Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsGreat phone. Do NOT buy from Motorola.
Reviewed in the United States on January 22, 2023
My first cell phone was an original razr - worked well, did it's job, felt solid, stowed easily in a pocket, heavy, durable, a sensitive radio, and almost 2 months on a charge. That was followed by a v3 razr (only a couple weeks on a charge) when everybody went to 3g. I moved to a rural place that at&t (the last provider with 3g) did not cover, so I got an android phone (LG). It was ok but the radio wasn't sensitive enough. I put a booster on the house which helped at home but it was annoying at other places to not get a signal when others around me from the same provider were getting 2 bars. I really liked flip phones for easy storage, so when gen 2 of this phone showed up I was interested.
I waited until gen 2 because the reviews of gen 1 indicated it needed some engineering refinement. I waited until the 2022 version came out so the price would drop to what I'm willing to pay for a smartphone. I read a lot of reviews and decided I would go for this one - the big draw was Motorola hardware. I've been a ham radio operator for decades and Motorola has always made top notch radios for many industries. They're usually commercial units and too expensive for hams, even second hand. They have a long standing reputation for producing sensitive, low noise radios.
BUT, my big mistake was reading a few reviews about not buying from a third party, as they came used, so I bought one directly from Motorola instead. Their web site is the worst I've ever experienced for buying from a desktop computer. As you progress through the steps of personal info, shipping address, payment, etc, sometimes the site gets stuck and won't progress. It gets stuck if you 1) use autofill, 2) tab to go to the next field, 3) select the ship to same address checkbox. I tried this on a windows 10 box, Linux Mint box, and Linux Raspian box (please don't laugh). All problematic and no success.
I tried once again on a windows 10 laptop and typed every character, used the pad to move the mouse pointer to each field each time, double entered my address and the shipping address, then discovered my credit card was denied. Why? Because even though I never finished my purchase, they tried to put 4 pending charges of the same amount on the card, so my credit card company sensed a scam and disabled the card. I tried one more time with another card and it went through. The next day I had fun on the phone getting the first card re-enabled.
The phone arrived quickly but it was the wrong color. I didn't even open it. Their customer service is in India and I had language issues when I explained I wanted to return it for the correct one. I was passed from department to department with no resolution. 2 days later I was contacted by an American agent who took an hour to determine that yes, they were able to do an exchange but he had to check inventory.
I called customer service the next day (in India) and arranged for a return and a refund - something they had a "path" for. They sent me a mailing label via email and I mailed it back the next day.
I then bought one from Amazon. It arrived 3 days later. It's operation is a little different than other android phones and if you're used to a glass screen it will seem a little odd, but functionally it's exactly the same. What other reviewers said about it being slippery is true. Never ever set it down on a non level slick surface like wood or plastic or glass, because it will start to slide, guaranteed. It's sturdy and survives drops, like an original razr. The flip feature is really great because it's easy to stow in a pocket without being damaged. I do not use a case. What do I like best? The RADIO. I now get 3 or 4 bars where others get 2 bars. Motorola also is known for robust hardware, and this phone is heavy and solid. The sensitive part - the touch screen - is protected when folded. The front screen and back are glass. I still have to learn the front screen well, but it does indicate who is calling so I know before I flip it open to answer. I could go on - it's a great phone for making phone calls, texting, pics, etc. Don't know about gaming. It's not the most bang for the buck you can get but the build and radio make it worth it for me.
Now, back to the plot: a day later I get a call from Motorola customer service saying they don't have one in inventory but would offer me 10% off to keep it. I ignore it. Two weeks later I get an email from Motorola saying my case was closed. What? I call, and after a long phone tree/wait/have one agent call another wait/for almost 2 hours, they find out that whoever logged it in copied the number wrong and it wasn't linked to my account. Don't they have a scanner? I was still being charged on the second card. They finally figured it out, and it took them another hour to make it right. The charge was cancelled just 2 days shy of when the bill was due.
Although their customer service agents are always polite and helpful, the processes they have to follow really suck. It must be a terribly frustrating job for them. One hand doesn't know what the other is doing at Motorola. Great engineering. Don't have a clue how to handle the customer experience. This is not the fault of the workers or the divisions, this problem belongs to the CEO. That person has not set up the organization so there is a person/department responsible for the customer experience. Maybe all they are good for is the dealer experience. Seems like they make mountains out of mole hills.
A couple days ago I got another email saying my case was closed. They always ask me to reply if there's a problem or concern, but it's subject line includes "no-reply" Sheesh!
Long winded, yes. Don't make my mistake. DO NOT BUY FROM MOTOROLA DIRECTLY. Buy it here. If you don't like it send it back. No hassle, no problem. Mine arrived in perfect condition and I really like it. Folded, yes, but that's factory. Protects the plastic touch screen. The box is made for it to be shipped that way. No crooked label on front. Obviously new. Yes, I can see a little hinge fold and non flat lines as others have complained about. Doesn't mean a thing for me. Operates the same.
