Moto X 2014 (Second Gen) Replace with what?

General Discussions
#1

My wife and I both have the Moto X 2nd Generation phones on the RW 2.0 plans. We’re mostly happy with the phones, and haven’t had truly major issues to date.

My wife’s phone got knocked off couch recently and the screen has cracks in it, and so now we need to likely replace it soon, b/c if it goes like another one a while back did for her, it’ll only get worse over time.

Given our history and her usage, these are the most important pieces of the phone:

  1. Camera: It has to have a good to great camera. We’ve been spoiled by our Moto X1 and X2 phones (and now I have an iPhone 7 Plus through work and love that camera for sure). She takes pictures all the time. She hardly takes video, but she will on occasion take videos. Basically, we’d want the camera to be at least as good as the X2.
  2. Battery: She’ll say not worried about battery life, but honestly, she is always draining her battery on the X2. I think that somehow her micro USB connector has gotten damaged along the way, and that is likely part of the problem. Anyway, one thing on the X3, I think is that I’ve read it has worse battery life than the X2. Does the Samsung S7 shine here?
  3. Screen: Ideally, I’d prefer her phone be less fragile than the Moto X1 and X2. That Gorilla glass setup doesn’t hold up to being dropped from a couch, maybe 3 feet high, to a padded laminate floor. Other time it was broken as in a gymnasuim, and the gym floors have some sort of mild padding under the wood, if I remember correctly. That was also not a bad fall. Crazy thing is I’ve dropped mine worse (same phone) multiple times, without so much as a scratch. Anyway, I’d prefer the screen be a little less fragile if possible.
  4. Storage: Though not a big deal, with her taking logs of pictures, the 16GB Moto X 2 runs out of space FAST. We do upload to Google Drive/Photos, but I have to check on her phone once in a while to be sure she isn’t out space.
  5. Screen size: I don’t know for sure yet, but I think with her smaller hands, the Moto X 3 may have too big a screen for her comfort. So that’s another place where the Galaxy S7 shines.

Could anyone here point out their success or failure when moving from a Moto X 2 to a Samsung Galaxy 7? Or else success going from Moto X2 to X3?

Or can anyone recommend what might be a better phone? I’m also thinking it might be good to convince her to use a better case, since she’s now broken her screen 2 or 3 times in the past maybe 2 years.

In my opinion, X3 wins over S7 on cost. Camera sounds like each have pros over other, not sure which is really better. Or would it make more sense to just get a used RW X2 if I can find one maybe with more memory?

As far as plan, she’s been on the $10 plan since about the time those first came available, and she loves it. She would like data every now and then, but tells me it’s not worth us paying the money. When we’re together outside work, she’ll occasionally use my phone which does have data. I am thinking if we went to the RW 3.0 plan on her phone, we would go ahead and get the lowest data plan instead of paying $15 for no data. RW 2.0 plan has been mostly perfect for our needs.

Thanks for any thoughts/suggestions

p.s. I forgot about the Moto Z - I’m honestly not dead set on any one phone at this time.

#2

It seems to me that you’ve thought through the issues pretty well.

  1. If you like the camera on the Moto X’s, you’ll love the camera on the S7 as much as the iPhone.

  2. Battery life is so very dependent on usage and frankly none are crazy-better than others. When they make a phone battery that’s lasts for a week or a month, I’ll be impressed. Until then, they all require you have a charger handy.

  3. Cracking a screen depends not only on what it falls on and from how high, but also how it strikes the floor. A great case can make a difference. Sounds like that’s a good investment in your situation.

  4. Yea, 16GB is pretty small nowadays. The S7 and X Pure can take an SD card.

  5. My wife has really small hands and has an S7 and really likes it, but her friend has the X Pure and likes hers. So hand size doesn’t seem to be much of a factor. They both carry purses, so size isn’t an issue for where they carry the phone. Even though I have large hands I prefer a small phone because they fit in my pocket better.

If you get a new phone you’ll need to choose a new plan. The old refund plans required the older phones which had modified firmware.

#3

Thanks for your thoughts. Seem to be what I’m thinking as well. That’s the bad part of so many options: so much to think about. Doesn’t really sound like any bad options out there. For my iPhone at work, I’ve got a thick otterbox case, and though it’s big and bulky it does give some piece of mind. So far on our X2 phones, we’ve both just used the thin covers that slip over the back of the phones. Her covers have mostly been the type with whatever pictures on them. I picked mine, plain black, b/c it has a slight rubbery feel, so easy to hold onto and has at least a little shock absorption.

Definitely have to think about the difference in plans. No refunds, but at least the $20 plan is $5 cheaper than RW2.0 $25 plan. We only save $5/month on the no data plan, so makes that a harder choice than before. Again, not necessarily a bad thing.

#4

Getting a new phone is likely a good choice, but Motorola can also repair the cracked screen for $125 (Motorola Support - Find Answers | Motorola Mobility, Inc. ).

#5

There has been a lot of discussion (and confusion) in this community about the change in plans. If you search you’ll find comparisons to the big carriers plans and the other MVNOs as well. Many people saw a price increase going with the RW 3.0 plans vs. the RW 2.0 refund plans, but RW is still awfully competitive.

#6

I went from the Moto X (2nd Gen) to the Samsung S7 after first testing the Moto G4+. The G4+ worked well and had exceptionally good battery life but I carry my phone in my shirt pocket and the G4+ was too large. Beyond that, the Bluetooth connection between the X2 and my 2016 Prius was horrible. The S7 interfaces perfectly, even displaying text messages and email messages on the Prius screen. Moreover, it has inductive charging so I can use the charging cradle in the Prius.

At first, aside from those elements mentioned above, the S7 didn’t seem all that much different from the X2. As time has gone on however I’ve discovered how much better it is in a dozen or more respects. The feature I like the best is Samsung SideSync which puts the S7’s screen on my desktop PC’s screen and lets me manipulate it with my mouse and keyboard.

I’d say the battery life is about 20% better. It’s not as good as the Moto G4+ which probably has a huge battery given its size, but it is definitely better than the X2.

Although Nougat is rolling out on the carrier-specific S7s, the unlocked U model isn’t getting it yet. I expect it soon based on what Motorola said about this.

One issue the S7 shares with other makes/model is an issue with the Doze feature in Marshmallow that prevents it from answering calls when it has been sleeping for more than an hour. There is a work-around for this discussed in this thread:

Is your phone losing its WiFi connection while sleeping?

The work-around uses a free app called MacroDroid and is quite simple. It turns the screen on every 50 minutes thereby defeating the Doze flaw. The G4+ also had this problem.

#7

Hi @kjv1611,

It appears you have put careful consideration into this decision.

I would be happy to share my experience (a woman’s perspective) moving from the Moto X1 to the Moto X Pure - a big leap in size.

Full disclosure

I initially preferred a smaller sized phone but knew I could probably not live without my favorite Moto features. This turned out to be true after I set-up and use a friend’s Nexus 5X for two weeks before buying the Moto X Pure. I loved the size and lightness of the Nexus 5X but missed the Moto features too much.

What it was actually like using the larger Moto X Pure

I confess that I really disliked the Pure’s size at the beginning since it definitely takes two hands to hold and operate the device because it is big, fat and heavy. Nonetheless, I was surprised how quickly I adjusted to the largeness of the phone. Now, I appreciate the vibrant sharpness and size of the screen particularly the larger fonts, icons and pictures. All content fits better on a bigger screen. It’s ironic but now it is harder for my eyes to focus on smaller screens (Nexus 5X) since everything looks small. What a reversal! I got use to the bigger screen.

Why I ultimately choose the Pure (Price + Moto features + Customized design)

I really appreciate the Moto features such as active notifications, how my phone stays silent during meetings/events from my calendar, driving mode where texts are read out loud, and especially the twisting feature to quickly activate the camera. I would sorely miss these helpful and convenient features. I also like the new feature of “attentive display” where the screen does not dim or go asleep while I am looking at it.

Moto X Pure’s camera

It is excellent but so is the Samsung S7.

**Moto X Battery life **

It depends on personal usage but turbo-charging (on either phone) will help on heavily used days. I can get a day and half (low usage) before needing to charge. Moderate to heavier usage of texting, photo taking, reading articles, Google searching and making several phone calls will drain the battery to 29% by 10:00 PM. Heavy usage will require a brief rapid charge (15-minutes) during the day before I need to recharge the phone at bedtime.

Cracked Screens

I use a tempered glass screen protector and case with a protective bumper (raised edge) for extra protection. Please be aware a decent case will add bulkiness to a large device like the Moto X Pure (something else to consider for your wife). I actually prefer the soft textured silicone back of the phone (provides a lot of grip) compared to the case, but I will not take the risk of using the phone without a case.

Screen Size for your wife

I suspect it will be easier for your wife to take an incremental increase of size with the Samsung S7 compared to a larger leap with the Pure. The Samsung S7 is a really nice phone not much bigger than the Moto X2. Just make sure your wife can live without the Moto features. I am only raising this issue because I have noticed a few folks have been disappointed their new phones do not do these things. They were unaware these nice things were Moto features.

Wishing you and your wife the very best with your next phone.

#8

I’ll throw my 2 cents in, if you haven’t made a decision yet.

Just upgraded from my X2 to a Moto G4 Plus a few weeks ago. Phone is a little bigger, with a 5.5" screen. My wife has an X2 but wants to stay with that screen size, not move up to a 5.5". So…

While I really LOVE my new G4 Plus, my wife is going to hold out for the G5 Plus. (5.2" screen) Specs and early reviews sound promising. My G4 has a really good camera, better than the X2. And I love having 64GB of storage. G5 Plus camera is said to be better than the G4.

I would recommend holding out for the G5 Plus, which should be for sale here in a week or two. The 64GB (and 4 GB of RAM) model will be $299 through Republic. Camera is getting great reviews, processor is fast, and it has the manageable 5.2" screen for the ladies. :slight_smile:

#9

Thanks for the thoughts! Yeah, for me, I love the Moto features. My wife likes some, I think, but doesn’t seem to care about most from what I can tell. She may appreciate the meetings piece of it more than she realizes, though, since she started a part-time job, so it’s usually gone to silent mode when she’s at work and can’t answer the phone during most of the time there anyway.

#10

Wow! Yeah, that sounds great. I honestly did not expect the G series to ever be better than X, but then again, we’re comparing a few years old tech to brand new tech, so should be possible. I believe I need to check on that G5 to be sure! The G series has the same Moto features as X series, correct? I thought it did, but I may be remembering incorrectly.

#11

Lots to think about. I think I like the wireless charging feature of S7 fo rmy wife as well. Will keep looking and thinking. For now her’s is usable, just has to be careful to make sure the cracks don’t get worse.

#12

biggest feature missing from the Moto G line is NFC (used for Android Pay)

#13

Hi @kjv1611,

It will be easier for your wife to transition to another phone if she doesn’t care much for these features. That’s good news. I really liked @chuckg suggestion of the Moto G5 Plus - great value for what you get. It does have a smaller screen but the phone’s overall dimensions is 5.91 x 2.91 x 0.30 inches. I used this website to compare spec’s: Motorola Moto G5 Plus vs. Samsung Galaxy S7 - GSMArena.com

#14

if size is a factor then the S7 has and edge as it basically the same foot print as the Moto X 2nd where the Moto G5 Plus is a bit larger

http://www.phonescoop.com/phones/compare.php?p=4576,5425,5081

#15

I pulled the trigger on a used Samsung Galaxy S7, and I ordered a SIM card from RW. I’ll try to remember to post back with how swapping over goes.

#16
  • Got RW SIM Card Friday
  • Got S7 Saturday
  • Saturday night went to put in the SIM card, and the tray broke in half while trying to (honestly - gently) pull it out of phone
  • Contacted Samsung, it’s under warranty, and they cover that repair, so as of today, it’s off to Samsung

It’ll be another week or so before I get to really test it now. Hopefully I’ll get it before Easter weekend.

#17

Another update. Had some pain to deal with up front b/c apparently the seller didn’t realize they forced a SIM card in the wrong way and damaged the SIM card reader. Sent phone to Samsung with a broken SIM tray, they fixed SIM card reader (charged me for it - seller covered that) - then sent phone back to me still with original BROKEN SIM tray. So I sent a second time, they finally replaced SIM tray and sent it back. Whoo.

Now after I got that back, my wife said she wanted to stick with her White Moto X 2 for a few reasons: She likes it, she is already familiar with it, and she had a couple of cheap covers that she liked the looks of and wanted to keep. :slight_smile: So I had to deal with using the Samsung myself. So sad, so sad. :smiley:

By the way: If anyone has a Moto X Gen 2, white, preferably more than 16GB, they want to part with pretty cheaply, I might be in the market… though that’s a big maybe. My wife’s phone still has the cracks, but also the USB port has been acting up for some time, it seems. So eventually, she’ll probably have to give that one up anyway.

On to using the Samsung:
Pros:

  • Screen feels nice.
  • I do like SOME of the features they added, but not most.
  • It’s a bit more powerful than the Moto X 2014 2nd Gen. However, I don’t really notice it unless I play a game.
  • Storage: Oh My! For the first time, I could care less how much space any app takes up that I want to try.
  • SD Card storage still with a fast boot-up. This is awesome. Can tell all pictures and videos to go to SD Card, and I could download however much I wanted of maps for HERE Maps and save to the SD card. Ended up using it once a couple days after I got phone because we wound up in a location for a kids sports game where no phone had cell data reception and I didn’t know the area. That was one on RW - Sprint, this phone - so RW - GSM, and one Verizon. Verizon showed excellent strength for voice, but zip for data. Wasn’t long before we reached civilzation, and we’d of survived, but it was cool I was ready with HERE.
  • Wireless charging
  • How it handles Wifi connections where you have to sign in / accept agreement.

Cons:

  • I miss the Moto features. I miss 'em a lot: automatically scheduling phone off according to my calendar? I’ve depended on that forever for silencing our phones when going to church or anything else I planned ahead for. Best workaround I’ve found so far is to setup a Tasker script which I’ll one day sit down and take the time to do.
  • Battery: I expected more from the battery. So far it’s about the same or MAYBE MAYBE a slight bit better.
  • Miss the RW 2.0 App for application control and data usage info. I am using NoRoot Firewall for the app control portion and Samsung’s data which isn’t near as good as RW’s 2.0 app. (OK, forget the data part - I just found out that part still works! Yippee! - though it seems a little slow for some reason)
  • Though I like the feel of the Galaxy S7, I miss the back curve to the Moto X 2014
  • I like Google’s camera on Moto X better than Samsung’s. Samsung’s feels like a copy of the iPhone camera. Not bad, but not as good as default Google.
  • I prefer the overal stock Google feel on the Motorolla phones over the cartoony feel by Samsung.
1 Like
#18

Did I mention wireless charging? This I LOVE. I’ve got one at work and one at home - both Yootech and both flawless so far.

#19

Glad you found a nice replacement.

There are some apps to also help make it more like you want too.

If you want more stock feel, you can use a different launcher such. I use Nova Launcher or you can see if you can install the stock Google Now Launcher

As for scheduling your sound, I currently use an app called Sound Off Reborn which has a nice two week scheduler for silencing my phone.

#20

Thanks. I’m using the Nova launcher already - LOVE IT - have used it for at least since I first had the Moto X 1, as well as the X 2. But it doesn’t fully fix all the Samsung stuff. My guess is the only way to really get rid of that is to root the phone which I at least for now do not intend trying. Just not worth the time and effort.

I’ll give the Sound Off Reborn app a look for sure. I do not think I’ve seen that one so far.

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