Database Develop

How many are happy or not happy.

Just wanna know how many people are happy with this phone and keeping it.
Vs
Returning it.
Besides the obvious bugs/screen etc.
I like it but I don't love it but not enough to return it.
Sent from my DROID BIONIC using xda premium

Love it. Keeping it.

Keeping it fersure... getting 10megabits down with 6/up. snappy and fast... rooted here.
came from a droid incredible with a dope rom from skyraider... I was running for 36 hours at a time with no kernel changes or undervolt... so my only complaint is the batt life sucks in comparison.

r4ph said:
Keeping it fersure... getting 10megabits down with 6/up. snappy and fast... rooted here.
came from a droid incredible with a dope rom from skyraider... I was running for 36 hours at a time with no kernel changes or undervolt... so my only complaint is the batt life sucks in comparison.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Welcome to 4G. Its not the phone its 4G that sucks your battery. I will say this; The bionic is by FAR the best on battery life compared to all 4G phones on the market right now.

I adore it. I came from a Moto Droid that had a display that died on me, so I was waiting for this.
Yeah, the screen's pixels are a little annoying at times, but other than that its speeds are INCREDIBLE, the new motoblur or whatever it is called now isn't obtrusive (the phone is actually fast enough to run it where it is actually attractive), and best of all it feels great in the hand.
Also, the extended battery's replacement back for the phone doesn't add that much width to it, making it a really good purchase. Shame none of the cases they had in stock support the extended battery.
One thing that I think people ignore when writing about new phones is the sound quality, and many people I have called are astounded when I tell them that I'm on a cell phone. I was on the highway going 60 mph with the windows and roof open, trucks all around me, and my dad thought I was on a landline when I called him. However they made the microphone, they got it down perfectly.
Now, I *NEEDED* a phone because of work, so it isn't an option to wait for the Droid Prime or the iPhone 5. Am I happy with the Bionic? Absolutely. Would I have waited for an even better phone if I could have? Perhaps.
I feel like when phones come out, they are outdated within a few days unless it's an iPhone. Eventually you have to bite the bullet, and I think that the Bionic is the best bullet I've ever bitten into!

Feoen said:
I adore it. I came from a Moto Droid that had a display that died on me, so I was waiting for this.
Yeah, the screen's pixels are a little annoying at times, but other than that its speeds are INCREDIBLE, the new motoblur or whatever it is called now isn't obtrusive (the phone is actually fast enough to run it where it is actually attractive), and best of all it feels great in the hand.
Also, the extended battery's replacement back for the phone doesn't add that much width to it, making it a really good purchase. Shame none of the cases they had in stock support the extended battery.
One thing that I think people ignore when writing about new phones is the sound quality, and many people I have called are astounded when I tell them that I'm on a cell phone. I was on the highway going 60 mph with the windows and roof open, trucks all around me, and my dad thought I was on a landline when I called him. However they made the microphone, they got it down perfectly.
Now, I *NEEDED* a phone because of work, so it isn't an option to wait for the Droid Prime or the iPhone 5. Am I happy with the Bionic? Absolutely. Would I have waited for an even better phone if I could have? Perhaps.
I feel like when phones come out, they are outdated within a few days unless it's an iPhone. Eventually you have to bite the bullet, and I think that the Bionic is the best bullet I've ever bitten into!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes the sound quality is superb. I don't sound like a robot coming from tb. My battery is awesome. From 630 to 12 only down 30% moderate use and that's alot. Glad that some peeps are happy.
Ill love it once I root this bad boy and get things going but man in so scared scratching this phone lol out of all th phones I've own this is the mother load of trying not to get it nik or so. It's so shiney and im ocd. About my phones lol. The case I got was from Verizon its that double layer case with ruber and hard screen and I like that.
Sent from my DROID BIONIC using xda premium

Case that i bought was already fitted for extended battery so i asked the rep how do i get extended battery and he said that he had one in the back bought it and been on battery since then phone is great keeping
Sent from my DROID BIONIC using XDA App

I also love my Bionic, having upgraded from the Droid I. The only thing which I think it's missing is a widget to turn on/off the 4g. Other then the already mentioned 4g battery woes it's awesome.

Wapples said:
I also love my Bionic, having upgraded from the Droid I. The only thing which I think it's missing is a widget to turn on/off the 4g. Other then the already mentioned 4g battery woes it's awesome.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
CM7 on the Tbolt has a toggle, but ya, I can see this as a pain on this phone. However, if you are using 4G - try juice defender. When the screen is off it will turn off data (and you can have your data turn on however often you wish to check for new data etc).
Highly recommend it.

I had to charge my phone yesterday twice. I went about 1.6hrs on the original charge then fully charged it. With heavy use it needed a charge around bedtime(2130). Today I got it off the charger at 0530 and used it heavy for about 40 mins, then barely touched it and it's at 70%. I have juice defender and it set to CDMA only. I do not like the battery life so far but I has ATK on it. I took it off and will see how it goes. I think the task killer is more harm then good.

Does anyone know the battery life with 4G turned off?
No 4G at all in my state yet, but our area should be getting it this year.

eakrish said:
I had to charge my phone yesterday twice. I went about 1.6hrs on the original charge then fully charged it. With heavy use it needed a charge around bedtime(2130). Today I got it off the charger at 0530 and used it heavy for about 40 mins, then barely touched it and it's at 70%. I have juice defender and it set to CDMA only. I do not like the battery life so far but I has ATK on it. I took it off and will see how it goes. I think the task killer is more harm then good.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah and I would imagine there is a lot of bloat that can be removed with custom ROM's or tweaking CPU settings.
//oops.. double post.

I am so temped to say forget and go back to old faithful.... Ip4. I can go like two entire days on a single charge. I admit I have never used an android phone without the ATK. Maybe that's my problem.....

I like it coming from two Htc phones. Im only having an issue with the vibrate sounding really annoying like its broken and the battery only dropping by the 10's. It dropped from 100 to 90 then to 80%. Nothing in between. Im on an extended battery and seems to be doing okay so far.
Sent from my DROID BIONIC using xda premium

How bad is the thickness with the extended battery, VZW is selling them local for 25 bux

And the battery by 10s is normal for the new motorola phones

Keeping. Best 4g phone on Verizon
Sent from my DROID BIONIC using XDA App

Toss me in on a keeper.
Sent from my DROID BIONIC using XDA App

DroidTh3ory said:
Toss me in on a keeper.
Sent from my DROID BIONIC using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Myself as well. My only complaint is that with the extended battery it makes it feel like I'm holding a brick when compared to regular battery, but that's a small complaint considering how well the battery performs... It's just how thin the device is when compared to other LTE devices with regular battery...

Rooted in seconds and im really happy with it now. Just make sure you update the bb binary once rooted. It makes a hell of a difference imo
Sent from my DROID BIONIC using xda premium

Need some Feedback: Should i buy the Droid Bionic?

Hello XDArs,
Currently i am using the Droid Revolution, but planning on buying the Bionic. Any suggestions/feedback that you guys can give me about the Bionic?
I have been reading user reviews all over the internet, but i feel true review comes from somebody who has used/operated the phone for a longer period of time.
Please throw in any feedback...

The bionic is awesome. It is super fast and its just a very nice device. I must tell you one thing so you are not caught off guard. The screen is not great. It looks very good but when you compare it to an iphone 4 or Samsung charge under low light it will not look as good as either of the mentioned phones. In the daylight even under direct sunlight it looks awesome and better than any other screen I had. I highly recommend the extended battery especially because its only 25 bucks.

If you're looking to root your phone and start flashing roms and kernels right away I would go with something else since it'll probably be a short while for the bootloader to get unlocked
Sent from my MB860 using xda premium

After a few days of use, I can tell you that its a fantastic device. The overall experience is positive, and I would only caution you about the camera focus issue, and minor bugs in skin. Both of these will probably be solved in the near future... It is a new phone after all.
Sent from my DROID BIONIC using XDA App

awesome..thank u for the input...anybody use bluetooth on the bionic..is it buggy?

Don't ask and don't listen to.
Just buy one if you feel like it.

1 word for the DB = SWAG...nuff said...
Now go buy 1... XD
Sent from my DROID BIONIC using xda premium

I'm in the same boat as OP. However, I have the tbolt. I want the latest and greatest, and the wife will inherit the bolt.
I get it that the Bionic is pretty nifty, but is there anything in verizon's pipeline(around the corner) worth waiting for over the Bionic?
Thanks, all!

Best Android device I've used.
Screen its great. As long as you don't put out directly up to your eye ball, it is a beautiful high resolution display that is perfectly viewable on direct sunlight.
Sent from my DROID BIONIC using xda premium

Okay so I have add plenty of new phones, and the Bionic Dual Core Processor and incredible 4g coverage is the perfect mix that will satisfy anyone. I am a owner of the Motorola Droid x (3g coverage only) , HTC thunderbolt (3G and 4G), and now the Motorola Droid Bionic, and this far the bionic is deff the best phone. I reccommend to get it now because vzw has a special on extended batteries for under 30$. This is a amazing deal because the life of the phones is 24+ with moderate use and 4g coverage almost always available.

acPIZZA said:
Best Android device I've used.
Screen its great. As long as you don't put out directly up to your eye ball, it is a beautiful high resolution display that is perfectly viewable on direct sunlight.
Sent from my DROID BIONIC using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i see so many people complaining about the pixelation effect(lol...as people put their eyeball directly on the display..lol)..i even tried it....and my eyes started to pain,dropped the idea...and checked the display(normally) and i was blown away..it was very good actually...
---------- Post added at 11:40 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:38 PM ----------
patelhj1 said:
Okay so I have add plenty of new phones, and the Bionic Dual Core Processor and incredible 4g coverage is the perfect mix that will satisfy anyone. I am a owner of the Motorola Droid x (3g coverage only) , HTC thunderbolt (3G and 4G), and now the Motorola Droid Bionic, and this far the bionic is deff the best phone. I reccommend to get it now because vzw has a special on extended batteries for under 30$. This is a amazing deal because the life of the phones is 24+ with moderate use and 4g coverage almost always available.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
24+ hours..??? and you have so many phones..u shud sell your bionic to me,..

The bionic is very quick. I came from a droid x and this beats the droid x in speed in every possible way. Web browsing feels just as quick, if not faster, than an ipad 2. I recently connected my droid to my tv with an HDMI cable and i'm really happy with the different options it gives you.
People are talking about this screen "problem" but I never noticed anything wrong with the screen until the threads started to pop up.
The only thing that I'd like to figure out is how to put pictures into folders to organize what I want to see.
If all this appeals to you I say get the bionic with the extended battery.

If you have to ask yourself "hmm...should I buy this?" the answer is don't buy it. Only buy something you truly want. You already have the experience of 4G, all that's left is to get a powerful phone, and if you can get something like the Prime in a couple months, I'd tell you to wait for that.

I am just looking/fishing for hard facts.....want to buy based on facts.....
Berzerker7 said:
If you have to ask yourself "hmm...should I buy this?" the answer is don't buy it. Only buy something you truly want. You already have the experience of 4G, all that's left is to get a powerful phone, and if you can get something like the Prime in a couple months, I'd tell you to wait for that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sent from my VS910 4G using XDA App

afma_afma said:
i see so many people complaining about the pixelation effect(lol...as people put their eyeball directly on the display..lol)..i even tried it....and my eyes started to pain,dropped the idea...and checked the display(normally) and i was blown away..it was very good actually...
---------- Post added at 11:40 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:38 PM ----------
24+ hours..??? and you have so many phones..u shud sell your bionic to me,..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, its the same people that will walk up to a 36" 720p television screen and complain about the lack of full hd, when in fact the difference isn't noticeable to the eye unless you are right on top of it.
Holding the phone as little as 12 inches, give or take yields a beautifully crisp image. Text and all.
Even engadget digs the screens. They raved about the qhd in the x2, and for some reason I feel this one is even better (I owned, and am currently trying to sell the x2). For the most part they are usually right in the ballpark with their reviews, imo.
Sent from my DROID BIONIC using xda premium

I upgraded from an OG Droid, and this phone is flat amazing comparatively. Get the extended battery though, and turn off 4G if you aren't using it. It's a battery hog. I got about 14 hours out of the stock battery with 4G off most of the day; only used about 30 minutes worth throughout the day. I had 30% battery left after about 14 hours on the extended battery (first day, batteries seem to get better after about a week) and that was with about an hour of solid 4G usage in there.
One odd thing about this (and in searching, it seems to be happening on other 4G phones, so it must have something to do with 4G and 3G decisions on the phone) but from time to time, 3G disappears. There is a thread about this question here, but I can't post because I don't have 10 posts and it's a development thread. All you have to do to fix the data connection is put the phone in Airplane mode for a second, then turn airplane mode off. It resets the radio and 3G comes back. Even if you turn on and use 4G, 3G doesn't want to come back until you reset the radio.
All in all, great phone, much better battery than OG Droid, awesome display, camera needs work and motorola is working on it, very smooth and fast, and the 4G is blazing. My best download is 21Mbps, and my best upload is 7.7Mbps.

afma_afma said:
awesome..thank u for the input...anybody use bluetooth on the bionic..is it buggy?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Somewhat buggy.
If you have a Nissan or Infiniti with BT, BT is going to suck no matter what due to Nissan's horrible implementation. That said, Bionic's BT was the best of HTC, Samsung, and Moto phones I had. The least amount of distortion I've had while using the car's speakerphone. I've seen some complaints with Ford's SYNC as well.
However, it wouldn't automatically connect with the car all the time and it would randomly drop at times. I'd have to tell it to manually connect with the car or it would just sit there. Even with the manual connections, it would take longer than other phones.
Not a huge deal, but it is somewhat annoying.
Biggest annoyance can be the screen. You have to look at it and play with it to see if it's something that works for you or not. Works for some, not for others.
I also had some issues using the sdcard storage when connected to my PC. Sometimes only one of sdcards would mount. Sometimes neither would. In those cases, it took a reboot to fix it.
Other than those issues, great phone overall. Great signal and reception, and LTE rocks. Phone ended up not working for me, but it can be a good choice for some.
---------- Post added at 11:19 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:15 AM ----------
acPIZZA said:
Yeah, its the same people that will walk up to a 36" 720p television screen and complain about the lack of full hd, when in fact the difference isn't noticeable to the eye unless you are right on top of it.
Holding the phone as little as 12 inches, give or take yields a beautifully crisp image. Text and all.
Even engadget digs the screens. They raved about the qhd in the x2, and for some reason I feel this one is even better (I owned, and am currently trying to sell the x2). For the most part they are usually right in the ballpark with their reviews, imo.
Sent from my DROID BIONIC using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Subjective. Everyone's eyes are different and pick up on different things. I could hold it at over 12" and still see the pixelation. It was really noticeable when green or blue was a dominant color on the screen. Look at the demo of Let's Golf 2 and it was quite obvious when it was all green.
Others will focus on color saturation and make a call either way too.
It'll bother some and not others. Neither opinion is more right than the other as it's a personal thing.

Here's my summary on the phone. This is subjective based upon my few days with the Bionic so its not a final definitive opinion but simply my views on the Bionic.
Pros: Fast device. 4G speed is great. Phone feels pretty light in hand yet still "heavy" enough to where it doesn't feel too bulky. Moto Blur for the most part on the Bionic is pretty tolerable enough to where I actually didn't think about using any home screen replacements. Sound quality is very good out of the speaker. 720p/1080p video recording is decent. ZumoCast works great for streaming audio. Battery life at least from the few days I had the Bionic was pretty good as I got about 17 hours with "moderate" use... however....
Cons: ... the battery life isn't so good when you start to use it beyond "moderate" usage such as streaming video or even heavy audio/bluetooth use. The screen is very lackluster due to it being pentile - I highly recommend you play with the phone via store demo for at least 5-10 minutes to see if this bothers you. Camera quality is so-so and could be better. No camera hard button on the phone like the original Droid had but then again it seems like most phones have abandoned that. A bit overpriced at $299 since I feel $199 is stretching it for this phone.

I have generally good things to say about this phone, but since you already have a LTE phone, I might suggest standing aside until the next generation starts rolling.

[Q] Purchase Hesitate Plse Advise

I loved my OG droid. Battery life was kinda lame, new phone were coming out so I got a TBOLT. Tbolt is very lame.
deciding to get a droid 4. im worried about these screen issues, everyone cries about 2 things. the battery and the qhd screen.
is it really THAT bad? I hardly play games and maybe watch you tube once in a while. if i do a play a game is it going to ghost that bad?
if i do any media its a psx game or angry birds on the pooper. occasionally ill try a new game out but nothing big.
if im not using the droid will the battery go down? that makes no sense if it does (alot), my tbolt now is at 5 hrs 95% turned off data.
i read alot on the web and text/chat often.
should i not get this phone bc of battery life and screen?

The screen is not THAT bad. I think it's fine personally. It stutters when scrolling through text but I don't think it's a big deal. Is it as nice as the gnex or razr? No, probably not. But I think it's fine. I have played Dead Space on it with no issues.
Battery life is fine for me with moderate use. It makes it through a full day for me. 4G defenitely sucks the juice depending on how much you use it. I will usually plug it in to the car charger on my way home from work just to be safe.
If you don't need a keyboard there are better phones out there. But this is definitely the best keyboard phone out there and totally worth the trade offs IMO. Wouldn't have wanted to type all this using an on screen keyboard that's for sure!
Sent from my DROID4 using XDA

Thanks man, btw how bout this locked bootloader? whats that mean exactly?
are we going to get the rom support as we did with og droid?

Having a locked bootloader isn't as big a deal as some make it out to be. The way I understand it the only thing this really affects is the ability to flash custom kernels. Is it BS? Yes. But it's not the end of the world.
Sent from my DROID4 using XDA

The locked bootloader is thankfully a minor annoyance thanks to the community and SafeStrap recovery. I have already tested CyanogenMod 9 alpha, and it worked smoothly.
Personally I am very happy with the screen. See my posts in "is the Droid 4 the best keyboard phone" for more information.
Sent from my DROID4 using XDA

DroidOG > Droid4
I have the DroidOG and loved it. I was so reluctant to leave it, but when I got this phone, I was surprisingly impressed.
Battery life is not much different (at least for me) with this phone compared to the DroidOG.
Keyboard is amazing. I love what Motorola's been doing to their devices.
I have a Zagg on mine and the screen isn't as bad as I was expecting. I use the Droid 4 and a Samsung Galaxy S2 Skyrocket (which has a Super AMOLED Plus screen) and am not disappointed by the Droid 4 at all.

Droid 4 Screen
The screen is NOT that bad. You will get use to it. The only bad thing about the screen is the blur that occurs when you are scrolling test. Some apps are worse then others. PowerAMP has a pretty big blur when you scroll through text but with the stock web browser you don't really notice that blur on the text when you scroll. Another thing to keep in mind also is the qHD screens are pretty battery efficient which is definitely needed on a 4G LTE phone. Don't let the screen be a deal breaker because it really is a great phone IMO.

awesome guys thanks for the replies.
how is everyone's battery? How long can we get on a full charge?
if it can make a whole day 15 hours i'll be happy (moderate use) of course.
id be only using 3g and turning of data completly 8 majority of the day. (no service at works drains drains the bat searching for signal)

I leave background data, wireless and 4g connected all day, it does just fine. Needs a charge by the end of the night, but usually not before unless I spend several hours gaming or listening to music and keeping the screen on because I'm dumb. It does pretty good.
Could still go for a big fat battery backpack, though.

punkonjunk said:
I leave background data, wireless and 4g connected all day, it does just fine. Needs a charge by the end of the night, but usually not before unless I spend several hours gaming or listening to music and keeping the screen on because I'm dumb. It does pretty good.
Could still go for a big fat battery backpack, though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't bother with wifi, but I do keep 4g on, and I get about the same results.
Sent from my DROID4 using XDA

I duno whether to get a droid 4 or not and if yes will there be an international version with the gsm active? Any help please? And is the screen worse than the samsung galaxy s1? Thank you
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA

mygmy said:
I duno whether to get a droid 4 or not and if yes will there be an international version with the gsm active? Any help please? And is the screen worse than the samsung galaxy s1? Thank you
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Basic advice, if you really want a keyboard, get the Droid 4. If not, go with Galaxy Nexus or Razr Maxx. I have heard that there is a GSM radio built into the Droid 4, it just isn't active. Assumption is Motorola will activate it at some point but who knows for sure. I don't have any experience with the Galaxy S1 but I think the screen on the Droid 4 is fine. Maybe not as pretty as some others, but it is not bad at all. I like it just fine. Performs will in sunlight which is a plus as well.

kwyrt said:
Basic advice, if you really want a keyboard, get the Droid 4. If not, go with Galaxy Nexus or Razr Maxx. I have heard that there is a GSM radio built into the Droid 4, it just isn't active. Assumption is Motorola will activate it at some point but who knows for sure. I don't have any experience with the Galaxy S1 but I think the screen on the Droid 4 is fine. Maybe not as pretty as some others, but it is not bad at all. I like it just fine. Performs will in sunlight which is a plus as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you and yeah i need a qwerty that's y i think d4 is the best qwerty phone till now
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA

Droid 4 worth getting still?

I am up for an upgrade on my company cell phone through Verizon. I have been looking forward to a physical keyboard hoping to see the Droid 5 by now.
At this stage, is the Droid 4 still a decent phone?
Sent from my Nexus 10 using Tapatalk HD

dmwagner said:
I am up for an upgrade on my company cell phone through Verizon. I have been looking forward to a physical keyboard hoping to see the Droid 5 by now.
At this stage, is the Droid 4 still a decent phone?
Sent from my Nexus 10 using Tapatalk HD
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Of course it is. Motorola is doing away with the droid series. X phone here I come!. Lol
Sent from my XT894 using xda app-developers app

Sure. The phone isnt bad. The battery just comes from a subpar time period. Be ready for that going in.
Sent from my DROID4 using xda app-developers app

I am coming from a Droid Charge which makes it to about 2pm each day before needing the battery changed out.
The Droid 4's battery, is it accessible to be swapped out easily?
Sent from my SCH-I510 using Tapatalk 2

dmwagner said:
I am coming from a Droid Charge which makes it to about 2pm each day before needing the battery changed out.
The Droid 4's battery, is it accessible to be swapped out easily?
Sent from my SCH-I510 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Quite the opposite. Its fixed to the phone by screws and a ton of glue.
Its a bit of an issue but for people who can charge often not so bad.
If im honest with you ide avoid the droid 4 now. I love it but thats only because of the fold out keyboard which i cannot survive without. So it depends on what you need it for. If there were a better option with a keyboard like this ide be straight on it

Battery life is much much better than the Droid Charge. Overall the phone itself is a pretty significant improvement over the Charge.
If a slide out physical keyboard is on your must have list, the Droid 4 is still a fantastic phone.
I take mine off the charger at 6:30 am and put it back on the charger around 11:00 pm (at @ 20% battery). I don't use it much for phone calls really....as I just don't care to talk on the phone. Texts, emails, apps primarily......

Rooted with cm10.1 and nos entropy scripts and my battery lasts all day cuz of entropies battery calibration
Sent from my XT894 using xda app-developers app

Still the best qwerty on Verizon
I LOVE my Droid 4, especially after rooting and using Eclipse JB right now. Looking forward to trying out other ROMs including CM10.1, since with Safestrap this phone is so easy to play with ROMs on since you get different rom slots you can install into. I find the battery life entirely acceptable under Eclipse, which is already improved over how it was stock. The Jelly Bean update that was pushed out recently improved performance on this device and the keyboard is by far the best qwerty keyboard out there. Unless you can pick up a Photon Q on Sprint, I'd say the Droid 4 is a safe bet, and will blow away your old Droid Charge easily. If you can wait, X Phone might be something fancy if it's announced at I/O next weekend, but I doubt it'll have a keyboard or physical buttons

There is no question that the Droid 4 is still the best hardware keyboard option on VZW.
Battery life is sufficient for most users to make it through a day of use without needing a recharge but is heavily dependent on specific network conditions and usage patterns.
The radios are excellent and the 4.1.2 JB release has the closest to AOSP UI of any of the OEMs and functions well even for users that are not interested in rooting and ROMs and other modifications of the device.

I still love my Droid 4. Even though it is outdated hardware-wise, it still deals with everything thrown at it very nicely. The keyboard is incredible, and if that is important to you, it's absolutely worth it. I weep at the thought of having to get a non-qwerty phone

Thanks for all the input here.
After some serious soul searching I have concluded that the most important feature in a phone to me isn't a keyboard, it's battery life. I think I am going to go with the Droid Razr Maxx HD.

dmwagner said:
Thanks for all the input here.
After some serious soul searching I have concluded that the most important feature in a phone to me isn't a keyboard, it's battery life. I think I am going to go with the Droid Razr Maxx HD.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great choice there, easily the best phone on verizon right now (............x phone anyone?)

Droid 4 is the best hardware keyboard phone there is ATM. There are phones that are better in every other way but if you want a keyboard you want the driod 4.
For battery I and others have tried the make an extended battery pack using the charge back. For my part all I got out of it was 2 bricked phones.
Sent from my DROID4 using xda app-developers app

I came from the original Droid, and swore to get another physical keyboard and ended ordering the Droid 4 on release. I've had the phone for a about a year and 3 months now, and I'm still using the same phone. That being said, there are a few things about the phone I regret, or wish it had.
There is a common problem with a crackling speaker. I don't hear as much about this issue anymore, so maybe they fixed it. I'm often working in loud enviromments where I need to turn the phones volume to max, but often times it's still not enough. I've used other peoples phones before (Blackberry, Samsung) and was able to hear just phone in the same place.
I've started using Swype in the last 9 months or so, and since then, I hardly ever use the physical keyboard. Swype just seems so "smooth" for lack of a better term. No constantly tapping on the keyboard or glass, and it's really fast just using my thumb to type. Looking back, I would have liked to get a phone without a keyboard for a thinner device.
Lack of support from Motorola to developers is a HUGE one for me, and I will mostly likely not purchase another Motorola phone unless something changes. I don't know if this is because of the contracts Motorola has with Verizon, or for other reasons. There are other brands and phones out there that are capable of running their own unique kernel, without having to use KEXEC to get around it.
On the positive side of things, I've felt no lack in this phone for horsepower or capability. I almost never have a problem with signal strength, and I've never seen this phone struggle to run any programs. The battery life is okay and enough to get me through the day to put on the charger again at bedside.

Yes, I would recommend it!
Unless the next generation of Motorola smartphones includes a high-spec QWERTY in their ranks, I'd definitely recommend this phone. The screen isn't the best, sure. But I'm a power user, and I love it. Yeah you'll have to charge it a good amount throughout the day, but for the ease of typing for a social-networking and text-maniac like myself, this thing is PERFECT!

In terms of qwerty phones, the Droid 4 is still one of the best (and on VZW it's pretty much the only). For the past few weeks I've been running Eclipse JB and my battery lasts all day and then some - that's with emails, texts, taking pictures, videos, a few games, the works. I've found that the stock JB sucks battery power, but a lot of the ROMs are much more efficient. CM10.1 has come a long way and will probably be my new main. Even the stock JB is fast and responsive, if you're not into rooting and installing a ROM.
The keyboard is excellent, and it looks like this might be one of the last qwerty phones for a while... which is discouraging, but if a hardware keyboard is big priority then I'd highly recommend grabbing a D4 before they're all gone. The lack of removable battery is a bummer, because that means that the phone will require service or some creative "surgery" when the battery eventually goes bad and needs to be replaced, but I'm hoping there will be a new flagship qwerty phone by then (or aftermarket batteries available for the D4). \
Bottom line, get this phone!

After flashing cm10 and using nos entropy and its battery tweaks and ram tweaks I have no lag or battery issues. Phone usually comes off charger at 7am and goes on charger around 1am and still has 20%+ and that's heavy use of 4g GPS and music. Absolutely get this phone. Take the time to root install safe strap and cm10 + nos entropy ram and battery scripts. Plus nova launcher? Perfection IMHO.
Sent from my XT894 using xda app-developers app

I love my D4. Still a great phone for cheap compared to what's out there now. Love the physical keyboard, and a dedicated number row is fantastic.

I looooooooove the keyboard on the D4. It's so awesome, especially with real number keys. It makes entering the MyCoke Rewards codes a breeze. I really hope to get a few years of use out of this phone or until another awesome keyboard phone comes out. If one doesn't, I suppose I'll eventually have to embrace onscreen keyboards, but am not looking forward to that day.

Don't have a droid 4 I have a sidekick 4g but I am looking into this phone
An for on screen keyboards search the phones name and bluetooth keyboard an find on that is like a case an there you go never have to deal with on screen keyboards again c:
Sent from my SGH-T839 using xda app-developers app

What will you get after the Droid 3?

I'm using the Droid 3 on At&t along with the $10 MediaNet plan,it's a downgrade for me coming from a Galaxy Note i717 so my objective is to save money since I dont feel like paying $30 for a At&t data plan.
I'd like to get another slider phone but the Droid 4(plus it still doesnt work on domestic gsm networks) doesnt seem like that much of an upgrade and the Photon Q GSM hack seems too complicated.
I might just stay with the Droid 3 indefinitely and get a Nexus to replace my iPad and give me my Android fix.
I really wish there was an official version of ICS for the Droid 3 at least,oh well.

Galaxy s4

I just moved to the Galaxy S4 from the Droid 3. I have always ha slider keyboards, so I was worried about how I would do with out it. I haven't missed it at all! Don't miss my Droid 3.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using xda app-developers app

Alowbman said:
I just moved to the Galaxy S4 from the Droid 3. I have always ha slider keyboards, so I was worried about how I would do with out it. I haven't missed it at all! Don't miss my Droid 3.
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Click to collapse
What is the battery life like? I'm a couple of months from my upgrade date; I'm thinking of either the S4 or the Razr Maxx HD, mostly for the huge battery, though I'm worried about the age of the device and it's possible upgrade future going forward...

I am a medium user. Email, text, web most of the day. Battery is great. I unplug charger when I get up at 5:30am and battery is usually at 45% when I go to bed at 11pm. Usually on Wi-Fi at work and at home. Love the phone.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using xda app-developers app

I'm not a fan of large screen devices so I'm waiting for a few smaller devices that are coming out sometime this year, the Galaxy S4 Mini, the HTC One Mini and the Motorola X Phone. I've given up on QWERTY devices since they don't really make them anymore and I've gotten used to soft keyboards.

PassingThruLife said:
I really wish there was an official version of ICS for the Droid 3 at least,oh well.
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Click to collapse
Never going to he happen. I waited as long as I could!
Sent from my SCH-I545 using xda app-developers app

S4 enough said Samsung at least unlocks their bootloader
Sent from my DROID3 using xda app-developers app

Alowbman said:
I am a medium user. Email, text, web most of the day. Battery is great. I unplug charger when I get up at 5:30am and battery is usually at 45% when I go to bed at 11pm. Usually on Wi-Fi at work and at home. Love the phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's pretty much what happens with my Droid 3 with the extended battery right now, same WiFi connectivity for me. The wrench in the works is that when I'm in a bad signal area - and I am for a good part of the summer (with no LTE, either) - my phone will end up at about 25% by the end of the day at best. And I understand that the Samsung radios are not as good as Motorola's, so it may be even worse...
So, that sort of battery life is a bit discouraging.

Radio seems strong. I have a really good signal and its lightning fast. Too bad about your signal area. I have had the phone off of charger since 5:00 this morning. It is now 10:00pm. I am at 60%. Pretty consistent use today.
Sent from my Galaxy S4

Alowbman said:
Never going to he happen. I waited as long as I could!
Sent from my SCH-I545 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea,I kind of figured. The phone is going on 2 years of life which in the phone industry means its dead lol.
doogald said:
That's pretty much what happens with my Droid 3 with the extended battery right now, same WiFi connectivity for me. The wrench in the works is that when I'm in a bad signal area - and I am for a good part of the summer (with no LTE, either) - my phone will end up at about 25% by the end of the day at best. And I understand that the Samsung radios are not as good as Motorola's, so it may be even worse...
So, that sort of battery life is a bit discouraging.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The extended battery annoys me,no matter what app I use it,it never shows the correct status.It will go down to 5% and stay there for hours even with moderate usage.

PassingThruLife said:
The extended battery annoys me,no matter what app I use it,it never shows the correct status.It will go down to 5% and stay there for hours even with moderate usage.
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Click to collapse
I have the official Moto extended battery (BF6X) - I think it's 1880 mAh - and the battery meter works fine with it.
Alowbman said:
Radio seems strong. I have a really good signal and its lightning fast. Too bad about your signal area. I have had the phone off of charger since 5:00 this morning. It is now 10:00pm. I am at 60%. Pretty consistent use today.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, sounds good. I'm sure that I'd find a way to make that work. My use case is I think close to what you described, and I'm already altering some things when I know I'm in a bad signal area.

I'm thinking about getting the Xperia Z but I'm still waiting to see if Moto releases a Droid 5 (which I highly doubt they will)

Not another Motorola again. The Droid 3 was my first Motorola and it was the WORST phone I ever had. Random reboots multiple times a day, keyboard that just decides to go AWOL on me, locked bootloader. Never again.
The Samsung Galaxy Stratosphere 2 looks interesting though.

If they release the HTC One for verizon, that is my next phone. I want to stay with a slider, but the D4 is too old already and will be at EOL soon.
Sent from my DROID3 using Tapatalk 2

If I'm able to soon it will be between the Galaxy S4 (hopefully the Google experience edition) or the Moto X phone.
Sent from my DROID3 using Tapatalk 2

Thanks to the data plan changes by Verizon, I'm tied to 3G for a little while until I'm making more money. I tend to go through 2 or 3 phones in a 2-year stint, which means I would need to buy one through them in order to have the protection plan.
I've enjoyed my phones with physical keyboards, so hopefully I will have an option when my contract is up.

I'm waiting for Motorola's Project Ara to bring something to market, hopefully with a physical QWERTY option. If my Droid 3 fails me until then, I will probably go for a Droid 4, but under no circumstance am I considering any touchscreen-only device as an acceptable substitute.
The only way text input interfaces could get more usable for me compared to the physical keyboard is if they made a neural interface that could translate thought directly into text. This touchscreen-only nonsense? Just an episode of temporary market insanity.

donjoe0 said:
I'm waiting for Motorola's Project Ara to bring something to market, hopefully with a physical QWERTY option. If my Droid 3 fails me until then, I will probably go for a Droid 4, but under no circumstance am I considering any touchscreen-only device as an acceptable substitute.
The only way text input interfaces could get more usable for me compared to the physical keyboard is if they made a neural interface that could translate thought directly into text. This touchscreen-only nonsense? Just an episode of temporary market insanity.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To be honest, I think I am far more accurate typing landscape with Swiftkey than I ever was on the D3 keyboard.
It would be nice if somebody made a relatively high-end KB phone going forward, though.

doogald said:
To be honest, I think I am far more accurate typing landscape with Swiftkey
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Click to collapse
It's not even the accuracy for me, I just can't stand being forced to give up on continued visibility of the page I'm replying to just because the damned "soft keyboard" has no other place to get itself displayed except all over the content I'm trying to interact with.