The (maybe) "Epic" Motorola X Pre-Release Thread

[Grandmadroid]

This is what I look so forward to! I learn so much listening to you guys. Upgrade is in August, so I know you will have it all figured out for me by then.

 

[The_Chief]

Welcome back GrandmaDroid! Great to see you again! Yeah, my new "full retail" phone fund is coming along nicely... by the time this phone actually comes out on Verizon it'll be ready. Because I just can't lose my unlimited data... not until they just seize it from me. Hopefully this phone will be a worthy successor to Ginny

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using SwiftKey Flow

 

[Digital Controller]

I think this phone is going to be released around the time my contract is up... I hope it comes to verizon

 

[halon]

Wait. This thread has the title of "epic" already?

 

[Hadron]

It's a statement of intent.

 

[halon]

It's a bold statement, Chief. LOL

 

[MT Rotor]

This phone will be epic

 

[Hadron]

Good point

Now why didn't I think of that...

 

[Digital Controller]

This phone will be epic

I hope it will be I am really looking forward to this device.

 

[The_Chief]

This phone will be epic

Yeah, that's what I meant! Yeah!




EDIT: And the first concept picture comes out!

http://news.softpedia.com/news/Motorola-X-Concept-Phone-Sports-Edge-to-Edge-5-Screen-326860.shtml

Will it look anything like this?
Can Moto pack a 3300maH battery into something this thin?
Would you even WANT it this thin?

 

[Gmash]

Wouldn't want it that thin if it means the camera lens has to stick out like that. Looks more like carbon fiber than Kevlar.

 

[UBRocked]

To have a battery that is 3,000 mAh or larger, this phone would most likely be 9 - 10 mm thick. I'm fine with that... but would not be fine with a small battery.

Thinner doesn't mean better in my book.

 

[Hadron]

Well Moto typically have used a carbon-fibre effect on their kevlar backs, so that's not much of a stretch.

TBH I don't think you can fit that big a battery into something that thin (without making it larger in other directions). But a bit of taper at the edges to help the hand fitting wouldn't be a bad plan.

I'm hoping less bezel than the RAZR HD, but doubt they'll take it quite that far. And TBH I hope the 4.8" rumour is correct rather than 5", with minimal bezel to keep the handset size down.

But yeah, that's a sharp looking concept. Won't be real, but I like the thinking - to do what Moto want this thing has to be attention-grabbing, so I hope they are thinking about this sort of thing.

 

[MT Rotor]

I want a 3000+mah battery,camera that's better than the nexus 4, the same quad core processor, with internal option to run 2 cores, Kevlar body, internal on/off mode like the blackberrys, and that no look screen goes off function(gs3),...and absolutely no wireless charging, waste of $$ and phone space..true 4.3-4.7" screen with a swipe to view onscreen buttons,...possible?

 

[Digital Controller]

Oh yessss...coming to Verizon. I am really looking forward to this now . I really hope this is right!

 

[UBRocked]

I want a 3000+mah battery,camera that's better than the nexus 4, the same quad core processor, with internal option to run 2 cores, Kevlar body, internal on/off mode like the blackberrys, and that no look screen goes off function(gs3),...and absolutely no wireless charging, waste of $$ and phone space..true 4.3-4.7" screen with a swipe to view onscreen buttons,...possible?

Don't get me wrong...I'd take an S4 pro processor. But this is the processor I'd like to see in it:

Qualcomm Announces Next Generation Snapdragon Premium Mobile Processors | Qualcomm

And the advertising campaign slogan should be: "No Compromises!"

 

[Hadron]

Would be cool

I fear the availability will be slightly late, but we can dream ("sampling" means they could already have them in prototypes, and if Moto were given sufficient specs to do design work a few months back.....).

 

[jhawkkw]

I'm just worried that if there's no compromises, the msrp is going to be like $1000 or so. That will make it extra hard to swallow buying at full retail.

 

[UBRocked]

Would be cool

I fear the availability will be slightly late, but we can dream ("sampling" means they could already have them in prototypes, and if Moto were given sufficient specs to do design work a few months back.....).

That processor is "rumored" to be in the Galaxy S4. All depends on when these devices are coming out. Google I/O is in May so...let the speculation continue LOL! My second pick would be the NVidia Tegra 4 but I'm not holding my breath on Moto using that chipset.

I'm just worried that if there's no compromises, the msrp is going to be like $1000 or so. That will make it extra hard to swallow buying at full retail.

Depends on the "purpose" of this phone. If the Nexus 4 is a reference device not really designed to sell in the tens or hundreds millions arean...what is the purpose of the X Phone? My guess would be that this phone is intended to SELL...massively. Profit margins can shrink if you think you can move an ass ton of them.

What is the problem with most new Android phones? They are not relevant for an entire year let alone two years. "Just enough" better than last month's big phone is not enough to have stellar sales figures for more than a quarter. They need something that can last as a top tiered phone for at least a year. Just my opinion but Moto has made so many wrong turns that this is all probably just wishful thinking

 

[Digital Controller]

I'm just worried that if there's no compromises, the msrp is going to be like $1000 or so. That will make it extra hard to swallow buying at full retail.

Assuming you are keeping Unlimited Data then lol...I know I could buy it at the discount with an extension on my current plan, but I mean it could still be like 400$ with that...*gulp*

 

[Hadron]

Personally my money would be on the S4 using a Exynos 5 chipset.

Thing with keeping a phone "relevant" is that it's probably more perception than anything else. The S3 is more than half a year old and I'll bet it's still the best-selling "flagship" device, and in terms of its capabilities I can't see why it wouldn't be good for another 18 months. TBH I think we might be reaching the point where screens and processing power, at least on the high end devices, are good enough to meet anyone's needs for at least 2 years, which is why I like Moto's talk about factors like durability and battery life being priorities for this device. Plus "durable" implies that they don't see it as "disposable", which is good

The other thing that's needed for extended relevance is long-term software support. The Nexus is the poster child here, and I'd love it if they went that way. But for this purpose it doesn't have to be part of the Nexus programme, but IMO if they want this device to be what they claim they do need to make a public commitment that it will get long-term software support and make good on that.

 

[UBRocked]

I think you are right on Hadron. Marketing is something that Samsung has invested in and it has paid off. Companies like HTC don't have the same kinds of funds to work with and that is a big reason phones stay relevant.

Another reason phones stay relevant is if you have the SAME phone on multiple carriers. The HTC One X did not come to T-Mobile or Verizon at all...and a variant came to Sprint but it is a "different" phone with a "different" name. Sure, VZW got the DNA, but how effective is a push for the HTC "One" line when only two out of four major carriers ever even had a phone with any kind of "One" branding (and they were totally different phones)? Then you have all of the late VX, XV, or whatever the heck they are called and OMG is the only initials you remember because...it's nuts! What a cluster! Everyone knows what a Galaxy S3 is because it is on every major carrier and many regional carriers.

Now Moto and Google...they could make a HUGE marketing campaign for this phone. And they have the power to push the carriers in the direction they want. Verizon is usually the exception to this but Moto and VZW have a good working relationship it would seem and if they get all the carriers on-board with this one device with no variants, and then just put on a marketing blitz...they really can't lose.

But you have to make the specs good...and good enough to stay relevant in "our" eyes. Average consumers may not know enough to care...but they usually know enough to ask someone who does. In my opinion, you have to win over the phone geeks. All the press events...that's who is being addressed...the phone geeks. Average consumers are not thinking about upcoming press announcements for HTC, Motorola, or Samsung...They do not know what Google I/O is...nor do they care about any of that. They may hear a story on the news about it but it will probably be forgotten quickly.

 

[jhawkkw]

Depends on the "purpose" of this phone. If the Nexus 4 is a reference device not really designed to sell in the tens or hundreds millions arean...what is the purpose of the X Phone? My guess would be that this phone is intended to SELL...massively. Profit margins can shrink if you think you can move an ass ton of them.

What is the problem with most new Android phones? They are not relevant for an entire year let alone two years. "Just enough" better than last month's big phone is not enough to have stellar sales figures for more than a quarter. They need something that can last as a top tiered phone for at least a year. Just my opinion but Moto has made so many wrong turns that this is all probably just wishful thinking

Assuming you are keeping Unlimited Data then lol...I know I could buy it at the discount with an extension on my current plan, but I mean it could still be like 400$ with that...*gulp*

Yep, plan on keeping unlimited and want to keep my freedom. I have fallen out of favor of the subsidy system and would be a hypocrite if I took one . If the bootloader is unlocked and we'll be able to flash radio files, then I hope that it has some hspa+ radios in it as well. This way if Verizon annoys me too much, I can walk and take it to one of the GSM carriers.

 

[UBRocked]

Yep, plan on keeping unlimited and want to keep my freedom. I have fallen out of favor of the subsidy system and would be a hypocrite if I took one . If the bootloader is unlocked and we'll be able to flash radio files, then I hope that it has some hspa+ radios in it as well. This way if Verizon annoys me too much, I can walk and take it to one of the GSM carriers.

If the bootloader is not unlockable...you can shut this thread down. No epic thread...it will be an epic failure!

 

[jhawkkw]

If the bootloader is not unlockable...you can shut this thread down. No epic thread...it will be an epic failure!

Indeed. Verizon has had dev versions of their most recent Moto phones, so I imagine this would as well. But the majority of people who get it would get the subsidized version and therefore not have access to it.