I will preface this with some important information. I am for all intents and purposes a Motorola "
fan boy", "
sympathizer" and "
apologist" ... I have had nothing but Motorola phones since the day the Atrix 4G was released in 2011. When the Nexus program gained some steam I promised myself I'd get a Nexus if Moto ever made one. Now all that said, I will try to be objective with this review.
I picked it up on Saturday the 29th about Mid-day. I have had a couple days to get it set up and dialed in and a couple days of "regular use". I am not unlocked or rooted, it's the AT&T version 32GB Midnight blue, still "stock".
Design: This is more with regard to 5.0 Lollipop - phenomenal. I really like the upgrade it really is everything that was promised. I like the new features in the pull down menu, the new multi-tasking look and feel, material design overall is very pleasing to my eye. Additionally, the speed with which you can get to what you need is exceptional. I also like the ambient display but I came from the Moto X so that was to be expected.
Hardware: This is why I love Motorola. Solid feel, small bezels, wonderful screen, I love the button placement compared to the smaller Moto X, it was in my opinion very intuitive to place the buttons there where you can easily reach them while it's in hand. I do agree that I have bumped them accidentally once or twice while pocketing it. Hoping a case helps with that. The feel in hand is amazing the materials used are very pleasing and it feels like a premium flagship device. So far functionally it's been flawless, radios are wonderful for calls, WiFi and Bluetooth.
Size:
Dude are you blind? It's freaking huge, get used to it, get over it, or move along and leave it for people that like it
Performance: It was reported that the encryption slows it down...I have not noticed this.
IT SCREAMS.
Speakers: My wife has the HTC One M8 ... I WAS jealous. No more, this is hands down the most impressive sounding phone I have ever had anything to do with. I will probably sell my BT Speakers ....just don't need them anymore. You will not be disappointed with the sound this phone produces.
Camera: So far so good. Honestly I am not sure why people were not happy with it. I am getting good shots even in not so great lighting.
Call Quality: I touched on this in design but
BAM, crisp clear and flawless. (Primary reason I have stayed with Motorola over the years, it's a phone first and dang they make great phones)
Battery Life: Averaging 20+ hours of (
MY) normal use. I can't complain, it's double what I was getting out of my Moto X - and I do have the Moto 360 paired 24/7. (EDIT) - I vastly understated my battery life, I'm looking at an average closer to 36 hours at this point - and it blows my mind.
Overall impression: It will take some getting used to size wise, no doubt, but Motorola's intuitive design language makes it smaller feeling than it is in reality. I wanted the best phone for my money and I debated the Moto X 2014, the Nexus 6 and trying to get the international Moto Maxx. I do not regret my decision to pull the trigger when opportunity knocked and I found a Nexus 6 in store at my local AT&T. This truly is a spectacular device, thoughtful in it's design, exemplary performance, fantastic software all put together in a way that makes it a real pleasure to use. I think it's obvious this phone marks a fundamental shift in what Google is trying to do, both in design and marketing/sales - I for one am glad they went the route of showcasing their "best & brightest" in a true flagship phone with market leading specs and phenomenal hardware design.
Remember I warned you that I like me some Motorola.
NOW GO OUT AND GET YOU ONE, SERIOUSLY GET UP OFF YOUR DUFF AND GET IT, YOU WILL LOVE IT!