A few months ago , I had an chance to judge a fistful of Motorola smartphones . They look salutary and even stand out , though the brand seems to be pulling off lazy - Samsung - invention stuff with some of its firing . But then , Samsung is doing worse , so there ’s that bittersweet consolation .
An argument can be made here that Motorola is place some swell phone on the shelf with a bounty tactile property and militant innards at attractive prices . But it is undeniable that Motorola is not in the good state , at least from the perspective of users who have recently plonked cash to get a Moto smartphone .
What follows is an story of pitfalls source straight from Motorola loyalists , showcasing the brand ’s on-going struggles . But more importantly , these could be stepping stones to repurchase as Motorola manoeuvre into the 2025 calendar yr .
Bloatware: brazen or sneaky?
One of the gist niggles in the clause was the amount of bloatware . Android ’s James Bond with unneeded and downright suspicious software package is n’t a smart story . Some brands , after widespread criticism , have even fixed the site .
Unfortunately , Motorola appears to have taken the opposite path and in quite an ironic fashion . The first view that come to head when buying a Motorola phone is the close - stock , Pixel - like Android UX . Well , that only looks like the surface story .
Underneath , there ’s something queer fit on . There are a whole caboodle of account blow around on Reddit , X , and mathematical product forums where users reported automatic installation of bloatware . MotoApps pops up as the repetition wrongdoer in substance abuser rants .
A resort theme is software updates , which apparently download unneeded ad - ride apps without substance abuser consent or even declaring it first - script . The whole induction pipeline is executed in the background .
A few solutions are take a shit round of the user residential area , such as deactivating the MotoApps , disabling Moto Services , and buying phones unlocked instead of a mail carrier store . Neither is an idealistic billet .
Why burden user in the first position ?
Why would “ optimization updates ” ask to install apps such as badly designed puzzle game without consent ? It ’s like your calculator app sneakily granted it location privileges , even though it does n’t require any such organization access to operate in the first post .
unluckily , that ’s not the closing of it . The woes offer all the room to the lock filmdom experience , where a rather awful ad - side by side app call Taboola is beleaguer users for “ interests ” so that it can show them ads on the lock screen .
For an middling mortal , it ’s impossible to get free of since that involve them to work an ADB command . It seems the telephone set read it as a system of rules app , mean even if you disenable the body process , it automatically re - enable its functionality .
“ Further assay to de - bloat the equipment resulted in further balmy - bricking . I will attempt to instal custom fixed storage to detach completely from the Motorola software ecosystem,”wroteone miff user in a thread brimming with similar tarradiddle .
Of course , Motorolaphoneusersarenothappyabout it . Detailed ADB tutorial are also floating around to help user who are n’t fan of the intrusive lock chamber screen door adware activity . It ’s no easy path ; some have even walk the path at the toll of bricking their telephone set .
A long trail of connectivity woes
We grease one’s palms phones to do , well , phone things , like reach calls and texting . It would render all the cellular founding ( and the hyperbolic account ) redundant if the telephone can not latch on to its intended web lanes .
Yet , that ’s precisely the job Motorola smartphone users have been reporting for a while now . We found superposable complaints dating back at least four year . inquisitively , the woe have n’t have any medium aid , but a quick aspect at societal media and user forums unearth a ton of 5 gravitational constant connectivity - related complaints .
Digital Trends talked to at least three Motorola smartphone user who have face offspring with 5 G connectivity on their phones and confirmed that it remains unsolved despite receiving multiple major and pocket-sized computer software updates .
We judge to discuss the progeny with client support force at authorized Motorola service outlets in India ’s home capital . However , they declined to notice on the technical shortcomings that might be at play here .
Further , it seems that the 5 G connectivity woes are not limited to one exceptional region . Motorola smartphone exploiter have report cellular issue in multiple land , including North America .
“ I got my Edge 50 fusion about a week now and I ’ve noticed it lose its aircraft carrier signal wholly at random moments . If I wait about 10 - 30 seconds it comes back up on its own , ” say one such complaint .
27 % left I need to punch in my 5G@Motothat doesn't get 5 gibibyte only 4G+I don't urge anyone bribe a Motorola in UK any longer … this is a serious number with the phones … Not a connection issuepic.twitter.com/Y48oYBo6JJ
& mdash ; Anthony's Stormy World ⚡ ️ 🌎 ( @AnthonyStorms7)April 26 , 2024
So far , we have n’t encountered any concrete result , nor has Motorola officially acknowledged it , lease alone provide a fixture . Some users speculate that the problem rear its head after a particular software update , which did something unpaired with the connection configuration setup . Still , others lay claim it to be a hardware flaw .
We are unsure if Motorola made any cost cut and become with subscript quality feeler computer hardware or if it was just another case of uncollectible internet reception that has given standardised opprobrium to the Google Pixel phones .
Motorola employees have been middling combat-ready in the universal gas constant / Motorola subreddit in Emily Price Post talk over the connectivity woes and advise meshwork resets as one of the solutions . Unfortunately , that hint does n’t seem to be a magic potion .
web keeps on connecting and disconnecting on my motorola edge 30 while on 5G. The government issue never existed before on the machine . Don't know what is the cause … . This drain the battery faster too … anyone facing the same issue?@motorolaindia@Moto_Support@Moto@TechWiserpic.twitter.com/AvWPiKYIN4
& mdash ; Sujay Kumar ( @IamSujayKumar)January 1 , 2024
boot the phone , resetting the web profile , or switch over back and off between airplane mode has n’t offer any abatement to the affected user . A few have had luck with force - reset NR web modality , but that , too , is drug-addicted on web reportage and carrier - related technicalities .
One does n’t necessitate to do quantum computing to understand the gravity of this cardinal job . Users have resort to switching down their web predilection to 3 guanine mode to get a reliable internet , but that also only extend temporary respite .
“ Man I am bedevil by this 4G/5 gravitational constant signal bars with exclamation mark .. is it required that I necessitate to shut down all my employment and wait until this symbolisation goes out … it all disconnects from internet and check that I suffer,”wroteone such Motorola phone exploiter .
However , it appears that carriers are aware of the connectivity hassles on Motorola telephone . “ I was told by Verizon that this phone is bang for having a bad antenna , ” claims one Motorola phone user in a thread describe similar payoff on U.S. and Canadian web .
Gee, Motorola, fix the Moto G!
The Moto G series was quite literally a hotshot of Android . When the first Moto G phone launch in 2013 , it was a smash smasher . Of course , a price tag within the $ 200 margin was a key factor , but the phone was a total software package .
A attractively understated design , a keen HD display , a Qualcomm mainframe , and vanilla extract Android were recipe for succeeder in 2013 . When Motorola brought it to India , it speedily became a hot favourite , like to the situation in other emerging securities industry .
“ Motorola makes a solid comeback in India in its unparalleled way . ” “ How Motorola became a smash slay in India . ” “ Motorola needs India to keep its momentum wheeling . ” These were just some of the newspaper headline that appeared at esteemed business and technical school journalism release at the metre .
Ever since , Motorola has dramatically diversify its portfolio while killing the flagship X line in favour of the Edge serial publication and renovate Razr as a folding telephone telephone circuit . But in that spell , the Moto G series lost its charm , and in quite a spectacular fashion .
“ Motorola is destroy tinny Android phone . ” This Digital Trends newspaper headline about the sorry United States Department of State of Motorola ’s budget G - series phones says it all . TheMoto G Power 5 G 2024landed an unfathomable 5/10 review score , while theMoto G 5 G 2024could only muster 4/10 in its judgement .
Take , for example , the Motorola G85 , which is arguably the most exquisitely contrive headphone you could get for just about $ 250 . You need to hold it in your hands to realize how astoundingly gorgeous the hardware is , specially for that Leontyne Price bracket .
It offers a curved screen door with Gorilla Glass 5 , a fantastic rear grain design , a 120Hz blind , a high - end Sony sensing element , and a expectant battery with debauched charging skills . Motorola has even fixed its dreadful software update policyin former 2024 .
Look no further than home, Motorola
Motorola needs to stick with this formula and iterate on it . In doing so , the marque could also use some trimming and pruning in the lower - priced section , where its phones merely are n’t competitive against fellow Formosan rival .
Of course , Chinese brands are not die to cede any ground willingly . However , Motorola still commands esteem in the market and some of its Moto G - series phone are able enough to chip at a solid niche for themselves .
But before that bump , Motorola also needs to get by with the stand up tide of display green descent complaints , camera woes , carrying into action inconsistencies , and , of class , cellular connectivity take .
Motorola certainly has enough experience , applied science prowess , and Lenovo money to perpetrate all that off . The intent is definitely there . All it needs to do is hear the feedback of users and consequently graph its course for the year onwards .
