So picked up the phone for my wife today at lunch, and while I haven't activated it yet, I have messed around with it a little unactivated...
Physical Features: Its suprisingly small! And very light. After being so used to large bezels, your eyes tell you there is no way the screen is 4.3" Until you turn it on, and it suprises you how far out the screen goes. It would be like getting a nearly 5" screen on my Nexus I think. My wife will be pleased with the dimensions. The thickness is just right IMO, phones really don't need to go thinner than this, so well done Moto, putting a bigger battery instead of going thinner.
Build Quality: I got her the white one, that is what she chose, but I would go with black, for one reason. The outer case has a lot of seams, and they aren't perfectly even, so you get black lines of slightly varying thickness around the periphery. Also I'm not a big fan of the plastic port covers. But since there is no removable back... its a must. But the metallic screws and power button are a nice touch IMO, and the back of the phone is beautiful. I love that kevlar look contrasting the white.
Screen: Well, you know, its the RAZR screen. Its not horrific on its own, but compared to my Nexus, well it loses.
The New Blur: I kind of like the new Blur, its not nearly as in your face as it used to be. The swipe right to get a mini-settings menu is nice, especially for people like my wife and I, who never use more than 2-3 home screens anyways. I also like the circles, am thinking it may actually win me over from my Sense-like clock I am using on my Nexus now.
Performance: Its smooth, and its only ICS. Didn't ever notice one bit of hesitation while browsing phone, setting up widgets, etc. Didn't play any games to see how that went, but I assume it will be just fine. Its a very competant performer.
Summary: It may be the best $99 phone available today, and probably better than the $149, and half the $199 phones out there too. Except for the screen, and maybe a little bit on the build quality, its a top tier device. The new Blur allows Android to shine through, which is welcome, with the only additions actually having decent value to non-power users.
Physical Features: Its suprisingly small! And very light. After being so used to large bezels, your eyes tell you there is no way the screen is 4.3" Until you turn it on, and it suprises you how far out the screen goes. It would be like getting a nearly 5" screen on my Nexus I think. My wife will be pleased with the dimensions. The thickness is just right IMO, phones really don't need to go thinner than this, so well done Moto, putting a bigger battery instead of going thinner.
Build Quality: I got her the white one, that is what she chose, but I would go with black, for one reason. The outer case has a lot of seams, and they aren't perfectly even, so you get black lines of slightly varying thickness around the periphery. Also I'm not a big fan of the plastic port covers. But since there is no removable back... its a must. But the metallic screws and power button are a nice touch IMO, and the back of the phone is beautiful. I love that kevlar look contrasting the white.
Screen: Well, you know, its the RAZR screen. Its not horrific on its own, but compared to my Nexus, well it loses.
The New Blur: I kind of like the new Blur, its not nearly as in your face as it used to be. The swipe right to get a mini-settings menu is nice, especially for people like my wife and I, who never use more than 2-3 home screens anyways. I also like the circles, am thinking it may actually win me over from my Sense-like clock I am using on my Nexus now.
Performance: Its smooth, and its only ICS. Didn't ever notice one bit of hesitation while browsing phone, setting up widgets, etc. Didn't play any games to see how that went, but I assume it will be just fine. Its a very competant performer.
Summary: It may be the best $99 phone available today, and probably better than the $149, and half the $199 phones out there too. Except for the screen, and maybe a little bit on the build quality, its a top tier device. The new Blur allows Android to shine through, which is welcome, with the only additions actually having decent value to non-power users.