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My last two phones have been Motorola. Functionally speaking they are pretty good and my Maxx has been the most solid phone I have owned. There is a fly in the ointment though. The back cover on multiple phones which have been replaced all creak and squeak after a few months of ownership.
For this reason I am sitting tight until the next ultimate handset comes out that can functionally one-up this phone. One that is built solid but light and has the big battery or super efficient tech to go for days like the Maxx does.
Sent from my XT1080 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
I too have a "creaking" back cover...specifically up by the power button/volume rocker...
That being said...I was always a big Moto fan..and then switched because I HAD to have the Galaxy S3 when it dropped...and that was the WORST cell phone related mistake of my life..
I couldn't wait to dump that thing and get back to Moto...I just hope that they decide to continue the Droid line along with the X line...
I am almost 100% sure that my next phone will be a Motorola...
sent from my Droid Maxx
Droid 2, Droid 4, Droid MAXX. They've all been tanks. I had two Droid 4s that both got wet and they both pulled through until months later... Hardware wise and build quality wise I have no complaints.
Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk
I have had several Motorolas: the droid 1 a855, Droid Razr Maxx, and now the Droid Maxx. I loved the root-ability of the first two, although the Droid Razr Maxx was a beeatch. Now that I'm on the latest droid Maxx, it really sucks that it can't be rooted, at least since that chinese guy got caught, and I'm stuck with a slower-than-it-should-be device, which I cannot customize. I will only stick with Motorola if they don't lock the bootloader on the next one, but I doubt that will happen. Looks like I will get a nexus next.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using XDA Premium HD app
Moto for life...
It's way too early for me to tell. I'll see what's available at upgrade time and decide then. This phone will be great until then.
I've had over a dozen Moto phones starting with the original brick and almost every flagship phone since then. I've strayed a couple times in the last 20 years and quickly came back.
I'll stay with my flagship Moto Dev's unless Lenovo messes with the built like a tank phones that we have enjoyed. If I can't drop it in a pool or river(true stories), dry it out and use it the next day, I don't want it lol.
Sent from my XT1080 using Xparent Skyblue Tapatalk 2
I just want to get out from under Verizon. That being said the functionality of these phones is awesome. So unless Google uses these new features in the next Nexus i'm jumping to the new Moto X on AT&T or the One from One plus.
Sent from my XT1080 using XDA Free mobile app
I'm not expecting to stick with Motorola, but I'm not necessarily opposed to it. I've been relatively happy with my Maxx- battery life has been far better than any other phone I've had (particularly coming from a Galaxy Nexus), which is really what drove me to the Maxx instead of the HTC One.
It seems like battery life of other phones is improving, taking away the primary distinguishing factor that brought me to Motorola. I haven't been completely happy with the performance of some apps on the Maxx, and the screen resolution could use a bump, so I'm going to prioritize those things a little higher next time around.
I'm really interested in seeing what happens with the Android Silver program. It would be tough for me to move off Verizon. Assuming Verizon participates in Android Silver, that's probably the closest thing Verizon users will get to a Nexus-like experience.
There is a new phone out every other week....
...from some company or other. So there is no way to tell what will be the best price vs performance choice a year and a half from now when my contract expires again.
I have to say thought that even though I have had root on previous Android Phones (Droid 1 and Droid 3) I don't really miss it on my Max. The biggest reason I wanted it on previous phones was to get rid of all the crap that I never used. But with the Maxx it seems like there is 1. less crap to begin with and 2. A lot of it can be disabled (including a lot of the verizon stuff) using the regular android settings menu. So I'm not particularly missing root on this phone.
On my Droid 1, late in its life I did start messing with custom roms just for fun. Funny thing is that I still have that Droid 1 sitting here on my desk running Cyanogen Mod 7.2 (think its .2 - don't remember for sure). It doesnt have cellular access anymore but it still works around the house as a WiFi only device.
PS: I was not sorry to see the Droid 3 go away. That one never lived up to my hopes for it. I liked the form factor and I do sometimes miss the physical keyboard but the CPU always seemed slow and I almost immediately regretted getting a 3G device rather than holding out a bit longer for a 4G phone.
I am very impressed with my Maxx, even today. I don't trust Verizon, and am leery of Lenovo. I want to continue with this company's awesome path that started with Google's purchase, but I am not sure that Lenovo will allow that. I am also disappointed that thanks to Verizon I am still running 4.4.0.
If they release a 64gb Moto whatever with a super battery, and the quality stays the same, I will stick with them barring further course changes for the company strategy.
My last 2 smartphones have been Motorola Droids and I love both of them. Unless in the future they remove the things I love about the phone (NFC, Qi Charging, Awesome Battery) I don't see myself using a different brand.
When using other phones in the store, they just don't do it for me. I do love the Android experience on this latest phone.
I am ready to leave Verizon because of their scheming ways.
In the store moments ago the sales reps are telling a customer that his only option to get a new phone is to give up unlimited data or buy outright. Did not mention device payment plan. Shysters.
Sent from my XT1080 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
I think I'll stick with Moto. My next device won't be a Droid though. The successor to the Moto X sounds pretty good.
Sent from my XT1080 using XDA Free mobile app
How to keep unlimited data...
bwheelies said:
When using other phones in the store, they just don't do it for me. I do love the Android experience on this latest phone.
I am ready to leave Verizon because of their scheming ways.
In the store moments ago the sales reps are telling a customer that his only option to get a new phone is to give up unlimited data or buy outright. Did not mention device payment plan. Shysters.
Sent from my XT1080 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
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...or at least how I did it. Don't get your phone at the Verizon Store. Order it online from Verizon (not from Amazon, wirefly, ect or any other third party - direct from Verizon). Along the way choose the option to "keep my existing plan". It let me keep my unlimited data plan that's been grandfathered for me ever since my first smart phone way back when (was a Samsung i760 Windows Mobile if anyone cares). I chose to "pick up in store" even though I had ordered on line. They guys at the store couldn't believe I still had unlimited data. They said they thought that couldn't be done.
I will stay with my Droid Mini. It has the best combination of size, power, apps, and now with it able to utilize the XLTE speeds makes it even better. I am just not that interested in getting a phone that I have to carry in hand vice in my pocket because every phone out now is 5" plus. I swear most newer phones are nearing the size of my Nexus 7 LOL.
I may jump ship if one came out with either 64Gb or SD card slot.
fat-fingered and Maxx-ed out.
Einsteindks said:
I may jump ship if one came out with either 64Gb or SD card slot.
fat-fingered and Maxx-ed out.
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Click to collapse
The Moto E has an SD card slot and the newer release of the Moto G is getting one too. I don't know if this is an indication that Moto is changing its philosophy with the Lenovo merger (Google doesn't like SD Cards) or just an acknowledgement that these "lesser phones" don't have enough on board storage to be useful without one. The E for example has only 4 GB storage and according to the article I read, has only 2.2 GB left for the user after the OS and system apps are installed.
ratman6161 said:
The Moto E has an SD card slot and the newer release of the Moto G is getting one too. I don't know if this is an indication that Moto is changing its philosophy with the Lenovo merger (Google doesn't like SD Cards) or just an acknowledgement that these "lesser phones" don't have enough on board storage to be useful without one. The E for example has only 4 GB storage and according to the article I read, has only 2.2 GB left for the user after the OS and system apps are installed.
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Click to collapse
I would lean towards the latter and it being a cost saving move.
These are Verizon phones
The title lists only the Droid series - Ultra/ Mini and Maxx.
The 'real' Motorola phones are the X, G and E for now.
So, question should be rephrased to "Who will stay with Verizon after the Ultra/Maxx/Mini?"
I am not in the US and using the Droid Maxx. My earlier phone - Motorola Defy - is still working after 3 years and several CM installs.
The hardware is pretty strong on that one and the build quality is good. The phone got wet several times in the rain and there have been no permanent issues due to water.
I cannot say the same for the Droid Maxx. It would be risking too much for me (I paid twice the amount to acquire a Droid Maxx, to what I paid to get a Defy three years ago.)
Hence I have put it into an Otterbox Defender series case to protect the phone since one fall on the floor will kill the phone.
The build quality of Droid Maxx is just like any other phone in the market perhaps.
But there are positives for sure.
1. The LCD has no bleeding, which I feel speaks of good quality.
2. The speaker has good volume and great quality (for music lovers)
3. The battery is awesome. For my limited use, it easily goes to the end of third day for me.
The Otterbox Defender adds a lot of bulk and the inbuilt screen protector reduces the touch sensitivity significantly (especially the virtual buttons).
But since I wish to use the phone for three more years, I think this is the price I have to pay for the beast.
I also bought a used Razr HD Maxx XT926 for my dad last year. The phone is really nice (and the 4.4.2 update is like the icing on the cake).
Luckily I have bootloader unlocked on that one, so I can retain control for a long time.
I'm coming from an older Motorola Droid phone (Bionic) and I was wondering if this phone is worth the money compared to any other phone on the market? I have an unlimited data package so whatever phone I get i'm going to have to buy full price and i'm just trying to figure out if I should look elsewhere for a new phone?
If you're paying full price I'd do a Droid MAXX (XT1080M) from swappa for $240 or so. You get most of the turbo experience (battery life, active notifications, etc) for less than half the price.
Sent from my XT1080M
I'm quite happy with mine. Granted, I haven't had reason to test the camera a whole lot and hear mixed reviews about it. Otherwise everything else is outstanding.
Heavy usage since sunday.
I love this phone. I would recommend getting it. Ive had my Turbo since Sunday and have only charged it once. The screen is amazing. A majority of anyones complaints are things that will be fixed via updates. The only reason i almost didnt get my Turbo is because i hate waiting for exploits to come out. Fortunately i dont think i even need to root this phone to satisfy my needs. Its been running 4.4.4 flawlessly for me and ive been nonstop video recording, web browsing, and navigation w/ bluetooth music in my car.
I managed to get 30 hours on one charge with 5 hours screen on time. Thats insane coming from an S4.
This phone also comes with a free replacement if the screen breaks.
Coming from the M7 I can say that I'm not sure its worth the $650+ for this device. I'm in the same boat with unlimited data and decided to purchase the phone outright.
The big 3 for me are battery life, screen, and pure speed of the turbo. The battery life is amazing. Its weird going to bed sitting with 50%+ battery after being unplugged for 17 hours. But my HTC m7 was around 15ish so I'm not sure of the benefit if the longer battery life as battery life hasn't been an issue. The screen is clearer sure and the speed is quicker but I'm not sure its $650 quicker.
I came from a Galaxy S3 so, for me, the difference is insane
I think it depends on what you value in a phone. I'm coming from a Galaxy Nexus which ran stock 4.4.4. I'm definitely missing some of the features like Google's Caller ID and dialer search. The camera on the Turbo has not really impressed me with it's laggy shutter. I don't know how I will feel about not having an unlocked bootloader until this phone is left behind on updates. On the other hand, the phone is ridiculously fast has an amazing screen and great battery life. I bought it outright to keep my unlimited data and I'm happy so far.
I do miss caller ID, not going to lie
I dont think caller ID went anywhere
xkape said:
I do miss caller ID, not going to lie
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Click to collapse
I still have caller ID on my Droid Turbo, transferred over from my S4. Its a completely redesigned app from verizon.
Maybe I'm missing turning on an option or something. I was running KitKat on my S3 and if a person called, it always showed me their name and the icon for them was the state they were calling from
Definitely
Me and my whole family had the Droid Bionic and switched to the Turbo. We decided to renew our plan to get the cheaper price, losing the unlimited and going to 30GB (6 devices). I love the phone and so far it hasn't lagged. For the AnTuTu Benchmark I got 44942, which is the better than the average for any other phone.
Screen Replacement
ccheww said:
I love this phone. I would recommend getting it. Ive had my Turbo since Sunday and have only charged it once. The screen is amazing. A majority of anyones complaints are things that will be fixed via updates. The only reason i almost didnt get my Turbo is because i hate waiting for exploits to come out. Fortunately i dont think i even need to root this phone to satisfy my needs. Its been running 4.4.4 flawlessly for me and ive been nonstop video recording, web browsing, and navigation w/ bluetooth music in my car.
I managed to get 30 hours on one charge with 5 hours screen on time. Thats insane coming from an S4.
This phone also comes with a free replacement if the screen breaks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Taken from the Verizon Press release
"DROID Turbo customers who experience a damaged screen during their 2 year contract can replace it once for free. Customers who purchase through Verizon Edge are also eligible."
I read that like it means only people on the upgrade cycle when buying the phone. My verizon rep didn't know for sure, which usually is a bad sign. If your rep tells you that you can buy at full price and get screen replacement, try to get it in writing or actually show you the text.
Also the phone trade in $100 credit is not valid on full retail, FYI.
Thanks everybody for the information. I bought a Droid Turbo 64GB today. So far i'm loving this phone. All I need now is a root method and i'll be completely satisfied.
I went into Verizon for two minutes tonight just to see the size of the phone and the ballistic backing. I liked it. Slightly larger than my Droid Maxx. Didn't check anything else out when they said they no longer offer the device payment plan.
I will hold out for a price drop, Developer Edition, or a Nexus 6.
Coming from a bionic, you will be STUNNED by the difference.
Phone is awesome, no complaints (well, except missing simultaneous voice ans data, but the updste in a few weeks will resolve that).
Though, if you're completely budget concious i have to agree with the dude that suggested the maxx on swapp, but to that i would add ebay and MAKE SURE YOU GET THE 32GB ONE NOT THE DOWNGRADED 16GB MODEL. And when i say downgraded, im not only talking about the memory, they downgraded the build quality too.
bwheelies said:
I went into Verizon for two minutes tonight just to see the size of the phone and the ballistic backing. I liked it. Slightly larger than my Droid Maxx. Didn't check anything else out when they said they no longer offer the device payment plan.
I will hold out for a price drop, Developer Edition, or a Nexus 6.
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Click to collapse
What do you mean they don't have a payment plan. Not even on the edge program?
is it worth getting it?
Phone yes
Verizon service? NO!
timmyd463229 said:
What do you mean they don't have a payment plan. Not even on the edge program?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Edge yes re: payment plan.
Those of us with unlimited data used to be able to do device payment plan. 12 months of payments plus 2$/month finance charge. Stopped it July of 2014.
bwheelies said:
Edge yes re: payment plan.
Those of us with unlimited data used to be able to do device payment plan. 12 months of payments plus 2$/month finance charge. Stopped it July of 2014.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Motorola does financing if you buy direct from them
joshm.1219 said:
Motorola does financing if you buy direct from them
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Click to collapse
Until they come out with a Dev Edition they send you directly to Verizon's website for consumer edition Turbos.
For those of you who don't follow the latest news on Galaxy S and Note, all Snapdragon 820 variants of Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge are bootloader-locked. Yes, you read this correctly. AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint, it no longer matters which US carrier you have. All SD820 variants are locked.
This is officially the end of the line, folks. No dev community can survive when every device is locked, so what tiny community existed, and by that I mean only hsbadr who has singlehandedly supported our Verizon N4DEs for years now, will evaporate. If you like phones you can root and flash custom ROMs on, you can no longer buy Samsung Galaxy S and Note in USA.
Canadians have a wild card here, they are getting the Exynos 8890 variant but it doesn't support any US voice bands, GSM or CDMA. Unless it's possible to hack the Canadian S7 variant to make it work in US at least on the GSM carriers AT&T and T-Mobile, all Americans are now officially f**ked.
It was nice owning Galaxy Notes all these years. I started with a Note II and I currently have my Note 4 DE, but this is the end of the line. My next phone, regardless of which carrier I'm on, cannot be a Galaxy Note. I'll miss my S-Pen ;_;
I wonder if other manufacturers will follow Samsung's lead. They probably want to do it, but haven't. I wonder if, eventually, our only choice for phones that aren't locked down will be phones like the Nexus.
Although there's no way to really and truly know, I wonder how many people will even care. Of all the people that I've talked to since I started my rooting adventures with an HTC Evo, there has only been a small handful that even know what rooting was and only one other person who actually had a rooted phone. I'd imagine that most people won't care at all.
My Note 4 Dev Edition and Note 2 will be my rooted phones and the Note 6 will be my locked down phone. I guess I'll swap SIMs if I need a rooted phone with cellular data.
Sold my Note 4 last week. Used upgrade to get Note 5, then sold it. Got 6P today, rooted within minutes.
Adios Samsung.
Not yet
FMXP said:
For those of you who don't follow the latest news on Galaxy S and Note, all Snapdragon 820 variants of Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge are bootloader-locked. Yes, you read this correctly. AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint, it no longer matters which US carrier you have. All SD820 variants are locked.
This is officially the end of the line, folks. No dev community can survive when every device is locked, so what tiny community existed, and by that I mean only hsbadr who has singlehandedly supported our Verizon N4DEs for years now, will evaporate. If you like phones you can root and flash custom ROMs on, you can no longer buy Samsung Galaxy S and Note in USA.
Canadians have a wild card here, they are getting the Exynos 8890 variant but it doesn't support any US voice bands, GSM or CDMA. Unless it's possible to hack the Canadian S7 variant to make it work in US at least on the GSM carriers AT&T and T-Mobile, all Americans are now officially f**ked.
It was nice owning Galaxy Notes all these years. I started with a Note II and I currently have my Note 4 DE, but this is the end of the line. My next phone, regardless of which carrier I'm on, cannot be a Galaxy Note. I'll miss my S-Pen ;_;
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
T-Mobile has asked Samsung to work with their engineers to Unlock them. If there is enough outrage and sales slump, they might reverse this or offer and option to unlock like HTC does.
Can someone explain to me the purpose of carriers and manufacturers locking devices down like that? This sort of thing has been going on for a long long time and I've never seen the harm behind it. What can a rooted device do that causes them to want to lock it down again?
To use Verizon as an example. Verizon wants to charge you extra for the ability to tether. Granted there are apps to get around this but with the built-in tethering function, it automatically checks to make sure you are Subscribed to that feature. I'm sure there are more reasons than that.
Zantillian said:
Can someone explain to me the purpose of carriers and manufacturers locking devices down like that? This sort of thing has been going on for a long long time and I've never seen the harm behind it. What can a rooted device do that causes them to want to lock it down again?
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Click to collapse
There is a number of reasons but one major reason is the manufacturer's desire to gain corporate accounts. To do so requires, for most corporate networks, a phone that cannot be rooted thus allowing the installation of apps that cannot be controlled or monitored by corporate IT security personnel. That is why many corporate networks will allow your iphone on their network but not an Android phone. It's all about sales.
Follow the money.
As stated above corporate sales are a big reason. Also the potential the have Android/Samsung/Google or whatever payment applications comprised is likely another large reason. Then you have Ad blocking. Removing those from ones phone kills a large revenue stream for carriers and Google alike. Not just for the individual ads but also the data they consume from your allotment.
The Note 4 is my first Samsung, and probably my last. I did enjoy having the pen, and when my Edge is up next year, I'm hopeful I'll have the cabbage to purchase a Nexus. I like clean and simple things, Samsung has a lot of nice features, but most of them just get in my way.
All that being said I have not missed not being able to root, because mostly my reasons for doing doing so were for battery life on HTCs. My last phone was a Droid MAXX, which had amazing battery (might have been my favorite phone ever). The Note 4 has been good on battery, especially since 5.1.1 (and a factory reset)
My $.02.
unfortunately, i've stopped minding 100% about root. i only mind like 60% now. i mean, every phone i've ever had was rooted. eris, incredible, rezound, dna, s3, s4, g2, moto x pure edition.....and then my poor note 4, never rooted. but honestly, i had the moto x pure, and although it was nice having a new rooted phone, i ended up selling it because i just liked my unrooted note 4 better. note 4, next to my g2, was one of the best phones i've ever had. and now, i decided since i don't mind root as much, but i enjoy samsung camera/screen quality, i bought the s7, and i really like it. sure there's no root, but if i absolutely need root, my galaxy tab s 8.4 is rooted, my nexus 7 is rooted, and my g2 is rooted. if i need wireless hotspot, i'll just pop my sim into my g2. keeping my note 4, though, definitely..and might even buy the note 6 when it comes out, that's how nice this s7 is.
there are ways to unlock bootloaders and root any smart phone but nobody wants to share. all it is ..is code ....if theres a way to write the code then theres a way to unlock code. cant stop root. there will always be away. think about it. a smart phone works like a pc. someone out there has a way but doesnt share
jayochs said:
unfortunately, i've stopped minding 100% about root. i only mind like 60% now. i mean, every phone i've ever had was rooted. eris, incredible, rezound, dna, s3, s4, g2, moto x pure edition.....and then my poor note 4, never rooted. but honestly, i had the moto x pure, and although it was nice having a new rooted phone, i ended up selling it because i just liked my unrooted note 4 better. note 4, next to my g2, was one of the best phones i've ever had. and now, i decided since i don't mind root as much, but i enjoy samsung camera/screen quality, i bought the s7, and i really like it. sure there's no root, but if i absolutely need root, my galaxy tab s 8.4 is rooted, my nexus 7 is rooted, and my g2 is rooted. if i need wireless hotspot, i'll just pop my sim into my g2. keeping my note 4, though, definitely..and might even buy the note 6 when it comes out, that's how nice this s7 is.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You could try FoxFi on your S7. It's only a little over $7 for the full app, and in my opinion is well worth the price. Like you, I still have a rooted phone, my S4 which I was using prior to my Note 4, and used it for the hot spot before I made the jump to FoxFi. For me, the convenience of just being able to use one phone for everything, especially the hot spot since it's my only Internet connection at home, is worth the small amount charged by the developer, and possible a lot better for the batteries on both phones since they use the most energy when powering on from a cold boot. I think that's how I wound up going through a power supply for my desktop in roughly two years, too many reboots.
so foxfi works perfectly on non rooted phones and completely bypasses wireless Hotspot? unlimited plan i pay 50 a month for here, so i should be able to tether for free from Verizon but they're pieces of shat so clearly we can't.
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S7 using Tapatalk
will4958 said:
You could try FoxFi on your S7. It's only a little over $7 for the full app, and in my opinion is well worth the price. Like you, I still have a rooted phone, my S4 which I was using prior to my Note 4, and used it for the hot spot before I made the jump to FoxFi. For me, the convenience of just being able to use one phone for everything, especially the hot spot since it's my only Internet connection at home, is worth the small amount charged by the developer, and possible a lot better for the batteries on both phones since they use the most energy when powering on from a cold boot. I think that's how I wound up going through a power supply for my desktop in roughly two years, too many reboots.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just switched to Sprint, (from my Verizon Note 4), Got a Note 5 and rooted it immediately.
Sprint will pay off my $360 Verizon contract balance, and I also will get a $225 cash gift card from COSTCO wireless for switching.
My bill is only $10 higher, and I have unlimited talk and text, which I didn't have with Verizon
http://www.xda-developers.com/opini...gn=Feed:+xda-developers/ShsH+(xda-developers) a good explanation why things go this way... I belive the only left possibility of personalizing or devices will be thorough mods or hacks each time more complicate
It's just as well. Samsung has gone straight downhill. Let's review:
No new features made their way to the Note 4.
Updates took an extremely long time, and they even updated older phones first.
Locked down tight.
Lag. Always lag. All one need do is go to application manager and try to scroll down. (Even my old Droid 2 Global running Gingerbread does this smoothly!) This is but one example of many.
Also, has anyone else noticed how Samsung puts out almost the same exact phone every year?
Anyway, I was done with Samsung before this news. The Note 4 is largely a disaster. The only question now is what to ditch it for. I like the specs of the LG G5, but the software looks awful. So I'm waiting to see what HTC is doing with the 10. If that doesn't pan out, I guess I'll wait for the Nexus.
Sent from my SM-N910V.
Everyone seem's to be looking at phones like the idol 4..the oneplus 3...but all the phones I saw mentioned were in the $200-$400 range and the $200 model was rather barebones...now I'm not a gamer and I originally purchased the idol 3 because the phone was CHEAP and had the features I wanted. I decided to review a couple of phone...both cheaper than the $200 I paid for my idol 3 but can still be considered prospects.
The idol 3 has come a long way with marshmallow but the development community is still tiny and alcatel provides zero support. The removal of fastboot when installing marshmallow is another example of their ....I want to say ineptness because why cripple a phone that is sold unlocked.....if you use the marshmallow 6.0 radio you lose band 12 lte....if you flash the 5.0.2 radio you get it back.
The first phone I tested basically came across as an Idol 4.7 except it had a 5.5 screen. The ZTE Zmax 2 is currently selling for $60 at bestbuy [ http://slickdeals.net/f/8791267-at-t-gophone-zte-zmax-2-bestbuy-59-99?v=1&p=85689931 ] as an "AT&T Go Phone" but is easily unlocked to run on other carriers. It comes with Lollipop but folks have already found "soft roots" for it and I imagine before to long marshmallow will be available.
The basic specs are:
Qualcomm MSM8916 Snapdragon 410 [ Quad-core 1.2 GHz Cortex-A53 ]
16GB Internal Memory
2GB RAM
MicroSD Card Slot (up to 64GB)
5.5" 1280x720 Display [720p]
8MP Rear & 2MP Front Cameras
4G LTE
Removable 3000 mAh Battery
Android 5.1 Lollipop
Full specs available at: http://www.gsmarena.com/zte_zmax_2-7572.php
You might like: http://www.tomsguide.com/us/zte-zmax-2,review-3582.html
For unlocking, see the Wiki board in thread [ Everything in the wiki was NOT written by me so when you see "I tried this" in there it's the original author. ]:
http://slickdeals.net/f/8851267-16g...ct-smartphone-60-free-shipping?src=SiteSearch
For case:
http://slickdeals.net/f/8791267-at-t-gophone-zte-zmax-2-bestbuy-59-99?v=1&p=85689931#post85689931
Tempered glass:
http://r.ebay.com/eiSfaR
Low light pictures using Open Camera with Expsoure adjustment:
http://slickdeals.net/forums/showpost.php?p=85985455&postcount=472
Recommended apps to get *as close as possible* to LG double knock feature.
-- Nova launcher prime -- Has double knock to turn off the screen
-- Gravity Screen (Plexnor) -- Comes with tons of useful features like keeping the Screen on by motion, turning the screen off by placing it flat on a tablet, pocket sensor etc.. But I am only using the Wave to unlock (proximity sensor to unlock)
Double knock to turn on the screen -- I did tons of research.. Not possible. So don't waste your time..only LG has implemented this without draining the battery (that is, without having to keep a black screen On waiting for user input).
Rooting -- not available at the moment because no one has been able to crack the ZTE's locked Bootloader.. so don't fall a prey to fictitious links that claim a root of this phone. On the +ve side, haven't felt the need to root till now. I read a post that on XDA there is some way to disable even system apps without rooting, but haven't felt the need or tried it so far.
How to unlock this phone:
1. Do not turn the phone on, don't even open the box.
2. Go to this web site: https://www.att.com/deviceunlock/?#/
3. Check I have read and agree to the eligibility requirements to unlock my device.
4. This is super important, check Non-AT&T Mobility Customer
5. Fill out the form, including the IMEI number which is located on the Box
6. Submit
7. You will be sent an email with a link to confirm
8. Open your email and confirm
9. Anywhere from 1 hour to 48 hours you will be given an unlock code. It took 8 hours for me to receive mine.
10. Open up the box, put in your SIM from your Carrier and turn it on.
11. You will be prompted for the unlock code
12. Put it in and continue.
This post can be edited by most users to provide up-to-date information about developments of this thread based on user responses, and user findings. Feel free to add, change or remove information shown here as it becomes available. This includes new coupons, rebates, ideas, thread summary, and similar items.
Firmware Update (credit: jchu14)
If you're using the Zmax 2 on a non-AT&T network, don't throw away the ATT GO prepaid sim card! You can use the sim card to obtain software update for free.
The most current version is b17. Usually if you have a non-ATT sim card in the phone, when you check for sofware update in 'settings', you won't be able to see updates available. You need to have an active sim card in the phone to activate.
To activate the sim card, go to att's website [att.com] and enter the sim card number printed on the sim card itself. Go through the activation process (need email address and zip code). When it asks you to put in an IMEI: put in all zeros. When it asks you to choose a plan, it doesn't matter what you choose. I picked the 25 cent/min plan even though all other plans should work (you don't have to pay anything regardless of what plan you pick).
Go though the activation process and eventually you'll assigned a phone number and your sim is activated! Stick that sim card in the phone and then check for a software update in 'settings'. You should be notified of an available update. If it tells you to wait 24 hours before you can check again, you can manually change the date and time of your phone in 'settings > date and time'. Set it forward a day, then you can again check for software update. Generally the phone will update to b16 first. After b16 is applied, you may have to check and roll the date forward twice before it'll see and apply the b17 update.
There is no need to actually put any money into the account attached to the sim card. However, this sim card will expire in 60 days if you don't put in any money into the account. So maybe it's not a bad choice if you want to hold on to the sim card inactivated until a major update is available.
Confirmed in AT&T Forums, these conditions MUST be met.
For the Update to proceed automatically, the phone conditions have to be as follows:
1. 100% Battery Capacity
2. Charger Connected
3. Active AT&T SIM
I use Cricket MVNO and followed these steps in the wiki to successfully update. (lowprice)
#####
T-Mobile Network compatibility:
* 4G LTE Band 4 (primary) AWS 1700/2100 - YES
* 4G LTE Band 2 (secondary) PCS 1900 - YES
* 4G LTE Band 12 (new primary/upcoming) 700-A - YES!
* 4G HSPA+ Band 4 (deprecated) AWS 1700/2100 - NO
* 4G HSPA+ Band 2 (new primary) PCS 1900 - YES
* 2G EDGE Band 2 (primary) PCS 1900 - YES
T-Mobile Features:
* WiFi Calling - NO
* VoLTE - NO
* RCS - NO
* Tethering/HotSpot - NO native, YES use 3rd party app (ES File Explorer)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The second phone is a bit of a special deal...currently Amazon is selling the BLU R1 HD for $60 [I'd get the Zmax 2 over the BLU which is smaller and has ads for the same price ] and the Moto G4 for $155. Both of those include a $50 price drop (and a 2nd $25 off for the Moto G4) because they are ONLY for prime members and they show ad's on the lockscreen. Would you let amazon display ad's if it saved you $75 off a phone? I decided I would...here is the deal: https://slickdeals.net/f/8881879-pr...-50-moto-g-4th-gen-from-125-more-free-s-h?v=1
Basic Specs:
Moto G (4th Gen) Specs:
5.5" 1920x1080 IPS display
1.5Gz Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 Octo-Core CPU
2GB RAM
MicroSD Card Slot (up to 128GB)
13MP rear + 5MP front cameras
3000mAh battery
Android 6.0 Marshmallow
Compatible w/ AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint & Verizon
16GB OR 32GB (+$30)
Detailed Specs: http://www.gsmarena.com/motorola_moto_g4-8103.php
Final out the door price on these: $125 for the 16gb G4 and $155 for the 32gb g4. I opted to pay the $30 extra to get the 32gb..but will also be dropping in a 128gb microsd. Both beat the original sale price of the Idol 3......I'm curious to see what others think. Please don't turn this into a flame war. This is just to compare how the idol 3 stacks up to recent phones at or below it's original price range. What was flagship a couple years ago is now seen as a "bargain phone".
You might like this review: http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/mobi...6-review-the-best-budget-smartphone-ever-made
Damn, that is a sweet price for the Moto 4G.
Now I am wondering if I should have waited a bit instead of paying 90€ to repait my Idol's cracked screen after it randomly broke in my hands.
I feel tempted to get a G4 even so... mainly for the gigantic dev community it will surely have.
Sent from my 6045X using Tapatalk
thanks for the thread
to be honest ive had mostly what you may call top end phones (most of the flagships up to 2015) but i had too many contracts at one point and i ended up selling most of them (still have the htc m9 and z3)
but the girlfriend uses my m9 and my dad uses my z3 and i was looking just for a cheap phone just till the end of my contract but wanted some good features like (great display and sound and just to run nice)
i wasn't expecting much with the idol 3 but i was surprised just how good it was for the money i paid £180 brand new
and for me the display and sound beat both my z3 and m9 so for a budget phone i think that's good
i just wish we had more development and support for the idol 3 but at least it isnt non existent
and i agree with the marshmallow builds at the moment there a pain but again at least we getting them
all in all i dont think even today there much of a better phone for the value and when we have a final mm builds up with no bugs ect i think we will have a much snappier and better camera too just to add to the list
Nice. Also, the honor 5x and idol 3 are nearly identical aside from the aluminum case the honor has. Same hardware specs. But the idol 3 speakers are way way better (I have used both) and calls sound better too.
Not bad for an almost year old phone heh, its def still worth purchasing now, esp at 70 less than the honor 5x at cricket price.
That zte looks freaking sweet for the price tho heh. I keep finding myself asking why pay more than 200ish for a phone unless u really need the insane camera quality the high end guys have. For general use the canera on the idol 3 is great. Who actually needs freaking 4k res on a phone sized screen or 6gb of ram? Sure big internal storage is nice, but SD cards are crazy cheap lol. My 64gb evo plus was 20 bucks !
I also really liked the blue vivo 5, great specs and beautiful construction. Unfortunately there not much going on for it ROM wise, blu is terrible with updates, and there is no way to get band 12 on it making it virtually useless for Tampa bay gsm carriers.
Sent from my 6045O using Tapatalk
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Nexus 5x is only $199 through Project Fi.
seabro01 said:
Nexus 5x is only $199 through Project Fi.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But you can only use it with Google Phi. That's a bit of fine print they don't tell you. Got a friend who tried to use his 5x on different carrier from Phi and it wouldn't read sim, even with rooting. Google knows how to get people so watch out.
kingoftheafro said:
But you can only use it with Google Phi. That's a bit of fine print they don't tell you. Got a friend who tried to use his 5x on different carrier from Phi and it wouldn't read sim, even with rooting. Google knows how to get people so watch out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pretty sure that would be illegal. That was the whole point behind the recent laws passed that REQUIRE a provider to provide an unlock method for a device that's paid in full so it could be used with other carriers.
*update* Just went and read the FAQ at Project FI and there's no mods to the phone..they are vanilla...it specifically addresses that you can leave project fi after the device has been paid in full with no contract. People can bring their OWN phones (nexus 5x, nexus 6 etc..on specific models because the phones they are using work on ALL the major carriers) and just order a project FI sim which pretty much settles it.
famewolf said:
Everyone seem's to be looking at phones like the idol 4..the oneplus 3...but all the phones I saw mentioned were in the $200-$400 range and the $200 model was rather barebones...now I'm not a gamer and I originally purchased the idol 3 because the phone was CHEAP and had the features I wanted.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is the same reason I bought the Alcatel Idol 3 as well. It was the best value proposition I'd seen since the Nexus 4 (and it actually surpassed the Nexus 4 in every way other than updates).
The Moto G4 (and G4+) look like the new kings of budget smartphones in my opinion. With that said, I think that the areas where the phones excel are still only a few shades better than the Idol 3. OTOH, when I upgraded from my N4 to my Idol 3, it was the equivalent of upgrading to a flagship in terms of added functionality/compatibility.
If I didn't already have an Idol 3, I would definitely be giving the G4 a hard look. Overall though, I'm not sure whether I would hypothetically pull the trigger because the phone design is the same generic Moto feel. (I will give credit for the ability to switch the back as a cool option though). Also, I don't like the fact that there is no NFC and no fingerprint scanner (on the cheaper model) which makes me question the future proofing of the device. Overall, this is probably the best budget phone out there, but it is nothing that differentiates the phone in my opinion.
---------- Post added at 11:24 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:22 AM ----------
kingoftheafro said:
But you can only use it with Google Phi. That's a bit of fine print they don't tell you. Got a friend who tried to use his 5x on different carrier from Phi and it wouldn't read sim, even with rooting. Google knows how to get people so watch out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your friend must have broken something. There are a lot of people who bought the 5X for the $199 Project Fi price, then canceled Project Fi and took it to their regular carrier
macallik said:
That is the same reason I bought the Alcatel Idol 3 as well. It was the best value proposition I'd seen since the Nexus 4 (and it actually surpassed the Nexus 4 in every way other than updates).
The Moto G4 (and G4+) look like the new kings of budget smartphones in my opinion. With that said, I think that the areas where the phones excel are still only a few shades better than the Idol 3. OTOH, when I upgraded from my N4 to my Idol 3, it was the equivalent of upgrading to a flagship in terms of added functionality/compatibility.
If I didn't already have an Idol 3, I would definitely be giving the G4 a hard look. Overall though, I'm not sure whether I would hypothetically pull the trigger because the phone design is the same generic Moto feel. (I will give credit for the ability to switch the back as a cool option though). Also, I don't like the fact that there is no NFC and no fingerprint scanner (on the cheaper model) which makes me question the future proofing of the device. Overall, this is probably the best budget phone out there, but it is nothing that differentiates the phone in my opinion.
---------- Post added at 11:24 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:22 AM ----------
Your friend must have broken something. There are a lot of people who bought the 5X for the $199 Project Fi price, then canceled Project Fi and took it to their regular carrier
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Performance and screen on battery time are still going to be a major issue for some folks...marshmallow helped alot with performance but dropped screen on time to around 4 hours....even with the $60 budget ZTE Zmax2 I picked up which has the same cpu/storage/memory as the idol 3 4.7 but a 5.5 screen I'm getting 6+ hours of screen on time showing as a minimum. For some the fact the moto g4 will have a HUGE development community can also be an important issue. Alcatel has totally missed the ball on working with the community to get positive free advertising.
So the general consensus seems to be......yeah there are phones out there cheaper than the idol 3 was that have some specs that are close (but improved) but the idol 3 is still doing good enough FOR NOW.
That being said...I purchased both the zmax2 AND the moto g4...more than likely the moto g4 will become my primary phone however I fully intend to continue working with the idol and zmax2. I'm personally looking forward to @The Marionette's "aosp-ify" Marshmallow Rom.
Your friend must have broken something. There are a lot of people who bought the 5X for the $199 Project Fi price, then canceled Project Fi and took it to their regular carrier
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unless they changed something he got the 5x when google first came with it for 199 with phi, but he also lives in Kansas so that may be an issue too. I've got Cricket/ATT and I barely got any service out there.
---------- Post added at 05:58 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:57 PM ----------
famewolf said:
Pretty sure that would be illegal. That was the whole point behind the recent laws passed that REQUIRE a provider to provide an unlock method for a device that's paid in full so it could be used with other carriers.
*update* Just went and read the FAQ at Project FI and there's no mods to the phone..they are vanilla...it specifically addresses that you can leave project fi after the device has been paid in full with no contract. People can bring their OWN phones (nexus 5x, nexus 6 etc..on specific models because the phones they are using work on ALL the major carriers) and just order a project FI sim which pretty much settles it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
okly dokly then. He lives in KS so I'm guessing he just doesn't receive service from other carriers where he lives then. He told me the other sims didn't work, but I was out there last weekend for family reunion and I got no service in town.
kingoftheafro said:
Unless they changed something he got the 5x when google first came with it for 199 with phi, but he also lives in Kansas so that may be an issue too. I've got Cricket/ATT and I barely got any service out there.
---------- Post added at 05:58 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:57 PM ----------
okly dokly then. He lives in KS so I'm guessing he just doesn't receive service from other carriers where he lives then. He told me the other sims didn't work, but I was out there last weekend for family reunion and I got no service in town.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The confusing part of that was I thought from reading that Project FI piggybacked on the other networks....so if it has service then he should be able to identify what network/towers/bands he's using and find the local provider that uses those.
Oh no famewolf is switching primaries. Will the new moto your getting sound as good as the idol 3 does? Listening to music while closing at work was a huge factor for me in buying the phone, and it did not disappoint.
Even the honor 5x which I almost spent 70 bucks more on did not sound nearly as good. Compared to my managers s7, hers is louder but idol 3 has way better definition. I haven't found any other midrange phone that even comes close.
Sent from my 6045O using Tapatalk
nekomancey said:
Oh no famewolf is switching primaries. Will the new moto your getting sound as good as the idol 3 does? Listening to music while closing at work was a huge factor for me in buying the phone, and it did not disappoint.
Even the honor 5x which I almost spent 70 bucks more on did not sound nearly as good. Compared to my managers s7, hers is louder but idol 3 has way better definition. I haven't found any other midrange phone that even comes close.
Sent from my 6045O using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe not, although the moto g4 does come with dolby however realistically I do all my listening via bluetooth...in the car...on a bluetooth speaker....what it will do is let me go out all day for doctor's appointments and errands and not have to carry a charger with me or if I do have to I can get an hours worth of juice in about 15 minutes....I am however adding quick charge receivers to the idol and the zmax2 so they can charge wirelessly.
Oh OK! If new moto battery life is gonna be significantly better than a idol 3 on xda ROM I'm interested too! Friend just had her $600 iphone stolen and she's lookin for something cheaper this time
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Hello XDA folks,
Two note 4's in the family both having same issue. After applying update N910VVRU2CQC1 in mid April our Verizon Note 4's have had a TON of issues disconnecting from network. Tried turning off advanced calling, had SIM cards replaced, etc...
Per Verizon rep in store, they've had a LOT of people coming in complaining of the exact same issue, and stated they've heard it's an issue across all service providers, not just Verizon. Basically Samsung broke it... my inner conspiracy theorist assumes it's so I go buy the new S8, but I'm not a fan of making a screen that can't play 99% of things in their native format. I can't even watch movies on a 3:4, let alone would I pay a ton for something that has black bars on the edge.
That said, here are my questions:
1. I'm likely going to root and just avoid the issue altogether, so could anyone advise their favorite android OS that I can pull from here that is very stable and tested? (can't afford to miss client calls).
2. If this fails, how do you all feel about the one plus three for a cheaper model phone? Looks pretty good, and probably faster than my note 4.
3. Feelings on Google Pixel if I decide to go the expensive route?
4. Always loved HTC, thoughts about the 10 or Ultra? (Oddly enough HTC's site advertises it to look pretty but didn't post much. Wondering if the HTC 10 and Ultra is like the S4 and Note 4 for Samsung. Prefer the larger phone).
Any other thoughts on how to move forward, or any other favorite non Samsung phones would be much appreciated.
Thank you for your time!