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I know there's been a lot of discussion of recent handsets, given that the Bionic was the first of a flurry of next-generation phones, made all the worse by Motorola's steadfast refusal to hand us the keys to our phone and the various software issues they've so far completely failed to address. Given all that, it's very easy to down on the Bionic or feel suckered.
But where's the love for the Bionic?
I've been offered a different handset (as the software issues on the Bionic have been killing me) by VzW, offered the Razr, Rezound, and if I'm willing to wait, even the GNex. But as I've been considering that, I've realized that the Bionic really is the sweet spot for me.
We're quite nearly as fast as the Razr, same other specs, none of Moto's rubbish Smart Actions, and we can replace our batteries or get an extended battery. Not to mention that we'll be getting the bugfix release sooner than they will, so likely, our network drops will be fixed first.
The HTC Rezound is a great phone, but it's thicker than the Bionic, and that's without the (still unannounced) extended battery. It's also slowed down by HTC Sense, and they (as of last I checked) still don't even have root. It's got a beautiful screen, and a slight speed bump, but not much else on us.
The Galaxy Nexus LTE hasn't even been released yet, but we know that it won't have an SD Card slot (and thus, won't ever support 64GB cards as the Bionic already does), and that the sound quality from the speakers is very quiet, especially compared to Motorola's speakers. We also know that we can get good battery life, and that our extended battery actually fits the phone nicely versus their (still not announced) batteries. They've got a nicer screen, NFC, and likely a nicer camera, but at the end of the day, if you need extended batteries and extended storage, the Bionic is all you've got.
But, the Nexus Bootloader is unlocked. That's the main temptation for me to go over there, and for many of us, it's a sine qua non. That said, that's something that's well within Motorola's power to fix, either intentionally, by accident, or "by accident". They likely won't, but hey, there's hope. And even now, there's a growing ROM-building community, which will likely only grow larger as the software issues are fixed and ICS nears.
Of course, the software issues are huge, and I don't mean to excuse Motorola's massive screwup there. Motorola has really screwed us over with the software on this phone, and their refusal to unlock the damned bootloaders is huge. But hopefully they'll learn and improve the software from there.
In short, in the Bionic, we've got plenty of (expandable) storage, good speakers, a reasonable extended battery, good cases, promises of ICS, and a chipset that can keep up with anything on the market.
It's not perfect, but nothing ever is. For some of you, the other phones may offer something better, and more power to you, but for people like me who like large battery and storage capacity, even after this latest glut of releases, the Bionic will still be the best choice. It's not a dead headset, surpassed and unworthy of development. It's not been replaced by, well, anything, it's just one good option among other options.
So, if you're one of the people like me for whom the Bionic really still is the best phone on the market, hang in there, and don't let the haters get you down.
I love it!
Sent from my DROID BIONIC using XDA App
Bionic ftw!
Sent from my DROID BIONIC using XDA App
I completely agree with everything in the OP. The Bionic is a great phone even with its flaws and poor treatment from the manufacturer, and I believe it will only get better if Motorola holds to their promises of bugfixes and ICS, and the possiblity of an unlocked bootloader.
I can't believe I just read all of that on my phone.... but I'm glad that I did! The Bionic goes to 11!!
jus curious, when u were offered other phones...did u already cross the 14days return period ?
wanderfowl said:
I know there's been a lot of discussion of recent handsets, given that the Bionic was the first of a flurry of next-generation phones, made all the worse by Motorola's steadfast refusal to hand us the keys to our phone and the various software issues they've so far completely failed to address. Given all that, it's very easy to down on the Bionic or feel suckered.
But where's the love for the Bionic?
I've been offered a different handset (as the software issues on the Bionic have been killing me) by VzW, offered the Razr, Rezound, and if I'm willing to wait, even the GNex. But as I've been considering that, I've realized that the Bionic really is the sweet spot for me.
We're quite nearly as fast as the Razr, same other specs, none of Moto's rubbish Smart Actions, and we can replace our batteries or get an extended battery. Not to mention that we'll be getting the bugfix release sooner than they will, so likely, our network drops will be fixed first.
The HTC Rezound is a great phone, but it's thicker than the Bionic, and that's without the (still unannounced) extended battery. It's also slowed down by HTC Sense, and they (as of last I checked) still don't even have root. It's got a beautiful screen, and a slight speed bump, but not much else on us.
The Galaxy Nexus LTE hasn't even been released yet, but we know that it won't have an SD Card slot (and thus, won't ever support 64GB cards as the Bionic already does), and that the sound quality from the speakers is very quiet, especially compared to Motorola's speakers. We also know that we can get good battery life, and that our extended battery actually fits the phone nicely versus their (still not announced) batteries. They've got a nicer screen, NFC, and likely a nicer camera, but at the end of the day, if you need extended batteries and extended storage, the Bionic is all you've got.
But, the Nexus Bootloader is unlocked. That's the main temptation for me to go over there, and for many of us, it's a sine qua non. That said, that's something that's well within Motorola's power to fix, either intentionally, by accident, or "by accident". They likely won't, but hey, there's hope. And even now, there's a growing ROM-building community, which will likely only grow larger as the software issues are fixed and ICS nears.
Of course, the software issues are huge, and I don't mean to excuse Motorola's massive screwup there. Motorola has really screwed us over with the software on this phone, and their refusal to unlock the damned bootloaders is huge. But hopefully they'll learn and improve the software from there.
In short, in the Bionic, we've got plenty of (expandable) storage, good speakers, a reasonable extended battery, good cases, promises of ICS, and a chipset that can keep up with anything on the market.
It's not perfect, but nothing ever is. For some of you, the other phones may offer something better, and more power to you, but for people like me who like large battery and storage capacity, even after this latest glut of releases, the Bionic will still be the best choice. It's not a dead headset, surpassed and unworthy of development. It's not been replaced by, well, anything, it's just one good option among other options.
So, if you're one of the people like me for whom the Bionic really still is the best phone on the market, hang in there, and don't let the haters get you down.
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Click to collapse
afma_afma said:
jus curious, when u were offered other phones...did u already cross the 14days return period ?
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Click to collapse
Yes, this was only last week (purchased shortly after release), but I've been in touch with them about these issues since very quickly after the 14 days. I've called Verizon nearly 15 times, and only recently have they made this offer, and that's only because I've had especially bad troubles with the travel and amount of wired-headset-calling I do. I doubt that they'll be open for that if you don't have a history of calls and complaints.
wanderfowl said:
Yes, this was only last week (purchased shortly after release), but I've been in touch with them about these issues since very quickly after the 14 days. I've called Verizon nearly 15 times, and only recently have they made this offer, and that's only because I've had especially bad troubles with the travel and amount of wired-headset-calling I do. I doubt that they'll be open for that if you don't have a history of calls and complaints.
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cool..thank u for the info..my bionic has been sailing smooth with no issues this far..i am hoping it stays that way..
Actually the galaxy nexus got slammed for having an absolutely terrible camera. I was going to see my bionic and get it, until I saw that. Dealbreaker.
Sent from my DROID BIONIC using XDA App
nosympathy said:
Actually the galaxy nexus got slammed for having an absolutely terrible camera. I was going to see my bionic and get it, until I saw that. Dealbreaker.
Sent from my DROID BIONIC using XDA App
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It's certainly not worse than the bionic camera.
I'd trade your bionic in a heartbeat. Mine is in a drawer collecting dust because it's awful. Most regretted phone purchase of my life.
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using xda premium
my bionic is garbage the constant data dropping makes me want to throw it against a wall and the only thing stopping me from doing so is the hope that I can sell it to some chump for at least 200 bucks when the nexus comes out.
smartphone minus data connection = ****ty phone with poor battery life.
From what I hear they say the data dropping out is common with all 4g devices. I cave from the thunderbolt and had the same experience. I'm seriously considering switching to a 3g device
i had a blackberry to a facinate now the bionic. BIONIC IS THE BEST
Th3demolitionman said:
From what I hear they say the data dropping out is common with all 4g devices. I cave from the thunderbolt and had the same experience. I'm seriously considering switching to a 3g device
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You can force you phone into CDMA only instead of LTE/CDMA. I was told at a VZW store thats a possible work around. I did switch back to my OG droid incredible until the bionic gets software fixes.
I also wish the screen was better, but getting everything i want in a phone would make it 800$+
Just got the Bionic a couple days ago. I haven't had any data issues yet but I have it in CDMA only mode at the moment. Will test it in a 4g area in a couple days as I am right on the edge of a 4g area. I also have a Inc2 and have had a Fascinate and D1. This phone rocks for me. Battery is decent, its fast, solid build, blur (nonblur) is kind of nice now. Camera software isn't great but it isn't as bad as I thought it would be. Phone is also a little thick. I am optimistic that the data bug will be fixed with the next update.
Troll much?
eallan said:
It's certainly not worse than the bionic camera.
I'd trade your bionic in a heartbeat. Mine is in a drawer collecting dust because it's awful. Most regretted phone purchase of my life.
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using xda premium
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The Bionic camera is not one of the problems with this phone. It promptly takes good pictures and shoots very usable videos.
pharaoh45 said:
The Bionic camera is not one of the problems with this phone. It promptly takes good pictures and shoots very usable videos.
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It's the absolute worst cell phone camera I've ever used. It's completely laughable and almost unusable. I feel sorry for you thinking it's "good."
The camera in Theoryrom makes it not one of the problems in this phone.
eallan said:
It's the absolute worst cell phone camera I've ever used. It's completely laughable and almost unusable. I feel sorry for you thinking it's "good."
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It all depends what system you are on.
886 - agreed, worst camera ever!
893 - much improved
Hey guys, I am currently the owner of a Samsung Charge with a cracked screen. While still functional, its a little annoying. I am thinking about getting a new phone off eBay as contract renewal isn't an option. While I would love a Nexus, Rezound or Razr, the prices are way too high. I noticed the bionic is reasonable at $200-250 on ebay used. Seems like the only reasonable LTE dual core actually. How is the bionic? Sounds like people like them, community pretty strong with the development of ROMs? Any reasons to avoid it?
The Bionic is a good phone itself, crippled by a locked bootloader. Because of that Dev has slowed down quite a bit. If I were you, I'd save for the Galaxy Nexus.
Dont take my word on this, but I read somewhere that you could still use LTE phones with bad ESNs just by putting your sim card in them so maybe you can get one on the cheap.
Initially, I HATED the bionic because of the lack of development going on and that it had a locked bootloader and the wifi tethering couldnt be used even though rooted.
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One month later....
I absolutely LOVE the bionic! There aren't as many devs out there for it BUT P3droid and dhacker29 absolutely rock the living crap out of the phone and they work almost fulltime with it. With the 5.5.893 update manually installed(its a ***** to install if you used safestrap even once) the phone doesn't have a buzzing anymore and is fast and smooth! I came from being a hardcore HTC product fan(see name) and I don't honestly mind the bootloader being locked right now as Blur is actually nice.
My suggestion... Buy the Bionic, learn about it and enjoy having a phone that is able to keep up with new phones(nexus and razr) without overclocking or kernal swapping. The sheer knowledge of the devs and the ingenuity that they exhibit is MORE THAN ENOUGH to keep me with this phone for several more months. Once the bootloader is unlocked, it will be a contender for the next year or so.
P.S. The 5.5.893 update actually gets rid of headphone buzzing and the data drop issue!
As someone who has owned both Samsung and Motorola handsets,there is no comparison when it comes to build quality. The last Samsung I had, I retired it early because I had to. It was literally cracking and falling apart and I am not rough with my phones. My last Motorola (OG Droid) I retired it because I wanted to go to 4G and it still is being used on a daily basis today. I just hope that all of the people who went for the GNex are still as happy with it 6 months from now. I'm pretty sure that I will still be happy with my Bionic. JMHO.
htcdesirezgeorge said:
Initially, I HATED the bionic because of the lack of development going on and that it had a locked bootloader and the wifi tethering couldnt be used even though rooted.
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One month later....
I absolutely LOVE the bionic! There aren't as many devs out there for it BUT P3droid and dhacker29 absolutely rock the living crap out of the phone and they work almost fulltime with it. With the 5.5.893 update manually installed(its a ***** to install if you used safestrap even once) the phone doesn't have a buzzing anymore and is fast and smooth! I came from being a hardcore HTC product fan(see name) and I don't honestly mind the bootloader being locked right now as Blur is actually nice.
My suggestion... Buy the Bionic, learn about it and enjoy having a phone that is able to keep up with new phones(nexus and razr) without overclocking or kernal swapping. The sheer knowledge of the devs and the ingenuity that they exhibit is MORE THAN ENOUGH to keep me with this phone for several more months. Once the bootloader is unlocked, it will be a contender for the next year or so.
P.S. The 5.5.893 update actually gets rid of headphone buzzing and the data drop issue!
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Click to collapse
Go to droidbionicroot.com. It is a great resource for the Bionic including wireless tether. The guy shows you how to do different stuff via you tube video. I played a coulple of games of Battlefield 3 on Xbox 360 with it. I had no lagging issues.
Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk
lol exactly! I changed the entitlement check(super easy) and havent been busted by verizon for the month and a half Ive used it.
I don't know why anyone would ever get the Bionic now with the Nexus and Razr available. This phone is insanely disappointing with the locked bootloader.
--
Sent from my Droid Bionic.
I see brand new Razrs on Craigslist for $300 all the time. Comes down to preference and whether you want to shell out the extra $50. I think the Razr is a little bit better build quality but the internals are all but identical. Running current firmware they're both reliable, quick phones. I prefer daylight visibility and a swappable battery to the AMOLED and slightly more rigid frame. YMMV.
MillionManMosh said:
I see brand new Razrs on Craigslist for $300 all the time. Comes down to preference and whether you want to shell out the extra $50. I think the Razr is a little bit better build quality but the internals are all but identical. Running current firmware they're both reliable, quick phones. I prefer daylight visibility and a swappable battery to the AMOLED and slightly more rigid frame. YMMV.
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On ebay the Razr is going for $400-500, $300 would be a steal. Anyway, I got the bionic, was able to pick one up for $230 including the car dock and extended battery. I am sure its better than a Samsung Charge with a cracked screen.
I had VZW trade me a razr for my bionic because of 4 diff devices having the same problem with connectivity. Other than that I loved it, good solid phone. Invert I got past the Pentile screen which isn't that bad as others say it was like my dx on steroids. I'd still have it if nor for my problems with it, but like others say price wise might as well look at a razr. Whatever feels best
Sent from my DROID RAZR using xda premium
If you enjoy tinkering with your phone, I would advise against the Bionic. The locked bootloader sucks, and I don't see it being unlocked anytime soon, if ever. Although there is some dev support, it's not much. Motorola has great build quality, but as long as they keep locking their phones down, I don't think I'll be buying anymore of their products. The Nexus has massive support, already, and the Rezound got unlocked, today, so expect to see dev support take off for that. If I were you, I'd stick it out with the Charge until you can afford one of those.
Edit-Sorry, I missed your post about getting it.
I just came over from using a charge. The charge has a better screen but the bionic is so much faster and more reliable. The charge did best for me with stock roms. Every custom rom i tried there was something wrong with it. So now that i have the bionic i took the latest ota update and i rooted it. Couldnt be happier. It was a good purchase as i sold my charge for 200 and got a mint bionic for 215 on swappa.
Sent from my DROID BIONIC using XDA Premium App
I've had the bionic since release. When the droid razr and galaxy nexus came out and all the devs moved, I was disappointed and pissed off. But after enabling webtop2sd and webubuntu along with dhacker's fabulous rom, I think it's safe to say that I'll be staying here for the next 2 years. Droid razr and galaxy nexus may be newer phones but they are both missing either the sdcard storage or the external battery. The Bionic has it all!
Ooh whats webtoptosd or whatever
Sent from my DROID BIONIC using XDA Premium App
If you are a Sam's Club member (or know someone who is) you can get the Bionic for $120.00 with the Renew/Upgrade option or $50.00 with the Add More Lines to My Account option. But if you buy it as a Replacement Device, it'll cost you $570.00. I bought mine from them about end of October for $150.00 and added a line to my wifes' account. They have come down since then.
Hope this helps.
Tony
I recently came from the Fascinate which had a solid dev community, but the device was crippled with its lack of RAM. I am very happy with my Bionic on stock rooted. The screen isn't as vibrant add the SAMOLED but the device itself is fast and it has a ton of features. The build quality is far better than the Fascinate and hopefully the Droid branding will mean quicker updates (even though we are still on 2.3.4).
Sent from my DROID BIONIC using xda premium
I had the Bionic for nearly a year and was pretty happy with it except for the bootloader issue. Flashed the ICS leak and it was like a brand new phone. But for some reason it started having data drop issues. I couldn't live with that. So after my third Razr replacement they gave me a HTC Resound. Having a phone with an unlocked boot loader for the first time has been a real eye opener. I happily bode Motorola goodbye. (they are liars anyway with the empty promise of unlocked bootloaders on their devices. To date they still have not honored their promise.) The Razr was a dog. No battery life and majordata drop issues.
So I am a HTC fan now. So far so good. Hopefully this phone will last a while. I don't plan on renewing my contractwith big red so I can keep my unlimited plan. Don't need the newest phone just data with options.
Sent from my HTC Rezound
Unlocked Bootloader
Rooted with S-Off
using Tapatalk 2
The bionic is a GREAT phone! 1.2Ghz dual core (rated at 1Ghz but the ICS update bumps it up .2) 1GB DDR2 RAM. Don't worry about the locked bootloader, they have a work around figured out on that now (its called Kexec) and dhacker29 is developing CM10 (Jellybean 4.1) for the bionic right now. I have used the alpha version and it is smooth as butter. It is alpha so there is a few bugs but it will be a usable daily driver eventually and that is what the SGS3 and Nexus is running (Jellybean). I have used the Samsung Charge before and the Bionic is leaps and bounds ahead of that phone. If you keep it stock on ICS (the official update is out soon or you can run the leaked version for the time being) or load roms it truly is the best bang for the buck out there in the 4G world. There's a good reason why this is the phone I chose to use. My $0.02
this thread is 9 months old, y'all
http://www.motorola.com/us/consumer...,pd.html?selectedTab=tab-2&cgid=mobile-phones
At first glance, I thought this was a Droid 4. But then I saw that Moto took off the capacitive buttons on the bottom of the front of the phone. The Photon Q gets an upgraded 1.5gz dual core processor, and the display apparently has ColorBoost technology (resolution is the same, however).
I always wondered what Moto would do as a one-up on the droid 4. Looks like we have an answer
Motorola has stated that it'll have an unlockable bootloader. Also i think someone said that it has an s4, srsly the only real drawback so far to this phone is Sprint and that qhd display. Still very nice though
* raises fist * Damn you, Motorola! I just got the Droid 4!
* settles down * I still prefer a menu button though
* enables puppy-eyes * Please release an unlocked version in Europe?
I think the SIM card of the photon Q is not removable, so don't worry about getting it.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
If it'll be non-removable SIM card, it's dead phone
danifunker said:
I think the SIM card of the photon Q is not removable, so don't worry about getting it.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
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Click to collapse
It sure is not removable. I hope this is not going to be a new trend. Does not bode well for the Droid 5 on Verizon whenever it will be out.
From the Spec sheets:
Frequency: LTE, CDMA 800/1900 EVDO Rev A, World Phone - GSM 850/1900/1800/900, UMTS 850/1900/2100 (SIM is embedded in the phone, GSM SIM is locked and not removable)
hey all i care about is the fact that they will let you unlock the bootloader, they better do it for the Droid 4 and RAZR too!
Fat chance of that. Verizon thinks that rooted phones can impair the quality of the service they provide. /:
maddeath said:
Fat chance of that. Verizon thinks that rooted phones can impair the quality of the service they provide. /:
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**** Verizon, all they do is pack their phones with bull**** bloatware, delay OTAs by months, overprice, and all that. the only good thing they've ever done for me is not get rid of my unlimited data plan yet. ....yet.... *knocks on wood*
@sjaakbaanan i had the same reaction when reading OP
rubixcube said:
@sjaakbaanan i had the same reaction when reading OP
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Click to collapse
Haha, good to see I'm not the only one!
I'm still keeping my hopes up that one day they'll release this or a newer QWERTY over here too, with unlocked SIM. If not this phone, then the next.. and I'll buy it right away!
Maybe we should start some kind of internet petition to bring Motorola QWERTY phones than Europe and see if more than 5 people sign it
Didn't Samsung succumb to internet users when it offered a "developer version" (unlocked bootloader) of the GS3 on verizon (for way more money, of course)? If I'm correct, then it can be done
alex94kumar said:
Didn't Samsung succumb to internet users when it offered a "developer version" (unlocked bootloader) of the GS3 on verizon (for way more money, of course)? If I'm correct, then it can be done
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Yes, and they offered it for 600 USD I believe, which is actually still cheaper than the S3's unsubsidized price over here. So I'm already taking into account that I need to spend that amount of money, as long as they give me the chance
But I think more people want an unlocked S3 (which already existed for Europe anyway) than an unlocked Photon Q, so the power of the internet may be smaller here. Ah well, if I get data to work, I'm fully happy with my Droid 4!
No microSD cards, non-removable batteries and now embedded SIM cards. Are we noticing a trend yet?
Tappin' and talkin' with Tapatalk.
This one takes a microsd, but yeah there's definitely a trend...
my guess is the trend is actually carriers trying to hold on to the old way of doing things. they don't like device hopping and by forcing you to buy a new phone, they are able to bring in additional revenue.
I hate how we're basically the only market that's this way. meanwhile the rest of the world is "free to roam" and prices remain competitive.
Me too
640k said:
my guess is the trend is actually carriers trying to hold on to the old way of doing things. they don't like device hopping and by forcing you to buy a new phone, they are able to bring in additional revenue.
I hate how we're basically the only market that's this way. meanwhile the rest of the world is "free to roam" and prices remain competitive.
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I hate how the phones seem to be built to break after 2 years. My mom got a phone 13 years ago that is still kicking..its even been dropped in a drink cup....6 years after the cup incident the pixels in the display are finally going out. She loves that thing and is very upset that she has to get a new phone, I am very surprised it's still working. She's even using the original battery! As for me, I love the keyboard on my D4, and now that I have my much-beloved FM radio on it, I probably won't upgrade again, it's just too expensive to. I will just surf ebay and get other D4s. :silly: Anyone else notice that as Verizon gets bigger, the more expensive, dumber and ruder they become? I wish we had more competition.
I have noticed that trend too, and I don't like it. If they wanted to keep things like they were, they would still be making indestructible bricks like what my mom is using. I like the thinner phones, yet I want to be able to rip out the battery if I get frustrated, and I hate needing a SIM card
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Rooted Moto Droid 4 with Spirit FM
Stock Samsung Galaxy S (Samsung Facinate)....Why does it have 2 names?
KrellaKrentoshi said:
I hate how the phones seem to be built to break after 2 years. My mom got a phone 13 years ago that is still kicking..its even been dropped in a drink cup....6 years after the cup incident the pixels in the display are finally going out. She loves that thing and is very upset that she has to get a new phone, I am very surprised it's still working. She's even using the original battery! As for me, I love the keyboard on my D4, and now that I have my much-beloved FM radio on it, I probably won't upgrade again, it's just too expensive to. I will just surf ebay and get other D4s. :silly: Anyone else notice that as Verizon gets bigger, the more expensive, dumber and ruder they become? I wish we had more competition.
I have noticed that trend too, and I don't like it. If they wanted to keep things like they were, they would still be making indestructible bricks like what my mom is using. I like the thinner phones, yet I want to be able to rip out the battery if I get frustrated, and I hate needing a SIM card
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Rooted Moto Droid 4 with Spirit FM
Stock Samsung Galaxy S (Samsung Facinate)....Why does it have 2 names?
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+10
I have been trying to point this out to eveyone I work with especially with all of the HTC devices every time a new ver of the evo is coming out all of sudden the old ver starts to fall apart physically and software !! coincident? i dont think so!!!
I do like my D4. Its been the first DROID phone I've been happy with since the 1. Some other slider is going to have to have some prett decent features to get me to switch. Like a better screen and battery life that lasts days.
What should I do now?
Am one of those who'll want a physical keyboard on Android for sure.
Last year waited so much for Droid 3, but bad reviews didn't let me go for it. Early this year got Xperia Pro, which was working very much fine, and then few weeks ago, STOLEN.
Now on a prowl for another Android + keyboard handset. Found Droid 4, but thanks to GSM radio still off (am from India and on GSM) have been more than eagerly waiting for ICS on Droid 4. Now that it is just rolling out, come across Photon Q.
Very much confused which one to go for, Droid 4 or Photon Q?
# Droid 4 has higher battery life among the two (of the data in hand at present), with ICS so late, Jelly Bean would be light years away.
# Photon Q will launch with ICS, so have a chance for Jelly Bean. But battery life doesn't look promising (reviews after the launch will give exact idea). Apart from that, Photon Q looks better with better processor and bigger screen.
Please advice which one should I really go with.
Thanks!
At&T has a new price point for HOX at $99.99 on contract so is the Atrix HD worth it still? Right now I am not sure since CM10 looks pretty good on the HOX.
http://www.theverge.com/2012/7/27/3192908/att-htc-one-x-price-drop-99-dollars-rumor
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
SnoMan88 said:
At&T has a new price point for HOX at $99.99 on contract so is the Atrix HD worth it still? Right now I am not sure since CM10 looks pretty good on the HOX.
http://www.theverge.com/2012/7/27/3192908/att-htc-one-x-price-drop-99-dollars-rumor
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
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I strongly considered the One X but the limited and non-expandable internal memory was completely a deal breaker for me. I have a bunch of music and movies on a 32GB card that I would have had to squeezed down to its 16GB internal memory. Why in this day and age would they do that? Might be a "cloud" thing. Since with the "cloud" you don't need large on-board memory. I don't buy that. I don't want to blow my very limited unlimited data plan, and not all of us have LTE coverage. While I have LTE at home (though with WiFi I've never needed to use it) my work still is on edge!
In addition I got the Atrix HD for $49 from Best Buy AND I signed up for their upgrade gift card (back in Feb) so I got a $50 gift card back instantly.
Thanks and I forgot about the expandable memory, and good deal with bestbuy now. Wish I could do something like that myself, but I want to hold onto this unlimited plan for as long as I can just to stick it to At&t. Now that I think about it the I hope that the tmobile version gets a microsd card slot like the Sprint Evo LTE. Outside of that I hope motorola unlocks the AHD's bootloader since stock doesn't seem like it is taking advantage of the S4 cpu.
I also hate how they shrunk down the internal memory from 32GB to 16GB in the US version, it was a deal breaker for me as well.
I have my family on a family plan so we have 4 lines.
I have another upgrade coming in a week and my family is happy with what they got. I was thinking about picking up an SGS2 Skyrocket or maybe even the new Sony that came out, but now that the HTC One X is cheaper I'll be getting that.
When I traded my Atrix 2 in they gave me $150 and I got the Atrix HD and I still have the $100 gift card, so I'll be getting the OneX free as well (at cost of being in contract)
Even though the Atrix HD had been disappointing because the lack of a dev community and the locked bootloader. I've grown to really appreciate the phone because it's engineering has been so solid for the hardware/software, that this phone has been running so well I see no need to change anything about it.
Eventually in a few months Dev will pick up on the Atrix HD, until Then I'll have the OneX sometime next week to play with.
One X vs AHD
Yes it appears on Sunday the price of the 1X is going to match the price of the AHD making it a challenging decision. However, since the HTC has been out for a couple of months, many of the bugs and hardware issues have reared their ugly head, at least on the AC forums. Of course, I do realize this a very small percentage of the total population of One X owners. Regardless, I'm not a fan of what HTC did to a perfectly good functioning multi-tasking in ICS which is where the AHD shines. And yes, the lack of microSD in the HTC is also annoying.
Has anyone in this forum had any regrets for investing in a mid-level phone like this? All the GS3 fans rave about it, but it too has its issues and I don't like the fact that the native email client does not allow pinch zooming emails. When I tested the AHD it seems it does and I also like the Smart Actions app too.
As a noob Andriod user, would you folks recommend the AHD due to the near stock Android experience? I don't want to waste an upgrade and need to make the best decision. Thanks.
Kedakari said:
I have my family on a family plan so we have 4 lines.
I have another upgrade coming in a week and my family is happy with what they got. I was thinking about picking up an SGS2 Skyrocket or maybe even the new Sony that came out, but now that the HTC One X is cheaper I'll be getting that.
When I traded my Atrix 2 in they gave me $150 and I got the Atrix HD and I still have the $100 gift card, so I'll be getting the OneX free as well (at cost of being in contract)
Even though the Atrix HD had been disappointing because the lack of a dev community and the locked bootloader. I've grown to really appreciate the phone because it's engineering has been so solid for the hardware/software, that this phone has been running so well I see no need to change anything about it.
Eventually in a few months Dev will pick up on the Atrix HD, until Then I'll have the OneX sometime next week to play with.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
nuance4u said:
Yes it appears on Sunday the price of the 1X is going to match the price of the AHD making it a challenging decision. However, since the HTC has been out for a couple of months, many of the bugs and hardware issues have reared their ugly head, at least on the AC forums. Of course, I do realize this a very small percentage of the total population of One X owners. Regardless, I'm not a fan of what HTC did to a perfectly good functioning multi-tasking in ICS which is where the AHD shines. And yes, the lack of microSD in the HTC is also annoying.
Has anyone in this forum had any regrets for investing in a mid-level phone like this? All the GS3 fans rave about it, but it too has its issues and I don't like the fact that the native email client does not allow pinch zooming emails. When I tested the AHD it seems it does and I also like the Smart Actions app too.
As a noob Andriod user, would you folks recommend the AHD due to the near stock Android experience? I don't want to waste an upgrade and need to make the best decision. Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If I had the chance I'd get the SGS3
If I had to choose between the MAHD and the 1X, I'd probably stick with the MAHD. Even though the MAHD isnt really any fun to modify right now, that'll change soon or later.
It's really up to the person. If you already have doubts about the HTC One X's UI, then I'd stick with the MAHD
I love the ability to stack icons on your home screen to make folders, and the feature to swipe icons like your email or texts to get a preview without opening REALLY saves time and makes using ICS so much more productive.
As soon as we can unlock the boot loader, this phone will become a monster.
If we only had root access right now, I'd be able to edit the build.prop and have this phones hardware beat the 1x and SGS3 no sweat.
So if I understand correctly, an important part of the decision about which device to purchase should be the developer element? In another thread in this forum that has to do with someone that exchanged their GS3 for the AHD, a guy who's a big GS3 proponent stated he feels its unlikely the AHD will get a JB update since Moto moves very slowly with updates even though Google owns Moto Mobility. And since the boot loader is locked on this phone, there won't be any development yet.
From my perspective, the choice needs to weigh all the elements of the phone, how many issues people are experiencing and that it's well balanced in all areas. A new consumer review vid was just posted in the AHD forum on AC and it's well done. He points out all the strong points and the weak ones on the AHD, too. And as we know, the big sticking points on this phone are the camera and battery though from what I see in the XDA forum, most have found using Juice Defender and/or the Smart Actions battery saver help resolve the battery problem.
I like the new garnet red color for the ATT GS3 and with the credits I got at Amazon, it would reduce the price to nearly $100 (though I could get the AHD for $25 But money aside, I just want the best phone that will be reliable and do everything it should without any problems.
Kedakari said:
If I had the chance I'd get the SGS3
If I had to choose between the MAHD and the 1X, I'd probably stick with the MAHD. Even though the MAHD isnt really any fun to modify right now, that'll change soon or later.
It's really up to the person. If you already have doubts about the HTC One X's UI, then I'd stick with the MAHD
I love the ability to stack icons on your home screen to make folders, and the feature to swipe icons like your email or texts to get a preview without opening REALLY saves time and makes using ICS so much more productive.
As soon as we can unlock the boot loader, this phone will become a monster.
If we only had root access right now, I'd be able to edit the build.prop and have this phones hardware beat the 1x and SGS3 no sweat.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
nuance4u said:
So if I understand correctly, an important part of the decision about which device to purchase should be the developer element? In another thread in this forum that has to do with someone that exchanged their GS3 for the AHD, a guy who's a big GS3 proponent stated he feels its unlikely the AHD will get a JB update since Moto moves very slowly with updates even though Google owns Moto Mobility. And since the boot loader is locked on this phone, there won't be any development yet.
From my perspective, the choice needs to weigh all the elements of the phone, how many issues people are experiencing and that it's well balanced in all areas. A new consumer review vid was just posted in the AHD forum on AC and it's well done. He points out all the strong points and the weak ones on the AHD, too. And as we know, the big sticking points on this phone are the camera and battery though from what I see in the XDA forum, most have found using Juice Defender and/or the Smart Actions battery saver help resolve the battery problem.
I like the new garnet red color for the ATT GS3 and with the credits I got at Amazon, it would reduce the price to nearly $100 (though I could get the AHD for $25 But money aside, I just want the best phone that will be reliable and do everything it should without any problems.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That doesn't actually have to be an important element in your decision if rooting, flashing Roms etc. isn't your strong point or desire in Android phones. Since this phone is still new development will be very slow for who knows how long!
I came from the GS3 which I owned for at least 3 weeks. I loved the phone, everything it was hyped for came with it. It was quick and snappy right out of the box, but so is the AHD. From owning the GS3 for that amount of time; easing into the AHD was not bad at all. It was still quick and snappy out of the box had no complaints thus far for speed/multitasking, phone as of now is unable to be rooted so what you get is what you get. As far as JB update...well I'm not too sure on that criteria, I came from both the Atrix and Atrix 2, now both phones still don't have ICS i believe don't ..quote me on that lol but both phones are capable to experience ICS thru ports via ROMs. So they still get a little taste of how it is, I personally believe if we don't "Officially receive JB" eventually we could possibly see ported ROMs of JB (BL unlocked hopefully) in the near future. Aside of the BL being locked some members are at work of producing a root method for our phones and once that gets done..boy our phones are just half way there lol.
Haven't had any problems with the battery thus far since I have activated Batt. Extender App thru Smart Actions immediately out of the box, also installed Juice Defender and I can say it does make a huge difference so your not missing out on the battery too much.
I too loved the look of the GS3 in Red and was considering exchanging colors as opposed to getting the AHD, but I came from the White GS3 and i suffered from the deadly "Paint Crack" defect on the back cover!! I figured damn well I don't like the blue color and it did have a problem as well with the back cover...so I assumed the red just might have a defect lying there somewhere hahah.
I purchased the GS3 at Radio Shack for $150 thru upgrade which came to $207 after taxes so if you do plan on ordering the device through Amazon your getting quite a good deal, cheaper than any other person had problem gotten the device for lol.
All in all the AHD is a very reliable phone as well as the GS3! Both phones are capable of doing the same daily routines i.e texting, calling, browsing, etc.(Root/Rom aside) You can't go wrong with either device they are both great and I recommend both, it totally comes down to personal prefrence! If you were to ask me IMO I would get the AHD it's price point is unbeatable and for what comes out of the box you definitely can't go wrong, you won't be disappointed! Hope I was able to be of some help!
SnoMan88 said:
Thanks and I forgot about the expandable memory, and good deal with bestbuy now. Wish I could do something like that myself, but I want to hold onto this unlimited plan for as long as I can just to stick it to At&t. Now that I think about it the I hope that the tmobile version gets a microsd card slot like the Sprint Evo LTE. Outside of that I hope motorola unlocks the AHD's bootloader since stock doesn't seem like it is taking advantage of the S4 cpu.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your unlimited plan will last as long as you want. Just don't downgrade data plans, because then you lose it. I kept mine. Actually did a cross upgrade (one of the phones on plan was due for upgrade but not the one that I wanted to upgrade). They switched my unlimited plan to a LTE unlimited plan, without any question, or argument.
boufa said:
Your unlimited plan will last as long as you want. Just don't downgrade data plans, because then you lose it. I kept mine. Actually did a cross upgrade (one of the phones on plan was due for upgrade but not the one that I wanted to upgrade). They switched my unlimited plan to a LTE unlimited plan, without any question, or argument.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you do this through at&t or a third party like best buy or Walmart? The reason I ask is when I went to a third party for an upgrade in the fall last year they said I would have to drop to a tiered plan. I went through At&t then to keep it, just wish I could get these reduced deals through places like amazon and RadioShack.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
Chcl8.. Yes, you were of some help. Went back to the ATT store today and one of the reps is very knowledgeable and also owns a rooted Atrix that he's running Linux on too. I left the store thinking the GS3 might be the better decision due to not knowing if the AHD will ever get the JB update. And to me, that's BIG deal. I've never rooted or flashed a ROM due to owning an iPhone for so many years, though it's something I'd like to learn at some point. But I don't want to do anything that would void the warranty.
He said that after a few weeks I probably wouldn't notice the blue cast on the screen, though to me, it's pretty obvious now. And the points you are making about the hair line cracking in the plastic on the back of the GS3 was interesting and also made me think. But having a removable battery is nice just the same. I'm really torn right now and can't decide. And since I'll be getting the phone from ATT, getting the AHD will also include the car dock and car charger which is nice. I do prefer how Moto has skinned ICS as compared to TW though but the camera really isn't great at all. UGH!
Chcl8bananamagk said:
That doesn't actually have to be an important element in your decision if rooting, flashing Roms etc. isn't your strong point or desire in Android phones. Since this phone is still new development will be very slow for who knows how long!
I came from the GS3 which I owned for at least 3 weeks. I loved the phone, everything it was hyped for came with it. It was quick and snappy right out of the box, but so is the AHD. From owning the GS3 for that amount of time; easing into the AHD was not bad at all. It was still quick and snappy out of the box had no complaints thus far for speed/multitasking, phone as of now is unable to be rooted so what you get is what you get. As far as JB update...well I'm not too sure on that criteria, I came from both the Atrix and Atrix 2, now both phones still don't have ICS i believe don't ..quote me on that lol but both phones are capable to experience ICS thru ports via ROMs. So they still get a little taste of how it is, I personally believe if we don't "Officially receive JB" eventually we could possibly see ported ROMs of JB (BL unlocked hopefully) in the near future. Aside of the BL being locked some members are at work of producing a root method for our phones and once that gets done..boy our phones are just half way there lol.
Haven't had any problems with the battery thus far since I have activated Batt. Extender App thru Smart Actions immediately out of the box, also installed Juice Defender and I can say it does make a huge difference so your not missing out on the battery too much.
I too loved the look of the GS3 in Red and was considering exchanging colors as opposed to getting the AHD, but I came from the White GS3 and i suffered from the deadly "Paint Crack" defect on the back cover!! I figured damn well I don't like the blue color and it did have a problem as well with the back cover...so I assumed the red just might have a defect lying there somewhere hahah.
I purchased the GS3 at Radio Shack for $150 thru upgrade which came to $207 after taxes so if you do plan on ordering the device through Amazon your getting quite a good deal, cheaper than any other person had problem gotten the device for lol.
All in all the AHD is a very reliable phone as well as the GS3! Both phones are capable of doing the same daily routines i.e texting, calling, browsing, etc.(Root/Rom aside) You can't go wrong with either device they are both great and I recommend both, it totally comes down to personal prefrence! If you were to ask me IMO I would get the AHD it's price point is unbeatable and for what comes out of the box you definitely can't go wrong, you won't be disappointed! Hope I was able to be of some help!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
nuance4u said:
I left the store thinking the GS3 might be the better decision due to not knowing if the AHD will ever get the JB update. And to me, that's BIG deal. I've never rooted or flashed a ROM due to owning an iPhone for so many years, though it's something I'd like to learn at some point. But I don't want to do anything that would void the warranty.
He said that after a few weeks I probably wouldn't notice the blue cast on the screen, though to me, it's pretty obvious now. And the points you are making about the hair line cracking in the plastic on the back of the GS3 was interesting and also made me think. But having a removable battery is nice just the same.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think it'll get it, it'll just be a long time before it comes out. I'd bet the next version of Android will be out before this phone gets JB. If you guys ever get root though you'll likely be able to get it before the official update drops via leak on the Moto servers like what has recently come out for the Atrix 2. As for the hairline cracking, if you go ripping the cover off like a madman you can expect that. but if you get it started a little, and then use your thumbnail to run along the bezel of the phone to get it off the rest of the way you won't have an issue.
Kedakari said:
If I had the chance I'd get the SGS3
If I had to choose between the MAHD and the 1X, I'd probably stick with the MAHD. Even though the MAHD isnt really any fun to modify right now, that'll change soon or later.
It's really up to the person. If you already have doubts about the HTC One X's UI, then I'd stick with the MAHD
I love the ability to stack icons on your home screen to make folders, and the feature to swipe icons like your email or texts to get a preview without opening REALLY saves time and makes using ICS so much more productive.
As soon as we can unlock the boot loader, this phone will become a monster.
If we only had root access right now, I'd be able to edit the build.prop and have this phones hardware beat the 1x and SGS3 no sweat.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm really interested in seeing what you have planned now that root has been released! Have you had a chance to work with the Atrix HD yet?
I'm honestly just curious as to how many of us would still buy the Turbo way back when if we knew Lollipop wouldn't be out until July and it wouldn't be getting the root we were all used to. I personally would have bought a Nexus 6 from the start seeing as I jumped ship to the Nexus a few days ago and I'm currently loving it and looking to sell my Turbo.
Honestly I would not have. Don't get me wrong I like the turbo, but I think if I had known it would take this long to get lollipop, I would have waited to get a verizon nexus 6/bought an unlocked one before it officially came out.
jwort93 said:
Honestly I would not have. Don't get me wrong I like the turbo, but I think if I had known it would take this long to get lollipop, I would have waited to get a verizon nexus 6/bought an unlocked one before it officially came out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just bought a turbo last week. I was using a Nexus 5 but mainly switched because of the battery life. I was very underwhelmed by lollipop on my Nexus 5, it made the battery life even worse so I ended up downgrading my Nexus to 4.4.4 SlimKat because I would get close to 50% more battery life that way. I don't get the hype lollipop gets on Turbo forums, maybe its just a grass is greener situation. And hey, maybe it will be amazing on the Turbo but I kind of doubt it.
josh451 said:
I just bought a turbo last week. I was using a Nexus 5 but mainly switched because of the battery life. I was very underwhelmed by lollipop on my Nexus 5, it made the battery life even worse so I ended up downgrading my Nexus to 4.4.4 SlimKat because I would get close to 50% more battery life that way. I don't get the hype lollipop gets on Turbo forums, maybe its just a grass is greener situation. And hey, maybe it will be amazing on the Turbo but I kind of doubt it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For me, going to the Nexus wasn't just about Lollipop. I love the unlocked bootloader and easy (and free!) root. Although I must say I really do prefer Lollipop to KitKat.
Ekkoria said:
For me, going to the Nexus wasn't just about Lollipop. I love the unlocked bootloader and easy (and free!) root. Although I must say I really do prefer Lollipop to KitKat.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This as well. Prior to purchasing the turbo, I had a CM12 rom running on my bootloader unlocked Moto X 2013, and I loved it, but I wanted something a little more powerful. It surprises me how much smoother lollipop is on that old hardware than kitkat is on the monster that is the droid turbo. This is the main reason I can't wait for lollipop to be released for the turbo.
jwort93 said:
This as well. Prior to purchasing the turbo, I had a CM12 rom running on my bootloader unlocked Moto X 2013, and I loved it, but I wanted something a little more powerful. It surprises me how much smoother lollipop is on that old hardware than kitkat is on the monster that is the droid turbo. This is the main reason I can't wait for lollipop to be released for the turbo.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed, Lollipop on the Nexus 6 feels much faster than KK on the Turbo. It'll probably be pretty great on the Turbo, ridiculously fast. I'm still keeping the Nexus though I do love the extra screen.
Ekkoria said:
For me, going to the Nexus wasn't just about Lollipop. I love the unlocked bootloader and easy (and free!) root. Although I must say I really do prefer Lollipop to KitKat.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know part of my problem just was the fact my Nexus 5 was on Sprint. But once I loaded lollipop I started having issues with MMS and calling dropping, which downgrading to 4.4.4 didn't really fix. I used to be big on messing with my phone, which is part of the reason I got the Nexus 5 to begin with, but lately I haven't done much like that anymore so the locked bootloader doesn't bother me so much anymore. I've turned into more of a battery freak and having to carry a battery charger in my pocket along with my Nexus was getting old.
Honestly though I am very surprised carriers haven't started selling an unlocked bootloader and rooted version of their flagship phones and just charging more for them.
I don't get all the people saying lollipop made their battery worse or made their device lag horribly - every device I have ran lollipop on has been better battery and smooth as butter. Don't know what I'm doing different.
But to the topic - no - if I had known how long I would have to wait and that the only stable root would be a crippled half root that requires a PC and paying more than my monthly water bill just to get - I would never have touched the turbo.
No, but not because of lollipop. Right after I bought my Turbo, Verizon released the Nexus 6. I would have much rather had the Nexus. I do love my Turbo though. Especially now that I've rooted it.
Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk
Yes, it is still the most "complete" 5~ inch cell phone on the market, for my purposes. I don't use the camera very much. Otherwise, it's fast, robust, and has stamina to get me through a work day or more. The only thing that would make it better, for me, would be a 5 inch screen without buttons, and the same battery. Basically, a Moto X with a bigger battery and more power. In less than a week, I expect it to be running Lollipop. But, frankly, Lollipop is not feature rich enough to make a huge difference in actual use.
At this point I would prefer to have the G4 mainly because the specs are about the same and the aftermarket support for the device is much greater than ours. Even if we got the bootloader unlocked right now, there would be a limited number of developers for our phone because it doesn't have as much of a userbase.
If the "I love that 3900mAh battery" portion was not there, I would have chosen the reconsideration one.
Just bought a Turbo for my wife over the weekend. She's the last person to care about which OS version a phone runs on but will benefit from the great battery life and moto features.
I would still buy it. It is stable for me, and has great battery life.
Am looking forward to Lollipop, but that isn't a big deal to me. I have it on 4 other devices, and simply don't see what the fuss/excitement is about.
Also wish it had a better camera, but it is good enough.
Technogen said:
At this point I would prefer to have the G4 mainly because the specs are about the same and the aftermarket support for the device is much greater than ours. Even if we got the bootloader unlocked right now, there would be a limited number of developers for our phone because it doesn't have as much of a userbase.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Another reason I bought the Nexus.. There's so many more options to play with and ROMs to try out.
I would not have gotten it. Wish I had waited for the nexus 6. I like the extra screen space. I could live with a smaller battery.
Sent from my XT1254 using XDA Free mobile app
mobrules777 said:
I would not have gotten it. Wish I had waited for the nexus 6. I like the extra screen space. I could live with a smaller battery.
Sent from my XT1254 using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If youre willing to wait a little, spend some time hunting around on Craigslist, eBay, or Swappa. I got a Nexus for a ridiculously good price by waiting for a great deal to pop up.
mobrules777 said:
I would not have gotten it. Wish I had waited for the nexus 6. I like the extra screen space. I could live with a smaller battery.
Sent from my XT1254 using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Had the N6 BE AVAILABLE ON VZW I WOULD HAVE GONE WITH THAT OVER MY TURBO.. LOVE THE TURBO BUT ITS JUST BEEN A HEADACHE IN TERMS OF THE LOLLIPOP UPDATE IT SHOULD HAVE CAME WITH..SMH.. WAY TO FUMBLE VZW
I didn't buy and i wouldn't buy it today just because of the bootloader lock and verizon bloatware inside it.
Best phone I have ever owned, love all the features, performance, and battery. I would defiantly buy this phone again. Even had I known it would STILL not have an unlocked bootloader, it's just so damn good I can look past that.