Interesting about the finish. I've had 3 of these phones, the first was Att, then the T-Mobile and now a Sprint model. Judging by your 4g icon I'm assuming you are on Verizon (all carriers use a different LTE icon) and that's the only one I haven't handled. Despite being the same phone each one I've had has varied in terms of fit and finish.
The Att had the plasticy touch issue right around the fingerprint scanner, but otherwise was solid, probably the best. The T-Mobile had what looked like little chips missing around the bezel after only a day of use and the sim/SD slot was not flush, it was too recessed. The Sprint model I'm using now is pretty good, but the buttons have a little up and down play the others did not. Point being, Motorola has been incredibly inconsistent with their quality control.
My wife has the original z force on Verizon, and while that phone does feel more substantial naked, I can understand Motorola's decision to go thinner and lighter. Her phone becomes a brick with just about any mod (we have the JBL, style shell and Moto power pack)
As far as the battery is concerned, I will never complain about having a bigger battery. That said, I am happy with the battery life of this phone. The first couple days on each model were the worst, but they eventually settle in. I typically get through a full day with over %50 left and if I'm ever low I have a charger in my car and the power pack in the glove box.
I would have to agree on the price, with it's shortcomings this phone is not worth the MSRP (but I don't think any phone is) However, if you can get it for a good deal (I bought the T-Mobile model outright for $550 and sold it for about the same, and I'm paying $16.50/month for 24 months with Sprint. I paid Att's ridiculous asking price of $809 plus sales tax like a dummy, after I found out the bootloader was locked I returned it the next day) it's an awesome phone. While I do wish it had a headphone jack, notification led and better water resistance, these are all trade offs for a shatterproof screen. I knew that coming in and weighed the pros and cons. After having my last phone crack, shatter shield is worth the trade to me.
