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Know the Pros and Cons of the Moto X and Android 4.4 KitKat

Edited by Rose B, Lynn, Eng, Alma and 10 others

9 Parts: Moto X's PROS Moto X's CONS Android 4.4 Kitkat on Moto X Is Moto X a Good Smartphone? How To Set Up Motorola Connect? How to Set Up Motorola Assist? Questions and Answers Sources: Comments

Moto X is the long rumored flagship device of Motorola since Google acquired the company last year. Moto X is the first smartphone to be designed and built in the USA.

To learn the pros and cons of the Moto X, take a look at the features and specifications and compare these features to the competitors' newly released phones.

Contents

1 Moto X's PROS
2 Moto X's CONS
3 Android 4.4 Kitkat on Moto X
4 Is Moto X a Good Smartphone?
5 How To Set Up Motorola Connect?
6 How to Set Up Motorola Assist?
7 Questions and Answers
8 Sources:
9 Comments

Moto X's PROS

This is not your average smartphone. The Moto X comes with features that will definitely turn your average use into a superb experience when you choose Moto X.

1
Design
.
Moto X is ergonomically designed to fit comfortably in your hand. It has a curved and comfortable design that allows you to navigate and operate your phone by using just one hand. Its dimensions are 5.09 x 2.57 x 0.41 inches and weighs 130 grams. It also has a dimpled logo on the back of the phone where you can place your index finger to easily hold your phone up to your ear when you make a call. You access those side buttons easily, to set to your own preference.

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2
Active Display
.
Moto X comes with the Active Display, which displays important notifications on your screen without actually waking it up. This feature prolongs your battery life, saving it for more important functions. You can easily see if you have new messages, and you see the time. The pixels for the notifications will light up and will let you see the important ones.

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3
Motorola Connect
.
The Motorola Connect on your Moto X allows you to view your incoming test messages and calls on your computer. You can also respond to texts on your computer. On your computer, you will also see who is calling, so you can screen calls, and decide if you are going to take them or ignore them. This feature conserves the battery on your Moto X.
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4
Motorola Assist
.
Motorola Assist allows you to do your thing without bothering you. You can set it to carry out tasks, like play music when you are driving, and silence the phone from ringing when you are sleeping or at a meeting. This feature will let you drive safely, sleep soundly and never be disturbed while you're in a meeting.
1. When your Moto X senses you are driving, it can also announce out loudly who is calling you. It will also read the received text message so you aren't tempted to operate your phone while you're driving, to see who's texted you and find out the contents of that message. Without touching your phone, you can reply to those incoming texts and calls while you are driving.
2. If you are sleeping, the phone will go into Silent mode.
3. If you are in a meeting, without you doing a thing, your phone will notify the caller you are in a meeting, and therefore unavailable.
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5
OK, Google Now
.
Moto X has the feature, the always-on "OK, Google Now", which allows you to command your phone - just like Apple's SIRI, and carry out tasks for you. "Google Now" is a useful feature as you can command it to search Google Maps, create and save notes, set an alarm and many other things, without ever touching your phone. What is great with this feature - even if it's always on, it uses very little of your battery, because of its low power consumption, also known as the "low-power contextual awareness processor".
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6
Gesture-Based Camera
.
The camera is activated when you twist or flick your wrist twice. Unlike other phones that require you to touch a button or navigate to your home screen and open your application from there. Moto X gives you this gesture-based camera so you won't miss a perfect moment.

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7
RAM
.
Moto X boasts a 2 GB RAM. Think of all the actions you can simultaneously perform on your device. You can open several applications and games, allowing you to multitask smoothly. This will also result in a superb experience when you browse websites without lags.
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8
Designed and Built in the USA
.
According to studies, more people want to buy products that are made or designed in the U.S. They say, Americans don't mind paying more for an American product. These studies further stated that most Chinese consumers nowadays are also willing to put out more cash for a device made in the U.S.

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9
Battery
.
The Moto X's battery is Li-ion 2,200 mAh. This battery can last up to 24 hours. Thanks to its battery-friendly features, like the Motorola Connect, Gesture-based camera, Active Display and its dual-core processor, the power consumption is minimized, and you don't have to charge it as often.
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10
Multiple Sensors
.
Moto X has the following sensors that many of it's competitors don't have:
1. Compass
2. Proximity
3. Accelerometer
4. Gyro
5. Barometer
6. Temperature.
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11
Custom Made
.
You can pre-order the Moto X and choose the color and accents on the back and front case, and they will build it for you.
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12
Android OS
.
The Moto X runs on Android Jelly Bean and there are over 975,000 applications and games available for this operating system at the Google Play Store.
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Moto X's CONS

1
Camera
.
The main camera in Moto X does not stand out among the newly released smartphones of its competitors. It's only a 10 megapixel camera, with auto focus and an LED flash. This feature is good enough for average camera usage, especially since this is a smartphone, but for those who want a decent camera, 10 MP cameras have been outdated for years. Nokia released its first 12 MP camera smartphone in 2010 and has produced better camera sensors since then. It's also unfortunate that they didn't use a Xenon flash rather than the LED flash.

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2
Dual Core Processor
.
Newly released smartphones nowadays are packed with quad core processors like the Samsung Galaxy S4 and HTC One.
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3
Memory Expansion
.
Moto X has internal memory of 16 or 32 GB. Its competitors have released up to 64 GB of internal memory on their phones and they have card slots that support up to 64 GB memory cards. The internal memory is not enough to store files and applications, especially when you use your phone to store media files like music and photos. It should have a memory card slot with more memory for storing those files.
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4
Screen Display
.
Moto X is also outdone by its competitors for its 720p screen. The Samsung Galaxy S4 and HTC 1 both have 1080p screens.

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5
Polycarbonate Plastic
.
The body of the Moto X is made of PolyCarbonate plastic and can be scratched easily, especially when if you're in the habit of keeping it in your pocket. You will see thin scratches on the sides and back of the case.
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6
Operating System
.
The Moto X was rumoured to run Android 4.4 Kitkat out of the box, but when it was released last month, it only runs Android Jelly Bean. We still have to wait for the update to Kitkat on the new Android OS.

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Android 4.4 Kitkat on Moto X

Android Kitkat is the new upgrade to the Android Operating System. Before Moto X was released, it was expected to run on this operating system right out of the box, but when it was released, many were disappointed to discover it was still running on Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean.

Google has not yet announced what units will bear this OS once released and what devices will get an upgrade. But it is possible that previously released smartphones with Jelly Bean will most likely get an upgrade to Android Kitkat, once the OS is officially released. The Android Kitkat is also expected to have the following features:

1
A better display

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A thinner and lightweight design

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Low memory support

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A long battery life

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Good CPU core support

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An exclusive cloud system

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Stable network coverage

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System compatibility enhancements

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Newly refined software and UI

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Global network compatibility

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Is Moto X a Good Smartphone?

For me, this smartphone tops most of the smartphones already on the market. Although it has some downsides, the strengths outweigh those cons. The new features of Moto X like; the Motorola Connect, Motorola Assist, Google Now and the Active Display, make the phone a great companion in our day-to-day lives. These features make it an ideal phone for people who want to stay connected with their family, friends and colleagues while keeping up with life's pleasures and responsibilities.

The Moto X is also great for individuals who value a phone's capabilities rather than its fame.

Another things I love about the Moto X:

1
Its sleek design
.
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2
Its ability to multitask.
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3
You can use it with one hand
.
Their well thought-out design makes it very easy to handle. Unlike many of its competitors like the Samsung Galaxy S4 and the HTC, which are larger, and make it more awkward to handle. The Moto X is less likely to slip out of your hand.
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4
It works with your computer
.
If you are a person who is always connected on the desktop computer, you will find the Moto X simply irresistible because as you work on your desktop, you won't need to keep checking your phone for messages or calls. ##With Motorola Connect, your desktop will notify you every time there is an incoming text, and you can reply from there.
1. If there's an incoming call, you will see who the caller is, making sure you never miss and important call while you're working on your computer.
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5
Motorola Assist is a standout feature on this device
.
Motorola Assist makes your phone into a personal assistant that knows if you are driving, sleeping or in a meeting. It can perform tasks for you, when you are otherwise unable to respond.
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6
Excellent battery life
.
It's important that a battery can at least get you through an entire day. A phone is a necessity today, and it's important to keep you connected to your boss, co-workers, family, friends and even those acquaintances who may offer you opportunities in life. Having a phone that is live for the entire day allows you to be active for the entire day.

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7
Moto X is features are easy on your battery
.
The features are designed to conserve energy, and to be easy on the battery, which can last for the entire day. If you're doing fieldwork or going out of town, you'll still be connected, rather than looking for a power outlet to charge your phone.
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How To Set Up Motorola Connect?

1
On your phone, go to "Motorola Connect Apps".
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2
Tap it to start the application
.
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3
Follow the prompts (you have to link your Gmail account).
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4
Check the box to activate it.

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5
On your desktop computer, go to "Google Chrome"
.
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6
Download the extension, "Motorola Connect Extension for Chrome".

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7
Install, then add to Chrome.
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8
Follow the prompts on the screen and then connect it to your Gmail account.

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9
Choose your Gmail account and finish the installation.
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10
Connect it to your phone then download the messages and call history.
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11
You will see a Motorola icon at the upper right of your Chrome browser
.
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12
If you receive messages or calls, the notification will be the Motorola icon at the bottom
.
You can read your messages and reply from there.
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13
This will be installed and available on all computers you use
.
Every time you log in using your Gmail account on Chrome browser, you will have this Motorola Connect extension on your browser and you'll receive notifications from there.
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How to Set Up Motorola Assist?

In your App drawer, click on the "Assist" icon. You will see a list of options, Driving, Sleeping and Meeting.

Driving

The phone will use GPS under Driving so it must be activated to know that you are in motion. If you are not the driver, you can cancel this at the notifications. There are several other settings under silence like vibrations or it will notify you for Favorite calls. Under Driving, you will see two options, "Talk To Me" and "Resume Music Play".

1
Talk to Me
.
1. If you check "Talk to Me", it will let you know who's calling, so you can decide whether to answer the call, or ignore it.
2. It can also read out messages.
3. It can also reply to person who called or texted you while you are driving.
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2
Resume Music
.
1. If you activate "Resume Music Play", it will resume the music you are listening to once it detects that you are driving.
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Sleeping

Activate this if you don't want to be bothered when you're sleeping, and your phone will be silent while you're in dreamland. This is especially good if you're a light sleeper, as a text message ping might just wake you out of a deep sleep.

1
Under "Sleeping", you can set the time you normally sleep and wake up.
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2
You can also set it to accept calls from certain contacts you want to hear from, regardless of the time
.
This works after you make a "favorites contact list" for this function.
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3
These contacts would have to call you twice in five minutes to become activated.
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Meeting

Under Meeting, there are two options, Silence and Auto Reply.

1
Silence
.
1. You can check Silence so that you will not be disturbed if you are in a meeting.
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2
Auto Reply
.
1. If you have missed calls, you can set your phone to send auto text messages to your favorite contacts to inform them you are at a meeting.
2. Your phone will synchronize with your calendar if you have set meetings.
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Questions and Answers

Will Moto X get the Android firmware update 4.4?

Yes. In fact, the Moto X started receiving the 4.4 firmware updates as of November 2013. Major carriers Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T are already rolling out their updates "OTA" to users. You will receive a notification once your phone is ready to download the update. If you have disabled automatic updates, you can manually download the update.

Begin by heading to your "Settings" menu from the apps screen.
Now open up "About Device".
From there, open "Software Update".
From there choose "Update".
This will manually search for any available updates.
Once it locates the update, it will prompt you for installation.

Yes, according to Verizon and Motorola, the 4.4 Kitkat update has been released for the Moto X. You can read the Release Info Here.

If you did not receive the notification for the update, you can manually update it through the phone's settings. Go into Settings>About Phone>System Update and download the upgrade over WiFi or mobile data. Make sure your phone is at least 50% charged before initiating the download.

How many text messages will the Moto X hold?

Modern smartphones, including the Moto X, will store more text (SMS) messages than most users would ever send or receive. You will be into the tens of thousands range before running out of space. One thing to note though, you should manage your conversation threads to keep your phone running smoothly. A conversation that is approaching 200 messages can begin to make it run slow, and can potentially slow down your whole messaging app.

The amount varies, depending on how many messages are in the inbox, outbox, and drafts. The size of the messages is a factor as well. Pictures and videos take up more space than a simple text. You can purchase an SD card that holds more data.

SMS & navigation issues with Moto x (Sprint).

I recently bought a Moto X, which replaced a Samsung Nexus (Google). I love the Moto, but when I'm texting, I cannot send a picture. It sits and sits and either never sends, or gives me an error. I've never had this problem before. Also, it seems I never have connectivity when I'm traveling. I try to open up Maps and it will not show anything, and my Waze will not work at all. I've tried turning off the WiFi, going 'automatic' in the settings instead of CDMA/4G, I even tried clearing the partition (whatever that means) as recommended by a Motorola support rep - twice. It still doesn't work. Any suggestions?

Since you are on Sprint, you need to activate your SIM's MMS and GPRS if you haven't already. This will allow you to send and receive multimedia messages like pictures and video. This multimedia messaging service is free if you have a data plan with your service provider.

Ask your service provider (Sprint) to activate your MMS and GPRS.
Ask for the configuration settings for your Moto X.
Once they send it to you, save it on your device and activate.
Try sending MMS to your own number, to check whether you can send and receive MMS.

For the Maps, it will make use of your data services once you are out of your WiFi coverage, so make sure you have data services activated. You must have a data plan, otherwise you'll incur excessive charges.

Another suggestion is to perform a factory data reset on the device to eliminate any errors that may be occurring on your device.

Is Moto X worth buying for 24,000 INR RS or $400?

Are the features worth it? Are the features like active display, processing, helpful in reality??

This device does have features that are worth paying for, just as the Samsung Galaxy S4 is worth the price, even though it's older. As of now, compared to new devices coming out at this time, it is worth paying for. The features on this device are top of the line. You can refer to THIS LINK to view information regarding your future device: Also you can compare this device with other models as well.