[Moto Maxx Android Development] Septfox:
This got kinda long, so I'm wrapping it in a spoiler to keep the thread clean:

I know exactly where you're coming from. My previous phone was a Droid 4, which could be found in good-to-excellent condition on ebay for ~$30 when I was buying. Along with the keyboard, the cheapness of a replacement in case it was stolen or I broke it was a big factor in my purchase decision. As it turned out it was so obviously outdated-looking (4" screen and large bezels) and heavy that nobody wanted to steal it anyway, and despite several falls without a case it never broke :v

Fortunately, while the Turbo/Maxx doesn't look overly old, it's fairly small and unassuming compared to...well, most everything, let alone other flagships and iphones. Especially if it has a case on, many people will probably not recognize it or think it's worth stealing. Hooray for passive theft-deterring.

The front camera is adequate once you know its limitations. The back camera doesn't like low light, like most cell cameras, and you might want to turn HDR off completely when you don't intend to use it, as it slows the rate at which you can take pictures drastically. It's a good camera in moderate to high levels of light, though, and if you use the manual exposure adjustment thingy to adjust the brightness a bit it can be decent indoors.

And yea, the screen is...unfh, it's so good, excellent colors and black levels. It doesn't seem to like low brightness levels (not sure if stock goes low enough), expect some odd patterning, banding and possibly uneven brightness in some spots. Some handsets have the added "feature" of flickering like half-busted CRTs while quickcharging, too, don't be overly concerned about it.

The limited power menu is a stock "feature". CM has the option to add more entries, and CM-derived ROMs have expanded power menus. I suppose Motorola never thought people would miss the other options, since they can be accessed from the quicksettings panel...personally, the lack of a screenshot option is what bugged me most.

I know how it is to not even have that bit to spare. Sit tight, while MM-based CM/Bliss/RR are fantastic, stock Lollipop is actually really good within its limits, and considering how long Verizon has sat on their official MM update I doubt they're going to let the soak test drag on :good:

Just keep in mind that if at all possible, even if you don't intend to immediately use the capabilities it grants, unlocking the bootloader before taking the MM OTA is a good idea; it's likely that they've patched the exploit that SunShine uses, so if you update without first unlocking, you might be stuck with it as it could be a while before they find another exploit (if they ever do).

Keep an eye out here on the forums for more information as it comes, don't take the OTA until someone's made sure that 1) it doesn't patch the exploit or 2) if you're already unlocked, the update script doesn't relock the bootloader (unlikely, but it wouldn't be the first middle finger that Verizon has ever given to the modding community).

And finally...welcome to the community.

Edit, general information: after purchasing and successfully running SunShine, you install TWRP. From TWRP you can install SuperSU, or install a ROM that has root built in (e.g. CM12/13/14 and derivatives). Don't bother screwing around with in-ROM root solutions from the play store.