Moto X 2015 "Pure Edition" [users thread]

[skid71]

Let's try this again...

I agree with most of your post, but I've left the items i need to comment on or disagree with...

 

I disagree on the Moto X Pure being a niche device, with two year subsidies going away, a high end device, with very quick updates will be very attractive, for a middle of the road price tag is very desirable. I think this will be a much more popular device that you are giving it credit for. Both Amazon and Best Buy will push these.

 

Why wait to establish solid BYOD P&P? Look what happened to Sprint when they rested on their laurels of a very good EVDO network with T1 backhaul, they got left in the dust and have been paying for it ever since. Get ahead of the curve and stay ahead of the curve.

 

I agree the grass may look greener on the other side, but in this day and age of "now, now, now" (i fall into that too), you can't lose customers and money due to a lack of customer service. People will pay a few extra dollars for better customer service, less time in the store/on the phone/computer with support.

 

Robert is a perfect example of what I'm talking about. He should be able to take a BYOD into any wireless carrier store and there should be at least one employee who can tell him the positive and negative about the device on that network, in that area. They should have a database of every device, its communication capabilities, and be able to tell the customer what type of experience to expect. Sprint/Verizon are fairly easy, they operate in 3 LTE bands and its pretty consistent (25/26/41 & 2/4/13). AT&T and T-Mobile have spectrum and bands all over the place so its a bit tougher, but that is the type of customer service that should be given in a BYOD world.

 

Maybe I'm setting the standard too high because I work in a customer service driven IT industry providing network, infrastructure, and occasional PC support. However, I hold those giving me support to the same standard that I provide.

Despite what you think (and I WANT to agree with you) the Moto X is very much a niche device. You, my friend are at the cutting edge of non-subsidized handsets. How many Moto X Pure Editions are activated per Galaxy/ IPhone? I'd wager it's 50-1.

Make no mistake, I completely agree with you, we are solidly in the extreme minority. I hope that changes with time. I have my doubts.

[WiWavelength]

I agree the grass may look greener on the other side, but in this day and age of "now, now, now" (i fall into that too), you can't lose customers and money due to a lack of customer service.  People will pay a few extra dollars for better customer service, less time in the store/on the phone/computer with support.

 

. . .

 

Maybe I'm setting the standard too high because I work in a customer service driven IT industry providing network, infrastructure, and occasional PC support.  However, I hold those giving me support to the same standard that I provide.

 

Yes, you are setting the standard too high.  What you suggest is unrealistic from national providers serving 50+ million subs -- especially with competition decreasing prices in a race to the bottom, yet CAPEX increasing or sustaining to compensate for coverage from the non robust LTE airlink and to create additional capacity for excessive wireless data demand.

 

No, what you want is basically a wireless concierge service.  And you probably can have that from an MVNO.  Certainly, premium MVNOs have existed in the past.  You BYOD, then pay something like $200+ per month for wireless service.  That allows the provider to hire and pay well trained technicians, maybe even engineers, to troubleshoot your problems and ensure your personal satisfaction.  But that is a far cry from the level of educated person you will find in most wireless store associates and customer service reps, menial workers who just as likely could be selling furniture or providing customer service for a bank.

 

To end with a personal anecdote, my girlfriend is on a VZW family plan and recently retired her ancient iPhone for a used Samsung Galaxy S5.  Why a 30 year old is still on her family plan, not her own plan, thus stuck with VZW and at the mercy of her family for upgrades and plan changes is beyond me, but I digress.  I took her into a VZW store to deactivate the iPhone and activate the used Samsung.  The VZW associate was reasonably competent in the swap but hardly could have been less pleasant.  We took him out of commission -- quite literally -- for 10-15 minutes.  He was not going to make any money on the transaction.

 

If you want more than that, expect to pay a premium.  That is the reality of the current wireless environment...

 

AJ

[skid71]

I just did a phone swap on my existing account, i was never presented any info about an activation fee. I haven't seen anything on my account either for an activation fee.

FWIW

I haven't paid an activation fee the past few years (since I've brought my phones to Sprint)

Note: haven't purchased a subsidized handset in 3+ years.

[newboyx]

Despite what you think (and I WANT to agree with you) the Moto X is very much a niche device. You, my friend are at the cutting edge of non-subsidized handsets. How many Moto X Pure Editions are activated per Galaxy/ IPhone? I'd wager it's 50-1.

Make no mistake, I completely agree with you, we are solidly in the extreme minority. I hope that changes with time. I have my doubts.

Way more than 50-1. I work in mobile sales, and have several friends that work for carriers. I sent out a few quick texts this morning to 3 people that work for carriers. 2 for Sprint and one for VZW. No one has had a customer even ask about the Moto X Pure. I know this is a very tiny sample size and that most Pure customers will try to avoid carrier stores, but the silence on the device is pretty clear. The general public is very uninformed about all things mobile. They buy what they see commercials for, what they have used, or what the sales person tells them to get. The Moto X Pure is a fringe device for the general public. Unlocked devices are going to be a bigger deal in the future, but it is exactly that, the future.

 

Sent from my Sprint LG G4

[WiWavelength]

Despite what you think (and I WANT to agree with you) the Moto X is very much a niche device. You, my friend are at the cutting edge of non-subsidized handsets. How many Moto X Pure Editions are activated per Galaxy/ IPhone? I'd wager it's 50-1.

Way more than 50-1. I work in mobile sales, and have several friends that work for carriers. I sent out a few quick texts this morning to 3 people that work for carriers. 2 for Sprint and one for VZW. No one has had a customer even ask about the Moto X Pure.

 

Yep.

 

Despite being the technical editor of this web site, I have never worked in the wireless industry.  I like to think that speaks to my demonstrated knowledge and helps maintain my objectivity.  Monetary compensation has never entered the equation.

 

Instead, I work in continuing education on and around a major university campus.  And college students -- most of whom really like new technology -- seem to be a pretty representative sample of the smartphone population.  Of course, the 2015 Moto X is so new, I have yet to see one besides my own.  But, more interestingly, in the two years that I have had the 2013 Nexus 5, I cannot recall ever seeing another one in the wild.  On the other hand, my students during that time have had more iPhone variants and Samsung Galaxy handsets than I can count on any number of hands.  Furthermore, I see similar smartphone distribution at pro sporting events.

 

AJ

[S4GRU]

Agreed. I have only seen one other Nexus 5 in the wild, ever. Never saw a Nexus 6 or Moto X 2014 in all that time that wasn't my family or S4GRU related. But I have seen hundreds of iPhone 6's and Galaxy S6's.

 

Using Tapatalk on BlackBerry Z30

[SeanK_]

I've seen both. An ex coworker had Nexus 5 and Nexus 6.

 

Sent from my LGLS990 using Tapatalk

[newboyx]

I've seen both. An ex coworker had Nexus 5 and Nexus 6.

 

Sent from my LGLS990 using Tapatalk

So the 2 you saw were the same person? I think that only counts as one sighting

 

Sent from my SM-T237P using Tapatalk

[SeanK_]

So the 2 you saw were the same person? I think that only counts as one sighting

 

Sent from my SM-T237P using Tapatalk

That's what I was saying...

 

Sent from my LGLS990 using Tapatalk

[Dkoellerwx]

Agreed. I have only seen one other Nexus 5 in the wild, ever. Never saw a Nexus 6 or Moto X 2014 in all that time that wasn't my family or S4GRU related. But I have seen hundreds of iPhone 6's and Galaxy S6's.

 

Using Tapatalk on BlackBerry Z30

 

I've seen a few Moto X 2014s, all on T-Mobile in the St. Louis area.

[nexuss4g]

Yes. What a tragicomedy. Sprint has insisted at various times that the phone is an LTE device, but "isn't 4GLTE" so isn't compatible with Open World; doesn't contain gsm radios; or contains gsm radios but doesn't support international frequencies. No response when asked which frequency bands Sprint requires to provision the Open World feature that this phone doesn't support.

 

With persistence, they're now communicating with internal technical support to figure this out. I'm also going to let Motorola know about this issue. Maybe they just need to hear from more of us so they'll fix their system? The problem isn't with the phone.

This is exactly what I got from chat support and replied back to them stating that the Moto X 1st gen has the same capabilities as the Moto X Pure so it should work the same when roaming in other countries supported by the plan. They stated since it was a CDMA phone it would not work because we connect to GSM networks while roaming lol

 

I will try to call them tomorrow as was a bit busy at work and haven't had a chance to follow up. Have you received any other updates from Tech Support ?

[WannabeFunnyMan]

I've seen both. An ex coworker had Nexus 5 and Nexus 6.

 

Sent from my LGLS990 using Tapatalk

My experience is similarly anecdotal. All my friends are geeks like me. All the phones mentioned in recent replies aren't unusual for us to own. However, to the point being put forward, we are the only people we ever see with them. It's actually a game for us while out in public to spot someone else using the same phone as us. During my time as a Samsung fanboy I always won because none of are a fan of CrApple and I was the only Samsung guy. Since I came to be interested in the Moto X I have paid even closer attention to the phones I see people using in my travels from Ontario, Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia and Florida. I am yet to see someone using ANY generation of the Moto X. We're talking about months since the first rumors of this new nearly universally banded version. Until recently I never realized how rare and niche the Moto X is.

 

I'm another person who probably expects too much from my wireless provider. But despite the Moto X being fairly rare, I still believe that carriers should still be aware of any device that they will allow on their network and have basic instructions available somewhere for reps to use for activation. Why? Basic customer service. Isn't that the biggest reason people leave carriers still? If the first interactions they have with their customers show them to be reasonably capable and helpful, unless their network is dreadful people would generally stick around. If every time they need to switch device this same experience is what they see, their customers will recommend them. I always appreciate capable people on the occasion I've had to enter a carrier store. I have even tipped once because it was the only time I'd met someone more capable than me.

 

Sent from my SM-N910P using Tapatalk

[jefbal99]

Interesting, I see phones across the board. iPhones and Samsung devices dominate but I see a lot of LG and enough Nexus to notice. My neighbor had the first generation Moto X, he loved it. I showed him this and he was drooling over it. I'm very interested to see what the next six months brings for this and new generation Nexus devices.

 

Sent from Moto X Pure via Tapatalk

[S4GRU]

My experience is similarly anecdotal. All my friends are geeks like me. All the phones mentioned in recent replies aren't unusual for us to own. However, to the point being put forward, we are the only people we ever see with them. It's actually a game for us while out in public to spot someone else using the same phone as us. During my time as a Samsung fanboy I always won because none of are a fan of CrApple and I was the only Samsung guy. Since I came to be interested in the Moto X I have paid even closer attention to the phones I see people using in my travels from Ontario, Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia and Florida. I am yet to see someone using ANY generation of the Moto X. We're talking about months since the first rumors of this new nearly universally banded version. Until recently I never realized how rare and niche the Moto X is.

 

I'm another person who probably expects too much from my wireless provider. But despite the Moto X being fairly rare, I still believe that carriers should still be aware of any device that they will allow on their network and have basic instructions available somewhere for reps to use for activation. Why? Basic customer service. Isn't that the biggest reason people leave carriers still? If the first interactions they have with their customers show them to be reasonably capable and helpful, unless their network is dreadful people would generally stick around. If every time they need to switch device this same experience is what they see, their customers will recommend them. I always appreciate capable people on the occasion I've had to enter a carrier store. I have even tipped once because it was the only time I'd met someone more capable than me.

 

Sent from my SM-N910P using Tapatalk

 

Agreed.  And Sprint does have basic instructions.  It is in the playbook distributed to stores and call centers.  But when you have tens of thousands of human beings, many on commission and who will not get paid to help you, you are going to get varied results.

 

And Sprint is working through the bugs.  And if any of these BYOD devices goes mainstream enough (besides the iPhone), then some meaningful proactive changes will likely happen.  Until then, there are just not enough of these that they travel far enough up the subject matrix to catch attention that there is a widespread issue.  But there are bulletins being posted in the system that will catch the attention of your smarter than average call center employee or supervisor.

 

In the past, Sprint hasn't even had Playbook distributions nor bulletins until after the launch.  So they are already making improvements.  And Sprint now has a means to whitelist devices.  So let's not pretend like nothing is happening here and Sprint isn't learning.  

 

This is a whole new world to Sprint.  Something many thought they would never do.  I'm glad they are.  And it is getting better.

[GoldMember]

This is exactly what I got from chat support and replied back to them stating that the Moto X 1st gen has the same capabilities as the Moto X Pure so it should work the same when roaming in other countries supported by the plan. They stated since it was a CDMA phone it would not work because we connect to GSM networks while roaming lol

 

I will try to call them tomorrow as was a bit busy at work and haven't had a chance to follow up. Have you received any other updates from Tech Support ?

Nexuss4g, I've lost track of this thread since you and I PM'd last week about activation.  I too am greatly concerned about Global Roaming as I leave for London tomorrow.  I literally called Sprint Int'l support the day I activated my MXPE, Sept 14, and I've been given the runaround all week.  They called back yesterday and said they're still working on it but this is ridiculous.  I leave tomorrow and I think I'm going to have to reactivate my old Moto X 2013 for the trip. 

 

Any word on Global Roaming lately?  Any luck with Open World?

[WiWavelength]

Nexuss4g, I've lost track of this thread since you and I PM'd last week about activation.  I too am greatly concerned about Global Roaming as I leave for London tomorrow.  I literally called Sprint Int'l support the day I activated my MXPE, Sept 14, and I've been given the runaround all week.  They called back yesterday and said they're still working on it but this is ridiculous.  I leave tomorrow and I think I'm going to have to reactivate my old Moto X 2013 for the trip. 

 

Any word on Global Roaming lately?  Any luck with Open World?

 

No, it is not "ridiculous."  And we have had other members previously deem "unacceptable" the 2015 Moto X activation issues, which have now been sorted out in the matter of a week.

 

This unwarranted criticism needs to stop.  Some of these expectations are too soon and over the top.  If you want full support from the get go, stick to operator sold devices.  For the foreseeable future, unlocked BYOD handsets will always come with caveats.  Certain features may not be supported right out of the box.  Some operator specific features may never be supported.  And this is not limited to Sprint.  VZW refusing to activate the 2015 Moto X.  Wi-Fi calling, VoLTE, and band 12 support on T-Mobile.  And do not even ask Robert about the runaround he has gotten with an unbranded BYOD handset on AT&T.

 

Now, if you are going to London so soon with a just released BYOD handset, buck up and pay like $25 at the airport for a local 4FF nano SIM that will provide you with several GBs of data.  Your 2015 Moto X is fully unlocked, and it supports all of the W-CDMA and LTE bands in use in the UK.  So, you will get high speed data.

 

AJ

[GoldMember]

No, it is not "ridiculous."  And we have had other members previously deem "unacceptable" the 2015 Moto X activation issues, which have now been sorted out in the matter of a week.

 

This unwarranted criticism needs to stop.  Some of these expectations are too soon and over the top.  If you want full support from the get go, stick to operator sold devices.  For the foreseeable future, unlocked BYOD handsets will always come with caveats.  Certain features may not be supported right out of the box.  Some operator specific features may never be supported.  And this is not limited to Sprint.  VZW refusing to activate the 2015 Moto X.  Wi-Fi calling, VoLTE, and band 12 support on T-Mobile.  And do not even ask Robert about the runaround he has gotten with an unbranded BYOD handset on AT&T.

 

Now, if you are going to London so soon with a just released BYOD handset, buck up and pay like $25 at the airport for a local 4FF nano SIM that will provide you with several GBs of data.  Your 2015 Moto X is fully unlocked, and it supports all of the W-CDMA and LTE bands in use in the UK.  So, you will get high speed data.

 

AJ

Point well taken, AJ.  But I wish they would have told me the situation instead of promising it will be taken care of.  I wasted several days on the word of that rep I spoke to on Monday.

 

That $25 solution sounds good.  I wish I knew more about it.  Is there one provider I should consider over another?  Where do I purchase that sim at the airport (Gatwick)?  Can I talk in addition to data?  Will that sim work in Paris and Germany as well?

 

Don't get me wrong, I'm not posing these questions at you, AJ.  These are the things I'll have to research.  Thanks for the reply.  I hope if anyone has any luck with Global Roaming, they'll post here.

[nexuss4g]

Point well taken, AJ.  But I wish they would have told me the situation instead of promising it will be taken care of.  I wasted several days on the word of that rep I spoke to on Monday.

 

That $25 solution sounds good.  I wish I knew more about it.  Is there one provider I should consider over another?  Where do I purchase that sim at the airport (Gatwick)?  Can I talk in addition to data?  Will that sim work in Paris and Germany as well?

 

Don't get me wrong, I'm not posing these questions at you, AJ.  These are the things I'll have to research.  Thanks for the reply.  I hope if anyone has any luck with Global Roaming, they'll post here.

I travelled with my Moto X 1st gen to Europe last year and had no issues swapping sims, call Sprint and have them unlock your moto first.

In Germany you can purchase either from O2 or Vodafone. In france you can try Orange, theres a sim that I bought in Germany that didnt work but I cant remember the company name... I'll see if I can find out. 

[Fraydog]

EE, 3, Vodafone, and O2 all have competitive solutions. EE is the best network in the UK per RootMetrics but is also the most expensive. 3 is still good but has better deals.

[bill875]

I'm experiencing an issue where I am missing incoming calls if my MXPE is on Band 41 LTE and connected to WiFi at home.  As soon as I turn WiFi off, calls come in without issue while the device remains on B41.  (I'm usually on B41 at -104 to -107dBm according to SignalCheck Pro).  I don't seem to have this issue when on B25 or B26.

 

I previously had intermittent issues with my LG G3 missing calls if it was on B41, but I don't recall if I had WiFi on at the times that it was an issue.  So, has anyone encountered this before?  Is -107dBm going to be an issue on B41 to receive calls?  I am in A/L land if that makes a difference.

[jefbal99]

Now, if you are going to London so soon with a just released BYOD handset, buck up and pay like $25 at the airport for a local 4FF nano SIM that will provide you with several GBs of data.  Your 2015 Moto X is fully unlocked, and it supports all of the W-CDMA and LTE bands in use in the UK.  So, you will get high speed data.

 

AJ

 

I don't fully agree with the rest of AJs post, however, this is 100% the best solution.  Even if Sprint gets Open World figured out for the Moto X, I still plan on picking up a local SIM from LIME or digicel in Jamaica when we travel in January.

[dnwk]

Does Pure Edition support Wifi Calling?

[jefbal99]

Does Pure Edition support Wifi Calling?

Not Sprint's implementation of Wifi Calling

 

On the question of support, I know this device went through the FCC and was certified for B41 2x CA, has anyone actually seen it in the wild?

 

I've seen multiple areas in West Michigan of 2nd carrier B41 connections, but no speed tests to confirm connections with two carriers.  As previously noted, the DEBUG screens are not the greatest, lacking a secondary DL channel slot.  Co-worker has an S6, hopefully I can confirm that CA is actually happening on that device from the site near the office.

[bluelunar]

I'm experiencing an issue where I am missing incoming calls if my MXPE is on Band 41 LTE and connected to WiFi at home.  As soon as I turn WiFi off, calls come in without issue while the device remains on B41.  (I'm usually on B41 at -104 to -107dBm according to SignalCheck Pro).  I don't seem to have this issue when on B25 or B26.

 

I previously had intermittent issues with my LG G3 missing calls if it was on B41, but I don't recall if I had WiFi on at the times that it was an issue.  So, has anyone encountered this before?  Is -107dBm going to be an issue on B41 to receive calls?  I am in A/L land if that makes a difference.

Same here unfortunately.

[jefbal99]

Just got a delivery notification on my 64GB MicroSD from Amazon.  Interesting that my UPS packages that are Ground or 2nd day air (Amazon Prime) get delivered in the morning, but Next Day Air from Sprint doesn't get delivered until mid-late afternoon.  Must get processed through different UPS facilities in the area.

 

I picked up a SanDisk Ultra 64GB Ultra Micro SDXC UHS-I/Class 10 from Amazon.