What has Google just done?!?

[tdizzel]

So Google is spending $500 to market the X. In other words they are going to market the hell out of an underwhelming, outdated phone that didn't deliver on the hype.

Holy crap, we just watched Google turn into Apple.

 

[chris2k5]

So Google is spending $500 to market the X. In other words they are going to market the hell out of an underwhelming, outdated phone that didn't deliver on the hype.

Holy crap, we just watched Google turn into Apple.

I think it is worse than Apple. At least Apple includes some premium materials and software that runs smoothly on the lower specs. We all know Android isn't going to run smooth on the Moto X and the screen is really bad.

 

[aco905]

Totally agree. I was excited for this phone. I'll wait for the N5.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[niko_orsini]

So, it will only work with carriers and in the US.
I was hoping for an unlocked and off-contract version, so I could use it in Europe.
How foolish I was.

 

[return_0]

I think it is worse than Apple. At least Apple includes some premium materials and software that runs smoothly on the lower specs. We all know Android isn't going to run smooth on the Moto X and the screen is really bad.

No, Android will actually run beautifully on the Moto X. There have been lots of announcements about software optimizations. And from the videos of official Moto X units I've seen, it runs very smoothly.

 

[Rule9]

So in summary this phone has a nice outer casing, let's you put on custom backings from the factory for cosmetics, has a decent camera, mid range specs, and uses a lot of voice features and watches whether it's in your pocket or car etc. For roughly the same price as an S4 or HTC One with more recent hardware. With only one carrier so far getting the 32GB.

 

[ottscay]

Honestly, I think this was a smart move on Motorola's part. Making a phone for the sorts of people who purchase iPhones rather than the sort of people who buy hero-spec phones from Samsung or HTC makes a heck of a lot of sense, as that market has been extremely underserviced by Android devices.

Now I personally am going to hold out for the next Nexus - which is the phone Google builds for people like us each year (with various GP Editions of other hero devices thrown in for the richer/less patient of us). But I would definitely recommend this phone to my wife or parents when they are looking for a smartphone. That said, Moto's assault on more casual users would be better served if they can push the pricing down in the coming 3-5 months (especially for the unlocked variant).

 

[Rule9]

Honestly, I think this was a smart move on Motorola's part. Making a phone for the sorts of people who purchase iPhones rather than the sort of people who buy hero-spec phones from Samsung or HTC makes a heck of a lot of sense, as that market has been extremely underserviced by Android devices..

Except the sorts of people who buy iPhones will simply buy iPhones, not this one.

 

[ryanr509]

I don't even think this phone is in the same category as the iphone. Its a tank. 4.7 inch screen and 10mm thick put it in the big phone category and not in the same category as the iPhone.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[Nelson Guerrero]

Except the sorts of people who buy iPhones will simply buy iPhones, not this one.

yup... and those who dont buy iphones will buy the Galaxy S4. And if not the Galaxy S4 then the HTC One... all before the Moto X and they are all 200 dollars.

 

[ottscay]

Except the sorts of people who buy iPhones will simply buy iPhones, not this one.

Some of them for sure. I can tell you that one of my best friends and his wife both started with Android phones (he with various HTC Droid phones, her with Verizon Galaxy devices) and she eventually chose to go with an iPhone because the Galaxy felt too techy and didn't appear to offer the same quality of life as the iPhone. It wasn't an easy decision for her (she was giving up her app purchases, and really liked streaming Google Music...although it killed the battery of the GS2) and had a more appropriate Android device been around she probably wouldn't have switched. Of course when she got a tablet a year or so later it was an iPad since by then she had bought into that ecosystem. Had the Moto X been around it could have been a very different story.

Maybe this strategy will crash and burn on them, but the casual smartphone user base is larger than the really tech-oriented one, and as HTC has shown with the One even producing a superior product may not be enough to wrest sales away from Samsung this cycle. Whereas if Moto could nab even 5-10% of potential iPhone buyers they'd have a hit on their hands.

 

[lets_go_android]

yup... and those who dont buy iphones will buy the Galaxy S4. And if not the Galaxy S4 then the HTC One... all before the Moto X and they are all 200 dollars.

Yep, agreed. It's not a bad phone at all. But if they're shooting for that market segment and are starting from 0, they have to do better than the current leaders in order to succeed or even survive with enough market share. The Moto X needed to be this good and undercut the iPhone5/S4/One in price or be significantly better. It doesn't seem to me like they've succeeded at either.

 

[Jerry Hildenbrand]

People I've talked to this morning who have been using it say it runs every bit as smooth or smoother than the N4 or HTC One, and runs rings around the S4. Makes sense, because you're not burdening the CPU with power management and so many event listeners, because those have dedicated microprocessors. Remember, the X has 1 dual core CPU and two single core processors. Paired with the same GPU as the S600, it flies. I'm excited.

Or I was, until I saw it was a carrier phone.

 

[ottscay]

Yep, agreed. It's not a bad phone at all. But if they're shooting for that market segment and are starting from 0, they have to do better than the current leaders in order to succeed or even survive with enough market share. The Moto X needed to be this good and undercut the iPhone5/S4/One in price or be significantly better. It doesn't seem to me like they've succeeded at either.

I think they will be able to make a very compelling argument that it's the Android answer to the iPhone: it actually has better specs than the iPhone 5, it's touchless voice control looks like a much better version of Siri, it packs a screen that is significantly larger into almost the same overall size (with apparently fantastic hand feel) and comes with personal customization to boot (although they need to roll that out to all carriers ASAP).

Half a billion dollars can drive these points home quite effectively I suspect. Certainly I can see why they felt that targeting that segment of buyers made more sense in the U.S. than chasing after the diminishing returns of "most techy" Android handset.

 

[Kevin OQuinn]

People I've talked to this morning who have been using it say it runs every bit as smooth or smoother than the N4 or HTC One, and runs rings around the S4. Makes sense, because you're not burdening the CPU with power management and so many event listeners, because those have dedicated microprocessors. Remember, the X has 1 dual core CPU and two single core processors. Paired with the same GPU as the S600, it flies. I'm excited.

Or I was, until I saw it was a carrier phone.

Exactly.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk HD

 

[philly]

I have to agree my anger has subsided a bit now. I can see how this phone is good for motorola and google as a competitor to the iphone.

I do think the new iphone is going to make the power comparisons no longer viable. moto x is not the phone for me unless I find it on amazon or wirefly for cheaper than whatever they sell the droid mini for.

If my wife wasn't expecting twins by the end of the year and I could not be so shrude with my money I would just wait for the LG G2 and pay whatever they want for it.

 

[briankariu]

Saw the price and I was whaaaaat. Lets face it, the tech crowds influence alot of tech purchases (cue the nexus 4). Lets face it, would you recommend this phone to a friend or a family member over the HTC one or the s4? Be honest now.
At the 300-400$ range, this would have sold out and have people lining out of bestbuy to get it.
Now, its just a meeh device. Too little for the money it's asking

Posted via Android Central App

 

[lets_go_android]

I think they will be able to make a very compelling argument that it's the Android answer to the iPhone: it actually has better specs than the iPhone 5, it's touchless voice control looks like a much better version of Siri, it packs a screen that is significantly larger into almost the same overall size (with apparently fantastic hand feel) and comes with personal customization to boot (although they need to roll that out to all carriers ASAP).

Half a billion dollars can drive these points home quite effectively I suspect. Certainly I can see why they felt that targeting that segment of buyers made more sense in the U.S. than chasing after the diminishing returns of "most techy" Android handset.

Ok, I suppose you could be right. With good marketing, who knows what could happen. Although I disagree with their pricing decision, I do hope they don't completely fail, for the sake of their attempt to do manufacturing in the U.S.

 

[Woosh]

Saw the price and I was whaaaaat. Lets face it, the tech crowds influence alot of tech purchases (cue the nexus 4). Lets face it, would you recommend this phone to a friend or a family member over the HTC one or the s4? Be honest now.
At the 300-400$ range, this would have sold out and have people lining out of bestbuy to get it.
Now, its just a meeh device. Too little for the money it's asking

Posted via Android Central App

If they were on AT&T and wanting an upgrade, yes I would. But thats just at face value, I'll have to see reviews and go play with the devices myself to know for sure.

 

[ultravisitor]

Saw the price and I was whaaaaat. Lets face it, the tech crowds influence alot of tech purchases (cue the nexus 4). Lets face it, would you recommend this phone to a friend or a family member over the HTC one or the s4? Be honest now.

Yes. Motorola's have great battery life and radios. The X is also not filled with a bunch of crappy software "enhancements" that many people, like my sisters, who carry a RAZR MAXX and a Galaxy Nexus (she doesn't root it or anything) will never use--like Blinkfeed, all the various camera tricks offered by HTC and Samsung, S-everything, etc. The software is simple enough for them to use and contains features that they actually do want, such as voice activation.

So yeah. I will totally recommend this phone because it offers what they want and need. However, I know the sister with the RAZR MAXX will likely want the DROID MAXX.

Sorry. Was that not the answer you were looking for?