Moto X - Yes or other?

[AFurryReptile]

I can recommend the Moto X because I've been using it for 3 months. I can also say that I've had no desire or need to root/unlock the phone because the vanilla experience is so good. I've rooted 4 phones previous to this one to fix various issues I had in the stock experience.

That said, I wouldn't go for the developer edition. Besides the fact that I don't think root is necessary, there isn't much development going on for the Moto X anyway. Especially the Verizon variant.

 

[destrekor]

I can recommend the Moto X because I've been using it for 3 months. I can also say that I've had no desire or need to root/unlock the phone because the vanilla experience is so good. I've rooted 4 phones previous to this one to fix various issues I had in the stock experience.

That said, I wouldn't go for the developer edition. Besides the fact that I don't think root is necessary, there isn't much development going on for the Moto X anyway. Especially the Verizon variant.

The stock experience may be wonderful, but I do like even the more basic options that are opened up with Root. Even quite a bit of powerful stuff you can do on your own with Root is just fine simply having root - no need for development communities centered on this particular phone/variant. And I don't like risking serious fallback, which may be necessary to take on with 4.4 on a Moto X with a locked bootloader. It seems recent reports have stated all current known ways of getting Root on the Moto X have vanished if you can't unlock the bootloader, for those on 4.4. I want the latest stock, but I don't want to risk losing Root for long periods of time until a new workaround is established. :\

I'd like to customize the device, but I am absolutely getting a thin case because I cannot be trusted with nice things.
So part of those would be obscured. I dislike the developer edition branding and lack of color choice, but I like what it offers.

I haven't checked - are the radios different? Does the developer edition offer more options down the road, say in another country on other network types altogether (like GSM and HSDPA)?


Also - thoughts on best case that is thin, perhaps has a clear backing, is not a slippery backing (seems common on clear back models), and has all the cutouts including either a cut-out for the dimple or at least a dimple built into the case?
I like the Diztronic matte black TPU on amazon, but I find it annoying the dimple is not present, and on the D.E., it would look weird with the large white areas under the cutouts. If there was more white, that could be a neat look. But everything else visible would be black.

 

[s44]

There are a few things I don't think I'll be able to do without for a long time, certainly not forever, so we'll see how it goes adding those. Things like holding the power button and be able to select reboot, turn off, airplane mode, silent/vibrate/sound, and sometimes other quick-access features.

This, like a lot of things that formerly required a full ROM flash, can now be done in an Xposed framework module.

So yeah, most of what you need is root. And I'd make sure you *can* root.

 

[sweenish]

The best custom experience is moving away from ROMs and toward the Xposed Framework, anyway.

There is very little that "just" root can't replicate from custom ROMs. The only thing I believe an Xposed module hasn't duplicated yet is per-app-color from PA. What I'm getting at is that lack of ROMs for the X is not really knock against it. If you can root it, it can be modded to your heart's content and these mods are much safer than a custom ROM.

And with the way Android is trending, root might not even be necessary in the next two years anyway. I have had zero incentive to root my 2013 N7, and I only rooted my GNex because Verizon.

I'm putting my vote in with the X. Anyone citing "weak hardware" as an excuse hasn't handled one. It's butter.

The sole reason I won't be getting one myself is screen size. I like large screens.

But the X is a fantastic phone, and if you're seriously considering it, I don't think there is another phone that can beat it at its size.