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I'd like to know how important having a keyboard is to you guys. I'd like to buy a new phone soon and I'm picking between this phone, the Galaxy Nexus, and waiting for a Droid 4. The thing is, I use AT&T which none of these phones are available for. The Droid 4 is said to come with GSM bands, and I know the D3 does, so I can work with that. My question is whether it's worth giving up the Droids' keyboards for the Galaxy Nexus' superior specs.
P.S. I'm coming from a 4 year old HTC Kaiser, so anything is an upgrade.
I love my keyboard. I don't know what I would do if I didn't have one. I definitely would sacrifice a little on the processor and ram to have a keyboard phone,
Sent from my DROID3 using XDA App
I chose the droid 3 specifically because of the keyboard. That and the fact that it needed to be new and android
My droid 3 was the best phone I ever used, the keyboard is amazing. But the phone sometimes lagged with only 512mb or ram, the boot loader is not unlocked, other than that stuff it is blazing! I would suggest waiting for the droid 4 if you love qwerty keyboards that much but go for the nexus if you cant wait for a phone and want specs now.
ourtut said:
My droid 3 was the best phone I ever used, the keyboard is amazing. But the phone sometimes lagged with only 512mb or ram, the boot loader is not unlocked, other than that stuff it is blazing! I would suggest waiting for the droid 4 if you love qwerty keyboards that much but go for the nexus if you cant wait for a phone and want specs now.
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Click to collapse
The thing is, I have AT&T, not Verizon. I don't know if the Nexus will ever come to AT&T and the Droid 4 may or may not have GSM bands.
I always go for the best phone available with keyboard. My XT860, which is the nearly identical cousin of the Droid 3 (except 4G), unlocked, works with my AT&T sim card when I travel in U.S. might be worth your considering.
Sent from my XT860 using xda premium
Thank you, that's very useful to know. I hope it's possible to do the same with the Droid 4, because this phone will become obsolete when that comes out.
My advice is not to get the Verizon version as it is a pain to get unlocked for AT&T but the 860. But other then that yes this is a good phone. If Hash can get the kinks worked out for ICS (I know he can), then it will be an amazing phone. It is still new enough hardware wise it isn't a big deal.
Sent from my DROID3 using XDA App
You can get unlocked gsm nexus online. It means you pay full price instead of using a carrier upgrade. Check out www.negrielectronics.com (I'm in no way affaliated, I just know they have gsm nexus)
Sent from my XT860 using xda premium
The physical keyboard is really a person preference thing. Generally speaking, the recent phones that have physical keyboards are usually slightly lacking in other departments like screen size/quality and/or RAM. What I'm getting at is having a physical keyboard is usually a trade off, but those of us that are willing to make that trade will swear by them because we greatly dislike having only a virtual keyboard.
The advice mentioned earlier about getting a non-Verizon version is sound advice. It is my understanding that Verizon's GSM capable phones are locked for other US GSM carriers. You could probably avoid a lot of headaches by not getting a Verizon phone if you don't plan on using them as your carrier.
But I thought this would remedy all my GSM-related needs.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=20634546
There is that hack to get At&t working on the Verizon Droid 3 and if you are comfortable doing it then go ahead. It will require rooting and unlocking.
Otherwise you could look at getting the international XT860 since it will work on At&t out of the box. You could probably grab a Canadian one off ebay and to pop in your At&t SIM and not have to do anything else.
But if you don't mind doing that hack, the US XT862 is getting more dev attention it seems so it may be a better investment.
I'm using my Verizon D3 (xt862) on T-Mobile, which only allows me to use Edge. The process to hack it to use GSM isn't hard, and it's pretty reliable still, but does require unlocking the phone through Verizon. I've heard a ton of problems coming from people who think they can get it to work using paid for unlock codes, so I'd advise being sure you can get the VZW unlock code from the source.
This phone is compatible with AT&T 3G bands, so if RAM isn't too big an issue (works fine with 512 MB IMHO), then this phone works great. I would argue that the D4 coming out won't make this phone outdated unless it comes stock with ICS. That would mean it would get a lot more developer attention probably, but wouldn't necessarily make me switch right away
Sent while mobile using Tapatalk.
Without a doubt, i'd go with a keyboard. I picked this phone specifically because of that.
ChocolateShein said:
I'd like to know how important having a keyboard is to you guys. I'd like to buy a new phone soon and I'm picking between this phone, the Galaxy Nexus, and waiting for a Droid 4. The thing is, I use AT&T which none of these phones are available for. The Droid 4 is said to come with GSM bands, and I know the D3 does, so I can work with that. My question is whether it's worth giving up the Droids' keyboards for the Galaxy Nexus' superior specs.
P.S. I'm coming from a 4 year old HTC Kaiser, so anything is an upgrade.
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i got fat fingers soo a keyboard will be a must for me since i do heavy messaging with my phones, but bear in mind the Nexus do have a larger screen and there are keyboard apps that give a wide selection of layout for data entry, i dont know haha but i guess i am milestone used since the day when droid 1 came out, soo i have been buying every droid they ever released. i have a droid 1, 2, 3 now , i am waiting for the droid 4, but i like keyboard, cuz it feels better to type with a hardware keyboard, rather then poking at a screen.
if u are still iffy about the galaxy nexus then i'd say u wait a bit longer, new year they have to have new phones to be released
Keyboards are amazing, I have all Droid phones with keyboards (Milestone 1, Milestone 2 and finally Droid 3) and it`s impossible for me to buy a phone without HW keyboard anymore
keyboard is the major reason for me buying xt860
I'll be the dissenter. I lived for a couple of years with a virtual keyboard only and I am fine with that. I chose the D3 because I wanted a stable 3G phone, I wanted Moto because my house is in a weak cell area for Verizon and Moto has better radios, and the world phone capability I felt was a good idea for me - we are planning to do some travel in the next year and a half.
Ok, that said, once I tried the keyboard, I loved it. The original plan was just to ignore the hardware keyboard, but now I almost always use it.
I can't stand using a virtual keyboard, I am always hitting a wrong key. The Droid 3 physical keyboard is great and is a must in my book!
For me, it's the deciding factor in purchasing an Android phone. I waited and watched for the Droid 3's five-row keyboard as the first satisfactory upgrade from my HTC Dream.
My password contains numbers, so having to hit all those extra shifts on my iPod Touch poops me to tears. That and my continuous fat-fingering on the on-screen keyboard. I can use my fingernails on my Milestone 3's keyboard quite happily, with nary a mistake.
Hi everyone
I have been considering buying the Motorola droid 3 for some time now and wanted the actual users feedback weather to buy it or not?
I want a qwerty android phone with a dual core.
All your Inputs would be welcome.
Thank you
Anand
What do you want to know? I don't know about prices/availability over there but you might also get the droid 4 instead if possible.
As for droid 3, for me:
Pro's:
- best qwerty I've used
- qwerty + android
- dual core
- looks
Cons:
- screen is "good" but certainly not up there with the best
- locked bootloader
- Droid 4 release
Well i am using a galaxy sl at the moment
What I miss the most is the lack of a qwerty keypad. Dual core and the stock of roms etc really make it better.
The droid 4 is not available here : ( needless to say not even the droid 3....
Motorola here has not launched any of these models here
I want a really good qwerty handset keeping the most modern hardware possible Both the droid options would have to be imported..here
Well if you want QWERTY i say get the droid3/4.
You could import them from negri electronics, thats what I did.
Just depends whether you wanna pay the extra ~$100 for the droid 4
I love this phone. The only advice I have is to avoid buying a Verizon XT862 as it seems a lot of users out there are having issues unlocking them due to Verizon meddling with the unlock codes.
If you decide on the D3, go for an XT860 as it's basically identical but not a hassle to unlock.
Rick#2 said:
I love this phone. The only advice I have is to avoid buying a Verizon XT862 as it seems a lot of users out there are having issues unlocking them due to Verizon meddling with the unlock codes.
If you decide on the D3, go for an XT860 as it's basically identical but not a hassle to unlock.
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That's why you buy the verizon XT862 unlocked version from negri electronics
I will keep the Xt 862 in mind when buying..
I wanted to know the problems with the device specifically and problem which is pointed out with the display?
What is wrong with the display?
I wanted to know how it compares to my Samsung galaxy sl which is still single core but the other stuff??
How is the xda support for this device like the custom roms etc etc?
abehrani said:
I will keep the Xt 862 in mind when buying..
I wanted to know the problems with the device specifically and problem which is pointed out with the display?
What is wrong with the display?
I wanted to know how it compares to my Samsung galaxy sl which is still single core but the other stuff??
How is the xda support for this device like the custom roms etc etc?
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Click to collapse
Nothing is "wrong" with the display. It's just not an improvement over a galaxy S.
It's higher RES but shadows/dark are worse than galaxy S and when you look real close you can see a bit of grain because of pentile.
But unless you're a display-freak its OK. I'd rather have the droid 3 than galaxy S2 because of its QWERTY
abehrani said:
I will keep the Xt 862 in mind when buying..
I wanted to know the problems with the device specifically and problem which is pointed out with the display?
What is wrong with the display?
I wanted to know how it compares to my Samsung galaxy sl which is still single core but the other stuff??
How is the xda support for this device like the custom roms etc etc?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would not say there is a "problem" or "wrong with the display", probably there are better...
DoubleYouPee said:
What do you want to know? I don't know about prices/availability over there but you might also get the droid 4 instead if possible.
As for droid 3, for me:
Pro's:
- best qwerty I've used
- qwerty + android
- dual core
- looks
Cons:
- screen is "good" but certainly not up there with the best
- locked bootloader
- Droid 4 release
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Click to collapse
If Price is a factor add the following
--Pro's: VERY CHEAP or even free
What it boils down to to me is if you want a QWERTY slider Android phone, the Droid series is the only way to go. If you want the latest and greatest and/or have to have/want 4G and are willing to pay for it, get the Droid 4. If you are wanting cheap and don't care about or are willing to forgo 4g, then get the Droid 3.
I paid $50 for my droid 3 with contract renewal in Jan and my Wife's was free with her contract renewal in Feb (and came with the dock and car dock thrown in free too). The OP mentions "not available here" but where is "here"? The contract renewal probably doesn't apply I guess - but the Droid 3 will be getting dumped for cheap until supplies run out and its a great phone. Particularly if you are like me and upgrading from a Droid 1.
The only downside I have experienced was a lack of LTE. Battery life and performance are excellent.
Sent from my XT862 using XDA App
Quick question guys thinking of geting a bionic from a friend but I have a few questions first
1. I see there is and awesome noob root and custom rom guide however how easy is it to go back completely to stock for warranty reasons with my charge I could just use a cwm install to get back to stock is it that easy for the bionic or is more required?
2. Does the bionic have a working ics port yet?
Sent from my SCH-I510 using xda premium
1. Is not as simple as the charge, but yes. there are guides on how to go back to stock from a custom ROM. Follow them to a T and you shoud be good.
2. Theres a few ics roms, axiom, gummy, etc. just look in the development section or on rootzwiki. You're going to have to install a safestrap or cwm bootstrap in order to use them though.
Don't
Sorry to be blunt, but don't get a Bionic. Sadly, this phone has become a leper in Motorola's lineup. It seems like they shifted so much attention to the Razr/Maxx so fast that this one has been left behind. I wouldn't expect the official ICS build on the Bionic until way later than the Razr, if at all.
Aside from the apparent lack of love from Motorola, there's some goofiness on the Bionic with images not containing radio versions and such that cause some extra hoops to jump through if you got off the beaten upgrade path when messing around with it.
The screen on the Bionic isn't that good either in my opinion. Unless you're getting one for dirt cheap, don't.
Obviously, others may have a different opinion.
really how many people are going to post this every week just freaking search dude!! or try it out for a week or so and if you don't like it return it!!!
Dont get a bionic unless you find one for free...I'd def get Galaxy Nexus or RAZR.
I agree with Averix, do not get a Bionic even for free!
If you can find one around $200 I would. I had one, it's an excellent phone. never lagged, speedy, etc. personally I'd rather have a Bionic than a Nexus, with HDMI, a microS card slot, & much much better build quality. The phone's have identified specs (dual core lmao, 1GB ram, FCC, etc) besides the above. ICS will come, it's not even needed to make this phone great, as there aren't any problems with GB, and there are still several excellent ROMs a soluble if flashing is your thing. People just need to be more patient.
Sent from my A500 using Tapatalk
I liked my Bionic now that I've rooted it. I'm not a fan of the stock OS. Currently I'm on Eclipse 2.2 because I had problems with Gummy.
-First post
Bionic with ICS here - I like it, but I think it's time to switch it up. If you're used to constant flashing...don't look for it here =/
Personally I have 2 bionics and find them to be very stable, good (not great) screen rez and can be purchased on eBay for a decent price (I got both of mine for around $180). RAZR's and GNEX are going to run a lot more, though I admit they are both superior devices. For me I simply wanted a dual core w/ very good LTE performance (Hotspot at home) and I get around 15-20Mbps-down, 12-16Mbps-up at home and on the road. ICS would be a plus but I would rather wait 4-5 months when VZW ships an update. I decided NOT to use my upgrade yet, I would rather wait for the next gen of phones w/ Tegra 3 or Exynos Quad processors and hang with the Bionic for the time being.
But if you want to be on a devices with regular ROM updates, yeah the ship has sailed on the Bionic.
DO NOT GET THE BIONIC. though i am still using it and toughing it out for the moment. Moto really screwed all Bionic users in 2 ways:
1. the phone in stock OS is terrible. it is slow, laggy, atrocious battery life (even with extended battery) and has many bugs that updates have not fixed.
2. Moto delayed its release for so long that they rolled out the RAZR (which has much better hardware and runs much smoother) a month after the bionic effectively stabbing all Bionic users in the back by killing further development of the bionic. A lot of developers have jumped ship from the Bionic to new phones. It looks like the RAZR will be getting ICS before the Bionic showing that Moto doesn't have much loyalty to the Bionic.
If you're gonna get a new phone, get a RAZR MAXX
Agree eclipse 2.2 on bionic is awesome excellent battery life ;-)
Sent from my DROID BIONIC using xda premium
If you can get a bionic for a price you like. Great phone. Not the most development for it, but its still better than most androids in users hands right now. If you like flashing a lot, go with HTC or the nexus. I've been.seeing people sell their nexus for cheap on Craigslist lately. I wouldn't get a nexus though. No HDMI and screwey 3 on screen button is a deal breaker for me. Android been using 4 buttons for so long, I see no reason to change that's up.
The majority of the complaints about the bionic can be found with any android. At this point, a lot of it is nitpicking.
Sent from my DROID BIONIC using XDA
Came from the Droid X and found a gently used bionic with an extended battery and door and the stock battery and door with the lapdock for 200 bucks. In less than an hour had it rooted and gave Gummy ICS, liberty 3.2 (radio didt work. I'm on 902.) and settled on eclipse 2.2. It's a major improvement over the X. And I still have something to look forward to when ICS matures or even Jelly Bean is released.
I'm happy
Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2
I just recently upgraded to bionic from an incredible 2 and love it. Plus I couldn't beat the deal Verizon gave me. Traded in the incredible, got the bionic, extended battery, shell and holster, screen protectors, headphones and a car charger and only spent four dollars.
Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2
Bionic has some pros over Razr
I actually decided on the Bionic over the Razr/Razr Maxx for a few reasons:
1. Bionic fits very securely into the Bionic Lapdock. I can sit in bed, on train, plane, etc., with the Bionic in the Bionic Lapdock and it stays in securely. I much prefer this over the Razr and the Lapdock 100/500 which is a universal Lapdock that very loosely hold the Razr. I found unless you are sitting at a table with these Lapdocks and Razr, than it is going to be cumbersome to use with the Lapdock. Also, easier to just drop Bionic straight into Bionic Lapdock than having to fiddle with cable of Lapdock 100/500.
2. Bionic Lapdock's build is much better. Bionic Lapdock is aluminum and feels more sturdy than plastic of Lapdock 100/500 used with the Razr.
- theses reason were more specific to use with Lapdock obviuosly, which for me was a deciding factor. however, Bionic has another pro I feel is overlooked, and that is its removable battery...
3. Bionic has removable batteries. Though everyone goes on about battery life of Razr Maxx, it is still not removable. Granted, it last a long time, but when it runs out, then what? Unless u got charger with you, you are out of luck. With Bionic I can easily carry a couple of extra batteries with my Lapdock to keep me going as long as i need. And I do not have to be tied down to a charger cable and outlet if Razr Maxx runs out of juice. I am often on Bionic with Lapdock in coffee shops, web browsing on LTE, streaming Pandora, editing files, the whole works. Even the Razr Maxx cannot keep up with me. And I never get a seat by a power outlet. With Bionic, I carry a extra battery and extra battery wall charger and usually have this extra battery charging on wall while i work across the room. When one battery runs out, i simply walk over, switch out batteries, and while I'm using up the new one, I still got one charging and I do not need to be tied to a cable. Works great. Razr Maxx cant do that and LTE is a killer.
Raxr Maxx = 3300mah
Bionic Batt = 1760mah....get 2 of them and swap one out while another is charging with a extra battery wall charger and you got = unlimited battery life = unlimited mah!!...for cheap!!
The extra bulk, updates of Bionic, dont compare to this nearly inexhaustible battery life with removable batteries that everyone seems to overlook with Razr Maxx. Plus I got my Bionic, extra batteries, extra battery wall chargers and other accesories for less than what Razr Maxx costs. Bionic all the way for me! Now just give me ICS with Webtop 3.0 tablet mode and I do not see a phone in sight for the price that has this many features.
Well if anyone wants a Bionic with a silicone case, extended battery, and charger let me know
Time for me to move on
Sent from my DROID BIONIC using xda premium
ROB281 said:
Well if anyone wants a Bionic with a silicone case, extended battery, and charger let me know
Time for me to move on
Sent from my DROID BIONIC using xda premium
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Click to collapse
Are you looking to get cash for it or donate it so I have a plaything to program on and not risk bricking my actual phone =)
saintsdx said:
Are you looking to get cash for it or donate it so I have a plaything to program on and not risk bricking my actual phone =)
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would like to get cash to help buy the replacement phone
Just got my Bionic at Best Buy for Free.
Nice phone.
Better than the Pantech Breakout I returned for it.
ive been looking/waiting for a better qwerty phone since i got the d3. d3 problems to me screen, no 4g, lack of ram, shouldnt of even come with motoblur eventho thats removable. id still like to see more specs on the stratosphere II looks very promising. the d4 is not something id want for my own reasons. i like the photon q but its on sprint and there 4g or lack there of lol. http://www.engadget.com/2012/11/12/samsung-stratosphere-ii/ opinions thoughts? o yea the d3 didnt even get ics illegitimately id love to see a droid 5 but i think the specs will be under par sadly enough.
I'd like to see Motorola take a Droid Razr M, add a keyboard and call it the Droid 5. Motoblur has been much improved with ICS and newer as its hardly a skin anymore, and mostly resembles stock. Being almost a year old, I would stay away from the Droid 4 as well. I'm wondering if there will be a Droid 5 at this point. With the Samsung phone your getting a lower resolution screen vs the Droid 3, but not by much (800x480 vs 960x540). Your also getting Samsung's UI on ICS.
spunker88 said:
I'd like to see Motorola take a Droid Razr M, add a keyboard and call it the Droid 5. Motoblur has been much improved with ICS and newer as its hardly a skin anymore, and mostly resembles stock. Being almost a year old, I would stay away from the Droid 4 as well. I'm wondering if there will be a Droid 5 at this point. With the Samsung phone your getting a lower resolution screen vs the Droid 3, but not by much (800x480 vs 960x540). Your also getting Samsung's UI on ICS.
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Click to collapse
we can day dream about phones all day they will never get it right. i like super amoled i like the color saturation resolution on smaller screens doesnt make that big of a difference to me. still dont like moto blur id just shut off the slow animations that eat up memory. removeable battery, keyboard, amoled, external storage, hardware camera button and 4g thats all i really want in a phone. original droid was great they should have kept building from that it had no moto blur no locked bootloader could of had more ram but so could the droid 3.
This device poorly integrates the physical keyboard with android OS. When I had it I got more frustrated by the physical keyboard not working as expected and would just use the on screen keyboard. Definitely use one in person before buying.
Anyone think there will ever be a Droid 5? I use the HW keyboard when I need to SSH into a server, and have fixed many problems from my phone. I tried to do the same with a touchscreen, and its awful. I have to use numbers a lot, as well as the ESC key (vi rocks).
However the Razr Maxx HD's battery life may trump the HW keyboard. My ultimate device would have both, but there is no sign of anything coming from Moto like a Droid 5. I'm upgrade eligible (2 devices, with year apart upgrades, so I get a yearly new device). So, should I wait a little longer? Any chance we'll see a D5?
The only thing I don't like about the Razr maxx HD is the 1GB RAM. Everything else should be fine. Also, until Samsung or HTC releases something close to vanilla android like Moto, I won't even consider them. Plus, their battery life is awful, since the device spends so much power rendering those skins.
What are others doing? Oh, and the build quality of Moto devices rock. What should I do?
Sent from my DROID4 using Tapatalk 2
I've had this exact same thought myself. I also own the Razr Maxx HD, and a Droid 4. Currently I'm using the Droid 4 as my daily driver (despite its underwhelming battery) as I'm far more productive being able to use a physical keyboard as opposed to onscreen. I seriously hope one does come out for Verizon at some point...
bgarlock said:
What are others doing? Oh, and the build quality of Moto devices rock. What should I do?
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Hope that your Droid 4 lasts forever, and use your free upgrades to get whatever the most popular new phone is and then immediately sell it on eBay?
Motorola CEO talked about the Moto X phone, also mentioned more devices will arrive before October. I'm skeptical, but if they were going to make a new QWERTY this year, that was the clue for one.
Sent from my XT894 using Tapatalk 2
I think I'll hold steady.. "Good things come to those who wait" (I hope). The other idea about keeping my D4 forever, and selling my upgrade device on Ebay is also a good choice
Sent from my DROID4 using Tapatalk 4 Beta
Well they came out with 4 of them so there should be a 5. After all moto and droid goes together like peanut butter and jelly.if there isnt a droid 5 my wife will not be happy. She only uses physical keyboard and pickens are slim on verizon. Shes very picky when it comes to her keyboard. Maybe the droid 5 will carry a razr name?
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using Tapatalk 2
The last rumor I remember reading about concerning the D5 was in December... and here it is June. Could we see one this year? Sure. Would there have been at least some leak or blurrycam picture or something to prove its existence by now? Probably...
I'm hoping my D4 lasts forever now, and that when the battery eventually uses up its long life of charge cycles that there will be some way to replace it even though removing it is a royal pain in the sack.
Khiraji said:
I'm hoping my D4 lasts forever now, and that when the battery eventually uses up its long life of charge cycles that there will be some way to replace it even though removing it is a royal pain in the sack.
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Click to collapse
It's not too bad to remove actually. Mine actually came out while I was still peeling off the sticker. Problem is I hadn't noticed the damn cable!
The replacements from (I think it was) cellphonerepairshop.com come with a sticker kit that includes a little tab you can leave sticking out to pull the next one out really easily.
The hardest part is finding a T5 screwdriver. I ended up driving to a local shady repair/unlocking place who charged me £2 to borrow theirs!
Lum_UK said:
It's not too bad to remove actually. Mine actually came out while I was still peeling off the sticker. Problem is I hadn't noticed the damn cable!
The replacements from (I think it was) cellphonerepairshop.com come with a sticker kit that includes a little tab you can leave sticking out to pull the next one out really easily.
The hardest part is finding a T5 screwdriver. I ended up driving to a local shady repair/unlocking place who charged me £2 to borrow theirs!
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Click to collapse
That's good to know! I was initially worried about the "non-removable" battery.
Khiraji said:
That's good to know! I was initially worried about the "non-removable" battery.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll post a guide to battery replacement at some point. I've got another Droid 4 coming (my GF wants one too) so I can get some photographs for how to do it.
I guess it depends on how well stuck down yours happens to be. Mine wasn't, others have had to use a spudger to pry it out.
Lum_UK said:
I'll post a guide to battery replacement at some point. I've got another Droid 4 coming (my GF wants one too) so I can get some photographs for how to do it.
I guess it depends on how well stuck down yours happens to be. Mine wasn't, others have had to use a spudger to pry it out.
Hi
Im in the UK and prefer using physical keyboard. had the original milestone which i loved. Could i ask you where you are getting the D4 from for your GF ?
Been looking on ebay but looks as though i will have to import from US
Cheers
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jacmeister said:
Im in the UK and prefer using physical keyboard. had the original milestone which i loved. Could i ask you where you are getting the D4 from for your GF ?
Been looking on ebay but looks as though i will have to import from US
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Click to collapse
eBay, from a US seller.
Thanks for the reply
just noticed the company on your other thread, will check it out.
According to the initial question I think that there IS something you can call 'Droid 5' already...
I may be missing some points and details here, I'm not an expert but the first two Droid generations were known in the Europe as 'Milestone', starting from Droid 3 it was sold only in Verizon in USA so the Droid line became tightly connected with this provider.
After the 'Droid 4' the Verizon have still the phones of 'Droid' line, but they are made by HTC. At the same time they lost a QWERTY keyboard.
After the 'Droid 4' the Motorola created very similar phone - with identical keyboard, but under the different name - Photon Q.
For me it looks, that after the Verizon/Motorola split, the V. took their name and went to another manufacturer (HTC), while the M. took their last project and upgraded it further, so I'd suppose that the Photon Q model is more similar to D4, than any of the next 'Droids' from HTC.
Sadly, I've heard that Photon Q doesn't even have a SIM slot so I can't use it on GSM :/. If it wasn't the problem I'd buy it instead of D4 .
In the states the milestone was a watered down version of the first droids.
Sent from my Infected Rezound using Tapatalk 2
I tried to use a phone without a HW keyboard, and it was so painful when using SSH. Switching from alpha to numeric and back again was the worst. I just can't do my current job efficiently without a HW keyboard. I really hope that Moto has something cooking. I would be happy with the same form factor, but with 2GB RAM, 32GB internal, and a decent 4 proc CPU, with a better screen and camera
Sent from my DROID4 using Tapatalk 4 Beta
Ditto that, bgarlock.
@kolenda:
Actually, just to clarify, Verizon had the "Droid" license from LucasFilms, not Motorola. Most "Droid" phones were from Motorola, but some were from HTC (Eris, Incredible, etc) and Samsung (Charge), too. The latest phones released with the "Droid" license were from Moto: RAZR M, RAZR HD, and RAZR MAXX HD.
The Photon Q on Sprint is slightly higher-specced than the Droid 4 (faster CPU, bigger non-PenTile screen). But, yeah, it uses a digital SIM, so that doesn't make it very import friendly.
I, too, would love to see a successor to the Droid 4. Aside from a few issues, it has been a great phone. Easily the best phone keyboard yet. With Motorola now going through Google's design philosophy, moving towards stock Android and away from carrier branding/bloat, the prospect of a new QWERTY slider from Motorola excites me. Sadly, there haven't been any rumors or leaks of a new QWERTY phone from them (just the X Phone/ Moto X)... at least, nothing I know of.
The market for physical keys isn't dead, just hampered. Is it really for the lack of a demand, or because manufacturers aren't making high-end QWERTY phones (aside from Moto, since the Droid 4 and Photon Q were on par with other flagships at the time)? Any time Samsung comes out with a QWERTY phone, it's a mid- to low-tier affair. So, I'm hoping Google takes advantage of what Motorola is capable of, and pushes them further to make an even better QWERTY slider.
Sent from my DROID4 using xda premium
Thanks for clarifying this BPMOmega. I didn't say that Verizon had Droid license from Motorola, but that the Droid name was owned by Verizon, not Moto - so we agree here.
But I wouldn't suppose that such a name like "Droid" isn't a regular word any more, meaning some humanoid robot, but can be owned by a company... - and it's the sad thing.
kolenda said:
But I wouldn't suppose that such a name like "Droid" isn't a regular word any more, meaning some humanoid robot, but can be owned by a company... - and it's the sad thing.
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Aren't trademarks like that covered only in that specific industry. For example, Samsung couldn't release a phone or tablet called the Samsung Droid, but you can still have a car called the Ford Droid* without infringing on the trademark since nobody is going to confuse a phone and a car.
* And most likely the owners of said car will insist on making a certain star wars reference every time they get pulled over by traffic cops.