If we use microSD for media instead of streaming everything, we can also reduce the congestion placed on cell phone towers. That frees up the towers for more important things.
Moto X (2014) No sdcard, does this bother you?
- Thread starter Paul627g
- Start date
If we use microSD for media instead of streaming everything, we can also reduce the congestion placed on cell phone towers. That frees up the towers for more important things.
Huh? Lots of people either have iffy cell coverage or pay for the amount of data they use. Cloud storage isn't even on my list of possible choices, although I use it for backups.
I keep music and photos on my phone, and plan to do so for the foreseeable future.
When tech websites review phones, do you think they should list microSD card slots as a negative factor?
Most professional reviewers consider poor camera quality, short battery life, and fragile build quality as negative factors. Should reviewers think of microSD card slots in a similar fashion, especially since you claim they give users a poor experience?
I'd say it's up to the reviewer if they want to express their opinion and I totally understand people with different use cases will appreciate different features. I wouldn't list it as a positive or negative, just include it or ignore it on the spec sheet - almost no one buys or does not buy a PC because it does or does not include an optical drive (CD/DVD/BD, etc). Why? There are 3 millions (slightly but not much hyperbole) better options than an integrated optical drive for your storage and media needs. The same is true for SD cards - for most people in our markets. To me that implies that to most people it's nice to have it, but they're not necessarily thinking about the trade-off and it's going to sit dormant most of the time. Basically, for some people it's a good option, for some it's a bad option and some people don't care. It's like having a physical home button. Some people really like that, others really hate it and most people don't know that there is a controversy.
jephanie
Well-known member
- Nov 11, 2011
- 1,284
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Yes. It's a dealbreaker. For me this would be the perfect phone IF and only if it had an sd card and removable battery. I'll have to get the LG G3. I have a moto X 2013 and a Samsung S4. The moto X 2013 has much easier to use software with useful features. I'm not sure why anyone would buy a Pure Edition. The S4 has horrible software with useless features but a removable battery and SD card which make it better hardware and a better consumer experience. The G3 splits the difference between the two and seems to take the best of both worlds and is the best phone of 2014.
Moto has a removable SD in the Moto G. Why not the X? It's a good way to differentiate between Moto and Nexus devices. Are they afraid it would be too good?
I will not buy a phone without an SD card and removable battery. Phones are expensive and should have the features I look for. These are important features to me and I won't settle for less.
Moto has a removable SD in the Moto G. Why not the X? It's a good way to differentiate between Moto and Nexus devices. Are they afraid it would be too good?
I will not buy a phone without an SD card and removable battery. Phones are expensive and should have the features I look for. These are important features to me and I won't settle for less.
While I agree that an SD card slot and removable battery would be better to have than not have, it's not a deal breaker for me personally. Obviously people choose phones with specs that suit them. Im not a power user so I won't ever need more than 32gb, and the battery is getting me through the day. An SD card slot and removable battery fall into the "nice to have" category rather than being essential for me. The fact that the battery isn't removable is the biggest problem rather than the lack of SD card as far as I'm concerned. Its always nice to think that if the battery ever failed its just a case of removing the back and putting in a new one. And with the average battery life of the moto x 2014 it would also be nice to have the option to carry a spare.
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The more I think on this the more I feel like both removable battery and removable SD storage are detractors from the device, rather than value adds. Obviously I recognize the utility, but I think of both of them as horrible bandaids for problems that shouldn't exist and could be solved much more elegantly. Both items solve problems that this device doesn't have (for most users) and would have an immense degradation to user experience.
Removable battery means:
1. The battery becomes smaller
2. The device design is compromized to accomodate access to the inside
3. People will buy cheap, knock-off batteries and have a worse experience for it
Removable SD storage means:
1. The battery becomes smaller (probably, not definite)
2. The device design is compromised to accommodate this access.
3. The device becomes less secure
4. Valuable development time is expended on this implementation and not on value add features or bug reduction
5. People will lose precious photos, etc to corrupted cards and have a worse experience for it
I definitely understand that there is a tiny population of users who really need these features - and those users should buy devices designed around those features. I have a hard time stomaching wanting a device that is designed with the purpose of eliminating complexities and then complaining that it doesn't have fringe features that provide no additional functunalites. That being said, obviously my position that these things actively make a device worse is even more to the margins in popular argument, but it is framed in the context of "most users", not users who base their device decisions on a single point such as this.
The selling points of the Moto X involve: having the best software, having one of the best hardware designs, having one of the best performing devices at a reasonable price point, not having much or any "waste", easily all day battery (and turbo charger for power users that spend more time on their phone than sleeping and working combined) and software decisions in favor of the user (such as breaking what previously would have been firmware updates into the apps themselves, allowing for more interoperability and a better software experience for most users).
Of course, they probably think me silly for thinking that having a physical button on the front is a deal breaker... so I'm okay with disagreement
I have no objections to increasing internal storage and/or improving battery tech to the point where one charge lasts for weeks... but making either thing removable is almost a deal breaker for me. It is not that I don't want other users to have the option - I just believe that option speaks to a totally different audience than those receptive to the X philosophy. My Shield Tablet has a microSD card slot and it remains empty because I've read about way too many horror stories of card corruption destroying a device's usability. Tolerating the presence of the slot is a small price to pay for what is hands down the best tablet available at any price point to date.
I'm not sure I can call the Moto X 2014 the best phone available on the market, but it's easily top 5, and while a few people that rank it thus might say that it is there despite missing these features, I firmly believe that it ranks up there because the design philsophy that makes it a great devices mandates that they leave those kinds of features out and include only things that make the experience better.
Removable battery means:
1. The battery becomes smaller
2. The device design is compromized to accomodate access to the inside
3. People will buy cheap, knock-off batteries and have a worse experience for it
Removable SD storage means:
1. The battery becomes smaller (probably, not definite)
2. The device design is compromised to accommodate this access.
3. The device becomes less secure
4. Valuable development time is expended on this implementation and not on value add features or bug reduction
5. People will lose precious photos, etc to corrupted cards and have a worse experience for it
I definitely understand that there is a tiny population of users who really need these features - and those users should buy devices designed around those features. I have a hard time stomaching wanting a device that is designed with the purpose of eliminating complexities and then complaining that it doesn't have fringe features that provide no additional functunalites. That being said, obviously my position that these things actively make a device worse is even more to the margins in popular argument, but it is framed in the context of "most users", not users who base their device decisions on a single point such as this.
The selling points of the Moto X involve: having the best software, having one of the best hardware designs, having one of the best performing devices at a reasonable price point, not having much or any "waste", easily all day battery (and turbo charger for power users that spend more time on their phone than sleeping and working combined) and software decisions in favor of the user (such as breaking what previously would have been firmware updates into the apps themselves, allowing for more interoperability and a better software experience for most users).
Of course, they probably think me silly for thinking that having a physical button on the front is a deal breaker... so I'm okay with disagreement
I have no objections to increasing internal storage and/or improving battery tech to the point where one charge lasts for weeks... but making either thing removable is almost a deal breaker for me. It is not that I don't want other users to have the option - I just believe that option speaks to a totally different audience than those receptive to the X philosophy. My Shield Tablet has a microSD card slot and it remains empty because I've read about way too many horror stories of card corruption destroying a device's usability. Tolerating the presence of the slot is a small price to pay for what is hands down the best tablet available at any price point to date. I'm not sure I can call the Moto X 2014 the best phone available on the market, but it's easily top 5, and while a few people that rank it thus might say that it is there despite missing these features, I firmly believe that it ranks up there because the design philsophy that makes it a great devices mandates that they leave those kinds of features out and include only things that make the experience better.
The more I think on this the more I feel like both removable battery and removable SD storage are detractors from the device, rather than value adds. Obviously I recognize the utility, but I think of both of them as horrible bandaids for problems that shouldn't exist and could be solved much more elegantly. Both items solve problems that this device doesn't have (for most users) and would have an immense degradation to user experience.
Removable battery means:
1. The battery becomes smaller
2. The device design is compromized to accomodate access to the inside
3. People will buy cheap, knock-off batteries and have a worse experience for it
Removable SD storage means:
1. The battery becomes smaller (probably, not definite)
2. The device design is compromised to accommodate this access.
3. The device becomes less secure
4. Valuable development time is expended on this implementation and not on value add features or bug reduction
5. People will lose precious photos, etc to corrupted cards and have a worse experience for it
I definitely understand that there is a tiny population of users who really need these features - and those users should buy devices designed around those features. I have a hard time stomaching wanting a device that is designed with the purpose of eliminating complexities and then complaining that it doesn't have fringe features that provide no additional functunalites. That being said, obviously my position that these things actively make a device worse is even more to the margins in popular argument, but it is framed in the context of "most users", not users who base their device decisions on a single point such as this.
The selling points of the Moto X involve: having the best software, having one of the best hardware designs, having one of the best performing devices at a reasonable price point, not having much or any "waste", easily all day battery (and turbo charger for power users that spend more time on their phone than sleeping and working combined) and software decisions in favor of the user (such as breaking what previously would have been firmware updates into the apps themselves, allowing for more interoperability and a better software experience for most users).
Of course, they probably think me silly for thinking that having a physical button on the front is a deal breaker... so I'm okay with disagreement
I'm not sure I can call the Moto X 2014 the best phone available on the market, but it's easily top 5, and while a few people that rank it thus might say that it is there despite missing these features, I firmly believe that it ranks up there because the design philsophy that makes it a great devices mandates that they leave those kinds of features out and include only things that make the experience better.
I agree with you on some points but not all.
Removable batteries
1. Does a removable battery result in a smaller one? Samsung devices have removable batteries and they're bigger than the one in the moto.
2. I agree that a removable battery results in a compromise on design
3. If people decide to buy cheap knock off batteries that's their choice. They can't blame anyone but themselves if it then creates problems
SD storage
1. Dunno if it would result in a smaller battery or not
2. Not sure that the design is compromised just by adding a very small tray into the phone? Do you feel that the sim card tray compromises it? Its the same sort of thing
3. Not entirely sure what you mean by less secure
4. I'm not a phone designer but I wouldn't imagine that adding an SD card into the design is a majorly time consuming, resource sapping design/production process (might be wrong)
5. Any storage media has the potential to get corrupted at some point and result in loss of data. SD cards, as far as I know, aren't any less reliable than anything else. Without an SD card slot, keeping your stuff on the phone itself isn't safe either. What if your phone dies? The cloud is the way to go if losing files is a worry. Or keep backups on your tablet/PC etc.
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Last edited:
Removable batteries are smaller than they could be within the context of space in the particular device referenced, not in the context of all devices. This is due to some tricks that can be done with spacing and shape that are generally unavailable for batteries that are meant to be swapped out.
SD card takes up physical space, which detracts from the volume that can be devoted to anything else. Would the OEM utilize some or all of that space for more battery capacity? Who knows? Could they? Yes. Space is very much at a premium in these devices. Implementing an SD card takes the following resources: hardware engineering time; software engineering time, materials, space. All 4 of these are better off (IMO) spent on other features OR not spent and having that savings either passed on to the customer and/or invested in R/D to improve future devices, etc.
Moto's primary reasoning for including SD in the G and not in the X was the difference in the markets they appeal to. The G is much more suited for lower income markets that may have fewer and/or less cost effective networking resources, meaning that SD cards could be a primary or possiby even sole method of maintaining access to a solid wealth of media, etc. In the market that most readers here exist in, the cloud is a much more viable option, as is purchasing devices with more onboard storage to begin with (32GB, 64GB, etc).
Perhaps Lenovo will ask Motorola to create another line of smartphones with support for an SD card and a removable battery.
jeffrok
Well-known member
- Dec 22, 2011
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It bothers me on the 16gb version, but had I just waited for the availability of the 32gb version, I would be fine without t be SD slot.. I find myself removing apps (usually games) I haven't used in more than 2 weeks.. I'm one of those who is always looking at new apps though..
Posted via the Android Central App
Posted via the Android Central App
I do sometimes wish that I had an SD card slot so I could load a bunch of music on an 128Gb card and not have to steam from Google Play Music. However, it was and is not a deal breaker for me. I still think the Moto X and the Nexus 6 are the best phones money can buy right now.
On the subject of implementation cost (kernals, hardward, form factor)... Seriously? It really really is all there and done by themselves and by others, it's a drop in the ocean in costs/time. As to having more money go towards other functionality and R&D well half the phones components are 'off the shelf' hardware anyway. The biggest thing now seems to be who can role the latest chip into a bi-annually product release with a good feature set. The likes of Sony and HTC seem to be able to fit a micro SD card slot just fine without compromising the phone. - Which happen not to be owned by Google, apparently Motorola mobile is.
Just look at apple, no SD reader ever. Why: A) they want pure content control on what or cannot be loaded into the phone. B) Create a artificial hierarchy in the products. When 16GB isn't enough somebody purchases a 32GB/64GB at a grossly inflated price. C) Some argument about reducing external influencing exploits - jail-breaking/rooting.
I purely see Motorola/Google doing exactly the same.
I made the mistake on my last device thinking cloud storage was an option, but it's not always practical. I can store my music collection on a 64GB SD card, along with a mini photo album. Cloud just becomes annoying when travelling through a tunnel on a train.
It's all product placement and marketing. Don't even consider the other crap.
With regards to to being a deal breaker or not, well its not helping. I'm pulled to Sony with the SD card slot. I'm pulled to Motorola being a 'pure' android device which is REALLY appealing to me.
Just look at apple, no SD reader ever. Why: A) they want pure content control on what or cannot be loaded into the phone. B) Create a artificial hierarchy in the products. When 16GB isn't enough somebody purchases a 32GB/64GB at a grossly inflated price. C) Some argument about reducing external influencing exploits - jail-breaking/rooting.
I purely see Motorola/Google doing exactly the same.
I made the mistake on my last device thinking cloud storage was an option, but it's not always practical. I can store my music collection on a 64GB SD card, along with a mini photo album. Cloud just becomes annoying when travelling through a tunnel on a train.
It's all product placement and marketing. Don't even consider the other crap.
With regards to to being a deal breaker or not, well its not helping. I'm pulled to Sony with the SD card slot. I'm pulled to Motorola being a 'pure' android device which is REALLY appealing to me.
Personally so far I am fine with the 16GB version. I uploaded most of my music to Google Play and use Spotify.
Motorola is no longer owned by Google. Lenovo finalized the purchase of Motorola several months ago.
It absolutely bothers me, and all this talk of having such a feature detract elsewhere is ridiculous. Eagerly awaiting the LG G4, which has both a removable battery and microSD slot.
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