Congratulations on the new phone. Do drop in on occasion & let us know what we're missing out on w/ICS(& just announced soon to be released JellyBean).

 

Yep, enjoy your new phone! I've had my eye on it as well (and some others) but not sold yet.

 

Congrats! Keep us posted on things you like / don't like in comparison to the MoPho experience.

 

Wish you the best with your new Samsung phone, though I suspect you will wish you had the excellent radios that Motorola provides. The last Samsung I had dropped calls constantly. But perhaps you are in a strong signal area and it won't matter..

 

Isn't that phone quite a bit larger than the Photon? I've been thinking about upgrading to it as well but the size really holds me back.

 

I would heavily consider the S3, but I need a global phone. What I don't understand is that the Verizon variant is a world phone (with an update coming like they did for some of their other android smart phones).

Is the sprint S3 world phone capable, but they have it disabled(with an embedded sim card)?

 

??? From what I read, any of the verizon phones that have been made world capable are restricted to verizon intenational rates and the sim is locked. If the sprint version is givin international capabilities, I'd imagine it'd be the same as the photon q with a locked sim.

Only recent sprint phone with an unlocked/replacable sim, in recent times, is the original photon.

 

I have a feeling sprint is going the embedded sim card route from now on especially since they don't use sim cards for LTE. I also have low hopes for anything else from motorola this year after sprint gave this interview, they said the same thing when Palm was going to crap (word for word), That motorola remains a question mark. It doesn't inspire confidence in Sprint carrying multiple Motorola products .

I have pondered buying the S3 and getting a used unlocked gsm nexus for travel (so my contacts will sync through gmail)...

 

I understand the business model behind it and it makes perfect sense for their purposes. From a consumer standpoint, definitely not favorable.

As for Motorola phones on Sprint...I don't think it's a good comparison with Palm at all. Palm's failures were all relevant to growth with advancement of smartphones and Android's overwhelming impact on the industry. Motorola has already had very good success at Verizon and they're in a better position, now that they're a Google owned company. Google can say that they're taking a "hands-off" approach as much as they want, but ultimately, Motorola is under the Google umbrella now and the #1 goal should be for that arm of the umbrella to generate revenue.

I think your considerations of buying an used/unlocked gsm nexus would probably be your best bet...especially when buying a used phone at a lower cost, you won't worry about it too much if you lose it.

 

That statement by sprint on motorola is not a rosy one. Sprint seems to be distancing itself from Moto, but they leave the door open. Motorola has not turned a profit (a healthy one) since they started using android. They are far more successful with Verizon and they haven't had a hit with sprint in almost 10 years.

I just went down to sprint today and played around with the GS3 and I'm utterly impressed. Build quality is decent (the Evo LTE is sturdier), a little on the mediocre side of things thanks to the cheap feeling plastic, but that's the only thing I didn't like. Screen is great, gestures, camera all great. Video player is frankly awesome. I was perplexed by the 3g speeds.

I did a 3g speed net test on both my photon in the same place, right next to each other. The sprint store is ~1 mile from my house. So my photon on 3g usually gets between 500kbs-1mbs up and 250kbs-500kbs down. The SG3 got 2mbs down and 1.3 mbs up (tested roughly the same 4 times). My photon literally right beside it got 774kbs down and 500kbs up (that's the fastest my mopho got).... every condition was the same (test server, location, etc) Does sprint give better preference to LTE phones on 3g because lte isn't launched yet (in NYC)

I will tell you wimax indoors only hits 2mbs so that's the same as the SG3, so that alleviates my concern over data speeds, but I have become accustomed to talking and surfing at the same time.

 

1st, Verizon had an exclusive on Motorola android phones, until att released the atrix....partially due to the original Droid. Sprint hadn't even released a Motorola superphone until the photon last year, so how do you equate not having sales/success, if you don't have any top android phones available?

That's like saying sony's phones haven't been successful on sprint...well, of course not. They haven't had a anything offered, that would really compete in years.

 

No, being a success does not mean it has to be/offer a superphone. Nokia for years rocked the low end all the way to the high end. That's like saying if a car company doesn't sell a car worth 100k, does 0-60 in under 4 seconds, that it can't be successful.

Motorola has always sold on sprint (particularly when sprint and nextel merged). Verizon has a hold over certain specific lines (anything droid). Motorola phones have been a near flop outside of the USA sadly and you can't blame Verizon or Sprint for that. Motorola superphones wasn't sold on Att or sprint because they weren't convinced that Motorola could actually sell without a huge media push (that sprint frankly can't afford). It seems the timid sales of the Photon (more sprint's fault than motorola) has convinced sprint that motorola can't cut it and they will only use them to fill in holes in their line up (the photon q fills in the hardware keyboard that the OG epic is leaving). I hope I'm wrong, but that interview has me thinking otherwise...

 

Name any motorola android phone, since android was first introduced, that has been offered on sprint and matches up spec-wise with the best selling androids on sprint. I really thought this discussion was purely regarding android. If we're going back prior to android, then that could apply to many manufacturers that went down the tubes, but if we're talking pure android and debating the best android phones on the market....there's no question, sprint hasn't even given an opportunity for consumers to choose a motorola phone that would provide any consideration over the other oem's offerings. There were nextel phones they offered, but none on the sprint network. And they're not one in the same. Only reason I found that out is I bought one of the motorola nextel phone (w/ a pseudo-android OS) thinking it could use sprint network, but it didn't work at my house. When I called sprint about it, they confirmed that the networks were separate, even though nextel was purchased by sprint. They had the i1 that had android that was on nextel network, but still not comparable to the top android offerings. Again, not until the photon did sprint offer anything worthy of comparing to other phones available.


Btw, why would the talk of non-domestic sales have any impact on U.S. Domestic carriers and what part of the interview has you thinking Sprint views Motorola negatively? There are a ton of android superphones that haven't sold in the U.S., but likely would sell well (asus padfone is one that would likely sell very well). I saw a non-committal view, but not negative. That means that they're not sure. It doesn't mean they're thinking negatively. Huge difference. Sprint is basically taking the position that they can't commit to offering more choices from the manufacturer because they're not even close to having the revenue stream that verizon or att have. They have to take that position as a distant 3rd for U.S. Providers. Their P & L (profit and loss) margin is much smaller than the big 2. And if we are to believe the financial numbers that are reported, sprint hasn't had been taking huge financial losses every quarter (btw, I really don't believe the numbers, but I'm just going on financial reports that have been stated in articles).

 

The only reason I bring up Pre-android is because it was a factor into when motorola first introduced their android handset.If moto failed so many times in a row why would sprint or att want to pick it up? Verizon took a gamble and it paid off. Motorola had a string of of horrible failures ever since the OG Razr.

I agree Sprint should have marketed the Photon a lot better. It had equal/ better specs than other phones last year. When A company gives a neutral statement about a company they partner with, that is a polite way of saying "something went down (badly) and we are going to distance ourselves, but we aren't going to burn that bridge just in case things get better". Sprint would never give that statement about the iphone or samsung. Sprint also gave that same "neutral" statement about blackberry which is seen as dying, but in the next sentence they are "excited" about windows phone.. do you see the difference? or am I reading too much into it (honestly)?

 

Sorry, I have to completely disagree with you. I work for a MAJOR corporation that's in an industry that gives non-commital statements all the time. In every single instance, it's meant to be ambiguous so that the company isn't showing commitment one way or the other. The fact that your interpretation is "negative," is not necessarily correct. That might be your opinion, but I'd venture to ask for facts that would justify that type of interpretation. If Sprint really perceived it that way, they wouldn't even waste their time making the MoPho Q. Motorola's growth under Google is still a BIG unknown, as they've only been an official Google company for a couple months. Why would Sprint think negatively about a company that owns an operating system that they have big time support on and has at least help keep Sprint somewhat relevant as compared to Verizon or ATT.

I think you're reading into it, but I don't feel your interpretation is correct. In business, when companies give non-commital statements, it's because that particular entity/project/arena/etc. is an unknown. Maybe it could succeed, if lead in the right direction. Maybe it could fail. But it's still an unknown. Google is laying off 4000 employees from Motorola, so that they can focus on releasing less mid-range devices throughout the world and concentrate on a similar business model that HTC has taken (less mid-range devices, while focusing on high-end android phones). There's absolutely no way I could see Sprint dropping a company that was barely purchased by Google this year. It just wouldn't be smart business to close the door on a manufacturer, especially one that is a Google entity now.

 

A co-worker of mine just got one of these. For such a large screen, it doesn't feel that much bigger in your hand than the PHOTON. Very nice phone indeed. BTW, he got a case for the phone that actually has a bottle opener on it. How cool is that?! :-D

 

Only thing that concerned me from ur review is the radio. Motorola has really spoiled me with their radios.

 

Yeah, both the sgs3 and ltevo really felt comfortable when I held them. Really like the ergonomics of both phones.

 

I'm sorry but IMHO someone is drinking the moto kool-aid at this point. Moto is getting the scraps left in the sprint line up (a qwerty keyboard). Samsung refused to even let Sprint label the SG3 with the epic label or even modify the device, but Samsung can do this at this point because it's winning.Sprint is even launching another LG device! Mopho q is nothing major, nothing spectacular, just a spot that sprint is filling. I don't work for a company I run one. Distancing yourself (a company) from another company speaks volumes, even to the point were it has and does effect stock prices. In the short term, it is negative in the aspect of expecting more moto device on Sprint. in the long run it's unknown

Motorola has 1-2 years to get things together, a major shake up never produces a gleaming project day one. HTC is hurting badly, so modeling ones self after that is a whole bag of hurt just waiting to happen.

 

Hahaha...thanks floorguy. Keep the comps coming as u have more time with the sgs3

 

How many employees do you have? What industry? And for someone that runs a company, you sure have a lot of free time to post on forums.

Let's not go to insults, cuz I can go there if you want. And trust me, you'll lose. I have the pull here. You're a newb. Better ask around what my position was here prior to deciding to relinquish the title.

Now getting to the "moto koolaid" reference...dude, they've just got purchased by the hottest tech company...officially 2 months ago. I have loved my moto experience, yes, but have never been a fan boy. If anything, you're here trolling to down google and motorola...lol

And how hard is it to not see that short term sprint isn't offering motorola phones...SO many people have been saying that for so long. The real question is WHY? I personally don't feel it's because of lack of faith by Sprint. I think it's because Sprint can't afford to add to the lineup and have stuck with the oem's that have made them the most money the past 2 years in htc and samsung. They're offering another LG device because it likely costs less to carry that unit vs. more moto devices. Being cost-effective is crucial forsprint, especially in their current earnings state.

If we're really looking at Sprint's past history with Motorola (prior to Android) and they really viewed Motorola as you seem to think, then there's absolutely no reason they would've released the original Photon. They would've just kept Motorola in the Nextel family with no intent on giving them a shot for offering high-end android phones. On the contrary, rather than keeping Motorola on that path to obscurity (which it would've been, had they kept offering only Motorola phones on Nextel), Sprint actually decided to take a chance with the Photon without investing a lot of money to see how the returns were. After the Photon had some success (not great, but still likely better than expected), they seem to still be on the fence, and testing how a physical qwerty phone would do attracting more business clients. Sprint's model for Motorola, right now, seems to be geared towards focusing on business clients. Should there be continued success and Google re-vamps Motorola for better profitability, I could easily see Sprint going in the opposite direction as you seem to think they'll go. Blackberry still has a good hold on business clients, however, I see RIM as being in more of a path towards obscurity WAY more than Motorola. Only time will tell and we can probably look back at this thread and find out that both of us are completely wrong. But I honestly see RIM/Blackberry in a bigger dilemma than Motorola and would equate RIM/Blackberry in a closer position to Palm (prior to Palm being bought out by HP and then eventually dismantled completely).