I got bionic on the launch date .. and for some reason i hear all these nerdlings qqing about oh this phone is old hardware and what not. I came from a Nexus One which in my opinion was the dopest android phone ever made besides the touch sensor. The screen on the bionic ****s all over my n1 and in every way its a upgrade. I looked at samsung LED screens before hand and I do enjoy them, but the bionics screen is great imo unless you got the magnifier glass out lmao
am i the only one whos really loving this phone and doesnt really care about the samsung and other phones coming out -__-
this a solid phone
avniii said:
I got bionic on the launch date .. and for some reason i hear all these nerdlings qqing about oh this phone is old hardware and what not. I came from a Nexus One which in my opinion was the dopest android phone ever made besides the touch sensor. The screen on the bionic ****s all over my n1 and in every way its a upgrade. I looked at samsung LED screens before hand and I do enjoy them, but the bionics screen is great imo unless you got the magnifier glass out lmao
am i the only one whos really loving this phone and doesnt really care about the samsung and other phones coming out -__-
this a solid phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Solid yes... What it was chalked up to be .. No. dont get Mr wrong, I love it... BUT your comparing it to a nexus 1. If you had came from a sensation, like myself, you'd understand the let downs a little better. Great phone definitely... Could it have been better, absolutely.
Sent from my DROID BIONIC using xda premium
I'm completely happy with Bionic. Samsung has pretty screens but much lower quality materials and design if you ask me. Samsung and Toshiba are both pretty crappy but they know if you put a beautiful screen on it people will overlook all the other areas costs were cut. people should pick a phone and try to live with their choice and enjoy the new toy. The Bionic is a hell of a phone. Quite being babies indecisive with too many choices.
I'm coming from an Original Droid and while I kind of hoped I'd be able to make it until the Prime released, that didn't happen....and I LLLOOOVVVEEE this phone! Now if only they can send an update to fix the network connectivity issues I'll be all set!
I love my bionic, no qestion's asked it works perfect. Have not had any problems with it, i will not give this phone up unless the pohone that replaces the bionic is 50x times better. Way better then my DX2. I perfer the cpu/gpu in the bionic then the nvidia cpu/gpu.
The 4g lte is great very fast. pretty sad my 4g lte is faster then my cable connection.
The only thing this phone is missing is CM7 or CM8 if it comes out.
I enjoy the BLUR but im to accustomed to my nexus one custom ROMs.
I honestly never use my 4g on my bionic only for specific times whe nits needed. I keep my data off completely throughout the day and oh man does the battery ****ing kill it hahah i love this phone so much the speaker/video camera/and all around feel of the phone is superb..truly superb. Samsung might have a nice screen and GPU or w.e but moto dominates with the actual phone feel.
This is comign from the guy who was like dreaming about getting a GS2 because thats my favorite phone but the bionic>>>gs2 in my opinion beside the led
avniii said:
bionic>>>gs2 in my opinion
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Click to collapse
I would almost promise you that if you held them side by side, this wouldn't be your opinion any more. Now, I absolutely love my Bionic and it's the best phone I've used on Verizon(it's worth noting that I've owned nearly every Android smartphone to come to Verizon since the Droid 1) However, a coworker of mine imported a GSII some time ago and I've had ample opportunity to play with it. To me, it remains completely unrivaled by anything I've seen from another manufacturer to date. This is really just my 2 cents.
P.S.:When I say nearly every, I mean literally all but 3 =P I will continue this with the upcoming Rezound, as well. Nothing like having variety with my LTE.
I have tried out nearly every phone out there.
I had money just sitting here, so why not put it to good use.
When it coolness down to phones, I liked 2 the best.
GS2 and the Bionic
The GS2 screen was truley amaizing, but like sanding usually does, they increase there contrast. Pictures no longer feel... realalistic.
The GS2 was lighter. It in a way felt cheaper as well.
The main reason I chose the bionic was it's processor.
Prosesses utilize ram.
The OMAP4 is the only multiple-channel processor which makes ram access better.
Gingerbread doesn't support multiple cores or channels, but ice-cream sandwich will.
I didn't want a phone that would become old technology as soon as the next OS was released.
Not hating the GS2, but single thread benchmarks with a 1.5ghz is not that impressive when the OMAP4 is pretty close at 1ghz and working less than half as hard as the1.5ghz.
Sent from my DROID BIONIC using xda premium
I'm coming from an iPhone 3GS (so, admittedly a few years of technology and freedom behind), but this is easily the best phone (smart or otherwise) that I've ever owned, and I had tried a Samsung Infuse 4G briefly a few months prior.
I'm a little apprehensive to see what the Nexus Prime is going to look like, but I just have to keep reminding myself how much joy this phone has brought me. There's always the possibility of something newer and shinier, but I'm increasingly glad that I pulled the trigger when I did. This phone is a beast
I'm coming from a Samsung Fascinate (Galaxy S) and had a Droid1 before it, so I feel like I understand the strengths/weaknesses of Samsung and Motorola. I appreciate the light weight and great screens of Samsungs. But Samsung is crappy at ongoing software support/updates, and many of the things that don't get the fancy headlines (e.g., call quality, GPS locks, external speaker volume and sound quality) are inferior due to cramming so much stuff in the light/thin phone.
Both of my Motorolas have been heavier and thicker, and I don't love the Bionic screen, but man it just works well. Instant GPS, great audio and call quality, good reception, better battery life.
Sometimes the supermodel is fun to be out with, but doesn't make a great wife.
Coming off a Pantech Matrix,,,,anything is faster.
Only thing I have to complain about is...the locked bootloader
I've owned both the BB Storm and Storm 2, the HTC Imagio, Moto Droid, HTC D.Inc., Moto Droid X, Samsung Droid Charge, and the Moto Droid X2 before this. While I have to say the display on the Charge was nice, the 800x480 resolution is getting old fast. Hell, the OG Droid was the Android device that changed the smartphone "game" in the US when it was released, and it had a higher resolution screen. But the Charge's screen felt... fake and cartoonish. I wanted something in between the DX and the Charge.
The Bionic's screen isn't something to write home about, but the colors are good IMO, the high resolution is perfect, dual core and a gig of quality RAM, 4G LTE and excellent call quality. Out of all the phones I've owned, including flip phones, Motorola's have always been the best in signal and call quality, period. The worst was the D.Inc., even on EVRC-B it was still crappy. Plus the screen... while it was an AMOLED, it had an older Pentile matrix that makes the Bionic look fantastic.
Overall, I'm glad I waited and was able to get the Bionic. People have too high of an expectation when it comes to smartphones. As long as it does what you want, be happy with it. The Bionic does all of that, plus much more and this is by far the best device I've owned.
Oh... and f*ck Apple.
Mmmaannn i have high expectations for the Bionic because #1 its farking 300$ @launch. I think sgs2 was 129$?
#2: all u guys talking about ur OGdroids, I upgraded from an Omnia from 2-3 years. The only thing for me the Bionic is good for is the performance, internet speed and phone speed, and I like the screen the fact that I can clearly read in sunlight.
I'm new to Android. I only played around with it so maybe I'm not familiar with the OS. about winmo I liked was having a task bar like on your desktop where I can hold right click and actually close or minimize. And I mean actually close, when I goto open the app it loads like new. When I use task killer it tells me it killed the apps but same apps keep reapearing. And for example I would kill the browser and when I reopen the browser it opens where I left off.
Also, I played with some Samsung devices and I really like how I can change brightness, screen rotation wifi gps etc. is that like a touch wiz only thing? So apart from the OS I also need to figure the interface? Is there like a complete stock barebones gb platform I can go to? Is that just getting a nexus?
Honestly I got the phone for the specs because you can always tweak usability but you can't add ram or cpu.
Any APPS or Tweak suggestions is greatly appreciated.
Oh btw on my winmo I never had to buy apps I could dl and install cracked vers. Not that I dont want to support devs im just uuber broke (yea rite rocking a 3oo$ fone) it was a gift smarta's.
And I could load a movie on my sd card and coreplayer would play everything even HD with crz stutter bcuz phone too slow. Android I have to start converting files? Wtf? And I also had wifi tether! Wmwifitouter...
Im on the fence should I trade my phone downgrade and get some cash in my pockets or will the Bionic get better?
Sent from my DROID BIONIC using XDA App
Also to add on samsing phone if you hold the home button you get a list of recent apps BUT there's also a button for task manager anyway I can get this on Nothing-but-a-BLUR?
Sent from my DROID BIONIC using XDA App
I'm loving the bionic so far, the one thing that's really annoying me doesn't seem to be a big deal to others. I understand the increased resolution but the font is way too small. It's giving me a headache.
Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk
harpdoc said:
I'm coming from a Samsung Fascinate (Galaxy S) and had a Droid1 before it, so I feel like I understand the strengths/weaknesses of Samsung and Motorola. I appreciate the light weight and great screens of Samsungs. But Samsung is crappy at ongoing software support/updates, and many of the things that don't get the fancy headlines (e.g., call quality, GPS locks, external speaker volume and sound quality) are inferior due to cramming so much stuff in the light/thin phone.
Both of my Motorolas have been heavier and thicker, and I don't love the Bionic screen, but man it just works well. Instant GPS, great audio and call quality, good reception, better battery life.
Sometimes the supermodel is fun to be out with, but doesn't make a great wife.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you sure hit that one on the head. i have had many phones and i like motorola phones alot. with some tweaks and stuff you can make the bionic a bad a## phone. i love the things you can do with this phone! just amazing!! zumacast is one of my favorite apps ever. despite what others say about the lapdock, i love it.
Related
Hi,
Just wanted to get some feedback from knowledgeable peeps around
My contract is up and was wondering if its a wise decision to switch from my utterly delightful Nexus One to more powerful Samsung Captivate
I like the flexibility and freedom to play around on my Nexus One, but the Super AMOLED and Faster GPU has been calling me to Samsung Captivate.
All the 2 cents are welcome.
Cheers
it really depends on a few things:
can you survive without a trackball? if you do any remote desktop stuff, a trackball is almost essential. also some games work better with a trackball as opposed to your fat finger covering up most of the screen (including whatever you're trying to control).
do you currently not have a case on your n1? you'll def need one with the captivate (or any galaxy s phone), as they aren't built like the n1. they don't have a unibody design that resists overall damage to the phone. if you get a galaxy s device, i highly recommend getting a hard case for it.
can you live with not always having the latest and greatest developments on your device?being that the nexus is now the second google developer phone, you can almost guarantee that it'll have everything FIRST. any developing directly from google or the other XDA devs will most likely be implemented on the nexus before any other phone.
just a few things to consider. i'm sure someone will add some more...
you could also think of it this way: would you be willing to trade in your honda civic tuner (with nos, supercharger, and the works) for a mustang/camaro or equivalent?
I've actually seriously considered this (but for the Vibrant) and come to the conclusion that you will not be disappointed by either choice. One thing you could do is post a similar question in the Captivate forums but ask what people opinion of the captivate is from previous nexus one users.
On the note of the AMOLED screen and the gpu its a matter of importance? Do you play a lot of games? If so the gpu will definitely be a necessity. If you watch a lot of media the screen will be a must.
Do you mod/plan to mod your phone a lot? If so then the Nexus might still be the better choice.
Also the trackball is gone so there is no led notifications on the Galaxy S phones.
-Cheers
antoniouslj said:
it really depends on a few things:
can you survive without a trackball? if you do any remote desktop stuff, a trackball is almost essential. also some games work better with a trackball as opposed to your fat finger covering up most of the screen (including whatever you're trying to control).
do you currently not have a case on your n1? you'll def need one with the captivate (or any galaxy s phone), as they aren't built like the n1. they don't have a unibody design that resists overall damage to the phone. if you get a galaxy s device, i highly recommend getting a hard case for it.
can you live with not always having the latest and greatest developments on your device?being that the nexus is now the second google developer phone, you can almost guarantee that it'll have everything FIRST. any developing directly from google or the other XDA devs will most likely be implemented on the nexus before any other phone.
just a few things to consider. i'm sure someone will add some more...
you could also think of it this way: would you be willing to trade in your honda civic tuner (with nos, supercharger, and the works) for a mustang/camaro or equivalent?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I havent had an opportunity/requirements to do any Remote Desktops so havent used trackball to its full potential.. but I love the trackball notifications.
I do have a hard case and a lovely one for my N1 [Seidio]. Yes I would ofcourse get a hard case for any phone that I buy.
Third point is really important. I am a CM source builder.. and I do that almost every 2 days from my laptop. I would hate to not be able to do that to the Captivate..
Choices Choices.. Cant pick one..
android.activate said:
Hi,
Just wanted to get some feedback from knowledgeable peeps around
My contract is up and was wondering if its a wise decision to switch from my utterly delightful Nexus One to more powerful Samsung Captivate
I like the flexibility and freedom to play around on my Nexus One, but the Super AMOLED and Faster GPU has been calling me to Samsung Captivate.
All the 2 cents are welcome.
Cheers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi
I had the UK version the Galaxy s and I have to say I was very disappointed. The lag problem is a massive issue after owning the Nexus and the Touchwiz is very cartoon like but that's a matter of opinion, and if you try and use Launcher Pro it starts to slow down even more. The gps another known issue does not work and the internet is slow. The screen is fab and so is the HD video but that's it. The build is poor and as for regular updates from Samsung ? well you know there history.
I always said that I would not have a Samsung for one reason or another but this looked great, but I'm bitterly disappointed and with Handsets like this coming out, it's going to put new owners of Android off.
So I have sent mine back and got a new Nexus as my daughter had my other and she prefers it to her IPhone 3GS........Good girl
Sorry if I ranted on.......
Blueman101 said:
I've actually seriously considered this (but for the Vibrant) and come to the conclusion that you will not be disappointed by either choice. One thing you could do is post a similar question in the Captivate forums but ask what people opinion of the captivate is from previous nexus one users.
On the note of the AMOLED screen and the gpu its a matter of importance? Do you play a lot of games? If so the gpu will definitely be a necessity. If you watch a lot of media the screen will be a must.
Do you mod/plan to mod your phone a lot? If so then the Nexus might still be the better choice.
Also the trackball is gone so there is no led notifications on the Galaxy S phones.
-Cheers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The question is posted on Captivate forums.. awaiting feedback.
Yes, I love playing games, I play HomeRunBattle 3D, and Asphalt5 mostly. HrB 3D is still manageable, but Asphalt 5 is a power hungry beast that brings the Nexus to its knees...
But alas.. I am an android developer and I love the mods and and trying out stuff..
Questions.. Questions... (TODO or NOT TODO ) !!
android.activate said:
The question is posted on Captivate forums.. awaiting feedback.
Yes, I love playing games, I play HomeRunBattle 3D, and Asphalt5 mostly. HrB 3D is still manageable, but Asphalt 5 is a power hungry beast that brings the Nexus to its knees...
But alas.. I am an android developer and I love the mods and and trying out stuff..
Questions.. Questions... (TODO or NOT TODO ) !!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If u love to flash and tweak, then the N1 will do the trick
Exactly. Its harder to tweak the galaxy series. I love my n1, but have been drooling over the captivate.
Gingerbread is just around the corner, and there will be a whole new wave of devices out that blow the SGS away. I see the Galaxy S as more of a side-grade, I'm afraid.
Don't you lose "unlimited" data if you upgrade your contract with ATT?
i think you can keep your unlimited data if you were grandfathered in.
anyway if you get the captivate you should flash stock android on it immediately. i played with a captivate 2 days ago, and it was actually not as smooth as the nexus running launcher pro. plus i hated the UI samsung put on there. the nexus is just so open and easy to tweak, i'd be a hard decision. plus have you seen the Desire HD yesterday? so many phoens are around the corner. i wont be tempted until something really blows away the nexus, like dual core CPU. the galaxy is still too close to matching the nexus specs, 1ghz, 512mb, etc.
you could save your upgrade. or use it on an iphone 4 and sell that thing for like 600 bucks profit.
RogerPodacter said:
i think you can keep your unlimited data if you were grandfathered in.
anyway if you get the captivate you should flash stock android on it immediately. i played with a captivate 2 days ago, and it was actually not as smooth as the nexus running launcher pro. plus i hated the UI samsung put on there. the nexus is just so open and easy to tweak, i'd be a hard decision. plus have you seen the Desire HD yesterday? so many phoens are around the corner. i wont be tempted until something really blows away the nexus, like dual core CPU. the galaxy is still too close to matching the nexus specs, 1ghz, 512mb, etc.
you could save your upgrade. or use it on an iphone 4 and sell that thing for like 600 bucks profit.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So do I sell my IPhone Contract too..? I am not sure how selling of iPhone works.
I also looked at the Galaxy S series (although the Vibrant not the Captivate) but I prefer the trackball for being able to precisely edit text. I think that Gingerbread will make a world of difference and the N1will of course get it first... Samsung has a horrible history of updates and on a more personal level Touchwiz looks like a cartoon and I hate it. I LOVE stock (vanilla) android. Just my humble opinion.
One thing to highly consider is that the hummingbird processor is not as fast as ours in the n1 it may run at 1ghz but it doesn't process as fast, my wife has a vibrant and I've run several benchmarks on both devices and the n1 blows the vibrant away every single time.
dowmace said:
One thing to highly consider is that the hummingbird processor is not as fast as ours in the n1 it may run at 1ghz but it doesn't process as fast, my wife has a vibrant and I've run several benchmarks on both devices and the n1 blows the vibrant away every single time.
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Click to collapse
2.2
Paul22000 said:
2.2
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yeah i was just gonna say
The hummingbird 1ghz wrecks the snapdragon 1ghz (sadly) but the reason currently the n1 is winning is because of Froyo and the JIT. Just look at the quadrant scores pre-froyo
I took my Vibrant back for the fact that...
I missed the Track Ball.
I missed the sturdy, heavy build of the Nexus, the Vibrant is very cheap and plastic feeling.
I missed the Flash on the camera.
I just over all hope that a phone similar to the Nexus but with a larger screen is developed..
android.activate said:
So do I sell my IPhone Contract too..? I am not sure how selling of iPhone works.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No you just sell the iPhone itself. You can remove the iPhone off your account anytime you want, even the day after you sign the new contract. All ATT cares about is that you pay your bill every month and fulfill your 2 years. So you can take the iPhone data plan off your account immediately.
It's an option to consider. Some people do it but if you aren't comfortable then don't worry about it.
dowmace said:
One thing to highly consider is that the hummingbird processor is not as fast as ours in the n1 it may run at 1ghz but it doesn't process as fast, my wife has a vibrant and I've run several benchmarks on both devices and the n1 blows the vibrant away every single time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your joking right ? The only benchmark the n1 wins in is linpack . Cause of jit... quadrant we get 2200 with a hack without jit vs 1300 or so on n1? The sgs wins in almost every benchmark ..... the gpu totally smashes the n1... I've had both, n1 is a Tad faster feeling due to stock android ..... and jit ...
Gps works fine on my vibrant ...
N1 is awesome , but sgs wins hands down... especially soon with all 4 carriers having it... it'll have plenty mods.
Oh and it does not feel cheap ... not as sturdy as the n1 but n1 is heavier and will fall harder... also it comes with a extra cover for the back.. just awesome..
I love my n1, but my vibrant eats it alive.. especially in gpu .
I have both an and a captivate. N1 build quality is superb. N1 customization is awesome. Awesome dev support. Guaranteed firmeware support unlike samsung. You never know when samsung will stop upgrading. No guarantee they will get gingerbread neither. But n1 is getting outdated. But still my everyday phone.
However, captivate is a great device. Great samoled screen. Built quality is okay. Not as quality as n1. Very plasticee. At least captivate has the metal plate on the back to look cool. Vibrant all plastic. Not doggy the iphony lol. Sure this will get outdated soon but all devices will. It will matter whether u want the device now. You wait for the next device another one comes out. That's technology. There are mods on this device built by xda devs already. Already out putting crazy benchmark numbers. But not as smoothas the n1 on custom froyo. However cyanogen mod is in the works. They will be support by not comparable to n1. So far i like both device. Sure track ball and froyo is nice. But having the capability to play and watch games and movies with hd quality nice too. So i wouldn't completely cross out captivate or galaxy s. I just wish i had the euro version though. They seem to have more devs working on it. Captivate and vibrabrant dev is little slower then galaxy s. But can't beat a $100 for a fine piece of technology.
Oh btw, i upgraded both of my parents line with iphone 4 and sold those suckers for 600 bucks per pop. Save that money to buy something else when something better comes out. Perhaps nexus two. Lol. Or maybe the Htc desire hd/ace. I hope they release the quad band gsm version. Prob euros will be out late this year, hope i can't import a asian quad band or aussie quad band version.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App
So I know a lot of you hate any Apple product and I'm with you for the most part, but I'm starting to thing that maybe the iPhone 5 might be a good deal.
I have the Droid X and it's cool and all, but I'm getting tired of having to do soft resets multiple times throughout the day just to keep it at a bearable speed, and the screen not responding to touch and having to cycle the screen on and off to get it to work, and just bugs in general.
I have had the Blackberry Curve :barf:, VZW TP2 (I liked it, except for it being slow), and now DX. I get tired of having to do full SBF reloads every 2 months to keep it speedy and the screen thing is getting to me along with the bugs (like android music player trying to play music half the time when I hook up a 3.5mm cord to it).
I'm looking for a dual core LTE phone that I won't have to crack and hack and load custom roms to get rid of many bugs and expand functionally. I just kind of get tired of it. I used to work in IT, but now I'm a flight instructor full time and have to use a lot of aviation apps for weather, flight plans, etc. I'm hesitant to jump to the iPhone 5, but I just get tired of the lack of support and updates from VZW for the X. I feel that with the iPhone being so prevalent and with such a following that Apple might provide better support since they don't have to keep track of so many platforms like Moto, HTC, Samsung, etc.
Even if they don't have a LTE iPhone 5, I might be ok with that. I am fairly happy with my X overall, but I feel like I have outgrown it.
Any thoughts on the matter? I'm not posting this on the sister site, because I know how hardcore and unwavering some of those kooks are. (Xtra-normal iPhone 4 video comes to mind).
spudsmac said:
So I know a lot of you hate any Apple product and I'm with you for the most part, but I'm starting to thing that maybe the iPhone 5 might be a good deal.
I have the Droid X and it's cool and all, but I'm getting tired of having to do soft resets multiple times throughout the day just to keep it at a bearable speed, and the screen not responding to touch and having to cycle the screen on and off to get it to work, and just bugs in general.
I have had the Blackberry Curve :barf:, VZW TP2 (I liked it, except for it being slow), and now DX. I get tired of having to do full SBF reloads every 2 months to keep it speedy and the screen thing is getting to me along with the bugs (like android music player trying to play music half the time when I hook up a 3.5mm cord to it), and the screen thing.
I'm looking for a dual core LTE phone that I won't have to crack and hack and load custom roms to get rid of many bugs and expand functionally. I just kind of get tired of it. I used to work in IT, but now I'm a flight instructor full time and have to use a lot of aviation apps for weather, flight plans, etc. I'm hesitant to jump to the iPhone 5, but I just get tired of the lack of support and updates from VZW for the X. I feel that with the iPhone being so prevalent and with such a following that Apple might provide better support since they don't have to keep track of so many platforms like Moto, HTC, Samsung, etc.
Even if they don't have a LTE iPhone 5, I might be ok with that. I am fairly happy with my X overall, but I feel like I have outgrown it.
Any thoughts on the matter? I'm not posting this on the sister site, because I know how hardcore and unwavering some of those kooks are. (Xtra-normal iPhone 4 video comes to mind).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you're past flashing, then I'd say do it. However, don't count on the 5 having LTE. I guarantee you it won't have it. Apple will wait 6 months to a year before they add it. It's too 'new' for Apple to put in their phones. Expect a quasi 5 upgrade around summer (at best) to have 4g.
Having said that, I do agree with you on the updates and support. Plus the app store has a very stringent approval process - so you can expect the apps to be bug free for the most part.
Regardless of all that, I'll stick with my bionic. Very impressed. I haven't even considered tweaking it much because I'm so blown away with it out of the box. I'm a crack flasher (back to my OG Droid) so this is big for me.
Best of luck.
Sent from my DROID BIONIC using xda premium
^^^ Everything he said and more. Apple is not guaranteed to have any 4g, let alone LTE. That and all the work that is currently going into custom ROMs for bionic.
I for one am a big mac fan. Between my wife, 2kids and me, we have 2imacs, 3 macbooks, and a macbook pro. But for smartphones its android for me. Much more customizable. And a user replaceable battery. Just think, if mr. Jobs had not given at&t exclusivity for so long, android may not have gotten off the ground.
Sent from my DROID BIONIC using xda premium
i've never had an iPhone, but i did just move from a Droid X to the Bionic, so i can compare the differences there...
Bionic is noticeably faster than the Droid X when starting apps, moving through menu settings, etc.
i am torn over the loss of hard keys on the Bionic - while i definitely prefer soft keys over hard keys, there are two disadvantages that bug me:
(1) false alarms (i.e., i occasionally hit one of the soft keys by accident which interrupts whatever i'm doing)
(2) can only use the power button to wake up the Bionic (home key also works on Droid X)
4gLTE is ridiculously fast but highly geographically dependent. i live in a full 4g area. typical downloads 1 mile from my house are 20,000 kbps. at my house, i get maybe 1,200 kbps (vs. around 600 kbps in 3g).
Battery life on Bionic is almost as good as Droid X with similar usage/apps in 3g mode. turning 4g on definitely uses more battery, but it is easy to turn on/off.
i like the Bionic screen, no idea what folks are complaining about
as for bugs, the Bionic has a few:
(1) Phone occasionally locks up solid and requires a battery pull to get it going again. this is affectionately referred to as the black (or maybe it's Bionic) screen of death - BSOD. this has happened to me 4 times in two weeks.
(2) the phone appears to have some difficulty holding a 4g signal over extended periods (but this may have more to do with the signal in my area than the phone itself).
but my Droid X has a few bugs too:
(1) phone always turns itself on after power down (started with Gingerbread)
(2) phone reboots itself typically once daily
(3) screen backlight "flickers" when paging through menus (this started with Gingerbread and actually annoys me more than the first two issues)
bottom line, i am very happy with the Bionic, can't see myself going back to the Droid X (even though i still love that phone), but i will definitely pay close attention to the BSOD.
Just thought that I would let you know that you are comming from a droid X.
Switiching over to IOS isn't going to be much of a step forward but rather a step back for you.
I say that because of what you wrote. You said you feel as if you've out grown it.
The BIONIC would be great for you because of that, but switching over to IOS is going to leave you in regret.
"I was wondering the desert and didn't have my Droid, but rather an Iphone 4. I spent those months wishing I had that instead. I felt limited, but as soon as I got my hands on my Droid again, I became whole. I felt like there was nothing I couldn't do."
Those were the words of one of my co-workers. I was a BB user at the time and thought he was nuts.
He was... but I could understand that feeling of power he got when weilding an android phone today.
I'd go bionic also, but only because i'm biased, and wont come off Android.
Having had the phone for 3 days now, i'm definitely impressed. It was worth every bit to trade my Evo3D in and grab a Bionic. Even the interface is nice.
Never had an Iphone, and never really thought about getting one. Few of these guys above have given great points as to why you should get the Bionic
Thanks for all the replies. I REALLY want LTE and live in Phoenix, where they have good coverage. I guess I'll wait till Apple announces the specs and make my decision then. I imagine that worse case scenario, if I get the 5 and don't like it, I can probably sell it on eBay and get a Bionic with the money. I do like how much you can customize android devices though.
spudsmac said:
Thanks for all the replies. I REALLY want LTE and live in Phoenix, where they have good coverage. I guess I'll wait till Apple announces the specs and make my decision then. I imagine that worse case scenario, if I get the 5 and don't like it, I can probably sell it on eBay and get a Bionic with the money. I do like how much you can customize android devices though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good idea, but I promise you - no LTE this round.
If I'm wrong (we'll find out Oct. 5th) then I'll eat crow...
So I am Unlimited AT&T legacy customer that just went out and baught the HTC Vivid. I baught the Vivid for a couple reasons.
-Upgrade was advailabl a couple months ago. I wanted to lock in my Unlimited Plan before they start deploying LTE in my area. I wanted one the Dual Core, 4.5" screen, LTE phones.
-The display look much sharper sitting next to Skyrocket in the store. Looking at the AT&T Widgets that were the same on both phones. You can really tell the sharpness of the Vivid's screen in comparisance.
-Build quality was more "Solid." Weight was not a defining issue for me.
-I baught a first generation Captivate. So I got burned by the GPS issue. So the Samsung Skyrocket was going to have to be perfect.
-The Nexus is not going to come out for AT&T anytime soon, I think.
-I did not relize that the LG Optimas existed and is coming to AT&T as the Nitro
I am looking for some feed back on why other folks baught the HTC Vivid? Is HTC a solid company when it comes to updating? Do folks have high hopes, looking forward to, Sense 4.0 and ICS? Do any folks have any experince with LG? Did I make the wrong choice now that the LG Optimas is coming to AT&T as the Nitro? The last, and most important, do folks see a solid group of XDA Developers doing their magic on the HTC Vivid?
Now when I got burned with the purchase of the early build Samsung Captivate, and it's horrible GPS. The only thing that made the purchase worth it was the XDA Developers Community and all the effort they put in to it. So in the end I am looking to see which of the LTE, 4.5", Dual Core phones is going to get the most XDA Development, and be a good phone.
Thanks for any responses/opinion
As far as dev support, the Skyrocket has real root, and can run TMo S II ROMs already.
LG has a worse record if possible than Samsung for Android updates. Plus, they don't have much of a following. The build quality is great, but check out the Ghost Town of the Thrill forum. That phone came out in September, its already been passed over by all the dev support.
If you want high end android phone with dev support and don't mind losing LTE the original Galaxy S II is the best phone on ATT. Its almost identicle to the international version. There were ROMs for this phone within 24 hours because all the work on the i9100 was not lost. The first phone on att with ICS will probably be that phone. I would not be surprised if we have ICS before (if at all) att has a subsidized Galaxy Nexus.
I too came from the captivate. I never had the GPS woes everyone else complained about. It was slow to get a lock, but worked solid for me from that point. The i777 original Galaxy S II is much faster to get a lock, but not as fast as my wife's iPhone. I am extrely pleased with my i777, but I don't gave LTE, and would be surprised if I have it next time I upgrade.
I bet the Vivid will pick up a lot of the Inspire crowd, but I don't think it will rival any of the Samsung phones of late.
If I had LTE coverage to play with I might have been tempted, but its still first Gen LTE phone for att, so that scares me from both the vivid and skyrocket.
Sent from my Galaxy S II (i777)
I actually wound up with one of my Lines being the LG Thrill and that phone is still stuck with Froyo so yea LG has a VERY Bad record of keeping up with updates considering the Thrill isn't even that old. As for the Skyrocket it seems to have a bit of a banding issue like white lines when you are watching movies or what not that is quite aggravating. Oh yea also forgot the Skyrocket Does not seem to have FM Radio built in. It does have an NFC chip though which is kind of a bonus but with the horrid screen it really depends on what your looking for in a device. If you want a fast phone out of the Box and something with NFC than the Skyrocket is what you will want. If you want a phone that has Wonderful resolution and will Be most likely Just as fast as the Skyrocket once it gets root than I would go with the Vivid.
After having owned both the Skyrocket and the Vivid for a few days, here are a couple of my thoughts. I hope this helps your decision process. This is all just my opinion.
I like the feel of the Skyrocket in my hand better.
The Skyrocket's web browser is not resizing websites when you pinch to expand. The Vivid does.
The Skyrocket's screen colors are brighter than the Vivid's, but light colored websites and text on a full white background is significantly dimmer.Reading ebooks is better on the Vivid, or--for that matter--my Inspire.
The Skyrocket has the charging/USB port where it belongs, on the bottom. The Vivid's is on the side. That's worse for charging cradles and using the phone while charging.
I like the screen resolution on the Skyrocket better. Fonts are easier to read for those with less than perfect vision. Some of the Vivid's Fonts are downright tiny.
The Vivid works flawlessly with my Motorola H17 headsets. Cyberon works great. The Skyrocket has been basically useless with the H17; how it works with voice command I don't know. This may be a compatibility issue, but still...
Synching to Outlook with the Vivid is painless and free with HTC Synch. Synching to Outlook with the Skyrocket is a PITA and costs $50. (For the third party PC program.) Perhaps there's a better way I haven't found.
Volume is FAR better on the Skyrocket.
Battery life is better on the Skyrocket.
The Vivid can turn Bluetooth volume down further. That's a big deal when on the phone with a loud talker.
Sense (Vivid) is better than Touchwiz (Skyrocket).
Both have data issues right now.
Both are plenty fast enough.
Nakel said:
After having owned both the Skyrocket and the Vivid for a few days, here are a couple of my thoughts. I hope this helps your decision process. This is all just my opinion.
I like the feel of the Skyrocket in my hand better.
The Skyrocket's web browser is not resizing websites when you pinch to expand. The Vivid does.
The Skyrocket's screen colors are brighter than the Vivid's, but light colored websites and text on a full white background is significantly dimmer.Reading ebooks is better on the Vivid, or--for that matter--my Inspire.
The Skyrocket has the charging/USB port where it belongs, on the bottom. The Vivid's is on the side. That's worse for charging cradles and using the phone while charging.
I like the screen resolution on the Skyrocket better. Fonts are easier to read for those with less than perfect vision. Some of the Vivid's Fonts are downright tiny.
The Vivid works flawlessly with my Motorola H17 headsets. Cyberon works great. The Skyrocket has been basically useless with the H17; how it works with voice command I don't know. This may be a compatibility issue, but still...
Synching to Outlook with the Vivid is painless and free with HTC Synch. Synching to Outlook with the Skyrocket is a PITA and costs $50. (For the third party PC program.) Perhaps there's a better way I haven't found.
Volume is FAR better on the Skyrocket.
Battery life is better on the Skyrocket.
The Vivid can turn Bluetooth volume down further. That's a big deal when on the phone with a loud talker.
Sense (Vivid) is better than Touchwiz (Skyrocket).
Both have data issues right now.
Both are plenty fast enough.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I understand liking super amoled more but actually preferring lower resolution? You must be one of few. Just resize the fonts if they're too small.
Doors anyone know anything about the LG Nitro? It seems to be a solid device specifications wise. How much damage does LG do with their launcher/modifications.
Sent from my HTC PH39100 using xda premium
loriolus said:
I understand liking super amoled more but actually preferring lower resolution? You must be one of few. Just resize the fonts if they're too small.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Many system fonts are not resizeable. Go android. One of the few? Anyone who's vision is less than perfect and doesn't want to put on their reading glasses to use the phone. Now, I believe once the phone is rooted there are apps that can change pixel density? So there probably is a way down the road to fix this. But I'm just talking out of the box experience here. Anyone with the skill/desire to get into that will disregard what I'm saying anyway. I'm just trying to help the unskilled masses make their decision.
CharlesIstus said:
-The Nexus is not going to come out for AT&T anytime soon, I think.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So I start this off with a disclaimer that this is complete hearsay and in no way from an authoritative source. But! I was talking to a friend of mine who works for Samsung America in the PR department about phones, and I asked her about the Galaxy Nexus. While she wouldn't really say much, she did say that if I wanted it on AT&T, I'd have to wait till the end of the 1st quarter or beginning of the 2nd quarter in 2012. So, at some point in the future, the Galaxy Nexus will likely be available for AT&T, but it'll probably be a ways off.
I have heard both good AND bad about LG phones, but this thing looks too tempting to pass up. My week old SGS II will be heading back to AT&T as soon as the Nitro drops.
I was debating the nitro once i heard about it but after having the skyrocket and relazing the only benefit is the screen thats where it stopped. I feel that the dev community and just overall software upgrades (skyrocket is confirmed for sandwich 100%) and other lack of issues on the bulletproof skyrocket makes me believe that i made the right choice. Every time i play with the vivid and skyrocket, yes the crispy screen is nice but once you take them away from side to side the skyrocket isn't too bad.
CharlesIstus said:
Doors anyone know anything about the LG Nitro? It seems to be a solid device specifications wise. How much damage does LG do with their launcher/modifications.
Sent from my HTC PH39100 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Media guy here - i have a new in box Nitro HD, LTE, for AT&T, if anyone wants to buy it. PM me if interested. I got to play with it/review it extensively, and it's LG's best efforts to date. The G2x is crap against it, and LG has really stepped it up.
They gave us Nitro HD's to keep, but I'm on T-Mobile, and as much as I'd like to use the Nitro HD, I don't want to use it on Edge, T-Mobile connection, hence my reason for selling. If you want to buy it from me, let me know - thanks!
hinduboy74 said:
I was debating the nitro once i heard about it but after having the skyrocket and relazing the only benefit is the screen thats where it stopped. I feel that the dev community and just overall software upgrades (skyrocket is confirmed for sandwich 100%) and other lack of issues on the bulletproof skyrocket makes me believe that i made the right choice. Every time i play with the vivid and skyrocket, yes the crispy screen is nice but once you take them away from side to side the skyrocket isn't too bad.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If I'm not mistaken LG has said that the nitro along with the 3d optimus (the thrill here in the us) will.br getting ics upgrades. Im considering returning my vivid for the nitro cause of the screen n all I ever do is root to allow for tethering with out paying since I have unlimited data.
Sent from my HTC PH39100 using xda premium
blopez24 said:
If I'm not mistaken LG has said that the nitro along with the 3d optimus (the thrill here in the us) will.br getting ics upgrades. Im considering returning my vivid for the nitro cause of the screen n all I ever do is root to allow for tethering with out paying since I have unlimited data.
Sent from my HTC PH39100 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the Nitro, new in box for sale. As I sad above, I am on T-MObile and can't use it. PM me if interested
I chose the Vivid over the Skyrocket because of the qHD screen and because it had an FM radio. I previously had a Captivate and loved the AMOLED screen, but after lengthy in-store comparison I felt the Vivid's was as good or better than the Skyrocket (at least at full brightness). Both seemed equally snappy. The Skyrocket was much lighter, but I decided I could live with the Vivid's weight.
Bought my Vivid the day it came out, and my only trepidation was, 'Please ATT, don't come out with any 720p phones in the next 30 days.' And sure enough, here comes the Nitro! But even if I could change, I don't think I would. Judging on the specs in Phonescoop (subject to change), the Nitro has the 720p screen, faster processor and lighter weight, but seems to be missing the following features:
- less RAM (720MB vs. 1GB for Vivid/Skyrocket) ** see Edit **
- less internal storage (4GB internal vs. 16GB)
- no FM radio
- no video out ** see Edit **
- possibly less battery life ** see Edit **
Will check out the phone on Monday. Like I said, I really wanted 720p, but I've seen the HTC Rezound in person, and while the text is sharper, it's really only noticeable at very close range - the icon sizes were the same despite having 78% more pixels. So for now, I'm still very happy with my Vivid.
PittFred
EDIT: The Nitro has DLNA, so outputting media on a TV is possible, just not with a cable. Also, Phonearena says the RAM is 1GB, so that 720MB might be the usable figure; comparable to ~800MB for Vivid. Confirmed the 4GB internal storage and no FM radio, which is a minor thing, but I wanted it after AT&T deleted it from the E71x.
The Nitro has an 1820 mAh battery, comparable to the 1850 mAh for the Skyrocket and better than the 1620 mAh for the Vivid, but worse claimed battery life, perhaps a function of the screen. 1800 mAh after-market batteries are available for the Vivid.
After review, the specs are much closer/favorable for Nitro, so it's more of a judgment call.
___
Cingular/AT&T since 2003
Nokia 6200 -> Treo 650 -> HTC 8525 -> Nokia E71/71x -> Samsung Captivate -> HTC Vivid!
RAM
Does 768 to 1GB of ram make a difference? This is some what of a deal breaker for me.
Quick update - the specs are up on AT&T's website. I went to LG's website and downloaded the manual for the Nitro HD (LG P930), and it says that video out by HDMI cable is possible, and over WiFi/Bluetooth/USB in more limited ways. Perhaps these differences are due to differences between international and Americanized models. If correct, Nitro's specs seem even more favorable.
$150 in my area, may have to swap for vivid. ARG
I'm going fir the og gs2 right after church. Vivid is nice but no root, battery life, and some what leggy ui... I came from ios and so fat I am disappoint with android but I think its the phone. Ever since I first got this phone I kinda wish I hadn't.
Sent from my HTC PH39100 using XDA App
Just yesterday my phone didn't make it a whole day. I unplugged it at 7am and then watched some YouTube vids and by 7pm the battery was dead. Heck, at 6pm my battery said it had 40% battery and I used the navigation system for 5mins and it went down to 20%. Its kinda embarrassing when your friend ask for a flashlight so I had him my phone but the battery is to low for the flashlight to turn on. My other friend asked "I thought you had 45% battery an hour ago" and then hands his iPhone 4s to that guy. So no, this phone has been a disapointment. Sorry for the rant
Sent from my HTC PH39100 using XDA App
randrewm97 said:
I'm going fir the og gs2 right after church. Vivid is nice but no root, battery life, and some what leggy ui... I came from ios and so fat I am disappoint with android but I think its the phone. [\b] Ever since I first got this phone I kinda wish I hadn't.
Sent from my HTC PH39100 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you think the UI is laggy then, trust me:
You have issues with Android. And may just want to go back to the iPhone.
Because as Android devices go, this phone is the smoothest I've ever seen.
Sent from my HTC Vivid using Tapatalk
I got a GS3 because it's the last subsidized upgrade I'll ever get through Verizon (and keep unlimited data).
Pros of gs3:
Nicer screen (but too big for easy one handed use)
Lighter weight
Other than that, in the real world there are no other advantages. With the .232 leak, the Bionic seems just as fast, and this includes gaming so far. The Bionic build quality is better, the radios are at least as good, and it actually feels better in the hand (the sg3 is BIG). And I already miss my Lapdoc.
Bottom line is that the Bionic is still a great phone with a new lease on life with ics. You ain't missing much other than the latest new device buzz.
I'm actually coming to the Bionic from a different Samsung device (Charge). I wouldn't have high hopes for the radios if I were you. Samsung still hasn't proven that they can get them right as seen by complaints with the Nexus. Maybe the S3 is different...I sure hope so.
That said, they do lots of things really well. I'm anxious to put the Bionic through its paces because, for me, this is an upgrade in every sense of the word.
My girlfriend had a Droid 2 global and I have a DX2 work phone. Both the DX2 and D2g are horrible phones. Girlfriend accidently dropped the D2G in the toilet (where it belongs) and I begged and pleaded for asurion to give us a non-moto phone. She ended up getting the bionic and she's happy, and fiddling with it the other day I'm actually quite impressed as well with it.
I'll stick with my nexus till verizons contract expired and I'm done with them though.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
That is a good question: what new phone is worth upgrading to from the Bionic?
ronaldheld said:
That is a good question: what new phone is worth upgrading to from the Bionic?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hardware wise there is nothing mind blowing right now that I would upgrade to but I would definitely suggest the Galaxy Nexus if you prefer tinkering more as the Nexus lineup is the most "open" of any Android phone and would provide you with the best user community
I'm happy with my Bionic, but the GS3 blows it out of the water.
Nothing out now is worth upgrading from a Bionic. I'll be waiting for a device with an OLED screen (not massive hopefully) and an OMAP5 beast of a processor. I'm perfectly happy with my Bionic until then.
My wife had a HTC Thunderbolt and it is quickly showing its age so we were able to get her a Galaxy S3 which I got to setup and play with.
Compared to the Bionic from a hardware standpoint, both devices are similar performance wise. The SGS3 has a little better of a gpu on it, a faster cpu and has double the ram of the Bionic, but the difference is still minimal spec wise. The biggest difference is the screen, the SGS3 has a MUCH nicer screen and the size is great. Finally I like that Samsung put a big enough battery in the SGS3 (2100mAh) compared to the Bionic's 1730 mAh battery which isnt big enough IMO.
From a software standpoint my Bionic on the ICS leak is just as smooth and seems about as fast as the SGS3. I also like the new Blur a lot more than Touchwiz though both are pretty nice. Other than that? I like the overall build quality of my Bionic better and it seems like Motorola has finally got the radios down with the basebands in the ICS leaks.
Would I trade my Bionic for a SGS if it was free? Not sure but I definitely wouldn't pay for one. Since I am grandfathered in on unlimited data with Verizon, my next phone will not have a subsidy unless I am willing to give up my unlimited data (which I am not) so I will have to pay full price. That means my next phone will have to blow my Bionic out of the water and I don't see any of the current devices out there doing that....not even the upcoming rumored Razr HD.
TY for the little review of the SGS3 vs our Bionic. I hated the fact that everyone shunned the Bionic. Coming from an OG Droid it was a definite upgrade. With the announcement of the RAZR, RAZR Maxx, and Galaxy Nexus everyone seemed to jump off ship too quick. Everyone complanied about the screen, the dropped network, etc...everyone was quick to point out what i believe are small flaws. For me the Bionic was the phone I wanted and am not dissapointed in it. The locked bootloader made the development community small. Without roms like those from Dhacker, DroidTheory, Eclipse team, and Liberty team, our phones would be very bland. I never gave hope on it. I was bummed when we lost a few of the devs due to the ungrateful people who didn't appreciate their hard work. I was really stoked with the announcement of ICS for our phones. And now with the leaks out I am much happier with my phone until the eventual upgrade. The SGS3 is nice but it not a worthy upgrade imo now that we have leaks and eventually an official ICS. Sorry if I took this off track.
amageus said:
TY for the little review of the SGS3 vs our Bionic. I hated the fact that everyone shunned the Bionic. Coming from an OG Droid it was a definite upgrade. With the announcement of the RAZR, RAZR Maxx, and Galaxy Nexus everyone seemed to jump off ship too quick. Everyone complanied about the screen, the dropped network, etc...everyone was quick to point out what i believe are small flaws. For me the Bionic was the phone I wanted and am not dissapointed in it. The locked bootloader made the development community small. Without roms like those from Dhacker, DroidTheory, Eclipse team, and Liberty team, our phones would be very bland. I never gave hope on it. I was bummed when we lost a few of the devs due to the ungrateful people who didn't appreciate their hard work. I was really stoked with the announcement of ICS for our phones. And now with the leaks out I am much happier with my phone until the eventual upgrade. The SGS3 is nice but it not a worthy upgrade imo now that we have leaks and eventually an official ICS. Sorry if I took this off track.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I like Moto's phones i also came from the OG droid. i think Moto does a good job on quality. i want something built good not some flimsy little piece of plastic. i figured the SGSIII would blow the bionic away but from everything i have read it is not so. I will keep my Bionic and my unlimited data until Moto comes out with a quad core than i might think about moving on but not until then.
i would also like to state that it also will depend on what the dev community moves onto as well since it seems that phones from VZW will now always be locked down.
Personally I think the Bionic is the most underrated phone in Android history. I bought mine on release day, upgrading from the OG Droid, and have been happy with it ever since. Now with the ICS leak, combined with my extended battery, 32Gb Class 10 SD card, and Lapdock 500, I have to say it's the closest thing to a perfect device I've ever owned (the one flaw being the locked bootloader).
amageus said:
..... Without roms like those from Dhacker, DroidTheory, Eclipse team, and Liberty team, our phones would be very bland....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
and sparkyman216 - get on that train Bionic faithful!
I too went from a Bionic to the SGSIII. I wanted one final subsidized device so I could keep my grandfathered unlimited plan as well.
I will admit, my biggest gripe with the Bionic (aside from the lack of an official ICS release) is its pitiful camera. I'd also really like to have a 720p screen and/or a little bigger screen area and some more internal storage since you don't get the "full" 16Gb internally on the Bionic.
At any rate, I got the GSIII and I have to say I am quite underwhelmed in several key areas. The camea is awesome in comparison to all of my various Moto devices over the years but it still seems slower to focus compared to my coworkers' iPhone 4S or even the HTC One X/Evo 4G LTE.
Probably my biggest gripe with the GSIII is its diminished battery life compared to the Bionic with an extended battery. Yes, it's a lot thinner but I'd gladly add a hump to the GSIII to get another 2 hours of runtime out of it. Gaming sucks when you are in CPU power saving mode!
The GSIII is also quite slippery and if I keep it I will investiage some kind of textured battery door or thin skin case.
As far as the pros, its reception is STRONGER than my Moto in strong areas (but weaker in fringe areas) and the call quality is really superb--a first for a Samsung! That screen is fabulous and I feel that 4.7" to 4.8" is the perfect maximum usable screen sizefor a modern smartphone. The S4 CPU flies and gaming is a total job on this device.
While I didn't think it would be a problem, I have grown to DETEST the capacitive buttons on the GSIII, especially when trying to type in landscape mode. I have big hands and my right hand is always hitting the menu button by accident. I also miss a side-mounted microUSB port and I miss having a standard microHDMI port. I have the 232 leak of ICS on my Bionic and I have a new appreciation of the HDMI port due to the revamped ICS Webtop mode and losing it is gonna really suck!
Not sure which way I will end up going as I really feel 50/50 about hanging onto the ol' Moto or jumping ship to the Sammy.
unbesorgt said:
Personally I think the Bionic is the most underrated phone in Android history. I bought mine on release day, upgrading from the OG Droid, and have been happy with it ever since. Now with the ICS leak, combined with my extended battery, 32Gb Class 10 SD card, and Lapdock 500, I have to say it's the closest thing to a perfect device I've ever owned (the one flaw being the locked bootloader).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Completely agree.
And
unbesorgt said:
Personally I think the Bionic is the most underrated phone in Android history. I bought mine on release day, upgrading from the OG Droid, and have been happy with it ever since. Now with the ICS leak, combined with my extended battery, 32Gb Class 10 SD card, and Lapdock 500, I have to say it's the closest thing to a perfect device I've ever owned (the one flaw being the locked bootloader).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Bionic and the Rezound are both the most underrated android devices ever, and I own both.
I'd get the G3 if it had quad core in the US. But I'm real happy with the bionic/lapdoc combo with ICS. I don't think there is a more usable/versatile use of a phone with that.
I have a Samsung Galaxy S3 (SGS3 from here on..) on my desk for work.
Let me start by first saying the .232 ICS leak on the Bionic finally resolved my data drop issues, where data went away for no reason and it took a battery pull or airplane mode toggle to bring it back, although 3G <-> 4G hand offs are extremely slow. The Bionic with the 6.7.232 ICS leak is what I expected the Bionic to be (except the screen is worse than I expected) when it was sent to me in Sept 2011. Camera is typical Moto "phone" camera quality. Reception (with this leak) is great, battery life is very good (for an Android phone), etc.
I still use my Thunderbolt as my "daily driver" due to its screen and camera and general phone/email performance. With the Rezound 1620mah battery, and the stock 1400 as a spare, I can last as long as I need to between charges.
I hate touchwiz (both on my T-Mobile SGS2 with GB and ICS, and the VZW SGS3). Blur on the Bionic is "just enough" to help but not get in the way, and actually looks good. While touchwiz on the SGS3 "looks" better, it still looks "cartoony."
In day to day use (so not looking at every single feature/function, but rather only those I actually use), I like the calendar of the SGS3, its camera and its display quality over the Bionic. I also like that the SGS3 supports simultaneous voice/data over 3G. Those are 3 areas the Bionic doesn't keep up. Beyond that, the Bionic (with 6.7.232 ICS Leak) now has better reception, and the rest is a tie.
Would I buy an SGS3 if my Bionic was my daily driver (ICS or GB on the Bionic, assuming I didn't have the data drop problem)... I don't think so. While the camera and screen (colors, sharpness, readability, etc) are better on the SGS3, I don't think its worth spending the money.
Will I use the TB or the Bionic as my daily driver? Because of the screen and camera, I'm back on the TB for now.
I plan on buying a GS3 once I have the money, but it will be hard for a bit. The Bionic, my first smartphone, has been damn near perfect. Awesome ROMs once I worked up the bravery, made it even better. And now with official ICS, it has a new life and I love it. But I'm ready and begging for something new to play with and the GS3 is looking perfect.
I definitely agree with others who say the Bionic is overrated. I would argue that until that besides the Galaxy Nexus, the Bionic was pretty much the best phone on the US market until 2012's powerhouse phones dropped. On Verizon alone, I would take the Bionic over any phone until the GS3.
i think the camera is software limited, the post processing "magic", jpeg compression, noise handling, or maybe the auto-focus algorithm
samsung has digital camera worked together with SGS development
Let me preface by saying that I am one of the official testers of phones for my public safety department that are issued to our administrators of which I am one. Because of Sprint's slow and horrible data connection speeds, they have been bounced in favor of Verizon's network. I also have a personal phone which until recently was also on Sprint's network. I was so impressed with Verizon's 4G data that I paid the ETF and switched to Verizon. As such my phone history has been (after we jettisoned Blackberry in obscurity which I am not counting):
Work
Motorola Xprt
Motorola Admiral
Droid 4
Bionic
Personal
Hero
Evo
Galaxy S1
Evo 3D
Galaxy S3
As such I've had the opportunity to watch "generational" leaps in phone technology. The Hero to the Evo was such a leap. The Evo to the Bionic was such a leap. And now the Bionic to the Galaxy S3 is another evolutionary leap in technology. Keep in mind that I carry (as do most of our administrators) the Bionic. I recommended the Bionic because it met our tight security standards yet was fast, well built, and did everything well. That it would eventually see the next generation of Android was a plus and of course I have already previewed the unofficial pre-release unofficially . I determined that the Razr was not the leap in technology that warranted much excitement. It wasn't an option to be fair.
Now saying all that I steadfastly disagree with the notion that the Bionic is in the same league with the Galaxy S3. Sure, they do basic functions and the Bionic which has been woefully underrated and Verizon's EOL little gem, stands toe to toe with the best of them. However, the Galaxy S3 just does everything better and gives you more. Screen to screen there is no comparison. Speed, responsiveness, smoothness, software, hidden features, ergonomics, call quality, picture quality, video the list goes on...the Galaxy just does it all better. It is in my opinion a "generational" leap in technology. This is my unbiased opinion and mind you that on my recommendation, we carry the Bionic as the official work phone for my department. But for personal use, the Galaxy is a technological wonder and is arguably the best phone on the market; yes besting the One X as an overall better kit. Unfortunately we will not see the Galaxy S3 issued due to cost and security concerns, but really don't kid yourselves, the Galaxy S3 right now is in a league of it's own.
On a Thunderbolt now and one of the few to still have true unlimited data.. I miss a keyboard, new to the D4 area and getting familiar w/ ROMs and what not, just wondering if you'd recommend it. Mainly just want to keep my 4G and get a keyboard. ICS will be nice but never messed w/ it much on my Thunderbolt.
Thanks in advance!
Just a week ago, I picked up a used Droid 4 as a replacement for my ailing (and LTE'less) droid 3.
Overall I am very happy with it, and I have to say, I can type faster on this keyboard than any other keyboard phone I've had. It's wonderful.
That said, it's still a midrange phone with a somewhat mediocre display... but all the mediocrity is absolutely worth having a keyboard IMO.
It's a good phone if you need a keyboard. I'm jealous of all the development going on with the Razr HD so I'm slowly practicing using the onscreen keyboard and in a couple months when I'm eligible to upgrade I will. The only thing that disappoints me about the Razr HD is that they didn't put 2gb of ram which I think should be the standard for a company's topline phone.
This is good input. I don't need high resolution, I need stability, battery life, and a keyboard, even if its a little bulkier. I also need VZN out of my pockets and lack budget to get anything newer at non upgrade prices. Thanks gents.
Sent from my ADR6400L using xda premium
I just came from a droid 3. Let's be honest...this is a flagship phone! The specs are not mid range, they are top notch when the phone was released. The device is is sweet. I get amazing battery on stock rom. Some apps I froze...its smooth. I usually turn off animation to increase speed...I haven't had to yet. I got a deal on mine, but for brand new, I would gladly pay 150.
Sent from my DROID4 using xda app-developers app
It's absolutely worth that. I'm coming from an LG Revolution, which has performance very similar to your Thunderbolt. Trust me, the D4 is quite a bit better. Yes, the screen was never going to win any awards, but otherwise it performs very well, and the screen's shortcomings are rarely a real issue in actual use. And the battery life, while not up to Razr Maxx standards, is still decent. And then there's the keyboard...just superb. It puts this phone (and now the Photon Q) in a class of its own.
The Kraken! said:
It's absolutely worth that. I'm coming from an LG Revolution, which has performance very similar to your Thunderbolt. Trust me, the D4 is quite a bit better. Yes, the screen was never going to win any awards, but otherwise it performs very well, and the screen's shortcomings are rarely a real issue in actual use. And the battery life, while not up to Razr Maxx standards, is still decent. And then there's the keyboard...just superb. It puts this phone (and now the Photon Q) in a class of its own.
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You know what, after using my D4 for awhile, you're absolutely right. The Performance of my D4 is well worth the upgrade from the D3, not something I necessarily expected. The screen still sucks in some ways, but it looks great when it's turned up all the way. Better than my D3 as well. and lastly, the battery life is also way better than my D3 (which probably actually had a battery that was on it's way out).
I couldn't be happier with my purchase, especially the magnificent keyboard. I can type SO FAST on my phone, so much faster than my D3. I love it.
Droid 4 really is an exceptional keyboard phone. I really am sad that there probably won't be a Droid 5.
Yeah, you may be right. I'll be sad if they don't make a D5. But who knows, that they bothered to make the Photon Q might be a sign that they're not giving up on the slide out form factor. We can hope.
I love mine
I've had my Droid 4 for a few months now and I must say that I absolutely love this device. Its fast, the keyboard feels great and the display is awesome. It will be hard to top this device for me as I require a keyboard.
It's Heavy. Which actually is noticeable when you're trying to relax in bed and check some news or play a game. I came from a Droid X to this Droid 4. I missed the keyboard of my other phone that I had long ago (LG enV2, lol). I thought it would be nice to text with a keyboard again, since being with a all touch screen phone got annoying (I loved Swiftkey tho at the time I made this decision) and I didn't really like Swype, it had some bugs and it's predictions weren't as nice as Swiftkey. Now that Swiftkey Flow is coming out and even usable in beta form... I decided I made the wrong mistake. Swype was proven to be faster than physical keyboards and now Swiftkey Flow improved upon it even further. Also, all this locked bootloader crap is annoying. I think this will be my last Motorola phone, since I had so much fun with my Droid X and this phone all I do is wait for Hashcode day after day. It's old. Keep in mind, there are many apps like Airdroid, which you can type from your pc (you must be connected to the same router on the pc and phone) with your keyboard and have all your Android info right there. Depending on the status of the next Moto device, probably the "X", that will determine what I will get next year around October. If you really enjoy modding your OS and phone, I highly recommend just using Swiftkey Flow and getting a nice screened phone and unlockable bootloader. However, the build quality is amazing and the keyboard also looks amazing and it has never missed a key-press.