Will Motorola Make A Photon II LTE?

drexappeal · Jun 19, 2012

busted bones said:
I cant say I'd want a bigger screen. Obviously to add some screen length for the soft key buttons with the switch over to ICS, but I think 4.3 of "usable" space is a sweet spot for me.

Someone commented about sliders loosening up and I just handled my buddies Droid 2 that he's about to upgrade and its still pretty taught. He constantly uses his qwerty too.

Just to clarify, I meant bigger screen without adding real-estate to the phone

. Just wishful thinking on my part, but hey...we're just hypothesizing right now, right?

I agree about sliders. I never had any issues with my Mogul or Touch Pro getting "loose." And of my experiences with all the different manufacturers, Motorola has been the most solid build of all of them.

drexappeal · Jun 19, 2012

busted bones said:
Hasn't Samsung had it for 2 years now?

If Google just hands the nexus contract to Motorola every year, the other OEM's are going to get pissed off.

The G1 and Nexus One were made by HTC.

The Nexus S and Galaxy Nexus were made by Samsung.

Seems like a pattern to me. 2 for HTC, 2 for Samsung, and 2 for ??

I'm not saying that Google would make a Motorola Nexus phone every year, I'm just saying it'd be an opportune time for them to make a Motorola Nexus...especially with the success of the SGS 3 and the Galaxy Note, Samsung really doesn't need to be chosen as the manufacturer for the next versions of the Nexus line.

And going along with what Google was saying, after the purchase was finalized, they're planning on offering different Nexus phones from different manufacturers. So that'll eventually be the way for the other OEM's to not get "upset."

simcha · Jun 19, 2012

Yeah, I'd gladly accept something that is completely vanilla Android completely unlocked instead of a Photon II. That would be worth waiting for.

Anything is possible with the Nexus. It would be nice for the Nexus to be removed from Samsung's death grip. The only thing that stopped me from picking up the Nexus S was that it was made by Samsung. I'd get one made by Motorola for sure and I'd seriously consider a Nexus made by HTC. I think it would be great if Google would launch a Nexus with each manufacturer and let them compete for customers to see who sell the most phones and whose quality would be best.

I just find it curious that Google would not show favoritism toward Motorola after purchasing Motorola. Why buy Motorola if you aren't planning to use it to your fullest advantage? I understand not wanting to anger the other Andoid manufacturers, but seriously, if I were Google, I'd want to launch my own phones with my own manufacturer at least for a while.

As I continue to read more and more, it's becoming evident to me that I'll be waiting until Q4 to make sure I see all of this year's posibilities before making my final Premier Gold upgrade.

drexappeal · Jun 19, 2012

simcha said:
I just find it curious that Google would not show favoritism toward Motorola after purchasing Motorola. Why buy Motorola if you aren't planning to use it to your fullest advantage? I understand not wanting to anger the other Andoid manufacturers, but seriously, if I were Google, I'd want to launch my own phones with my own manufacturer at least for a while.

That's why I personally believe that the statement about having all the OEM's make Nexus phones is just PR.

Ultimately, I think we'll see Motorola be used as Google's manufacturing arm. There's already talk about Samsung developing their own OS (although strictly rumors right now).

Citizen Coyote · Jun 20, 2012

drexappeal said:
That's why I personally believe that the statement about having all the OEM's make Nexus phones is just PR.

Ultimately, I think we'll see Motorola be used as Google's manufacturing arm. There's already talk about Samsung developing their own OS (although strictly rumors right now).

Doesn't Samsung already have their own OS? Bada? I've never seen it so I can't say anything more about it.

I'm generally adverse to anything Samsung myself, but the reviews of the GS3 are promising. If it's easy to root, I may bite the bullet. Not a fan of TouchWiz at all, and I'd most certainly slap GoLauncher or something else on a GS3.

drexappeal · Jun 20, 2012

Citizen Coyote said:
Doesn't Samsung already have their own OS? Bada? I've never seen it so I can't say anything more about it.

I'm generally adverse to anything Samsung myself, but the reviews of the GS3 are promising. If it's easy to root, I may bite the bullet. Not a fan of TouchWiz at all, and I'd most certainly slap GoLauncher or something else on a GS3.

You're absolutely correct, CC! I completely forgot about Bada because it hadn't been really talked about in a while and didn't even put 2 and 2 together:

bada - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Me too. The original Epic was actually decent for my family member on my secondary line, but once they were having GPS issues in a time they really needed it, that's when I really was opposed to getting another Samsung product. I only started to reconsider Samsung after a few months that all of the SGS 2's and variants were released and they were getting much better reviews than the original Galaxy S phones. The support (non-rooted) seemed to have gotten better, as well.

Whichever phone I decide to go with, I'm fully convinced that I'd either be using Go Launcher Ex (which I'm currently using and loving compared to the early version of it) or one of the ICS dedicated launchers (NOVA and 1 other launcher come to mind, but can't remember the name).

Orion · Jun 20, 2012

simcha said:
As I continue to read more and more, it's becoming evident to me that I'll be waiting until Q4 to make sure I see all of this year's posibilities before making my final Premier Gold upgrade.

I feel the same way. I was so sure I would upgrade to a new phone this summer. But the voices in my head told me otherwise lol. I'm waiting to see the fall lineup. It's going to be hard to wait though. Now there's a white EVO coming out. One thing is for sure, I will get a new phone before Thanksgiving lol.

drexappeal · Jun 20, 2012

Orion said:
I feel the same way. I was so sure I would upgrade to a new phone this summer. But the voices in my head told me otherwise lol. I'm waiting to see the fall lineup. It's going to be hard to wait though. Now there's a white EVO coming out. One thing is for sure, I will get a new phone before Thanksgiving lol.

Right there with you, Orion. I'd even venture to say, if all the rumors pan out, I'm anticipating all the superphones to be released by Nov. 1, so I'll definitely have a new phone by Thanksgiving. Only question right now is which one I'll have.

White LTEvo is at the top of my list right now (especially with the kickstand), but the 32gb SGS 3 in blue is knocking at the door right behind it. Good thing that one releases soon, so I can go into a Sprint store and actually do a comparison for my needs. Although I love summer, I just wish the next 3 months would zoom by already, so I know what I'm getting myself into as far as upgrade is concerned.

busted bones · Jun 20, 2012

drexappeal said:
That's why I personally believe that the statement about having all the OEM's make Nexus phones is just PR.

Ultimately, I think we'll see Motorola be used as Google's manufacturing arm. There's already talk about Samsung developing their own OS (although strictly rumors right now).

Motorola had a massive patent Portfolio that couldused to defend OEM's in court and I think that's part of Google's plan.

drexappeal · Jun 21, 2012

busted bones said:
Motorola had a massive patent Portfolio that couldused to defend OEM's in court and I think that's part of Google's plan.

I think it was the plan to protect google in the future, but first they have to prevent Apple from doing the same thing to Motorola that it did to HTC (and is trying to do with Samsung).

Every case I read or hear about where Apple is suing another OEM, just makes me more and more anti-Apple (which, I never really was before...but the more I see them trying to be "bullies" in the tech industry, it just turns me away from their products even more).

simcha · Jun 21, 2012

drexappeal said:
I think it was the plan to protect google in the future, but first they have to prevent Apple from doing the same thing to Motorola that it did to HTC (and is trying to do with Samsung).

Every case I read or hear about where Apple is suing another OEM, just makes me more and more anti-Apple (which, I never really was before...but the more I see them trying to be "bullies" in the tech industry, it just turns me away from their products even more).

Exactly. I grew up with Apple. My first computer was an Apple IIe. I programmed in Applesoft Basic. My father was a teacher and got the education discounts so all of our computers were Apple. I didn't start messing with PCs until college. Then I had to learn the Windows environment because of work. Even then I preferred Apple software and hardware.

The switch started to happen for me when the iPhone came on the scene. The cult-like adherence to the iPhone started to make me question the whole Apple ethos. I started to examine how Apple created demand out of nowhere, seemingly. The iPhone wasn't really all that revolutionary, looking back on it. I didn't get a smart phone for years after its release because, simply, I saw no reason to have a smart phone. It seemed to be a toy to me that created gigantic bills for its users.

When I finally had a real reason to want a smart phone I started to read up on the various options. I found Android and I fell in love with the open source and the way it allowed for user innovation. I started to feel that Apple controlled way too much of a user's experience and locked people into using their apps, many of which cost money.

But, I have to say I didn't develop a dislike of Apple back then yet. I just thought that their users were mesmerized and felt an irrational attachment to the iPhone, iPad, iPod, etc. The fanboys annoyed me more than the actual company.

Well, fast forward to today where Apple is making ridiculous claims to "inventing" many universal technologies. It's kind of like Al Gore claiming that he "invented the Internet." The only difference is that Apple has used a swarm of lawyers and the patent office to attempt to seize control of the smart phone market where it sees its own market share slipping. Instead of spending money on innovation and coming out with something truly revolutionary, they have chosen to litigate the Hell out of the competition hoping to smack them down into submission.

This is despicable behavior. It has glimmers of the reasons so many people seemed to hate Microsoft. Apple is fast becoming what they seemed to stand against. Instead of focusing on real innovation and creating real quality, they have chosen to use their gigantic profits to use the courts to make sure that no one else can compete with them.

That is the problem I have with Apple. And that's why I won't buy another Apple product. I was an Apple fan. I should have been. I grew up with their products. And those products were good products. But this latest under-handed under-cutting of the competition instead of focusing on development and innovation has me avoiding all Apple products.

It's not just a gut reaction though. If you have to spend most of your profits on lawyers to squelch your competition, you must not have anything truly innovative or of value in your pipeline. Your company must be standing on crap if it's forced to resort to the courts instead of selling your product. Apparently they don't have confidence that their products are superior if they must use the courts to keep themselves competitive. As a consumer, I have to say that the message is clear.

So, that was a giant side-line and perhaps I've hijacked my own thread.

Well, back on topic...

I do hope that Motorola/Google and Sprint will have something amazing by Q4 for me to snatch up. If not, no biggie. That LTEvo seems pretty sweet.

EngineofRuin · Jun 22, 2012

So Moto might not have anything out until later this year?

Really don't want to wait for a possible followup, that may not happen. It'll be the LTEEVO or SSG3 if I decide to pull the trigger. Though that sealed battery with HTC kills me.

Citizen Coyote · Jun 22, 2012

simcha said:
Well, fast forward to today where Apple is making ridiculous claims to "inventing" many universal technologies. It's kind of like Al Gore claiming that he "invented the Internet." The only difference is that Apple has used a swarm of lawyers and the patent office to attempt to seize control of the smart phone market where it sees its own market share slipping. Instead of spending money on innovation and coming out with something truly revolutionary, they have chosen to litigate the Hell out of the competition hoping to smack them down into submission.

This is despicable behavior. It has glimmers of the reasons so many people seemed to hate Microsoft. Apple is fast becoming what they seemed to stand against. Instead of focusing on real innovation and creating real quality, they have chosen to use their gigantic profits to use the courts to make sure that no one else can compete with them.

That is the problem I have with Apple. And that's why I won't buy another Apple product. I was an Apple fan. I should have been. I grew up with their products. And those products were good products. But this latest under-handed under-cutting of the competition instead of focusing on development and innovation has me avoiding all Apple products.

It's not just a gut reaction though. If you have to spend most of your profits on lawyers to squelch your competition, you must not have anything truly innovative or of value in your pipeline. Your company must be standing on crap if its forced to resort to the courts instead of selling your product. Apparently they don't have confidence that their products are superior if they must use the courts to keep themselves competitive. As a consumer, I have to say that the message is clear.

Amen. I've always liked Apple products, and the company didn't bother me until they went ape and started suing every single Android OEM on the planet. It wasn't the lawsuits themselves that got me, though, it was Apple's demand that Android phones be pulled from shelves and kept from consumers' hands. Also, half of Apple's "innovations" came from buying other companies, rather than developing something on their own. They're just really good at smooshing all those pieces together into a pretty glass and aluminum package.

In contrast, Microsoft's suing of Android OEMs doesn't bother me that much. Yeah, it's annoying, and it's crap that MS is relying on ridiculous patents to waste time and money. In the end however all MS wants is money. Give them a cut and they happily go on their way. Maybe it's underhanded, but it's business. Apple on the other hand just seems to be pursuing Jobs' petty vendetta, and the sheer noise coming out of Cupertino and Apple fans is worse than fingernails on a chalkboard. "But we just want our competition to innovate instead of copy!" Bull. Apple doesn't want Android to innovate, they want it to suck and die a quick death as a result.

I do hope that Motorola/Google and Sprint will have something amazing by Q4 for me to snatch up. If not, no biggie. That ELTevo seems pretty sweet.

A pure Google Moto phone would be sweet (especially if it has a screen like the LTEvo, mmmm). I really hope we see one this year. If not, I see a white LTEvo or GS3 in my future.

drexappeal · Jun 22, 2012

Citizen Coyote said:
Amen. I've always liked Apple products, and the company didn't bother me until they went ape and started suing every single Android OEM on the planet. It wasn't the lawsuits themselves that got me, though, it was Apple's demand that Android phones be pulled from shelves and kept from consumers' hands. Also, half of Apple's "innovations" came from buying other companies, rather than developing something on their own. They're just really good at smooshing all those pieces together into a pretty glass and aluminum package.

In contrast, Microsoft's suing of Android OEMs doesn't bother me that much. Yeah, it's annoying, and it's crap that MS is relying on ridiculous patents to waste time and money. In the end however all MS wants is money. Give them a cut and they happily go on their way. Maybe it's underhanded, but it's business. Apple on the other hand just seems to be pursuing Jobs' petty vendetta, and the sheer noise coming out of Cupertino and Apple fans is worse than fingernails on a chalkboard. "But we just want our competition to innovate instead of copy!" Bull. Apple doesn't want Android to innovate, they want it to suck and die a quick death as a result.

A pure Google Moto phone would be sweet (especially if it has a screen like the LTEvo, mmmm). I really hope we see one this year. If not, I see a white LTEvo or GS3 in my future.

Right on CC. As much as I love Android, I've never really been an Apple "hater." I think they have very good products and would still recommend them to people based on those people's personalities. That said, Steve Jobs took such a whack stance when it came to technology that it really started to make me lean more towards being an Apple hater. Even their purchase of Siri and people making it out to be something that was "innovative." If only the people in the public were informed properly that Apple didn't invent that ish, it'd be a completely different story. Siri already existed and voice commands already existed (dating back to Windows Mobile phones). Apple just used their $$$$ to market the product well and essentially manipulate consumers into thinking that it was this "innovative" product, when it wasn't.

The best skit I've seen is the Mad TV skit of the iRack! That, to me, embodies everything that Apple currently is, as far as their business strategy is concerned. Even though they make better quality products than what was shown in that skit, it still represented how Apple has really focused on just marketing and selling the products as the best thing since sliced bread, when in reality...there are other products that are just as good and possibly better suited for other consumers. Their goal of going after Android or anybody that's close to competing with them, only hurts the consumers. There are "die hard" apple consumers out there, but I will never fall into that rat race. I'm in the rat race for a living, so no reason to bring that into my personal life.

simcha · Jun 25, 2012

The annoying thing about some fanboys is that they should know better. I have a friend who does design and web development. He constantly slams Windows and Microsoft products. Also he slams Android. He uses all platforms because a designer is forced to make their products cross-compatible. (I used to be in the business myself.) He not only strongly prefers Apple products and platforms but he sees absolutely no flaws with any Apple products and platforms. That's just irrational blindness. Having worked on many platforms and on many different brands of hardware, I came to realize that each platform and brand of hardware came with its own "idiosyncrosies," to be polite. When one becomes irrational about tools that one must use to carry out your business, that is dangerous for your business. It's foolish. It's short-sighted. Your customers are going to prefer the hardware and the platforms that they feel comfortable using. If you can't develop for them because you irrationally avoid the platforms and hardware they use, then you're losing money.

I like Android because I like what Android has to offer me. It's that simple. I don't hate Apple products or their platforms. I hate their business practices.

Well, I still hope Motorola and Sprint has something good in store for us.

drexappeal · Jun 25, 2012

simcha said:
Well, I still hope Motorola and Sprint has something good in store for us.

I'm hoping there'll be a pleasant surprise during or after Google I/O. It's just a couple days away, so we'll see what's in store (if anything).

Citizen Coyote · Jun 26, 2012

simcha said:
I like Android because I like what Android has to offer me. It's that simple. I don't hate Apple products or their platforms. I hate their business practices.

Well, I still hope Motorola and Sprint has something good in store for us.

Couldn't have said it better myself. And likewise, here's hoping our patience will be rewarded!

clgwli · Jun 30, 2012

Citizen Coyote said:
Couldn't have said it better myself. And likewise, here's hoping our patience will be rewarded!

I agree as well!

I admit I hope the new Moto is a slider. I had one on my Samsung (not Epic). I loved the slider part but hated the issues that came with owning a Samsung.

I will not consider a Samsung again - or at least for a very long time. The HTC Evo LTE would have been on my list if it had a removable battery. That is an absolute deal breaker for me. In fact I wish my tablet had a removable battery but oh well.

Personally the only thing I do not like on my MoPho is the lack of a keyboard. But if a new moto phone isn't significantly different than the MoPho I'll stick with it until it dies. If the new one is a slider- I will buy it in a heart beat.

Citizen Coyote · Jul 3, 2012

Looks like the Photon Q is legit. Still no official confirmation of the keyboard, but the phone itself cleared the FCC. I expect it to have a qwerty slider, though. That will make some people here happy, but for me it means hoping that Moto releases a Nexus device at the holidays.

drexappeal · Jul 3, 2012

Closer to knowing the truth soon:

http://androidforums.com/4608458-post570.html

Although, part of me still believes this isn't the true "successor" to the Photon, just a complimentary device to the original Photon w/ a qwerty keyboard (just like the EVO Shift was to the original EVO). Reason I say that is, the model number that the device has been given is XT897. That's extremely different from the original MoPho, which was MB855. Not that Motorola isn't allowed to do that, but I'd think they'd keep the "true" successor model number close to what the original was, just like we're seeing with the Atrix 3 (aka Dinara) for ATT and the Razr HD for Verixon.

How great would that be if Motorola shocks us and announces two (2) devices. One with and one without a keyboard...Then again, the FCC only shows 1 filing, so that's probably wishful thinking.

drexappeal · Jul 3, 2012

This website seems to be keeping track of all the rumored specs and whatnot:
Motorola Photon Q 4G LTE XT897 (Motorola Asanti) Detailed Specs | Technical Datasheet | PDAdb.net

drexappeal · Jul 3, 2012

LOL...I bet you this is where the rumors of it being a "candybar" type qwerty came from:

Ħ

drexappeal · Jul 3, 2012

Tried to do a little 'bit of guesstimating here, based on the model number of the recent FCC passing. Looks like the most recent FCC clearance is for a Qwerty Motorola (aka Motorola Photon Q), if they're keeping consistent with the model number they gave the Droid 4.

Qwerty Phones
Motorola Droid = A855
Motorola Droid 2 = A956
Motorola Droid 3 = XT862
Motorola Droid 4 = XT894
Motorola Photon Q (?) = XT897

Non-Qwerty Phones
Motorola Atrix = MB860
Motorola Photon = MB855
Motorola Atrix 2 = MB865
Motorola Atrix 3 (?) = MB866
Motorola Droid Razr/Razr Maxx = XT912
Motorola Droid Razr HD (?) = MT887

So, for those of us hoping that Sprint gets a "non-Qwerty" Photon in LTE form w/ Razr Maxx battery and Razr HD specs, I guess we'll just have to keep looking out for model numbers similar to the Droid Razr's or 1 higher than the Photon, for a "true" successor to the Photon.

ljbad4life · Jul 4, 2012

drexappeal said:
Tried to do a little 'bit of guesstimating here, based on the model number of the recent FCC passing. Looks like the most recent FCC clearance is for a Qwerty Motorola (aka Motorola Photon Q), if they're keeping consistent with the model number they gave the Droid 4.

Qwerty Phones
Motorola Droid = A855
Motorola Droid 2 = A956
Motorola Droid 3 = XT862
Motorola Droid 4 = XT894
Motorola Photon Q (?) = XT897

Non-Qwerty Phones
Motorola Atrix = MB860
Motorola Photon = MB855
Motorola Atrix 2 = MB865
Motorola Atrix 3 (?) = MB866
Motorola Droid Razr/Razr Maxx = XT912
Motorola Droid Razr HD (?) = MT887

So, for those of us hoping that Sprint gets a "non-Qwerty" Photon in LTE form w/ Razr Maxx battery and Razr HD specs, I guess we'll just have to keep looking out for model numbers similar to the Droid Razr's or 1 higher than the Photon, for a "true" successor to the Photon.

I would like to point out that the droid razr/razor maxx and the droid razr HD bucked the naming/model name trend and both are the most recent of motorola's lineup. So that could indicate that motorola is changing how they name models.

IMHO Sprint doesn't have a high end landscape qwerty smartphone (not since the original epic) and that leaves a space in Sprint's line up for the Photon Q.

I just hope that the Photon Q isn't to bulky, I've gotten so good at using swype that I wouldn't use the keyboard unless it's to play a game.

drexappeal · Jul 4, 2012

ljbad4life said:
I would like to point out that the droid razr/razor maxx and the droid razr HD bucked the naming/model name trend and both are the most recent of motorola's lineup. So that could indicate that motorola is changing how they name models.

IMHO Sprint doesn't have a high end landscape qwerty smartphone (not since the original epic) and that leaves a space in Sprint's line up for the Photon Q.

I just hope that the Photon Q isn't to bulky, I've gotten so good at using swype that I wouldn't use the keyboard unless it's to play a game.

Yeah, I did notice the change with the Razr line, but the Atrix 3 is still keeping along the same/similar pattern, so I'm not convinced Motorola is completely changing their model numbering.

Don't get me wrong. I don't mind it at all, especially for the family on my secondary line that'll be getting this phone, who went from the EPIC to iPhone 4s, but missed the keyboard a lot. I feel much more comfortable with a Motorola vs. a Samsung device. Too many unpredictable issues with the Epic. I agree about the bulkiness. Although, if the Droid 4 is any indicator, the thickness will be about the same as the current Photon (based on measurements).

All that said, I just hope that a true successor to the MoPho does come out eventually. A Razr HD with a kickstand = perfect.

Will Motorola Make A Photon II LTE?

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