Update: My Moto x4 got the Oreo 8.1 May 1, 2018 update on June 19, 2018. These updates have not gone as smoothly as one would hope. Your cellular data might not work properly immediately after the update. If this happens to you, call Sprint and ask them how to use SCRTN (this stands for Special Code to Reset The Network--seriously!) to reset your network connection. Don't worry, this is not a factory reset and it doesn't erase any of your data or apps. It just takes you off the network and puts you back on it, with your cellular data working properly again. Hopefully you won't encounter this, but I did. Be sure to back up any important data (photos, everything) before installing any OS update. Also, when you install an update, make sure you have a reliable WiFi connection when you start and remain connected to that WiFi until the update has finished installing and your phone has restarted. I still love this phone and I don't have anything else to add right now, except that the problem I mentioned in my last update about the photos app being unable to delete photos from the SD card went away when the camera app was updated. Yes, the camera app has been updated several times, and I still really like it.
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Update: On February 15, 2018 my Moto x4 got the update to Oreo (Android 8.0.0), and about two weeks later I got the February 2018 Android security update. I hope Motorola will do the smart thing and continue providing prompt OS and security updates for at least three or four more years. After the upgrade to Oreo I only noticed one issue: the camera had switched back to saving photos in internal memory rather than on my SD card. I couldn't remember where that setting was, so I had to look it up: open the camera app and swipe across the screen from left to right to get to a settings menu, where under Storage you can specify where you want your pictures saved. By the way, I strongly recommend getting an SD card and saving media to it to keep as much internal memory free as you can. I was glad to discover that when you first download music using the Amazon Music app, it asks whether it should save the MP3s to internal or external storage. Too many apps lack that capability. Here is a link to the SD card I bought for this phone:
Sandisk Ultra 64GB Micro SDXC UHS-I Card with Adapter - 100MB/s U1 A1 - SDSQUAR-064G-GN6MA
It has been working fine. Another issue you may experience: after the recent software updates my phone's Google Photos app lost its ability to delete photos from my SD card, even with all the necessary permissions granted to it. I have researched this and it appears to be an Android bug that intermittently affects lots of different Android phones. Google may get around to fixing it at some point, but in the meantime I'm just using a file manager when I need to delete photos from my SD card. The free SanDisk Memory Zone app has been working for me.
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Update: The fingerprint sensor is incredibly fast, and after getting used to the Moto navigation gestures I feel lost on other devices like my iPad mini and a family member's Pixel XL. The Moto gestures should be required on every device, lol. Seriously, they are a great feature. In an interesting developement, yesterday I got an e-mail from Amazon that said that they are eliminating the lockscreen ads on Prime Exclusive phones. The ads have never bothered me, but I'm sure this will be welcome news to many. I recommend this phone without reservation.
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Update: I was recently traveling overseas for two weeks and I used my Moto x4 as my only camera. I was very impressed with the photos it took, and I'm no longer noticing any issues with color accuracy. I'm still very happy with this phone, especially now that I've installed a 64GB SD card and set the camera to save photos directly to it.
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This phone is fantastic--it's really fast, and I don't feel I've made any major compromises in choosing it over so-called flagship phones from the likes of Apple, Google and Samsung. Flagship phones have become intolerably overpriced in my opinion--you can buy three or four budget laptops for the price of a single flagship phone.
I like the Moto x4's Amazon integration. Since this is my first Android phone, it's really convenient to be able to install all of the apps that I've previously bought for Fire tablets, especially the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary, which for some reason won't install on the latest Fire tablets.
One of my favorite features is that with the Moto app you can totally eliminate the back, home and "recents" navigation icons at the bottom of the Android screen and instead use intuitive gestures over the fingerprint sensor to navigate. This makes navigation easier and faster. I particularly like using these gestures in the Kindle app.
The camera takes sharp pictures, but in my experience so far the colors have not been as accurate as I expected. I'm hoping there's a way to fix this.
I had no problem activating my Moto x4 on Sprint. Here's what you have to do:
1. Order this phone.
2. Get the required Sprint SIM card. I can confirm that the SIM card required is SIMOLW416Q (it works for Sprint and for providers like Boost and Virgin that use the Sprint network). I was able to buy one at Best Buy for $2.18 (it rang up as a Samsung Note 7 SIM card). You may also be able to get one at a Sprint store, but the store will probably charge you an activation fee. Non-corporate Sprint stores may not be willing to help you at all if you don't buy your phone from them; that has been my experience. You can order a SIM card over the phone from Sprint, but they'll make you open a new line first, and then they'll charge you about $10 for shipping in addition to the price of the SIM card.
4. Press gently on the SIM card to remove it from the credit-card-sized card. Save the larger card because it has the ICC ID on it, which Sprint will ask you for. The ICC ID for my SIM card was a 20-digit number found under the bar code at the top left of the card.
3. Carefully install the SIM card in the phone. The phone comes with instructions and a small metal tool for doing this. It's extremely easy. The instructions don't clarify this, but you have to place the SIM card in the tray with the metal contacts facing down. Once the SIM card is installed, turn on the phone. The phone will notify you that your SIM card is invalid. This is because your phone has not been activated. You should see, however, that the phone is already connected to the Sprint cellular network. If you try to place a call, you'll hear a message that says that your phone has not yet been activated.
4. Call Sprint from a different phone. I was unable to call any of Sprint's customer service numbers from my Moto x4 before it was activated. Be prepared to spend at least half an hour to an hour on the phone while Sprint activates your Moto x4. In addition to the ICC ID mentioned above, Sprint will ask you for the phone's MEID, which you can find either in the phone's settings or by dialing *#06#
5. With any carrier, after you make changes to your devices or plans, carefully check your account on the carrier's website to make sure that the changes are what you expect. Carriers have become notorious for shenanigans involving plan specifics, post-dated changes that leave you with extra charges, etc. Don't let them get away with it, and don't wait until your next bill comes to make sure that everything is in order. Having an unlocked phone like this one gives you leverage to say you'll go to another carrier if they don't deal with you honestly.
6. Enjoy your new phone.
I will update this review with any relevant information, good or bad, as I continue to use my Moto x4.
Reviews with images
Be careful with the glass back
Bought from Google for use with Project Fi. Was concerned about the glass back but figured I've never broken a screen so how could this be any different. 3 weeks later while wiping fingerprints off the back I notice a hairline curved crack. I had not dropped the phone or anything else. Neither Motorola or Google would replace it so I ended up buying the coverage plan and paying a $79 deductible for the new replacement (not refurbished but new). I am now using a clear case (purchased through Amazon) that looks great.
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