# Is Chinese owned Motorola safe?



## simr (May 13, 2013)

As Motorola is owned by the Chinese company Lenovo, are their smartphones safe to buy, or do they carry a greater risk then say - Samsung, Apple, or Google Pixels? (Not that any of them are necessarily totally trustworthy, but I'm assuming the Chinese owned brands are worse.)


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

Well, the Chinese are making the iPhone, so I use Samsung, at least I trust the South Koreans more than the Chinese.


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## simr (May 13, 2013)

But still not the same. Apple isn't owned by them, Motorola (Lenovo) is.


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## Cookiegal (Aug 27, 2003)

Thread reopened as requested.


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## simr (May 13, 2013)

Does anyone have any insight into this question?


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## plodr (Jun 27, 2014)

The only thing I found were articles from 2013. I wasn't able to find anything current.
Motorola is not good at updating the software on their devices.
See this
https://aosmark.com/

My first and last Motorola phone was in the late 1990's or early 2000, a Moto G flip.
I stick to Samsung because they are good at updating. An old software version is prone to unpatched security holes.
So I'd recommend you avoid Motorola. If LGE in the list is LG, I'd avoid them too. LG has left the phone business.


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## simr (May 13, 2013)

plodr said:


> ...I stick to Samsung...


I've also been doing that till now, simply because iPhones are WAY too expensive, as is the tiny selection of Google Pixels (the Pixel 4 from two years ago is over $400!). The problem is that Samsung has also become very overpriced. The Galaxy A32 5G is $280. That's crazy. It's a decent phone, but not THAT good. And so many of their phones aren't made in US versions. So I'm left with a very small selection of phones to choose from if all I care about is decent performance and a not overblown price since the fancy shmancy camaras and other add-on luxuries don't mean much to me.


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## Cookiegal (Aug 27, 2003)

Have you checked with different mobile phone service providers? Sometimes you can get good deals and a phone for free or cheap with their plans.


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## simr (May 13, 2013)

Cookiegal said:


> Have you checked with different mobile phone service providers?


Oh boy, and how! I've done so much research into that. In fact I recently found a good deal with a carrier for a specific Samsung phone which I purchased and started their service. Unfortunately the phone was defective and had to be sent back (after the Samsung store couldn't repair it), and then it was hell to port my phone number out from them (since this was the only good-deal phone from their tiny selection, and I couldn't stay with them without it). Every one of their lying "customer service" representatives would give me another story and more conflicting information.

From now on I can not buy a phone from the same entity that has their paws gripping my phone number itself, so if there's an issue with the device, it won't jeopardize my phone number that I've had for many years.

And now I also have to run after them to cancel the "restocking fee" that I was promised wouldn't be applied to a return that's done due to a defected device.


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## plodr (Jun 27, 2014)

I just bought an A12. (It is not 5G but that's okay; when I feel I have to replace the phone in 5 years, then I'll get a 5G device.) It cost $180. I won't spend a huge amount on a phone. My husband and I are both in our 70's and spend our money on doctors and Rxs, not phones.
I also don't need a bleeding edge phone. I don't buy a phone to surf and watch YouTube. Basically I buy a phone to call.

Check because Samsung does make budget models. My first Samsung, a J3 Emerge, cost $80. The camera is excellent. My husband now uses that phone which has no cell service as a camera.

You might want to bookmark this page and keep checking it.
https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Electronics-Unlocked-Smartphone-Expandable/dp/B09MZBTMQQ


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## Tabvla (Apr 10, 2006)

I have been using Lenovo products for years and have been very satisfied with the price/performance ratio; the reliability of the products and the after-sales support. Currently my main phone is a Motorola; the PC that I use most of the time is a Lenovo and the Laptop that sees a lot of movement is a Lenovo. Updates have been consistently of a high quality and Lenovo utilities are excellent. 

To answer the original question. In my opinion, based on years of using Lenovo products, I believe that they are as safe as any product on the market today. I use these products for sensitive tasks such as banking and confidential financial spreadsheets and am therefore paranoid about safety. If I had any doubt whatsoever about the products I would dump them immediately. I have no such doubts.

T.


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## simr (May 13, 2013)

plodr said:


> https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Electronics-Unlocked-Smartphone-Expandable/dp/B09MZBTMQQ


This is the A03s, not A12.



Tabvla said:


> ...I use these products for sensitive tasks such as banking and confidential financial spreadsheets and am therefore paranoid about safety. If I had any doubt whatsoever about the products I would dump them immediately. I have no such doubts.


Thank you for your response.
This is exactly what I'm wondering about. With all the negative news about China when it comes to technology and intelectual property, why indeed are you not worried about performing these tasks on devices from a China owned company? (Which isn't the same as a company from somewhere just manufacturing parts there, though there's concern for that too, but not as much as the former.)


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## plodr (Jun 27, 2014)

My intention was NOT to post a link to the phone I purchased.
I wished to refute your statement


> The problem is that Samsung has also become very overpriced.


 by showing Samsung does make phones under $400.


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## simr (May 13, 2013)

plodr said:


> I wished to refute your statement by showing Samsung does make phones under $400.


The A03s is a slow phone and not worth $150. As such, it is indeed overpriced, just as the A13 5G is overpriced at $250.


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## Couriant (Mar 26, 2002)

Honestly, there really isn't a definitive answer to that question. We would need to rely on those in the field of telecommunications / security to tell us. 

Last year, there was a report that the FCC was in the works to ban US telecommunications from buying equipment from certain chinese companies. Hauwei and ZTE were the two mentions, though the ban was to only prevent government money being spent on it...

So I guess if the board has any Huawei / ZTE tech in it, don't buy it?


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## Tabvla (Apr 10, 2006)

Couriant said:


> Honestly, there really isn't a definitive answer to that question. We would need to rely on those in the field of telecommunications / security to tell us............


James, I agree, unless one spends 24/7 in tech security there is no alternate but to trust the security experts in the country of domicile.

With regards to China - and every other country on this little rock - there is always the possibility of a "bad apple". It is almost certain that Hauwei and ZTE are regrettably in that category. Based on my personal experience, I have no reason to suspect that Lenovo is a "bad" company.

Just as an aside..... log into your Amazon account and navigate to some Technology area, now to try to find a product that is_ not_ made in China. Happy hunting, let us know if you find a product that is not made in China....

T.


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## Couriant (Mar 26, 2002)

Tabvla said:


> ...
> 
> Just as an aside..... *log into your Amazon account and navigate to some Technology area, now to try to find a product that is not made in China.* Happy hunting, let us know if you find a product that is not made in China....
> 
> T.


This... lol


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## simr (May 13, 2013)

Tabvla said:


> ...try to find a product that is_ not_ made in China. Happy hunting, let us know if you find a product that is not made in China....


True, but nonetheless see my comment above about that (emphasis added now):


simr said:


> (Not that any of them are necessarily totally trustworthy, but I'm assuming the Chinese *owned* brands are worse.)


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