Anyone getting a Moto Z?

[Mike Dee]

Yeah, and last year they offered a pitiful $100 off to droid Maxx owners towards a T2. Many days late and many dollars short. Those timely security updates on the MXPE, non-existent also. There is very good reason why people are not happy with Moto and are skeptical. And yet they still retain enough special qualities to interest some of us.

Agreed..... It would take a lot for me to jump back to Moto

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[Veteater]

Agreed..... It would take a lot for me to jump back to Moto

Posted via the Android Central App

Well, the same would have to go for HTC because not only were their updates not on par, other than the A9, but their phones during that year were all epic fails. Not that either company has an excuse for their absolutely abysmal 2015 in many regards. The thing is, I am more or less the type of person to give a company a second chance if they pick themselves up. HTC: sure, their 2015 was for crap, but if I wasn't on Verizon I would for sure have a 10. Motorola: their downfall came because Lenovo, at the time, had no clue as to what to do with Motorola. I know the wait is somewhat long, but the Z and their G⁴ series might be Motorola's turnaround, as well as the year that Motorola gets their service and update reputability back on track. We shall see. We already know the Moto Z Droid edition series will not get fast updates, since nothing on basically any carrier other than T-Mobile gets decent updates, especially verizon.

 

[Mike Dee]

Well, the same would have to go for HTC because not only were their updates not on par, other than the A9, but their phones during that year were all epic fails. Not that either company has an excuse for their absolutely abysmal 2015 in many regards. The thing is, I am more or less the type of person to give a company a second chance if they pick themselves up. HTC: sure, their 2015 was for crap, but if I wasn't on Verizon I would for sure have a 10. Motorola: their downfall came because Lenovo, at the time, had no clue as to what to do with Motorola. I know the wait is somewhat long, but the Z and their G⁴ series might be Motorola's turnaround, as well as the year that Motorola gets their service and update reputability back on track. We shall see. We already know the Moto Z Droid edition series will not get fast updates, since nothing on basically any carrier other than T-Mobile gets decent updates, especially verizon.

Its not just about fast updates its about broken promises to update on several models and some of them not very old.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[Veteater]

Its not just about fast updates its about broken promises to update on several models and some of them not very old.

Posted via the Android Central App

That is true. I understand that they did not update smartphones when they should've and also stopped support of not-so-old phones, making things awfully inconsistent at best, but that type of thing could've been a fluke, kind of like HTC's 2015 . We might end up having to expect this from Motorola, in turn not purchasing product from them due to it, or they might turn themselves around. As I said, we shall see.

 

[wonderbread]

The S7/E is only better than the Moto Z in some certain things (battery, waterproof, camera) while the moto Z is better in some other things (price, speaker, build quality, software, features) but the potential of the Mods alone just takes the Z into a whole new stratosphere, a level all by itself to be honest.. I don't see any phone competing with that (even if they don't sell)

@veteater. Actually, the Moto Z is made of steel at the back and aluminium at the sides, giving out the effect of glass. Pretty impressive stuff there.
As for me, I'd be going with the standard Moto Z. The Z and its thinness just looks downright premium (The All black one) even making the z force look at little dated when you put them side by side.

Now, for instance, If the Z costs $500, I'd easily get the black battery case ($80) taking the battery capacity to almost 5,000mah, then buy the speaker Mod (that also has 1,000 mah) ($79) and camera Mod for maybe $200 (which will also have its own in built battery) amounting to about $950 then after that, I could buy the projector and the onecompute Mod and what ever comes out down the line..

This will make me use the Z for 2+ years as nothing released next year will have any in-built component that'll be close to being as good as what the Mods will be able to offer. No phone speaker will be better than those JBL speakers, or in built cameras better than those Hasselblad ones, nor will they have projectors inside them nor will they have batteries capacities close to 5,000mah yet, (not to even talk about having all of them possible on just one device) and that's even before we start seeing all the other Mods that might be released down the line adding that the price of the modules will only become cheaper.

So, in the end, I'd rather buy a device to rule them all by spending $1,500 on the Z and modules for 2+ years, than buy a $800 phone this year and another $800 flagship phone next year that will still end up being another run of the mill basic flagship phone you see everywhere. Considering that no phone released in the near future will have the quality of those add on's natively, (except they all go modular).

Yes, but isn't it almost tragic that after investing all that in the platform, it could all be defeated with two seconds in the sink/toilet. Like, if you're going to make such a strong platform that people want to invest in, why not make the phone more durable? Kinda defeats the image of Z "Force" by having it only be shatterproof and not waterproof. I'm also perhaps more focused on this feature since my Turbo died a watery death and I'm using a ****ty S5 loaner.

 

[Veteater]

Yes, but isn't it almost tragic that after investing all that in the platform, it could all be defeated with two seconds in the sink/toilet. Like, if you're going to make such a strong platform that people want to invest in, why not make the phone more durable? Kinda defeats the image of Z "Force" by having it only be shatterproof and not waterproof. I'm also perhaps more focused on this feature since my Turbo died a watery death and I'm using a ****ty S5 loaner.

Well (not that this is an excuse for Moto or anybody else for that matter to not make IPx7 and above phones) the nexus duo isn't any type of waterproof or anything, the only water"proof" Sony of 2016 is the xperia X performance, which is 700 damned dollars, Samsung's phones as of late have a shatter guarantee, and even the s7 active (unlike its s7 and s7 edge siblings, or the s6 active before it) can't pass the water test even with its IP68 rating, so it is effectively a bulky phone with a rubber border around it (not bashing it for its looks, I like the way it looks better than the s7 tbh) with a huge battery (+) that isn't shatterproof or waterproof. Moto shattershield on the X and Z force models at least allows one to replace the top layer when scratched, and will not shatter at all due to being plastic. The s7 active, on the other hand, is only shatter-resistant because it has a decently thick plastic coating over the existing Gorilla Glass 4 display. Not only does it scratch easier than gorilla glass, but due to how the coating is made, it literally melts and bubbles away from the glass when burned (no one would realistically do that) or relegated to hot conditions, like being left in your Camry on a hot SoCal day for example... and the screen will still crack. So other than the larger battery, the active is not worth it. All the bloatware, the $100 price hike up to an insane $800, the fact that the s7 active basically is only splash-proof, or the fact that I could get an s7 (which I would never do) and a life proof and come in cheaper than the active. Oh, also the s6 active literally got marshmallow 3 days ago. Really, phones are only water resistant, if you want waterproof you need a case that is waterproof. I've spilled iced tea on my turbo 2 which I damned near baby so it is in almost pristine condition right now, and it survived, but I wouldn't purposely submerge my device in water.

Another thing: if you had a super-durable phone in every regard, it would basically be made out of a solid chunk of rubber, first off, or a metal unibody sandwiched between two thick coatings of rubber. The screws to access the internals of the phone would be exposed, and would have to go all the way around the device like a samsung. Every port that could get water in it would be covered by a flap, like pre-2015 Sonys, the earpiece, speaker(s) and noise cancelling mics would have a waterproofing nanocoating, even though this nanocoating technology is great on its own. The screen would be shatterproof and built like that of the Moto. The speaker(s) and mics would have to be on the front as to not make cuts/points of entry in the rubber, like the Moto Z. The fingerprint scanner would either be on the front in a setup like the Moto Z's or integrated into the power button, and the phone would have to be at least 8mm thick. Wouldn't be a bad looking phone to me.

 

[wonderbread]

Another thing: if you had a super-durable phone in every regard, it would basically be made out of a solid chunk of rubber, first off, or a metal unibody sandwiched between two thick coatings of rubber. The screws to access the internals of the phone would be exposed, and would have to go all the way around the device like a samsung. Every port that could get water in it would be covered by a flap, like pre-2015 Sonys, the earpiece, speaker(s) and noise cancelling mics would have a waterproofing nanocoating, even though this nanocoating technology is great on its own. The screen would be shatterproof and built like that of the Moto. The speaker(s) and mics would have to be on the front as to not make cuts/points of entry in the rubber, like the Moto Z. The fingerprint scanner would either be on the front in a setup like the Moto Z's or integrated into the power button, and the phone would have to be at least 8mm thick. Wouldn't be a bad looking phone to me.

a
Yeah, so true. I also recently came to the realization that the MotoMods interface would be really hard to waterproof and with phones being hard enough as is, like failed S7 active, to waterproof, they didn't want to complicate the design and interface. On top of that, they of course couldn't insure the water resistance of Mods since it's not any kind of air tight fit. So, I'm now ok with the lack of waterproof rating.

My new disappointment is that there's no physical home button (finger scanner doesn't double as button as you'd expect). When I'm using GPS in the car and a message comes, it's really handy to map the double press of the home button to bring maps back. I'll miss that shortcut. Hopefully a MotoMod will build in a physical button to makeup for that.

 

[Ry]

My new disappointment is that there's no physical home button (finger scanner doesn't double as button as you'd expect). When I'm using GPS in the car and a message comes, it's really handy to map the double press of the home button to bring maps back. I'll miss that shortcut. Hopefully a MotoMod willf build in a physical button to makeup for that.

With Moto Voice, there's no need to touch the phone.

Posted via the Android Central App on the Moto X Pure Edition

 

[wonderbread]

With Moto Voice, there's no need to touch the phone.

Posted via the Android Central App on the Moto X Pure Edition

I never used Moto Voice, so I can't argue that it wouldn't work but let me give you an example of the type of situation. I have Google Nav running with the volume off. I see an intersection is coming up but it's a red light so I switch out of Nav and text someone. Before I know it the light turns green and I need to fumble to get back to the maps app as soon as possible or I'll not know if I should make this next turn. In these situations it's so nice to know that all I need to do is double tap a physical button and it will switch back to Nav. That takes about 2 seconds. How long would Moto Voice take?

 

[Dukins]

Simple answer no. But I will try the Force edition due to bigger battery etc.

 

[Veteater]

So, prices are $624 and $720 like the Turbo 2 last year. Definitely steep. The unlocked Z will probably be about $500, because it isn't CDMA. Still, I might get a Z with the best buy deal (the payment plan, not the contract) and free speaker mod.

 

[benjamminh]

List prices ultimately don't matter unless you pay them rather than the myriad of deals over the next months that will be available.

 

[Veteater]

So, I have finally used a moto z. It was a best buy display unit, but whatever (Initial observations)
-Firstly, it is THIN. Almost twice as thin as my clunky and wide (by comparison) Droid Turbo 2.
-The back of the phone is steel, and did not at all feel like glass. The texture on the steel attracts fingerprints.
-The phone is quite flexible (I tried to bend it a little when no one was looking, as well as flex it, and flex the phone does. It flexes about as much as my Turbo 2, which, for reference, flexes a lot. However, due to the steel back and how well the Z is put together, nothing popped out of the phone unibody and it seemed to "lock out". However, the phone does feel dainty, and as if you are going to break the damned thing, just because of its weight and thickness. So, until JerryRigEverything snaps the thing in half (or doesn't) refrain from putting the phone in skinny jean pockets.
-It is literally the fastest, zippiest phone I have ever used. No kidding.
-The camera is very good, but not LG G5 or GS7 good.
-The fingerprint scanner is NOT crooked, contrary to what Droid Life says. And it is definitely a small scanner. (Disclaimer) every fingerprint scanner on every phone is a little crooked, some more noticeably so.
-The side bezels are slim and so is the top bezel, and the bottom bezel is basically the same size as my turbo 2.
Overall, the phone seems like a very nice phone that needs to be compared against this year's nexus.

 

[1901Madison]

So, I have finally used a moto z. It was a best buy display unit, but whatever (Initial observations)
-Firstly, it is THIN. Almost twice as thin as my clunky and wide (by comparison) Droid Turbo 2.
-The back of the phone is steel, and did not at all feel like glass. The texture on the steel attracts fingerprints.
-The phone is quite flexible (I tried to bend it a little when no one was looking, as well as flex it, and flex the phone does. It flexes about as much as my Turbo 2, which, for reference, flexes a lot. However, due to the steel back and how well the Z is put together, nothing popped out of the phone unibody and it seemed to "lock out". However, the phone does feel dainty, and as if you are going to break the damned thing, just because of its weight and thickness. So, until JerryRigEverything snaps the thing in half (or doesn't) refrain from putting the phone in skinny jean pockets.
-It is literally the fastest, zippiest phone I have ever used. No kidding.
-The camera is very good, but not LG G5 or GS7 good.
-The fingerprint scanner is NOT crooked, contrary to what Droid Life says. And it is definitely a small scanner. (Disclaimer) every fingerprint scanner on every phone is a little crooked, some more noticeably so.
-The side bezels are slim and so is the top bezel, and the bottom bezel is basically the same size as my turbo 2.
Overall, the phone seems like a very nice phone that needs to be compared against this year's nexus.

Interesting. Thanks for the observations!

 

[Bankz111]

Verteater. First of all thanks for all the information you've giving us prior to the announcement of the phone and Mods. But I really believe people have some questions they might want to ask/know especially me and my 4 buddies (who've already ordered anyway, 2 on my recommendation) and I feel like you're in the best position amongst everyone on A/C to help out here. Now, my questions are these.

1. Pls do you have any idea when the camera Mod is being released or why its taking so long? (Pls, u had better manufacture an answer on this one, even if its isn't true, lol. I really need to hear something, anything, LoL)

2. When will the developer kit be released to the public?

3. Do you in any way know or have any information on Mods motorola are working on right now?

Now, even if you don't really tell us precise dates, but at least a time frame period will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance, you're the best.

 

[evan_adams]

The dk is out http://developer.motorola.com/buy/

Looks to me like the grunt work has already been done on mods with a display and temperature. So I'd expect mods for both.

 

[Bankz111]

The dk is out Moto Mods Developer: Buy — Motorola Developer Portal

Looks to me like the grunt work has already been done on mods with a display and temperature. So I'd expect mods for both.

Thanks a lot buddy, but I thought BGR said that it'll come in august or so I read. But if I can get confirmation that its out then I know some people to tell about it. They'd definitely be interested in making one (a 3,150 mah slim battery pack with headphone jack and IR blaster measuring 5mm).

 

[evan_adams]

+ wireless charging please

 

[YAYTech]

Thanks a lot buddy, but I thought BGR said that it'll come in august or so I read. But if I can get confirmation that its out then I know some people to tell about it. They'd definitely be interested in making one (a 3,150 mah slim battery pack with headphone jack and IR blaster measuring 5mm).

Oooh, IR blaster is another potentially sweet addition to a Mod, good call.

 

[evan_adams]

Would be nice to integrate it with an RF remote also but I bet the FCC hassle would be extreme.