Questions about Moto X Pure

Define "Google bloatware" and yes you can root and un-root a phone. However, I am not sure if the rooting voids the warranty on an X pure.

 

Not much on rooting in the Moto XPE sub forum so take a look here.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/moto-x-style/general/guides-how-to-guides-beginners-t3200808
Had mine for several months now and haven't felt the need to root yet. All pre installed Apps that I don't use I was able to disable. A lot less bloat than most Carrier branded phones.

 

Unlocking the bootloader voids warranty

 

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=64624664&postcount=454
Also good info

 

XDA has a whole post on turning off the crap. The hardest thing is contacts since almost everything gets info from your Gmail account. Once you get contacts in - Rocket Dialer and I assume EX Dialler back them up in a local file. I saw the backup when digging in storage.
You can't just insert VCF files. and I've never had any contacts in Gmail. I use a different service and Aquamail to get it.

Piktures and Camera Fv5 are much better than what comes with the phone, and Nova Launcher works great. You can hide the search bar. You can disable Photos which in some ways sound worse that Picasa. Picasa would keep all your thumbnails even if you deleted the picture. There were questions here about why deleted photos were still in the album

I like the phone better than the Nexus 4- I simply don't care for LG or Samsung. If Oppo ever gets all the TMO bands, the Moto X Pure is history.

I've stuck all my ringtones and notifications in, The worst thing about the phone is the storage - it's easy to get into debugging so you can transfer files, but getting a file to where you want it can be another story. Usually the app that you are trying to restore will TELL you where to put the backup and in what file.
If you just copied the file into another folder - that's where it gets hard to move. I found it easier to plug the phone into the computer and transfer files that way.

I have disabled OK Google and any other voice. I refuse to have AI squawking at me. Maps didn't come preinstalled - I didn't see it. I'm also using plain GPS for location. The other 2 location services want to report back to the mothership.

 

Not really sure how Google apps can be defined as bloatware when they are the ones that made the OS, and that some of their apps are therefore the default apps for that OS.

 

Bloatware since they are not needed. I for one am not talking to any AI, be it Google, Siri, or Cortana. I prefer written directions when looking for an address, since I have a fairly good memory and it only takes a glance rather than the time it takes for AI to respond. I don't do social networks since I am not interested in the general junk like Facebook. I also do not use Google search or GMail as main email . I also prefer to use the computer for most things as it's easier to see, type and correct mistakes. Most wanted info can wait until I get home.

I can also back up to an external hard drive easier. I won't use cloud storage. I want total control of my own stuff.
TMO has Binge on and something else for music. Those don't affect me as I have video and sound mostly off. I have At Bat, since I subscribe to MLB, and I use an old Acer ICS wifi only tablet for that. I do use the phone for scores and highlights. Data is mostly used for looking up something needed and other information.

I can also pull out the cable if anything dicey starts to download on a laptop. I can run NoScript, ABLatitude, a firewall and MBAM - anti-exploit, plus my choice of AV.

I don't want local ads. I don't shop locally and don't care what the town has to offer. since I like cameras - I'd take an ad from Canon, Nikon, Sony direct rather than a reseller whom I won't use anyway. The same with phones. I don't buy from the carrier. I'll look the phone up on GSMarena.

The phone is very handy and convenient for apps and information I do want at my fingertips. All of those apps will function without data. They have to. Dark skies for astronomy are not always where there is service from any carrier, and the same goes for birding. Having all these apps on the phone plus my camera manuals saves my back on nature walks. I don't have to carry physical books.

It's good the apps and utilities are there for those that need and want, but some of us don't. One size doesn't fit all. Never has, never will.

 

I have about 9 pre installed Apps dissable versus over 51 frozen with Titanium Backup on my rooted S5 Active. AT&T/Samsung loves bloat.

 

I will say one thing - I bought Camera FV5. The claim that you can see the screen in the sun is true - you can see it, not well, but enough to know what you are looking at. The lens is also pretty sharp.
Every other phone I've had showed nothing in bright light.

 

A couple of points to bear in mind before responding here:

1. ALL officially-licensed Android handsets come with the core Google apps (Gmail, Maps, Play Store etc) installed.

2. ALL pre-installed apps can be disabled via Settings/Apps. If you don't want/need them, a couple of clicks will make them disappear. You can't uninstall them without rooting because they're part of the firmware, but any space recovered would anyway be useless as the /system partition isn't usable for user data.

2. One person's "bloatware" is another's essentials, so please don't project your own prejudices/choices onto the OP. Please keep comments objective.

 

In my case, Motorola camera crashed and wouldn't run. Since I use a DSLR anyway, Camera FV5 made more sense.
You can't fault the hardware for the camera - the screen has nothing to do with the camera app. The screen and hardware have the resolution, not the camera software. This is the first phone I've had that I can see the screen in daylight, and I find that rather impressive. Even some e-ink can't be seen in the sun. The sound isn't too bad. The player does play MID files.
I think I had to install an player for MID on both a Nexus 4 and an Oppo. The file system isn't half bad - I like the pop up that lets you select USB for charging only, pictures, or files. You don't have to go hunting for debugging for files. 4.3 on the Oppo had permissions, so I'm glad to see that on the X Pure.