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Finally a real review

whttigress said:
This is the correct link Motorola PHOTON 4G review

Also I found this one

Photon 4G review | This is my next...
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I predicted thisismynext would give this a mixed review, and so will cnet i predict. Its a shame but predictable because the device is indeed toned down and wont be exciting for everyone (I CANT WAIT!)

What disappoints me about the review is him admitting the review is rushed

"short time made available to review the device."

What intrigues me about Joshua's review is that part about the wimax speeds and call quality;I can't wait to test it out in the DC area. It's always comforting when a reviewer highlights the reception and call quality to be great on a device.
 
There are several "full" reviews out this morning. Do a search for "Motorola Photon" on Google news and change the sort to Sort by Date. One guy even has an unboxing.

Overall the reviews are very positive. Most liked this phone over the 3vo.
 
I wouldn't trust a BGR review! Engadget, and Lisa from mobile tech review are usually more accurate all around. However, just hearing that the phone call quality isn't so good is disappointing to hear. But I would wait to hear from the masses the next few days, and then have my own hands on.
 
From BGR:

"The Motorola PHOTON 4G is Motorola’s first real 4G handset, and it’s a winner. It easily trumps Sprint’s other flagship device for the summer, the HTC EVO 3D. From the phone’s styling and feel, to speed and functionality, the PHOTON 4G is one of my favorite Android devices in a long time, and easily my favorite smartphone that Sprint currently offers. It combines next-generation specifications into a reasonably slim and full package, and offers business customers and frequent travelers the ability to roam internationally — something not found on many 4G devices currently. If you can get over the fact that the Motorola PHOTON 4G doesn’t feature a physical keyboard, then this is going to be your favorite smartphone on Sprint, by a wide margin. It’s available for purchase starting July 31st for $199 with a two-year agreement."

Game, set, and match.
 
Motorola Photon 4G (Sprint)
REVIEW DATE: 07.29.11
BOTTOM LINE:
Our latest Editors' Choice touch-screen smartphone for Sprint, the Motorola Photon 4G is powerful, fast, feature-packed, and, in a pinch, it can double as a nettop PC.

PROS:
Optional desktop dock transforms the phone into a nettop. 4G-compatible. World phone. High-res screen. Top-notch music and video players.

CONS:
No laptop dock.

COMPANY:
Motorola Inc

SPEC DATA
Price: $199.99 Direct
Service Provider: Sprint
Operating System: Android OS
Screen Size: 4.3 inches
Screen Details: 960-by-540 LCD capacitive touch screen
Camera: Yes
Megapixels: 8 MP
Camera Flash: Yes
Flash Memory Type: Micro SD
802.11x: Yes
Bluetooth: Yes
Web Browser: Yes
Form Factor: Candy Bar
Network: GSM, CDMA, UMTS
Bands: 850, 900, 1800, 1900, 2100
High-Speed Data: GPRS, EDGE, UMTS, HSDPA, EVDO Rev A
Storage Capacity (as Tested): 9 GB
Processor Speed: 1 GHz
EDITOR RATING:

By Sascha Segan
The Motorola Photon 4G ($199.99) is Sprint's super-duper, top-of-the-line phone. It can even double as a nettop PC in a pinch. The Photon one of the most powerful Android handsets you can buy today, and a shining example of what a smartphone in 2011 should be. It's a no-brainer for our Editors' Choice.

Physical Features and Call Quality
With its optional desktop dock, the Photon is a lot like Motorola's groundbreaking Atrix 4G ($199, 4 stars) for AT&T, except it's better. And just like the Atrix, it's a large (2.6-by-5.0-by-0.5 inch, 5.6-ounce) candybar-style phone
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In the last 5 days I've gone from "I dunno if I want to upgrade, but if I do I think I might want this a little more than the 3vo" to "HOLY CRAP!!! I cannot wait to get this phone in my hands!!"
 
Saw one thing that scared me in the BGR review about the pentile display. The last picture in the review:

http://www-bgr-com.vimg.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Motorola-PHOTON-4G-12110729141849.jpg

It looks horrible and you can really see that screen door effect. Please tell me that is just a bad photo and that in person it will be better. Everything else seems awesome with the phone - although watched the review of the HDMI dock and 129 bucks for that just seems silly. It is a nice dock...but 129 bucks!!
 
twospirits said:
Whats with the blue tape being placed on the boxes and phone?
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Maybe they don't want Motorola to call them up and ruthlessly demand their phone back. :D

---edit---
(subtle nod to Shawheim for anyone that didn't get that joke^)
In all seriousness though, usually if they are just getting a review only unit there is some sort of serialized number that identifies the phone or the account for whom is reviewing it. Probably to ensure that phone's don't get "lost", and are returned or properly sent to the next reviewer. Kinda like how the pre-production Evo 4G's had the HTC/Sprint Representatives name etched/screen printed on the phone (if we can remember that far back).
 
snowcrash said:
Saw one thing that scared me in the BGR review about the pentile display. The last picture in the review:

http://www-bgr-com.vimg.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Motorola-PHOTON-4G-12110729141849.jpg

It looks horrible and you can really see that screen door effect. Please tell me that is just a bad photo and that in person it will be better.
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I'm pretty sure a couple of Shawheim's pics looked like that but he assured us that in person it looked fine. Too lazy to look at the thread to confirm, though.
 
twospirits said:
Yeah I've been reading reviews all morning, but that Slashgear one????
Whats with the blue tape being placed on the boxes and phone?

TS
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I noticed that too, and based on other pics, it seems the tape is covering the sprint emblems. Why they felt the need to do that, I don't know......
 
snowcrash said:
Saw one thing that scared me in the BGR review about the pentile display. The last picture in the review:

http://www-bgr-com.vimg.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Motorola-PHOTON-4G-12110729141849.jpg

It looks horrible and you can really see that screen door effect. Please tell me that is just a bad photo and that in person it will be better. Everything else seems awesome with the phone - although watched the review of the HDMI dock and 129 bucks for that just seems silly. It is a nice dock...but 129 bucks!!
Click to expand...

It's called off sync pic. I can do this with LCD TV's and even DLP. The camera captures the picture during mid scan and thus the lines occur. Nothing to worry about and has actually been explained in detail in the pentile thread.
 
wubbie075 said:
I noticed that too, and based on other pics, it seems the tape is covering the sprint emblems. Why they felt the need to do that, I don't know......
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One of two things causes label covering.

One the site/owner receives money from a competitor to Sprint and thus he covers the label.

Two the own has requested advertising revenue from Sprint and they refused so he covered their label.

Either way it is a money thing and a lot of sites do it.
 
Ok granted, those explanations sound doable, but he recieved the item way before we did and it arrived via Fed Ex which is not the way Sprint or Sprint Premier is shipping them currently, so that leads me to think that they got a special offer from Sprint or are already in some sort of agreement, so it doesn't make sense to cover up the logo.
Especially when the title of the review specifically says Motorola Photon and only Sprint is offering that phone. :rolleyes:

TS
 
I hope that call quality is better than some reviews are saying it is.

Also, I hope that it can get faster 4g speeds than what is shown in one review. If the 4g speeds aren't any faster, then I might keep my Epic for a while longer to see what other phones they are releasing in the next 3 months.

I'm so tired of crappy 4g speeds. Sprint may have been the first to launch 4g but they certainly don't have the best network or 4g radios on their phones. In fact, it seems like Sprint's 4g is the worst among all carriers. That's highly disappointing. And it's highly disappointing that the Photon 4g will be crippled by Sprint's terrible 4g service.

I was hoping that a better 4g radio would improve 4g speeds, but it sounds like that may be just a dream...
 
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