Motorola Photon 4G

254 reviews

May, 2013

Positive
Screen (101)
Design (44)
Sound (32)
Connectivity (27)
Portability (17)

Negative
Features (4)

General overview
Price comparison
Product Specifications

alaTest has collected and analyzed 254 reviews from magazines and websites. Reviewers really like the apps and connectivity. The sound and design also get good opinions. Views are divided on the battery. Some have doubts about the features.

screen, design, sound, connectivity, apps

features

We analyzed user and expert ratings, product age and more factors. Compared to other Cell phones the Motorola Photon 4G is awarded an overall alaScore™ of 87/100 = Very good quality.

See all Motorola Cell Phones

Review analysis

(Based on 254 reviews)

Expert Reviews

User Reviews

Review Ratings

(36% of reviews)
Show all 5 star reviews (32% of reviews)
Show all 4 star reviews (10% of reviews)
Show all 3 star reviews (9% of reviews)
Show all 2 star reviews (13% of reviews)
Show all 1 star reviews

Features

Screen
Show positive (57%)Show negative (18%)(Show all)

Battery
Show positive (31%)Show negative (35%)(Show all)

Design
Show positive (80%)Show negative (8%)(Show all)

Sound
Show positive (63%)Show negative (29%)(Show all)

Connectivity
Show positive (41%)Show negative (20%)(Show all)

More features

Showing 248 review(s)

Expert Reviews User Reviews

Showing 1 - 10 of 248 Show Reviews: in English | in other languages (7)

Expert review by: (ubergizmo.com)

Motorola Photon 4G Review

This complete Motorola Photon 4G review goes over its capabilities, strengths and weaknesses to give you an idea of how it feels to use it in the real world.

Partner Source

Read the full review

Motorola Photon 4G

AT&T and Verizon have had dual-core Motorola phones for months now, and someone at Sprint got jealous. The Motorola Photon 4G is one of the first dual-core Android phones on Sprint and, along with the HTC EVO 3D, one of the only top-tier devices on the...

Great design and feel ; Motorola's widgets rock ; Battery life slightly higher than other dual-cores ; 16GB internal storage ; Large 4.3-inch screen ; Sprint 4G WiMax works great in some areas

Poor screen quality ; Can't charge and use kickstand ; Camera does not impress ; NinjaBlur is bland ; Sprint doesn't have 4G LTE

If you're in the market for a new wireless carrier, the Photon 4G gives you a good reason to consider Sprint. Unlike the EVO 3D, Motorola's new phone doesn't rely on crafty gimmicks.

Sep, 2011

Read the full review

Expert review by: Myriam Joire (engadget.com)

Motorola Photon 4G

It's summer, which means the usual deluge of Android handsets is upon us. The Motorola Photon 4G is Sprint's latest specimen, and follows hot on the heels of HTC's somewhat disappointing EVO 3D. Like its stablemate, it's a proper superphone with a...

Stunning display ; Impressive battery life ; Solid performance

Average camera ; Single detent camera button ; No laptop dock

The Photon 4G comes very close to dethroning Samsung's mighty Galaxy S II as king of the Android hill.

Aug, 2011

Read the full review

Editor's Choice!

Expert review by: Mark Spoonauer (laptopmag.com)

Motorola Photon 4G

The Motorola Photon 4G is a well-designed and powerful Android phone with the ability to stay connected overseas.

The Motorola Photon 4G is one powerful and versatile smartphone, boasting a first-rate industrial design, brilliant display, excellent gaming performance, and a sharp (albeit sluggish) camera. The HDMI mirroring works smoothly, and those looking for...

Aug, 2011

Read the full review

Expert review by: Nicole Lee (cnet.com)

Motorola Photon 4G (Sprint)

Despite their long relationship with each other, Motorola has not always had its most innovative handsets available for Sprint. Sprint mostly relied on Samsung and HTC for its higher-end offerings, while most Motorola phones on Sprint have been of the...

The Motorola Photon 4G is an absolute powerhouse of a phone. It ships with Android 2.3 Gingerbread, a dual-core 1GHz Nvidia Tegra 2 processor, 4G WiMax speeds, a 4.3-inch qHD display, and a dual-mode GSM/CDMA chipset. Features include HDMI-out, DLNA...

The Motorola Photon 4G has a large and bulky design, which might not be to everybody's taste. The Motoblur interface isn't for everyone, and we found Sprint ID to be an unnecessary add-on. The Webtop dock functionality is pretty cool, but it requires a...

With a dual-core Nvidia Tegra 2 processor, 4G speeds, enterprise-level security, and world phone credentials, the Motorola Photon 4G is a top-notch Android phone for Sprint customers.

Aug, 2011

Read the full review

Expert review by: Mike Isaac (wired.com)

Power Up: Photon 4G Lives Up to Its Name

A photon moves at the speed of light, shines brightly and has a resting mass of zero. That said, it's a damn good name for Motorola's latest Android phone.

Brawny phone on a fast network is great for data-gobbling apps. Ships with latest version of Android (Gingerbread 2.3.4). Kickstand for movies and physical shutter button for 8-megapixel camera are nice touches. Fast, fast, fast

Sucks battery like a Hoover. Annoying UI is annoying. Optional $100 “Webtop” dock (shown in the photo at top) is a waste of your hard-earned cash

Aug, 2011

Read the full review

Expert review by: Cory Gunther (slashgear.com)

Motorola PHOTON 4G Review

You have to be a pretty special device to get all the features the PHOTON 4G has yet still come with a kickstand. You'll see what I mean as we go over everything this device offers. From being a powerful dual-core phone to all the accessories, this one...

Don’t forget to click on all the images below to see them full size for your enjoyment.

Jul, 2011

Read the full review

Editor's Choice!

Expert review by: (pcmag.com)

Motorola Photon 4G (Sprint)

The Photon connects to Sprint's 3G CDMA and 4G WiMAX networks, as well as to Wi-Fi and to HSPA 14.4 high-speed networks worldwide. The phone comes with a SIM card that can roam on foreign networks at high rates, but as with all Sprint world phones, its...

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

No laptop dock

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.

Read the full review

RECOMMENDED

Expert review by: Jennifer Johnson (hothardware.com)

Motorola Photon 4G Android Worldphone Review

There are a myriad of nice smartphones on the market today. And since we're all for choice and options around here, we like the competition we're seeing in the mobile market. If you're a Sprint customer, you've been given the choice of a few really...

1GHz dual-core NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor and 1GB RAM ; 4.3-inch qHD (Quarter High Definition) display ; Worldwide GSM capabilities ; Kickstand

Sprint's 4G network isn't quite as fast as other networks ; Lukewarm benchmark results, but good real-world results

The Motorola Photon 4G is a good-looking phone with angled corners and a vibrant 4.3-inch qHD (Quarter High Definition) display. It also has all of the internal specs you'd expect from a high-end phone that's on the market today, including a 1GHz...

Nov, 2011

Read the full review

Expert review by: Dickie Adams (pocketnow.com)

Motorola Photon 4G Review (Sprint)

The "weapon of choice", as Sprint would have us believe, is the newest to their mobile lineup - the Motorola Photon 4G. With a body whose beveled

PenTile display in bright sunlight ; Battery life is outstanding ; World phone

PenTile display ghosting and color accuracy ; Camera focus and capture issues in low light ; Sluggish default UI

The battle is hard fought, and it is far from over. But in the case of the Motorola Photon 4G, it certainly is quite the performer, especially when you start tweaking the system to be more efficient. Considering the camera is average, and the Pentile...

Sep, 2011