even more than my fully rooted, ROM'd, custom kernel Galaxy Nexus), and the radios are much stronger than my Galaxy Nexus (A lot of times she will have 4G in buildings where I only have 1 or 2 bars of 3G). Also, the 3300 Mah battery is insane, it literally is a full day phone, usually she has 45% at the end of the day (She uses it a lot for pinterest, facebook, all that girly stuff). But, the main problem is that it does not have stock Android, and probably won't for a while. If that bothers you then go with the Galaxy Nexus otherwise this is definitely a great phone to have.
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Motorola is the only company that came out and said they wanted to be stock Android, but the carriers request the skins. That wins points in my books, and in all honesty it still looks closer to aosp than any other phone out there.
It all depends on what your looking for op. If you want great battery and build then this phone will be perfect. If you need the best camera or a removable battery, you might want to look elsewhere.
Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk 2
Looked at getting it for a while, but decided on the SGS3 since it had a great camera and a removable battery.
I'm in the same boat. I like the razr because its as close to stock android you can get without being a nexus phone. Build quality and battery also look great. The one thing I'm concerned about is all the restrictions moto puts on their phone and the bloatware I'll have to remove once I root it.
Sent from my HTC Droid Incredible using Tapatalk 2
Razr buying or not?
Razr is a good phone i have tried it out and it works really well
Thanks
Bought the HD dev and waiting for it to arrive. Can't beat moto build quality and radio. Root is already available so you can freeze all the bloat easily. Aside from waiting for the quad core phones to arrive I think this is right with (if not above) the sgIII.
Sent from my JB'd X2
I'm strongly considering the MAXX HD. the general reviews seem good, the guts seem fine... a few complaints about the software/bloatware, but that's why I come to XDA. If the MAXX HD will get a root/recovery/ROM situation that supports AOKP or CM10 or whatever... that's the key. The phone's preload would be immediately lobotomized upon delivery and I'd set up with a rooted ROM as I'm accustomed to!
So, I'll be intently watching all the threads in the Razr HD section (presumably which covers the new MAXX HD as well :silly: )
Glad this section of the forum is up and running. I will likely be switching from Sprint to Verizon soon and this phone is exactly what I want. I'm on the Sprint Galaxy S2 right now but really want to give a Moto phone a shot over a S3. I can't wait to read some more opinions in the next few weeks.
Just picked one up yesterday was kind of nervous being that I was coming from the fiasco that was Motorolas Droid 3 but I now have no regrets. Wifi is kinda choppy but not bad. They will probably fix it in the future
Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using xda app-developers app
Just ordered two from Simplexity online today. One HD - white for my wife and one Maxx HD for myself. They all got shipped out today and expect to arrive tomorrow afternoon. It is much better deal than local Verizon store and Costco. Cost me under $300 for two without tax. :laugh:
I cannot recommend the maxx enough. I'll take a huge sealed battery over a small removable battery any day. GS3 is nice hardware but I just can't get over the cheap feel and bloated UI of Samsung phones. A Ferrari engine in a Hyundai is still a Hyundai. I wanted the Ferrari design as well.
Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using xda app-developers app
Zodwraith said:
I cannot recommend the maxx enough. I'll take a huge sealed battery over a small removable battery any day. GS3 is nice hardware but I just can't get over the cheap feel and bloated UI of Samsung phones. A Ferrari engine in a Hyundai is still a Hyundai. I wanted the Ferrari design as well.
Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using xda app-developers app
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A Ferrari engine in a Hyundai would be one hell of a sleeper
Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk 2
orgalu said:
RAZR with a month, I feel very satisfied, after all, is not specifically Brush play, buy a mobile phone is bought with satisfaction like these mainstream flagship machine configuration is absolutely enough, which the machine's ROM will also gamewill have to see the landlord preferences.
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Um. What?
Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk 2
orgalu said:
RAZR with a month, I feel very satisfied, after all, is not specifically Brush play, buy a mobile phone is bought with satisfaction like these mainstream flagship machine configuration is absolutely enough, which the machine's ROM will also gamewill have to see the landlord preferences.
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I totally agree that I have no idea what you're talking about.
Sent from my Droid RAZR HD MAXX using the XDA Developer App
Paid $650 outright for my Maxx HD, I feel it was well spent. (Paid retail to keep my grandfathered unlimited data)
Coming from a Droid 2, the reception seems inferior, but it's hard to say at this point. Don't plan to return, but it will take another week or two to fully evaluate.
I've been away from my native north jersey at a conference in CA (4G everywhere, etc). Battery life is simply stunning, and responsiveness on ICS is amazing. Was running CM9 on my D2 and this is a huge step up. When you throw in the beautiful design, nice screen, and 4G capability, it's hard to find any reason not to buy this phone.
One thing I haven't seen mentioned anywhere (maybe it's fairly standard these days?): this phone has, or feels like it has, an LRA (linear resonant actuator) rather than your standard rotational vibrator. Haptic feedback feels excellent!
I'd strongly recommend this phone for anyone looking to buy or upgrade.
Zodwraith said:
I cannot recommend the maxx enough. I'll take a huge sealed battery over a small removable battery any day. GS3 is nice hardware but I just can't get over the cheap feel and bloated UI of Samsung phones. A Ferrari engine in a Hyundai is still a Hyundai. I wanted the Ferrari design as well.
Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using xda app-developers app
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I replaced my S3 with the RAZR Max HD..better quality build including better radios
Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using xda premium
Got my new Maxx HD. Love it! Activated!
I went and checked this out at Verizon today and was VERY surprised of how much I liked it!
The big knock for me was the 4.7 in screen making the phone way to big....My OG Razr Maxx w/ 4.3 in screen is about as big as I want to go...
However, when I compared it to my OG Razr....it was EXACTLY the same size and dimension....The difference was having LESS bezel and MORE screen! It's a good bit smaller the GS3
I did a quick speed test and got 24 MB/S vs 12 MB/s on my OG Razr.....I didnt think I would like the soft button interface but it actually was much different than expected and made navigating and using the phone MUCH easier....and ;ast but not least the whole interface with supper smooth!
Cant afford it atm....but jIm def getting one soon!!
Today I was offered an alternative replacement for my Samsung Galaxy S3 that I finally accepted, which ends up being the Razr HD. My S3 cannot make calls 50% of the time due to a NO SIM error message... and I really just wanted them to fix my phone, but after 1.5 months of making excuses why my phone doesn't work to friends, co-workers, bosses, it was time to move on. I do have a question for you all, does this device have NFC? The Motorola site does not list this as a feature of the phone, but other sites say it does. As a temp resolution Verizon sent me a Galaxy Nexus, which was nice of them. (although I have yet to see a real amazing upgrade over the touchwiz'd ICS on the S3) How are you guys enjoying the motoblur? Worth it to move to a new ROM, or stick with stock?
Thanks, in advance!
i have been eyeing the s3 for a while but have steered away from it due to build quality, and sheer size of the device.
i really like the smaller size of this phone, especially after seeing my girl with it for so long, and how convenient it has been for her. it seems to preform well even stock, as she is very timid towards rooting and romming.
my first question : would you guys suggest this phone?
i currently have a droid x2, and it has been interesting to say the least . i am looking for something dependable (which i know most motorola's are, even the dx2 was) as well as something that can perform. how is performance in your eyes?
one more thing, there is a successful method for unlocking the bootloader in the retail edition from what i have read..... is this the case? if so, do you guys see development for this device growing in the future? or does it seem to be dying down.?
thanks in advance, it seems like a pretty trusty little phone from what ive read.
Lorenzo VonMatterhorn said:
i have been eyeing the s3 for a while but have steered away from it due to build quality, and sheer size of the device.
i really like the smaller size of this phone, especially after seeing my girl with it for so long, and how convenient it has been for her. it seems to preform well even stock, as she is very timid towards rooting and romming.
my first question : would you guys suggest this phone?
i currently have a droid x2, and it has been interesting to say the least . i am looking for something dependable (which i know most motorola's are, even the dx2 was) as well as something that can perform. how is performance in your eyes?
one more thing, there is a successful method for unlocking the bootloader in the retail edition from what i have read..... is this the case? if so, do you guys see development for this device growing in the future? or does it seem to be dying down.?
thanks in advance, it seems like a pretty trusty little phone from what ive read.
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yes you can unlock the bootloader, and development has been growing on this phone sense the unlock. i like my m it preforms well and the battery life is great.
Definitely recommended. Best android phone I've had yet
Sent from my XT907 using xda premium
Agreed, the RAZR M ticks all my boxes. Has been an amazing phone love it.
Performance wise, its great. And there is a kernel to get it to 1998 MHz if you root. Development has just kept growing really as stated before.
ShadowRAZR said:
Agreed, the RAZR M ticks all my boxes. Has been an amazing phone love it.
Performance wise, its great. And there is a kernel to get it to 1998 MHz if you root. Development has just kept growing really as stated before.
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I still love the phone even if it were stock (which its not) and I ALWAYS long for an upgrade 6 months after getting a phone.I have NO desire to replace it. The size is perfect, build quality outstanding, battery life great, performance good, it has almost the latest OS which for an android phone that's not a nexus is about as good as it gets. The one reservation I had about it and all Motorola phones was the locked bootloader but with that cracked and AOSP CM10.1 (4.2.2) I'm in love!. I just bought my wife a Titanium (Best Buy only) M in like new (no evidence of use) condition with case and sd card off eBay for $250 and honestly I want hers too lol. Got mine in the same condition in white off of eBay as well but for $350 which then was a great price for a like new M.
The one drawback is the smallish partion for apps on the internal SD card and as far as I can tell no easy or reliable apps to SD (I did it with one app which one day borked, wiped and destroyed my micro sd). This kind of kills this phone if your a mega gamer (mulitple games with 500+mb data will quickly wipe out internal space).
there is a bootloader unlock on this now. which makes it even more exciting, and maybe will produce that much more development.
i think it is an all around great phone from all of the research ive done. i just want to make sure the same X2 experience doesnt happen again. lol
another HUGE thing is that this phone is not huge. just when you thought phones would turn into tablets, the razr M comes along. hopefully it starts a trend in making them small again.
thanks for all the responses guys, i will be joioning the ranks in about two weeks. :good:
Lorenzo VonMatterhorn said:
there is a bootloader unlock on this now. which makes it even more exciting, and maybe will produce that much more development.
i think it is an all around great phone from all of the research ive done. i just want to make sure the same X2 experience doesnt happen again. lol
another HUGE thing is that this phone is not huge. just when you thought phones would turn into tablets, the razr M comes along. hopefully it starts a trend in making them small again.
thanks for all the responses guys, i will be joioning the ranks in about two weeks. :good:
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keep in mind that most development is CDMA (VZW) based, but there are "fixes" to make them work on GSM carriers.
jco23 said:
keep in mind that most development is CDMA (VZW) based, but there are "fixes" to make them work on GSM carriers.
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yeah i am vzw. as much as it pains me to say it.
Definitely recommend the M. The battery life for me has been great. I do keep bluetooth and GPS off all the time, but my wife keeps both on and her phone will still go a couple days without charge. i used mine throughout the day, and as well as as a hotspot while storm chasing and it will easily go the whole day for me.
Selectel Wireless
Anyone using this phone on PagePlus, Straight Talk, or Selectel Wireless? I am thinking of ditching my S3 and USCC. Nothing but problems with reception.
This is a midrange device. I cannot recommend it. The only reason I got this is because my nexus shattered when I dropped it. I hate the keyboards lag on this phone, and pretty much lag all around. But I like that it is splashproof...
Other than that, low res screen, no tv-out, weird storage, etc.... good phone for my wife, but she's rockin s4....won't trade
Sent from my XT907 using xda app-developers app
HonkyTonker said:
Anyone using this phone on PagePlus, Straight Talk, or Selectel Wireless? I am thinking of ditching my S3 and USCC. Nothing but problems with reception.
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i use it on net 10(att simcard), but i know there is a thread about flashing this to page plus you have to stay on ics for it to work if i remember correctly