Motorola Photon 4G Android Phone (Sprint)

Sprint's Best Android Phone for Business August 1, 2011

Reviewer:  Cos  (Naperville, IL United States) -

As a business user two real important factors in a phone for me were call quality and battery life. Having used the Evo for the past year and a half, I had the itch to upgrade and picked up this phone after my disappointment with the Evo 3D.

For a business Android phone, the Photon was really my only dual core option with Sprint;

I had upgraded my original Evo to the Evo 3D and was extremely disappointed.
- Call quality and batter life were very poor, even in comparison to my older Evo
- I was in San Diego for comic con and my phone would leave my charger at 7am and be dead before 1pm.
- This is with only making 1-2 calls and no internet surfing, minimal texting.
- That was with GPS / Bluetooth / 4G turned off.

I need a phone that can last the work day and the Motorola Photon does not disappoint.
- I was easily able to make a large amount of calls, text, email and still have 25-40% left on the battery (7am-6:30pm)
- This is with Bluetooth and GPS on the whole time.
- Phone also did not get as hot as the Evo 3D

There is a very significant difference in call quality between the evo 3d and the Photon.
- Both voice and speakerphone were signifcantly better with the Photon.
- Signal reception was the best of any Sprint Phone I have owned (i.e. was able to get 4G Data in spots where my Evo or Evo 3D could not)

I like the way the phone looks cosmetically.
- Build quality is solid, but not a big fan of the back of the phone
- Screen quality is very good. (i.e. Great Color and Contrast, but you do notice the "Pixalated" look at times)

The Doc Station is a nice touch
- Purchased the Doc Station (Which by the way sells for $99.00 right now at Sprint, not $129)
- Sprint Silver Premier customers can save 25% if they buy two accessoires (i.e. got the doc station and case, which, after discounts, was like getting the case for free)
- Hooked right up to my HD TV via HDMI

Bottom line is that HTC has the best user interface (HTC Sense), and while the Evo 3D was a really impressive phone, it just wasn't good for me as a business user. I definitly gave up some things switching to the Photon (3D, better user interface), but at the end of the day I needed a business tool not a toy, and the difference in call quality and battery life justified the switch for me and I am happy so far.

Here are some Head to Head Reviews

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A huge upgrade over the original HTC EVO August 4, 2011

Reviewer:  Chris C. 

I purchased the EVO when it first came out last year and loved it. It was the first smart phone of it's kind I had ever owned. First android device as well. I loved it. The camera, the kickstand, the UI, as well as the button placement. However, after a years use it started constantly rebooting and having problems. I upgraded to the Photon as soon as I could. I must say, this phone blows the Evo out of the water. Obviously just by comparing specs you would hope that it would. 1ghz dual core tegra 2 processor with 1GB of ram,motoblur UI. I realize it's aimed more towards business users but I think it's great for my uses as well. The screen is very nice and bright. I am actually able to see it outside in sunlight, where as the Evo I couldn't. Moving between apps is a breeze with the processing power that this phone has, I haven't had it lag yet. The camera seems to be about the same as the EVO, I can't tell a huge difference but they were great to begin with. BATTERY LIFE, BATTERY LIFE, BATTERY LIFE. I cannot stress this part enough. The biggest, noticeable upgrade is the battery life. The EVO was horrible at this and struggled so hard to be a phone that could make it through the work day. I had to manage and control so many things to get that phone through the day. With the Photon I don't have to worry about a thing! It's still up as I type this and looking at the battery information it has 1d 0h 25m. That's with moderate texting, internet browsing,facebook, and app downloading. Of course, unlike the EVO, I have a lot of things left on like background downloader, auto updates, etc. The only thing I've managed is the screen brightness which is turned down below half and the timeout of the screen(30 seconds vs a minute). By default I think the battery mode is set to nighttime saver because I never changed it to that myself. I'll have to see what it's like in performance mode.

Enough about the pros, on to the cons.

The camera does not have a way to turn the shutter sound off. I've tried searching on the android websites and people have not yet found a way to do this without an app or rooting the phone. It's also VERY LOUD. Not sure why they did this, other then for privacy reasons, but it's rather annoying. The virtual keyboard doesn't have arrows to move around with like my EVO did. It was nice to use that rather then touch the screen and move the pointer where I'm trying to place it. After using my EVO for so long, I got used to the button placement on the bottom underneath the screen. On this phone, the home screen button has been moved over. It's not a huge thing, but I just wanted to mention it.

Despite the minor things, it's all in all a very well built phone. Very pleased with my purchase. The camera shutter sound is actually the reason it's 4 out of 5 stars. That annoyance alone knocks off a star.
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Edit as of 8/12/11: There is an issue with Photons and I'm not sure if it's all of them but I have found via a Google search that a lot of them are having the same problem as mine. The phone will not allow you to hear outgoing or incoming calls until a reboot. For my phone, it requires a reboot EVERY CALL I MAKE. Some reports say it only happens on some calls but mine, I guess I'm lucky and have to do it for every call. VERY frustrating. Go Google it and you will see this is the fix for the moment until a software release later this month(no exact ETA that I saw). Phone worked great for 3 days and then this started happening. Text messages worked fine the entire time, as well as everything else, just strictly phone calls. Just wanted to let everyone know. I will keep you posted.
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Edit as of 8/22/11: The issue with the phone not having sound during calls doesn't seem to be every call anymore but it is still happening. So it still hasn't been fixed from what I can tell but I did want to edit that it isn't every phone call anymore. It kind of chooses when it acts up rather. I also wanted to edit the kickstand comment I made. I stand corrected, it can work in both directions as well as standing up. So ignore that comment. Hopefully this issue with the calls will be resolved soon and this will be an outstanding phone once again!
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Final update 9/06/11: The update has been out for a few days now but I just wanted to be sure before I updated this. Phone appears to be working after the latest update. Every phone call I have made, over many days, have worked without an issue. Wonderful phone once again.

Photon/Android Versus iPhone 4GS/iOS October 16, 2011

Reviewer:  David Drewa  (San Antonio) -

After recently purchasing the Photon for myself and the iPhone 4GS for my wife, I jotted down some of the advantages of each based on my initial impressions for a friend who is trying to decide between the two:

Photon/Android Advantages
* 4G is roughly twice as fast (loading most web sites) as iPhone's 3G
* Larger screen (4.3 inches versus 3.5)
* Easier to browse/read web sites with the larger screen since you don't have to zoom in and out as frequently
* Much better keyboard with numbers and symbols easily available (versus have to switch to different keyboard screen)
* Swype keyboard option (13% faster in my test after just a couple of weeks of light use; some people claim it's twice as fast after you get some decent practice)
* Since the screen is larger, the keyboard area and keys are larger. Additionally, the keyboard always rotates into horizontal/landscape mode when you turn the phone (doesn't always rotate on the iPhone, for example if you are configuring certain settings)
* Period and comma are available on default keyboard screen
* Widgets! (versus limited availability on iPhone and only if you jailbreak it)
* Has very intuitive Back and Menu/Settings buttons (versus just a Home button)
* Flash is supported
* Free turn-by-turn directions
* Real tabs in Dolphin browsers (versus multiple taps needed to other windows)
* Dolphin browser is noticeably faster--even on wifi (versus Safari/iPhone)
* Alarm with gradually increasing volume is quite nice
* A light tap on the Home button does the trick (versus actually pressing it)
* HDMI port
* Free Google Reader app (versus no app available)
* Can customize battery usage and manage/terminate tasks
* You can sync most data over the mobile network (versus only wifi)
* No personal info needed to download apps (versus have to enter your billing address even to download a free app)

iPhone/iOS Advantages
* Displays more pixels (960 x 640 versus 960 x 540)
* Higher/crisper screen resolution since more pixels are crammed into a smaller screen area
* Better screen color (more natural, accurate)
* Much better camera (more natural, accurate, warmer colors; crisper details; shorter "shutter" delay; tap focus) especially for indoor or low-light environments
* Seems to have longer battery life (Photon screen is larger and usually brighter and doesn't fade after 30 seconds or so of idleness)
* Cutting/copying and pasting is easier
* Slicker interface, transitions, sliders, etc.
* Screen capture is easier (versus installing an app)
* More intuitive notifications (new e-mails and messages appear as numbers on corresponding icons versus main status bar)
* iPhone has a .com key on some keyboard screens (e.g., the browser URL)

Neutral or Subjective Differences
* iPhone Browser occasionally compensates for smaller screen by selectively increasing the size of text, making reading easier but often marring the layout/alignment of the web page
* iPhone offers several built-in apps such as stock quotes, weather, and lost phone. You have to install these apps separately (they are free) on Android, but you also have more flexibility and more options with Android.
* Google/DropBox cloud sync/storage versus iCloud
* Photon is easier for me to hold (I dropped the iPhone within a couple of hours)
* Siri more intelligent and "cooler" but voice command usability on the Photon seems to be equivalent in usability, at least based on my initial testing

My bottom line verdict: the Motorola Photon wins, particularly if you are looking for usability and efficiency. However, if you already use iCloud for e-mail, calendar, photos, etc. or if you are going to use the phone as your primary camera, the iPhone deserves serious consideration.

I'm having a a good experience with the Photon's call reception and handling. August 25, 2011

Reviewer:  Annietullie 

I would not describe myself as "technically savvy," and I'm finding Motorola Photon very easy to use and reliable. I tried the Motorola EXPRT for three weeks and went through three phones before giving up. It was with the EXPRT that I had the problems described here: not being able to hear or be heard on incoming calls and the phone would reboot when I tried to call the caller back. I'm not having this problem with the Photon and am, in fact, very happy with the quality of the phone's sound and reception. I've also been receiving consistent four and five bar reception on my Photon, and I have traveled with this phone experiencing similar results. I've been a Sprint customer for over ten years, and my problem with the EXPRT was the first issue I have had with any of their devices or reception. The Sprint reps were more than courteous when I received my two replacement EXPRTs and changed to the Photon. I have no complaints with their handling of my problems.

Here are my thoughts and experiences with the Photon. I'll leave the technicalities to reviewers who know more about these things than me. These comments are just about how "user friendly" I find the Photon, and you can ignore #1 should an international feature not be important to you. You should consider it, however, as you will read in the first paragraph:

1) I was upgrading from the Blackberry Tour, and first on my list of "wants" was that the phone have international capabilities. The EVO and other Sprint phones do not, and after being stranded at Charles De Gaulle airport for thirty one hours several years ago, I never travel without an international phone. I think this is an important feature for any phone user as this is not an "add on" should the opportunity for international travel arise. When traveling, a working phone is a safety and security issue, as well as a link to family and friends.

When traveling internationally, the Photon's SIM card can be replaced by a prepaid local provider's card (Lebara, for instance in England and France). As an example, changing the SIM card reduces my cost per call by $1.20/minute in France. The new Sprint phones are not locked to the Sprint network, and I found that Sprint's international department was very helpful and receptive to my doing this. As an FYI to anyone interested in learning more, here is the number I called for this information: 1-888-226-7212. For more info on the Lebara card, go the the France forum on Trip Advisor, do a search for Lebara and sort "By Date." There are several recent discussions on this topic.

The point here is that the Photon has these capabilitiesm and the EVO and other Sprint phones do not. When you call Sprint International, they will give you instructions for changing a phone's settings to the international mode and will add international service to the caller's plan. This service can be temporary, so you do not pay for international service if you are not using it. Not following these steps may be the problem some users have when they experience difficulty with their international phone outside the country. To save on emails and other operations, you can download local WiFi's (the one used by your hotel or apartment rental, for example), and "Heywire" can save you on roaming text charges. An international SIM card and "Heywire" may (and probably will) mean a temporary change in a phone number, but travelers can deal with that by notifying their contacts.

I learned all of this from the Sprint International representative, and I find that Sprint is very receptive to helping me save money outside their network.

2) I was having difficulty reading my emails on the small Blackberry screen, and I'm very happy with the size of the screen on the Photon. Yes, the phone is a bit heavy, but I'm okay with that. The phone goes into my purse, and I would be happy with a tablet if I could talk on one!

3) As for the "slippery" case, I found that I really like a protective gel cover on both my Blackberry and now, my new Photon. These are inexpensive, and in a color, these covers make my phone easy to spot, especially in a pile of cell phones on a counter or desk or buried inside a purse or tote. I bought a cover when I received my Photon, so "slippery" has not been an issue for me.

4) The Photon's convenient kick stand works in either direction, landscape or portrait, but it is, admittedly, more steady in the landscape position.

5) I really liked the positioning and style of the keyboard on the EXPRT. It was similar to the Blackberry's, and I had a larger Android screen. Unfortunately, the EXPRT phone didn't work for me on incoming calls, and I had reservations about the keyboard when I switched to the Photon. In the beginning, I had trouble hitting the correct keys on the flat screen (in both the portrait and landscape positions), but this went away once I discovered "Swype." It's the key with the blue exaggerated "S" symbol on the bottom left of the key board. By choosing "Swype," you simply drag your finger across the letters you want, and Swype either enters the word in the text or gives you a choice of entries. Somehow "Swype" gets to know you and anticipates what you are trying to do. This is especially convenient when entering people and street names that may be specific to your entries. Composing emails and entering browser searches are now very easy, and I'm happy with the change from the raised keyboard.

6) The Photon's battery life is not what it was on my Blackberry, but I don't think this is unusual on larger screen devices. I've learned to live with it, keeping my phone charging when I'm home and in the car. To lessen the drain on the battery, I read somewhere to go to "Task Manager" and change my app settings to "Auto End." On Androids, apps can apparently continue to run while your screen is black, and changing these settings helps prolong the life of your battery. I haven't done this long enough to know how effective this will be, but it sounds reasonable to me.

7) I really like the drag down notification bar at the top of my Photon screen. This allows easy access to whatever is going on inside my phone, ie: emails, voice messages, updates, etc.

8 I am very happy to have a phone with an HDMI input and 4G capability. As I've said, I'm not technically savvy and don't yet know how I will use a HDMI connection, but I'm glad it's there. 4G is not yet available in my area, but it's coming and I wanted a phone that could operate this frequency. When upgrading a phone, I think it's a good idea to get as many new and coming technical features as you can, even if you may not see a use for them at the time. I used to think I didn't need a camera...

9) The only thing I'm having trouble getting used to is the screen's glare when I am in sunlight and the smudges that just come with a touch screen. I had a screen protector on my EXPRT and found it somewhat solved these issues. Now that I'm settling into my Photon, I've ordered a protector for my new phone. Shattered screens are a risk on larger screens if a phone is dropped, and I've been in the store when people have come in with this problem on a number of different Android models. I don't know if this is valid, but it makes sense to me that the screen cover will lessen the shock to the screen when the phone takes a tumble, somewhat like the difference between regular and tempered glass.

Sorry to go on so long, but I hope these comments helps someone who may be considering the Photon. My service area has not upgraded to the 4G network, and perhaps some of the problems others are experiencing are coming as this network is being put in place. One way or another, Sprint gives you thirty days to trade in your upgrade, so IMO, the Photon is worth a try. As we all know when we travel, every cell phone company has its pros and cons when you move in and out of different service areas. Gather a group of people coming from different parts of the country using different providers, and someone is likely to experience a difficulty that they don't have in their home territory. I think the answer is to decide what you can live with and resolve the issues that you can. Hence, I can live with the weight, I use phone covers and I've allowed myself time to get to know the phone better, especially in how I use the keyboard and deal with the battery life. When all is said and done, I am a happy camper with my new Photon.

I'm now several weeks into my use of the Motorola Photon, and I'm still happy except for the way it performed on my travel to the south of France in September. Admittedly, Sprint was upfront about not having a roaming partner in France, but it took working with a Sprint tech rep to get any kind of service. We did it, but were never able to download the local WiFi. I did not have these problems with the Blackberry I carried last year. In a follow up call, I was told that this was a "known issue" with this new phone, and later updates may have corrected this problem. The Photon was introduced a few weeks before my travel, so I'll give it a go and look to other reviewers to determine if the technical bugs were worked out. Downloading a local WiFi matters because it takes you off a carrier's roaming data rate. I wasn't traveling when this was an issue, but if any kind of download communication matters to you, not being able to connect to local WiFi's can be expensive.

I made a few short phone calls and knew before I traveled that I would pay the roaming fee. I have received my bill for the period I was traveling and did not have any surprises. I'm traveling to South Africa over Thanksgiving where there is a Sprint partner, so I'll report back after that trip. I'm not likely to make phone calls (my nearest and dearest will be traveling with me!), but I'll be looking for the WiFi download at our destination.

Home based phone and data quality is still excellent. Since purchasing the Photon, I've driven to Rhode Island through Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York (including NYC) and Connecticut from my home in Kentucky. The signal over Kentucky and West Virgina mountain ranges dipped only when I was in deep valleys. The GPS lost me in these low lying areas, but picked me up as I drove to higher ground. Again, I was good with it.

This has been an unusual travel season for me, but I wanted to share my experiences in different locations. A working phone when I travel is important to me, and someone is looking for how this phone might perform for them when they are away from their home service area. I'm an empty nesting mom who travels, sometimes on my own, and not being able to communicate with my husband and family can be very unsettling.

As for the battery life, I have found that by limiting my email deliveries to my Gmail "Priority Inbox" slowed my battery usage tremendously. You can do this through your email settings.

The Best All Around Android Performance Period!!! August 3, 2011

Reviewer:  Edgard M. 

These days it's so hard to find a smartphone that does it all meaning call reception a big #1, battery life #2, 3G & 4G(some areas) data speeds, web browsing, speaker volume & email accounts...The Photon 4G has all this working flawlessly for me unlike the Evo 3D I had and sold to get this AMAZING well built speed machine.

I live in a bad signal area where getting 4 bars at home will be a miracle :) I had the Evo 4G, Epic 4G & Evo 3D all failed to get even 3 bars in my home all I got from them was 0 to 2 bars. When talking to family over the phone I get disconnected all the time and be forced to stay by the window with my head almost sticking out just to get a strong signal...this happened on all prior phones I had, now with the Photon 4G I get an unbelievable 4 or 5 bars sometimes full with absolutely no disconnects while talking which never happened with any smartphone I purchased living here.

Everyone that I talked to hears me loud & clear and vice versa using either the bluetooth earpiece or phone itself, some say I sounded clearer when using the speaker. At work I get to test 3G & 4G where 4G towers are close by and I get very fast data speeds on 3G and of course even faster speeds on 4G, I browsed youtube, fox.com and downloaded apps with no issues at all. Web browsing on this phone is the best I ever experienced, Adobe Flash works flawlessly with the Photon 4G, flash sites that didn't work on the 3D worked perfect on the MoPho( I did not come up with this nick) lol...Wifi is very strong and downloading apps or browsing has never been faster.

Speaker volume is loud and clear unlike the 3D which was very low and sounded very cheap, battery Life is by far the best on a smartphone to date. Camera takes some nice quality pics although I think the 3D's cam was slightly better...only thing I miss from the 3D was Sense 3.0 UI which was amazing, the Photon has Motoblur or Ghostblur not sure what is called either way htc Sense 3.0 was better and I was forced to download a Launcher from the Market which made me feel a lot better not having Sense. NVIDIA Tegra 2 Dual Core processor makes this phone very snappy with no lag...If you want a smartphone that does it all well the Photon 4G should be your choice! Oh and to end my review its also a World Phone, I call that doing it all :)