Moto X: Do you use touchless control?

[Cozume]

I also wonder if any competing companies like Samsung (who like to throw everything but the kitchen sink into their smartphones) will find a way to include a similar feature

Samsung's features are generally poorly implemented with sloppily written code that bloats their skin and uses too much of the phone's resources, resulting in lag. So they may, but just like S-voice, it won't work as well and it will be sloppily written and use too much of the phone's resources and will result in lag.

I had a GNote 3 with a quad core processor and 3GB of RAM and it still lagged. Why? Sloppily written code in touchwiz.

They throw everything but the kitchen sink into their smartphones, yeah, and none of it works well and it sucks up too much of the phone's resources.

 

[anon(4931742)]

It has been less than 10 days since I got my Moto X. With the new baby, I still trying out different things. So far, I use Touchless controls every now and then to check how it works. But, I doubt if I will use it more often once the NewO'phobia goes off.

My observations:
1. In quiet environment like home, it picks the launch phrase very well most of the time. But, In moderately noisy environment, the recognition is very poor even if I yell at it.

2. For the "Find my phone" command, some times I get the ringer.... And, at other times, it just displays search results for "Find my phone".. Wierd.

3. Since I have trained my voice, it does not picks up my wife's voice or my mother's voice as expected. But, when one of my friend says the launch phrase, the phone recognizes the launch phrase and waits for the command.

4. I see the US language pack is already downloaded. So, I expect the touchless controls (for commands like "Open App", "Call Contact") should work even when Wifi is not there. Is it the expected behaviour? Because when my home Wifi is weak or down, I see some kind of error message that network is not available.

If the recognition can work in moderately noisy place, I personally would like to use this to
a. Call a contact
b. Set an alarm or reminder
c. Open App

 

[davidnc]

Oh yeah I forgot that one . I use it to open certain apps some it works and some it dont. I can say "Ok google Now" > "open Google Wallet app" and it works every time.
I agree it could use some more tweaking though.

 

[Cozume]

3. Since I have trained my voice, it does not picks up my wife's voice or my mother's voice as expected. But, when one of my friend says the launch phrase, the phone recognizes the launch phrase and waits for the command.

how often is your friend going to be doing that around your phone?

4. I see the US language pack is already downloaded. So, I expect the touchless controls (for commands like "Open App", "Call Contact") should work even when Wifi is not there. Is it the expected behaviour? Because when my home Wifi is weak or down, I see some kind of error message that network is not available.

I believe all language processing on Android phones and iPhones use data.

If the recognition can work in moderately noisy place, I personally would like to use this to
a. Call a contact
b. Set an alarm or reminder
c. Open App

Mine does.

 

[ttfn92]

I've used it mostly to set an alarm. It's great for that.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[terrrrrible]

Use it pretty much all of the time. Making phone calls in the car, sending / receiving text messages. Usually don't for navigation because I've already set the route up before I started driving. One thing it needs that everyone else has already mentioned, is the ability to send a message to a hangouts user rather than their cell #.

My friends think it's hilarious / crazy between my phone and my xbox one with all the voice commands that can be done. Hopefully one day they don't start talking to each other though...

 

[jaybee383]

While I don't use it everyday, I use it often enough to consider it a useful and valuable feature (it was one of the selling points for me when I purchased the phone). I primarily use it for setting alarms/reminders, voice-responding to the occasional text while driving, and making calls/texts at home when my hands are full (cooking, cleaning, other chores, handling the kids, etc.).

 

[b_slow1]

I have a side question for Moto X users: If you DON'T use the Touchless Controls, why do you have a Moto X?

Is it because you like another feature on the phone (Active Display, Moto Assist)? (I know there are 3rd party apps that imitate Active Display).
Is it because you THOUGHT you were going to use the Touchless Controls, but now you're just stuck with the phone until your next Upgrade?
Is it because you simply like the styling of the phone and/or have Moto Brand loyalty?

It seems to me that if you don't use the Touchless Controls, you're missing out on the biggest advantage the phone has, and if you're not using it, you're left with a phone that is compromised in other ways compared to its competition.

 

[Gunslinger1981]

Touchless Control is the reason I chose the Moto X over the Nexus 5. I use it everyday. I finally got a text while driving yesterday, so that was fun. If touchless control did not exist, Nexus 5 would have won hands down.

I do have one issue where sometimes the Moto X will try to play some music after I use touchless control, but it never comes up with a song or band, just an error. Very strange.

 

[21stNow]

I have a side question for Moto X users: If you DON'T use the Touchless Controls, why do you have a Moto X?

Is it because you like another feature on the phone (Active Display, Moto Assist)? (I know there are 3rd party apps that imitate Active Display).
Is it because you THOUGHT you were going to use the Touchless Controls, but now you're just stuck with the phone until your next Upgrade?
Is it because you simply like the styling of the phone and/or have Moto Brand loyalty?

It seems to me that if you don't use the Touchless Controls, you're missing out on the biggest advantage the phone has, and if you're not using it, you're left with a phone that is compromised in other ways compared to its competition.

I got a Moto X primarily because the price went down. I was curious about the features of the phone and was attracted to the lack of skin, but still having useful features added to it that you wouldn't find on a Nexus device. I wasn't curious enough to pay $500+ for it, though. I get a lot of phones and don't use all of them as phones. Sometimes, I want to experience phones more than I can if I try the phone in a store. I've thought about the phone rental programs that are out there, but I haven't made the plunge yet.

 

[TBolt]

I use the voice commands quite a lot, and they are especially great when driving. I like it so much, I am actually in the market for a car dock for the first time.

I sent feedback to Motorola a week after receiving the phone - begged them to improve the noise cancelation. The loud tires on the F-150 make voice commands hard to use when the windows are down. lol.

Sent from my moto x using Tapatalk

 

[PiggyMiddle]

It just wastes battery sitting the waiting for me to speak to it.

I use the phone all day and sometimes that means being on for 16 hours. Battery becomes an issue so if stuff wants a place on the phone it must be working hard or not at all.

 

[grooks]

It just wastes battery sitting the waiting for me to speak to it.

I use the phone all day and sometimes that means being on for 16 hours. Battery becomes an issue so if stuff wants a place on the phone it must be working hard or not at all.

The Moto X has a processor dedicated to listening for the 'OK Google Now' command.

 

[tmann202]

The Moto X has a processor dedicated to listening for the 'OK Google Now' command.

which means what, from a user standpoint?

 

[PiggyMiddle]

The Moto X has a processor dedicated to listening for the 'OK Google Now' command.

If that is the case then that would be even worse for the battery. The continuous volatile memory refresh would be a lot less load, but still a load on the battery, than an idling CPU.

These things are like cars, even when standing still in traffic they are idling away their gas mileage. Well, except for those few cars that have an auto-shut-down after a prescribed idle time.

Programming for 35+ years has taught me a little and anything that is not in flash memory is costing battery. And stuff can't run in flash memory as it is actually being managed by it's own inbuilt OS, firmware or whatever one might care to call it. It is not stable nor contiguous memory and thus, not directly accessible by any of the CPU cores so it cannot be used for direct running of a program by the CPU. The program has to be transferred to volatile memory and that costs battery once it is there even if it is doing nothing.

Fini.

 

[tmann202]

If that is the case then that would be even worse for the battery. The continuous volatile memory refresh would be a lot less load, but still a load on the battery, than an idling CPU.

These things are like cars, even when standing still in traffic they are idling away their gas mileage. Well, except for those few cars that have an auto-shut-down after a prescribed idle time.

Programming for 35+ years has taught me a little and anything that is not in flash memory is costing battery. And stuff can't run in flash memory as it is actually being managed by it's own inbuilt OS, firmware or whatever one might care to call it. It is not stable nor contiguous memory and thus, not directly accessible by any of the CPU cores so it cannot be used for direct running of a program by the CPU. The program has to be transferred to volatile memory and that costs battery once it is there even if it is doing nothing.

Fini.

So do you disable it?

 

[ttfn92]

I have a side question for Moto X users: If you DON'T use the Touchless Controls, why do you have a Moto X?

Is it because you like another feature on the phone (Active Display, Moto Assist)? (I know there are 3rd party apps that imitate Active Display).
Is it because you THOUGHT you were going to use the Touchless Controls, but now you're just stuck with the phone until your next Upgrade?
Is it because you simply like the styling of the phone and/or have Moto Brand loyalty?

It seems to me that if you don't use the Touchless Controls, you're missing out on the biggest advantage the phone has, and if you're not using it, you're left with a phone that is compromised in other ways compared to its competition.

I had an iPhone 4s and wanted to get a bigger screen. I saw this one and liked the size and loved the fact that I could design it. It also seemed the closest to iPhone.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[dmark44]

I have a side question for Moto X users: If you DON'T use the Touchless Controls, why do you have a Moto X?

Is it because you like another feature on the phone (Active Display, Moto Assist)? (I know there are 3rd party apps that imitate Active Display).
Is it because you THOUGHT you were going to use the Touchless Controls, but now you're just stuck with the phone until your next Upgrade?
Is it because you simply like the styling of the phone and/or have Moto Brand loyalty?

It seems to me that if you don't use the Touchless Controls, you're missing out on the biggest advantage the phone has, and if you're not using it, you're left with a phone that is compromised in other ways compared to its competition.

Touchless Control was a selling point for me, but Active Display was the feature I was most excited about. I also would rank form factor and great radios (cell, wifi, bluetooth) as even bigger factors in my decision.

Sent from my Moto X

 

[Puzzlegal]

I have a side question for Moto X users: If you DON'T use the Touchless Controls, why do you have a Moto X?

Is it because you like another feature on the phone (Active Display, Moto Assist)? (I know there are 3rd party apps that imitate Active Display).
Is it because you THOUGHT you were going to use the Touchless Controls, but now you're just stuck with the phone until your next Upgrade?
Is it because you simply like the styling of the phone and/or have Moto Brand loyalty?

It seems to me that if you don't use the Touchless Controls, you're missing out on the biggest advantage the phone has, and if you're not using it, you're left with a phone that is compromised in other ways compared to its competition.

I'm surprised people keep asking this. I bought it for its form factor -- I wanted a phone that would fit in my pocket. I was all set to get the Samsung Mini when I learned that the Spring version wouldn't work internationally, and that was a deal killed. The Moto X was pretty much the only phone on the market that had the features I wanted in the form factor I was looking for.

And I'm quite satisfied with it. It is a little glitchy (despite having gotten a replacement from Moto) but it feels really nice in my hand, it fits in my pocket, it has good radios, and it has some bells and whistles that I occasionally use.

The active display is growing on my, although I still miss the led. I don't like the "breathing" thing. Maybe I just have slow reactions, but by the time I notice I have a new notification I want to check out, the screen has gone blank and I need to turn it on to look at the message. Also, I don't always notice whether I have new email or something, because often the screen is black when I happen to glance at it.

 

[davidnc]

I'm surprised people keep asking this. I bought it for its form factor -- I wanted a phone that would fit in my pocket. I was all set to get the Samsung Mini when I learned that the Spring version wouldn't work internationally, and that was a deal killed. The Moto X was pretty much the only phone on the market that had the features I wanted in the form factor I was looking for.

And I'm quite satisfied with it. It is a little glitchy (despite having gotten a replacement from Moto) but it feels really nice in my hand, it fits in my pocket, it has good radios, and it has some bells and whistles that I occasionally use.

The active display is growing on my, although I still miss the led. I don't like the "breathing" thing. Maybe I just have slow reactions, but by the time I notice I have a new notification I want to check out, the screen has gone blank and I need to turn it on to look at the message. Also, I don't always notice whether I have new email or something, because often the screen is black when I happen to glance at it.

If the screen goes blank before you have a chance to check out the notifications. Why not just give the phone a lil nudge to wake the phone back up.Im still loving the active notifications over led light. But I like seeing new ideals and things progress.
There isn't nothing glitchy about active notifications on my Moto X works just as suppose to.



sent from my Moto X