Moto X (2014) No sdcard, does this bother you?

[Scott7217]

As in how many people did not buy the Moto X who would have otherwise had it had a MicroSD card?

Yes, something like that would be useful.

We could also try to estimate how many customers would reject a Moto X with a hypothetical microSD card slot. I suppose in such a situation, customers would flock to devices like the OnePlus One or the Nexus 5 as an alternative.

 

[Aquila]

Yes, something like that would be useful.

We could also try to estimate how many customers would reject a Moto X with a hypothetical microSD card slot. I suppose in such a situation, customers would flock to devices like the OnePlus One or the Nexus 5 as an alternative.

I'm not sure such a study has been done, but I'd ballpark those populations at somewhere near .03% of potential buyers versus .01%. That's completely outside of my position though, as neither potential revenue source could ever approach the expense tradeoff.

XTNiT-1060 through spacetime. Android Central Moderator.

 

[Scott7217]

I'm not sure such a study has been done, but I'd ballpark those populations at somewhere near .03% of potential buyers versus .01%. That's completely outside of my position though, as neither potential revenue source could ever approach the expense tradeoff.

We should also remember that the math skews in favor of a microSD card slot for the Moto G LTE variant. Motorola released the original Moto G in November 2013, then it released the LTE variant in June 2014. So, Motorola is not completely opposed to microSD in principle.

The 2013 Moto G has a list price of about $180. The June 2014 Moto G LTE has a list price of $220. Perhaps adding a microSD card slot to the 2014 Moto X would be around $40 per unit, which is not an unreasonable premium to pay for a flagship phone.

Therefore, we should not rule out the possibility that Motorola would refresh the Moto X in the middle of its product cycle, analogous to what it did with the Moto G.

 

[Aquila]

We should also remember that the math skews in favor of a microSD card slot for the Moto G LTE variant. Motorola released the original Moto G in November 2013, then it released the LTE variant in June 2014. So, Motorola is not completely opposed to microSD in principle.

The 2013 Moto G has a list price of about $180. The June 2014 Moto G LTE has a list price of $220. Perhaps adding a microSD card slot to the 2014 Moto X would be around $40 per unit, which is not an unreasonable premium to pay for a flagship phone.

Therefore, we should not rule out the possibility that Motorola would refresh the Moto X in the middle of its product cycle, analogous to what it did with the Moto G.

You could be right - what they have said is that they're including or excluding features based on the intended markets and the way devices are used in those markets.

 

[radyoactive]

I have a couple of servers at home, (poogplug and tonidoplug) that i can access through their app. No fees other than the cost of the device and hard drive. I also carry large files, mostly movies on a USB to MicroUSB OTG thumb drive. I bought the one in the link below on sale for around $20.

SanDisk Ultra Dual 32GB USB 2.0Micro USB Flash Drive Black SDDD-032G-A46 - Best Buy

 

[Fr3lncr]

Well, count me as one that would have preferred a SD card. I have a 32GB Nexus 5 which is almost full and a Z30 with a 64GB microSD card which has less than 10GB's left.

On my Z30, I keep my music library on the phone (about 5-10GB's), photo library (10-15GB's), and videos/movies for when I travel (20GB's+).

On my Nexus, I prioritize what I carry as I have less than half the space.

I don't store anything on the cloud as it isn't cost effective (I only have 1GB of data p/month which I already eat through fast enough and more GB's is simply too much money), or technically effective (I am not always in place that has decent coverage).

When I had a Nexus 4, it really wasn't enough space for me at all. I could fill up most of that with just apps leaving no room at all for media.

I really like the Moto hardware so I was thinking of dumping the Nexus 5 for the Moto X, but if it doesn't have an SD card slot, then I guess I'll have to wait and hope a 64GB version comes out.

Anyways, it all depends on your needs and everyone's are different, but for me, it means I wont purchase one now and will wait for a 64GB model should it be released.

 

[Aquila]

I really like the Moto hardware so I was thinking of dumping the Nexus 5 for the Moto X, but if it doesn't have an SD card slot, then I guess I'll have to wait and hope a 64GB version comes out.

Last year there was not a 64GB at release but they came out with one later - so I think that's a realistic hope.

 

[Akuma]

Not at all. I can live with 16GB, but I'll make a 32gb version on moto maker

Posted via Android Central App

 

[Bill Hong]

I too would have "liked" to have had an SD card capability, as well as a user-accessible battery.

That said, from an engineering oriented viewpoint I'm not so sure how compatible those attributes would be with the X, given the Motomaker customizability, as well as the overall design, to include its thickness. My take is that to have custom backs on the X, you need to have a structural integrity that makes it difficult to manufacture a swappable back, especially in materials like some of the woods and leathers. If you check out the back removal section for the 1st gen Moto X on ifixit, you'll see an example of a wood back that has NO other reinforcement or backing to the wood. It's likely easier to do with some of the plastic backs, which is why the G can have swappable ones. But even then, the G doesn't have a swappable battery. And to keep the form factor and size, the battery size and design itself may not lend itself to being an easily removable slab of lithium ion power. Others will disagree, but I do not relish the thought of working for Motorola and having to deal with hundreds or thousands of broken or bent backplates in woods and leathers because of ham-handed customers who wanted to change their batteries every other day.

An SD card may be something that's easier to do, especially if it's side-loaded via the metal frame rather than a slot on an opened back. But then, I don't know how much (if any) that would compromise the antenna functions the frame fulfills, as I'm not an RF or an electrical engineer. I've also used an extra SD plugin such as the Meenova in the rare times I wanted to use more than the 32 gB space on my X, but it hasn't been often. It would be great if they offer a 64 gB option down the line, so we'll see.

 

[Scott7217]

You could be right - what they have said is that they're including or excluding features based on the intended markets and the way devices are used in those markets.

We certainly have people using microSD cards with their Android phones in multiple markets, including in the United States. So I'm not sure what market forces would encourage Motorola to exclude microSD card support.

 

[Aquila]

We certainly have people using microSD cards with their Android phones in multiple markets, including in the United States. So I'm not sure what market forces would encourage Motorola to exclude microSD card support.

In their interview AAQ hangout thinger last week they said that people in the US have much greater access to cloud services and utilize it much more than emerging markets. It's not that people don't use them, it's that most people do not need them because alternatives are available. It's not commentary on preferences, but on availability of resources.

 

[Puzzlegal]

I have the 32g Moto X, and have more than 8g free. So apparently, 32g with no sd slot is adequate for my use, despite my not wanting to rely on the cloud. So no, but a significant issue. But I like sd cards.

 

[edgar]

32GB and cloud is sufficient for me

 

[Scott7217]

It's not commentary on preferences, but on availability of resources.

What about HTC, LG, Samsung, and Sony? Have they come to the same conclusions? They have phones with microSD card support. Their phones are in direct competition to the Moto X. Their phones will be used under the same cloud. Why is there a discrepancy?

 

[edgar]

What about HTC, LG, Samsung, and Sony? Have they come to the same conclusions? They have phones with microSD card support. Their phones are in direct competition to the Moto X. Their phones will be used under the same cloud. Why is there a discrepancy?

Some phones have removable battery, some don't
Some have SD, some don't
Some have heavy skin, some don't
Some have front facing speakers, some, don't

Each phone is different. We have choices

 

[anon(5002059)]

With all the online storage available and streaming music services I can do without an sd card. My 2013 MotoX doesnt have one and it hasnt been an issue at all.

posted via my Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5

 

[Scott7217]

Each phone is different. We have choices

Well said. That's exactly the point I'm trying to make. It's not about taking away choices, but adding them.

Motorola should make a version of the Moto X with a microSD card slot and one without the slot. Let the people choose what they like.

 

[Aquila]

Well said. That's exactly the point I'm trying to make. It's not about taking away choices, but adding them.

Motorola should make a version of the Moto X with a microSD card slot and one without the slot. Let the people choose what they like.

Would you be willing to pay $50 more, diminish build quality, design and/or feautres for one that had that option? That option exists; it's the Moto G. Or is the expectation that everyone else forgo affordability and/or features and/or design in order to accommodate a niche that their research indicates is already at once supersaturated and dwindling due to existing resource dynamics?

It's not as easy as "just add a slot". The engineers have to get involved and something has to be taken away from the device in order to add this. That's a cost that their analytics determined was not worth it - and thank goodness, because the price for consumers is WAY too high (IMO).

I'm all for options - one OEM doesn't need to provide all options to all people. There are other OEM's servicing that need and it is completely incompatible with the design philosophy of the Moto X.

 

[Aquila]

A huge point of the Moto X, Moto G and Moto E lineup is that they're letting data dictate the design and feature-set. If the data says that developed markets with more consumer options relax the need for this feature, then ignoring the data is ignoring the point of the device. And that's prior to the obviousness that the opportunity cost could never compare to the gargantuan waste of capital it would take to accommodate. Trying to add an SD card simply to capture more sales from those who say, "no SD, not buying" is a COLOSSAL mistake. It's expensive, prohibitively so and hypocritical to the design philosophy.

I understand that some people do want that feature (or others) and I'm glad options exist for them. There SHOULD be devices that capture that market - and there are. This one device isn't that solution and it never was intended to be.

 

[Scott7217]

There are other OEM's servicing that need and it is completely incompatible with the design philosophy of the Moto X.

Certainly, there are other OEMs that make phones, but I believe Motorola would prefer people purchasing a phone from them.

The design philosophy of the Motorola Moto X is interesting. When you go to the Motorola website, you see this statement:

"Make It Yours. Choice is more than just having different products. It’s being given choices in how you use them."

I would agree with Motorola in giving people choices in how they use their products.