The Motorola Moto X Review Rises Like The Phoenix

IT'S BACK! CONTINUED REVIEW ON THE MOTOROLA MOTO X SMARTPHONE

Several weeks ago, I had a couple of initial reviews of the new Motorola Moto X (AT&T) smartphone, and I was really excited to get the ball rolling on a thorough test of this great little device. But I hit a snag...

I lost the smartphone!

To my horror, I couldn't find the phone because I let it sit for 2 days and the battery (which actually has great performance) was dead as a doornail. Calling the phone wouldn't help me one bit. I put the Moto X in such a great place, I couldn't find it after tearing my whole house apart and searching my "man bag" twice.

For the past month, I have been haunted by the feeling that it was somewhere close. I've never lost a smartphone (or anthing else of great value), and something just didn't "feel" right. I had a strange feeling that it was somewhere close to me.

A couple of days ago, I reached in my man bag to look for something, and would you guess what my hands accidentally felt in one of the inside compartments? It was the Moto X! You can only imagine how much of a lunk head I felt like, discovering that the smartphone was with me the entire time it was "lost"!

I immediately jumped back on this phone, quickly discovering why I love this device so much. It has such a clean appearance and feel, and is made like the rugged device that it was advertised to be. Having the power and volume buttons on one side is so refreshing. And operating the device is unlike any other I've tested.

The reason?

It's free of bloatware. Motorola has definitely snuffed out most of the competition on this fact alone. You don't have to wade through tons of extra add-on apps that you'll never use, the types that only advertise for extra services that you don't really need. That's quite refreshing.

And the operating system functions incredibly fast as a result. You're never running a pile of useless applications in the background, so the phone can load and run your apps much more efficiently.

The display on the Moto X is absolutely wonderful. The graphics are extremely sharp and brilliant, video content runs as smooth as butter, and the basic layout just looks wonderful.

The built-in notification sounds are not annoying like many other devices which can be downright intrusive. You don't have to fumble through the notification sounds to calm the phone down and force it not to drive you up the walls.

All of this adds up to a quality user experience. I've already made the recommendation that this would be a great first smartphone device for anyone, but also a good choice for someone who isn't focused on having a pile of quirky extras that muddle up your general usage.

I'm going to jump back in the saddle and finish my test of this device and give the final report very soon. Look for it in the coming week!

Carlton Flowers
Absent-Minded Tech Professor

Hands-On With The Motorola Moto X Smartphone

MOTOROLA MOTO X REVIEW - A DURABLE SMARTPHONE SOLUTION

I've spent several days with the Motorola Moto X smartphone from AT&T, and it's turning out to be a solid device that I would give a definite positive recommendation for those looking to buy a no-nonsense smartphone that will not only hold up to heavy use, but one that will get the job done.

You can check out the video below to get my initial reaction after my first day with this device. As promised, I'll give you a few more details about the specs and features of this phone that that I really like.

First off, I mistakenly mentioned in the video that the Moto X has 1Gb of RAM. It actually has 2Gb of RAM, which is great. This gives the device top-notch ability to crank through applications with speed, and puts it right in the middle of the best smartphones on the market today.

I call it a "no nonsense" smartphone because it's not loaded up with what they call "bloatware", or extra apps that you really don't need which push you to pay for services outside of the basic functions. It offers a much cleaner platform with much less clutter.

You can get this smartphone with 16Gb or 32Gb of internal storage memory, which is plenty enough to keep your pictures, videos, and your favorite applications. You don't have the ability to put in an extra SD card, but that's not a deal breaker.

The screen is absolutely brilliant. It's a 720 x 1280 pixel display with 16 million colors in a 4.7" diagonal size that fits great in your hands. You can operate the Moto X with one hand with no problem, and you can really enjoy rich video content. I didn't realize it even had a 4.7" size, because it fits as snugly in your hand as the former Samsung Galaxy S2 smartphone that has a 4.3" display.

Something else that I really like is the power cube. It has 2 USB 2.0 plugs, something I have never had with a smartphone power cord. That means you can power up another device while charging your phone, like a tablet or music device. That's very cool.

I love the fact that they put the power button and the volume buttons on the right side together. The buttons pertrude and are super easy to locate without looking at the device. I find it a lot easier to use the buttons on the same side rather than on the right and left, or power button on the top.

The USB power connector is also on the bottom of the device, which I love. There are a few smartphone devices on the market that have the power cord on the top, and on the side. I find that to be very annoying. I'd much rather power my smartphone from the bottom of the device.

Strangely, the Moto X reminds me of an HTC device. It is strikingly similar to HTC One with its shape, but slightly smaller even though the display is the exact same size. Plus you get a solid polycarbonate back that has a rubbery feel that is more grippable than the regular smooth shiny back plates. That's a big plus because I have a propensity to let smartphones slide out of my hand when using them.

You get Corning Gorilla Glass on the front, and Motorola claims it is "scratch proof". I'm not able to take a nail to this device to test that feature out, but I trust that they know what they're talking about. Add that to the solid body, and you get a super durable smartphone.

The Moto X packs a 4G LTE radio for all of its offerings, on AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint. That means you'll be able to surf the web at top speed while in LTE coverage areas.

The camera is very decent at 10Mp, and takes great pictures. There are several devices on the market with 13Mp cameras, but the Moto X takes great shots and you won't notice a real difference. It has an LED flash, face recognition, and can take panoramic pics. The front camera is 2Mp in size, and that also puts it right in the middle of the top devices for those that love taking good quality selfies, and for video chatting.

You get a Li-Ion 2200 mAh battery that performs well and lasts long with regular use. Plus it doesn't seem to generate as much heat as some of the competitor's devices.

You also have a Dual-core 1.7 GHz Krait CPU, which probably lends to its cooler operation. You've got a lot of devices with quad core processors, and they are definitely faster. But even with a middle-of-the-road CPU, most people aren't going to notice much of a difference. It's a good tradeoff.

The shape of the phone's backing is similar to an HTC One with its rounded design. It won't sit flat on the table for those that like texting with their smarpthone sitting down, but you can solve that with a case. It does feel great in your hands though, thanks to that design.

Overall, the Moto X is a go for those that want a smartphone that will get the simple tasks done without piles of extra gimmicky functions. I think this would be a great device for someone who has never owned a smartphone, and for those that want a device that will stand up to heavy use and a beating.

Check out the video, and I'll be writing more about this device at the end of my test period! Comments or questions? Hit me up and let's talk about it! Special thanks to AT&T St. Louis for the review device!

Carlton Flowers

Chief Geek Tester

Best Android Phone Deals - Samsung Galaxy S2 Price Drop!

AMAZON WIRELESS DROPS PRICE ON GALAXY S2 PHONE

By now you know that the Samsung Galaxy S2 smartpone is one of my favorite Android devices, and it's one that all of the members of my family own. I purchased my own Galaxy S2 the month it was released, and I also purchased two additional S2's for my college "kids".

My wife has a Samsung Galaxy Skyrocket, which was released only a month after I purchased my Galaxy S2 smartphones. But the SGS2 is still a great deal, especially with the price dropping action going on at Amazon Wireless!

You'll get 16 gigabytes of storage, a gorgeous 4.3" Super AMOLED Plus display, a fantastic 8Mp rear camera, a 1.3Mp front-facing camera, HD video capability, fast HSPA+ 4G download speeds on the AT&T Network, and a whole lot more with this steal of a deal smartphone.

Go check out the Galaxy S2 right now on the Amazon Wireless store if you are in the market for a great smartphone at an extremely low price. I will always keep you posted when great deals break over on Amazon when it comes to the best Android devices on the market. Enjoy!

Carlton Flowers
Android Watchdog

GET THE SAMSUNG GALAXY S2 NOW FOR AS LOW AS $19.99 ON AMAZON!

Best Android Smartphones of 2012 - Pantech Burst 4G LTE Review

PANTECH BURST 4G LTE SMASHES THE TEST!

We're rolling right along with my series on the Best Android Smartphones for 2012 as I hit the rewind button and share a post that I did on the Pantech Burst 4G LTE smartphone offered through AT&T Wireless.

As I have mentioned before, this little smartphone is one of my all-time favorites of all the Android phones that I have tested for AT&T. I was truly not expecting to enjoy this handset as much as I did.

It not only passed my test, it smashed it to smitherines! If you want a smaller smartphone that will fit snugly in your pocket, and one that you can operate one-handed, then the Burst is one to consider.

Check out my review, and then watch the YouTube hands-on video posted at the bottom of this article. Click the pic to the right to jump to Amazon Wireless and get a great deal on this little gem!

Pantech Burst 4G LTE (AT&T) Review

I can tell you right now that the Pantech Burst has already impressed me, right out of the box. It's a 4G LTE smartphone with a 4" Super AMOLED display that packs 800x480 pixels.

I turned it on and was impressed with the bright and vivid display. The capacitive screen was very responsive to my touch, and I had no problems navigating around the interface. Something else that I noticed right off the bat was that the phone feels "solid" in my hands.

Other tech blogs have reported this phone to be "plasticy", but I completely disagree. It feels as heavy as my Samsung Galaxy S2, which is a bigger phone, but seems to be more dense.

When gripping the Pantech Burst 4G, I feel like I have a quality smartphone in my hands. The phone comes with a standard USB charger and AC adapter, but you don't get any headphones. That's not a biggie for me, especially since most headsets that come with phones are not of the best quality. Additionally, my Galaxy S2 did not come with headphones.

The Pantech runs on the latest operating system which is Android 2.3.5 "Gingerbread". Navigation is a snap, and I do like the custom overlay that is included on the phone. You get 7 home screens to jam pack with all of your shortcuts and widgets, and the nice pull-down menu that allows you access to the most used switches (like WiFi, Bluetooth, etc.).

The phone seems to load apps lightening fast. This is probably due to the dual core 1.2GHz Qualcomm Scorpion CPU. I did a little bit of research and found that the Pantech Burst actually beat out the Samsung Galaxy Nexus and the Droid RAZR on benchmark testing. That's pretty impressive for a low-cost entry level smartphone.

The Pantech Burst comes with a 5 megapixel rear camera, and it also features a front-facing camera for video chatting. The rear camera is an entry level camera that gets the job done for a phone, but I wouldn't say that it would replace the need of a high quality digital camera. But again, for the price, I would have no complaints with this dual-camera smartphone.

The Pantech Burst is being offered by AT&T for $59.99, but you can find it on sale at Amazon.com for a penny with a new 2-year contract. For existing contracts, the Amazon price is $59.99. Click the link to check out your eligibility on Amazon, and your purchase will help support the CZ Blog!

Check out the video below for my full hands-on report on the Pantech Burst 4G LTE smartphone and post your thoughts in the comments section! Thanks for watching!

Carlton Flowers
Supreme Android Phone Tester

Best Android Phones - Pantech Burst 4G LTE

HANDS ON WITH THE PANTECH BURST RIGHT OUT OF THE BOX!

Pantech Burst Is A Great Deal For A Penny At Amazon Wireless

Here's a post and a video that I had previously published on the Pantech Burst 4G LTE smartphone from AT&T. I would say without a shadow of doubt that this is most definitely one of the best Android smartphone buys out on the market.

I absolutely fell in love with this phone, and surprisingly felt that the 4" display was the perfect size for a smartphone. It fit so well in my hand, and I could reach the far corners of the screen with my thumb. For ergonomics and functionality, this was probably the #1 phone I have tested thus far.

The Pantech Burst was my first phone that I got in my hands to test and review for AT&T. I have since tested about 6 other devices and one tablet computer. The Burst still remains one of my all-time favorites. It's a durable well-built little phone that has a snappy operating system, and extremely good funtionality.

Anyhow, check out the video that I shot when I opened the box the day it arrived from AT&T. Then hit the link below and jump to Amazon to check out the Pantech Burst for one penny with a 2-year contract agreement!

BLAST FROM THE PAST - PANTECH BURST ARRIVAL

In today's video, I'm unveiling the Pantech Burst 4G LTE smartphone from AT&T. This is the first phone I'll be officially testing out for AT&T! I'm excited to have the opportunity to test out phones and other devices from my very own cell phone service provider, and this first device gets a "thumbs up" from me right off the bat.

You can check out the details on the Pantech Burst 4G LTE phone on my previous post on this device. Over the next couple of weeks, I'll be putting the Pantech Burst through rigorous testing, and you'll be the first to get the full report.

In the meantime, enjoy the video, and watch for more details! If you like what you see, click the link below for a special sale price on this device from the Amazon Wireless store!  

Carlton Flowers
Gadget Nerd Extreme

PANTECH BURST 4G LTE SMARTPHONE AT&T - ONE PENNY AT AMAZON!

Upgrade Madness - Android Conversion, My Personal Story

BLAST FROM THE PAST - MY SAMSUNG GALAXY S2 D-DAY

Howdy folks! Here's another post from the former blog that got eaten by the ugly blog host provider switch monster. This was a really good story about my most recent upgrade, when I moved from my iPhone to the Samsung Galaxy S2.

What got my blood pressure up was the fact that they released a better phone only 3 or 4 weeks after I made my purchase. I'm still satisfied with what I've got, but this is quite an entertaining story. Enjoy!

Getting Off The Upgrade Merry-Go-Round (October 2011)

Yesterday, BGR ran an exclusive story about AT&T launching the Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket and the HTC Vivid for $100 less than the expected release prices.

The Skyrocket was reported to be $150, and the Vivid $99. As soon as I heard the news from my good buddy Tim Largent, I nearly stroked out. My heart rate raced.

I quickly did the math in my mind to figure out if I was still within my 30-day grace period of purchasing my Galaxy S2 smartphone. I figured that I had two weeks left. My first thought? Get this thing back to the AT&T Store and trade it straightway for a Skyrocket.

When I bought my Galaxy S2, the selling price was $199. However, it was being sold on the Amazon site at $149. I’m an Amazon affiliate, and I had planned on purchasing my SGS2 online. But I sold my iPhone 4 so fast, I had to get my SGS2 locally so I could reset the iPhone and get it shipped out in the promised time frame.

I called my local AT&T Store and asked the sales staff if I could possibly purchase my SGS2 for the same price that it was being sold on the Amazon website, and also at Walmart for $50 less, and they agreed. I was ecstatic.

I made the purchase for $149, bought a couple of accessories, and off I went to the post office to ship off my iPhone 4. Life was good, and I was glad to have finally settled in with my new Android phone.

What a relief it was to step off of the smartphone upgrade merry-go-round… or so I thought. A few weeks later, and this bogus story on BGR pops up about the Galaxy Skyrocket.

Compared to the Galaxy S2, the Satellite has a 1.5GHz Qualcomm dual core processor (which is slower than the Exynos 1.2GHz CPU), plus the bigger 4.52” display that would suit me well. Plus, it is equipped with an AT&T LTE radio.

I have been perfectly happy and content with my Galaxy S2, and I actually like the 4.3” size a little better than the bigger 4.52” display. But for the same exact price, LTE capability, and a faster CPU, I figured this was well worth the $35 restocking fee for a straight trade.

It took 4 attempts before I finally got through to a sales rep at the local store. But during the time that passed before I got to a live person, I started to doubt whether or not I really needed to be doing the trade in the first place.

The big worry I had was the larger display. Problem is, I can barely text with one hand using the 4.3” display. That extra little 1/8 of an inch would probably stretch my ability to use the phone one-handed.

Plus, I use my smartphone to track my running exercise. I do 5 mile+ runs three times per week, and I use the Runtastic app to track my time and distance. 4.3” is the biggest size phone I can comfortably grip when running for an hour.

Another thing that went through my mind was the fact that we may not even see LTE coverage in Jefferson City for another year or two. AT&T isn’t really slated to have nationwide LTE coverage until the year 2013.

So that meant the only advantage would be the slightly faster processor.

Well, I finally got through to a salesperson and asked whether or not I could do a trade. The sales clerk said yes, as long as I paid the $35 fee. I told her that I had heard the Samsung Galaxy S2 Satellite was being sold for less than the original price of the regular Galaxy S2,which was $149.

She placed me on hold to check and verify the price. She came back and told me that there was no such sale going on. The Galaxy Satellite was still $249, and the HTC Vivid was still $199. She had no idea where that pricing information had come from, and I told her that it was reported on a major tech blog site.

I thanked her for helping me, and hung up the phone relieved that I wouldn’t have to go through the trouble to switch, or put up with the 4.52” display. I decided to go back to the BGR blog post to see if I could find an explanation for such a glaring error.

Where did they get their information, I wondered?

To my surprise, they added an update to the post which explained that the sale pricing was apparently being offered only in certain regions.

I would like to thank BGR for sending me on a wild goose chase and getting my blood pressure up over nothing. I should have trusted my gut feeling and not even let this phase me or tempt me.

But this is what happens when technology moves so fast that you can’t guarantee your phone won’t be obsolete during your 30-day return period.

After being tempted by having LTE phone, I decided to take a look at the AT&T coverage map. Of course we won’t have LTE any time soon, but I wanted to at least check to see how the HSPA+ “fake 4g” coverage was in our area.

Come to find out, in Central Missouri, we don’t even have HSPA+ coverage yet. So why all the fuss anyway? I think I can turn a deaf ear to all of the new gadgets coming out and end my upgrade envy now.

And hey, I’ll be satisfied when the day comes that I can at least get the fake 4G download speeds on my Samsung Galaxy S2.

Do you have any crazy stories about upgrading, waiting to upgrade, or getting off of the upgrade vicious circle? Spout off in the comments below and tell me how you really feel about it!

Carlton Flowers
Gadget Man

Click the link below to see the deals!

SAMSUNG GALAXY S2 ON AMAZON WIRELESS AS LOW AS $9.99 WITH 2-YEAR CONTRACT

Grab your Samsung Galaxy S2 right now and you will enjoy a super capable smartphone with a 4.3" Super AMOLED Display, 1.2GHz dual core cpu, 16Gb of storage, 1Gb of RAM, 8Mp rear camera with flash, 1.3Mp front facing camera for video chat, blazing fast HSPA+ 4G download speeds on the AT&T network, and more! Grab one at a great price while the deal lasts. Only $9.99 for family plan upgrades, and $39.99 for single phone plan upgrades!

The Best Android Phones of 2012 - CZ Series Begins!

BEST ANDROID PHONES OF 2012 REVIEWED

Samsung Galaxy S2 Price Drop Makes Great Buy

As the friendly neighborhood tech geek, I get a lot of questions from friends & family on what the best Android phone is on the market for 2012. Since there is so much to report on this topic, I've decided to launch a series!

We're going to start with my top choices and go straight down the line, showcasing the best Android smartphones that AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile & Sprint have to offer. We'll even talk about high speed cellular service from the big 4 carriers.

To kick off the series, I can think of no better place to start than the Samsung Galaxy S2 by AT&T. Why? Because I thought enough of this smartphone to buy three of them for my family, including one for myself.

The Galaxy S2 was my transitional phone for leaving the Apple iOS community. I had formerly owned an iPhone 3GS, and an iPhone 4. By October of 2011, I was ready to depart from the strange world of Steve Jobs, and enter the free and creative world of Android.

But back to the phone... the Samsung Galaxy S2 is a top-notch smartphone that is chock-full of first rate components and features. You have plenty of room to store apps, music, photos, and video with its built-in 16Gb storage space. Plus, you can ad another 16Gb via the SD flash card port.

Processor-wise, it has a capable 1.2GHz dual core Samsung Exynos CPU that will allow you to run several applications at the same time without a problem. I haven't had much trouble out of mine, with only an occaisional crash. Nothing like I had with my iPhone.

The cameras on this phone are superb. The rear cam (8Mp) takes excellent pictures and video in high def and has replaced my need for a digital camera. The front cam (2Mp) is also great for pictures and video, and using on video chatting programs like Skype.

I'm still enjoying the gorgeous Super AMOLED Plus display on my Galaxy S2 as much as I was the first day. There was an immediate noticeable difference in the intensity, vividness, and color quality of this phone compared to my iPhone 4. Watching movies, videos, and YouTube is superb.

Running the Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating system with Samsung's TouchWiz 4.0 overlay is smooth as butter, and I haven't been able to find a single serious glitch or issue. Plus, I've been able to load the majority of the apps that I had with my iPhone devices. That made the transition a lot easier.

One of the biggest things I have told people that I like about this phone is the durability. I'm hard on smartphones. They usually don't last long with me. But I have had this Galaxy S2 for 6 months now, and it's still functional! Some people say it is "too light", but I think that's a blessing in disguise. The lighter the phone, the less of a chance it will shatter if you drop it.

For surfing the internet, I would say that the stock Android browser is leagues better than the iPhone's Safari browser. It doesn't block Flash content. Sure, some Flash sites will run slow. But I'd rather have the ability to at least see what's there. With an iPhone, you don't even get a choice.

Surfing the net with the Samsung Galaxy S2 is great. It's an HSPA+ 4G phone that can download at speeds upwards of 10Mbps. That's faster than a lot of DSL services for home computers. This model does not have 4G LTE capability, but most areas still don't have that available so it's not an issue.

Lastly, it's just about the right size for ergonomic considerations and functionality. 4.3" is a sweet spot with smartphones. It fits well in your hands, but the screen is not so small like an iPhone that you have to squint to be able to read small type. That's truly nice.

My best reason for telling you that the Samsung Galaxy S2 is one of the best Android smartphone deals for 2012? The recent price drop on Amazon.com. Current AT&T customers can get this smartphone for only $39.99 as an upgrade, or $9.99 when you have a family plan. That's a killer deal!

Hit the link below and you will jump to Amazon Wireless where you can grab one now!

Carlton Flowers
Smartphone Advisor

Click the link below to see the deals!

SAMSUNG GALAXY S2 ON AMAZON WIRELESS AS LOW AS $9.99 WITH 2-YEAR CONTRACT

Grab your Samsung Galaxy S2 right now and you will enjoy a super capable smartphone with a 4.3" Super AMOLED Display, 1.2GHz dual core cpu, 16Gb of storage, 1Gb of RAM, 8Mp rear camera with flash, 1.3Mp front facing camera for video chat, blazing fast HSPA+ 4G download speeds on the AT&T network, and more! Grab one at a great price while the deal lasts. Only $9.99 for family plan upgrades, and $39.99 for single phone plan upgrades!