[trumpcard]

@ blue volt
Nice review, how about some more pics

[Raccoon]

Originally Posted by bluevolt

My review of Motorola Moto G which I also published on my blog.

The cam is supposed to be below par for it's class!? Also very limited controls. And along with non removable memory, non removable battery is another huge con.


Facebook buys Whatsapp and Zukerberg has already succeeded in breaking it - service down for over two hours!

The buzz is that it's down because they are going through all your past messages... :-|

[BraveArc]

Looking forward to the MWC 2014 tomorrow, in particular the Nokia X. Want to get a temporary phone within 17k till the iPhone 6 launches and pass this onto my dad.
I hope it releases this month itself, otherwise I'll get the Moto G.
What about the HTC Desire 8, should I consider that too?
Any other recommendations?

[bluevolt]

Originally Posted by Raccoon

The cam is supposed to be below par for it's class!? Also very limited controls. And along with non removable memory, non removable battery is another huge con.

In low light indoor conditions, photos do have little grain but in day light, photos are just perfect. I took couple of group photos and they came out very well.

With portable power banks at our disposal these days I don't think non-removable battery should be a huge con.

My HTC One V also has non-removable battery and I have no complaints even after 1.5 years of use.

[Raccoon]

^^^Most of the reviews I'v read concur that the cam is below par for its class. As for being "perfect", I don't think any cam qualifies for that tag, least of all a mobile camera. Also, most cams these days perform ok in good light. Its the low light performance that sets them apart, when the signal to noise ratio is averse. Thats why we have BIS cams. Also, the fact that the cam has no settings for ISO, etc., does not help.

I have already stated my case against non-removable batteries in a earlier post here. It has really nothing to do with the fact that you can always use a power bank. Nor the fact that you were lucky enough to have a battery that has lasted 1.5 years. Well, what if it didn't?

If you read the article mentioned in my earlier post, the author says something like how many users tinker with their batteries on a monthly basis. Like very well contested below, how many of us tinker with our car batteries on a monthly basis? Most of us don't right? So shall we then have fixed batteries for our cars too? Or would we prefer to have the option to "service" them or replace them when required?

And lastly, it may be possible to get a phone battery replaced by the service center, but are we forgetting what kind of service centers we have at least here in India? Have you seen the way they handle phones? Chances are pretty good that you give your phone for battery replacement, and you will come out with some other defect. Also, for eg. concept of static electricity does not exist for them. In the very least you will probably get your phone back with a few scratches, or possibly with your private data compromised. And who knows, even with a trojan in it.

No offence, but such logic only makes one a victim of willy marketing employed by large corporations who are always looking for ways to maximize profit at any cost whatsoever.

I guess this is going a bit off topic, so I better rest my case.

[Dry Ice]

Originally Posted by bluevolt

My HTC One V also has non-removable battery and I have no complaints even after 1.5 years of use.

Originally Posted by Raccoon

... If you read the article mentioned in my earlier post, the author says something like how many users tinker with their batteries on a monthly basis.
...

Now that I think about it, forget months, I haven't changed my phone's battery ever! Most phones I have used were upgraded every 2 years (avg)and the stock battery did fine all this while. I guess the 2nd owner would have been bothered if any of them did not have a removable battery. So maybe, the companies are trying to dissuade the second hand market and promoting the buy back sort of schemes - they get the phone back and also some more of your money.

[Raccoon]

^How many manufacturers are offering buy back schemes? Very few I guess. Like mentioned in the article most of the phones may end up as junk and add to environmental pollution.

If manufacturers have their way we will soon see automobiles with fixed batteries and tyres. And the marketing people will also succeeded in convincing a lot of people how it is superior design .

[h@r$h@l]

Been getting this error regularly on my Moto G since the last couple of days. Once I restart the phone and its all normal.

Anyone else facing same issue?

[Dry Ice]

Originally Posted by Raccoon

... If manufacturers have their way we will soon see automobiles with fixed batteries and tyres. And the marketing people will also succeeded in convincing a lot of people how it is superior design .

I think its wrong to compare this trend (non removable battery) in the electronics industry with automobile industry (even for us bhpians ). A car is a lot more complicated and is replaced a lot less than a phone. A dead car battery is unlikely to force someone to get a new car but a phone just might.

Removable/non-removable batteries both have their pros and cons. Finally, it comes down to the individual preferences. A learned few may not like it and ditch the non-removable one but an average joe couldn't care less. Take the iPhone for example - it has a non removable battery from Day 1. I don't recall reading this as a huge -ve in any of the reviews. It still is a hot selling item.

[Speed.Demon]

It's finally here guys!

Nokia's X family of android phones have been officially revealed at the MWC.

More details here: http://www.gsmarena.com/nokia_announ...-news-7909.php

[S_U_N]

Originally Posted by Dry Ice

I think its wrong to compare this trend (non removable battery) in the electronics industry with automobile industry (even for us bhpians ). A car is a lot more complicated and is replaced a lot less than a phone. A dead car battery is unlikely to force someone to get a new car but a phone just might.



Removable/non-removable batteries both have their pros and cons. Finally, it comes down to the individual preferences. A learned few may not like it and ditch the non-removable one but an average joe couldn't care less. Take the iPhone for example - it has a non removable battery from Day 1. I don't recall reading this as a huge -ve in any of the reviews. It still is a hot selling item.

I think the trend is "use and throw". There is high disposable income. So we are buying expensive phones (phones costing Rs. 30000 was not normal for a middle-class person, a few years ago).
After you buy the latest model, the manufacturer gives you latest software to run on it for some time. And then the updates stop. The new features are too good to miss out and you run to the next online shop to get the latest 'phone' which runs the latest software with the newest innovative features.

So, off goes the one year old phone at around 50-60% price. The new buyer probably uses it for a year or two and gets another device him/herself.

In the end, around the third year, the device has lost most of its value, since not many buyers will prefer that.
It will almost certainly give a very low battery backup which further deteriorates the resale price.

[greenhorn]

technically, if you swap batteries in an unrooted android phone, your battery life might actually come down, because your phone's battery calibration needs to be reset.

So Swapping batteries is not entirely straightforward, even with user replaceable batteries

[CARDEEP]

My Samsung Galaxy S4 (stock) is now Android Kitkat (4.4.2). Those waiting for upgrade may try now. Initial usage show the speed is improved, interface too looks bit better, but, haven't checked more as I am busy with work.

[bejoy]

Originally Posted by h@r$h@l

Been getting this error regularly on my Moto G since the last couple of days. Once I restart the phone and its all normal.

Anyone else facing same issue?

Yes, I faced the same issue once after the KitKat update. Restarting the phone solved the issue.

[null]

while we are at the topic of $500 range phones being a norm, here is another news item from today @ MWC
Mozilla shows off $25 Firefox OS smartphone prototype