Hi guys,
I'm planning to upgrade to a TB hopefully
this weekend, but also considering the iphone.
I'm about 70/30 in favor of the TB
Just wanted to get your input and see if you
guys that already have your TB, used it, gotten
comfortable etc:
- Can you still say that you are happy w/ your
decision?
- any items that you dislike that you've discovered
from your daily use that you had not noticed before?
- build quality still holding up well?
Thanks for your time
I've had my bolt for about 2 months now and I am very pleased with it. I never had the reboot issues so that was a non factor. Battery life honestly isn't that bad. I can make it 12 hours which is enough.
That's probably largely due to rooting and installing custom ROMs, which is actually the biggest advantage. The developer support is massive on this device, at least matching what I was used to on the Incredible, which had some of the best dev support next to the Evo and Nexus devices.
Don't fret the lack of a dual core processor, I honestly thought I would but clocked at 1.4 I don't notice ANY lag. And honestly, having a slow network (IE not Verizon 4G) would cause far more noticeable slow down than not having a second processor.
Hope this helps!
Sent from my HTC Thunderbolt
I agree with all of the above. I've had mine about 2 months as well, and I wouldn't trade it for anything. I briefly considered exchanging my TB for a Droid Charge, but the Charge dev support is virtually nonexistant, and I can't stand Touchwiz. I've had better battery life with other phones, but I routinely get 16-20 hrs on my TB and I have a couple of extra batteries, so the battery isn't an issue for me. Mine is slightly overclocked (1.4ghz) and the Sense UI is silky smooth, so even though it has a single core cpu, it handles everything I throw at it. As mentioned before, you'll appreciate the difference between 3G vs. 4G much more than single vs. dual core.
Sent from my ADR6400L using XDA App
I agree too . I had iphones since first gen . Even when iPhone 4 came out I was talking smack bout Android phones . But I switched to Verizon from ATT and was debating either iPhone 4 again or thunder bolt . Picked the TB to test out . And gladly I say I made a good move that day . Great phone and puts the iPhone in the ditch .
Sent from my ADR6400L using XDA Premium App
I love it. Das BAMF just came out with 4 new rom versions under 24 hours.
Christmas in July.
But to answer "- Can you still say that you are happy w/ your
decision?" Yes because it has kickstand.
[email protected]@ge said:
Yes because it has kickstand.
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Click to collapse
When I bought this phone I thought the kickstand was absolutely the dumbest thing I've ever seen on a phone. Fast forward three months and now if I look at a phone and it doesn't have a kickstand I wonder how the user is able to deal with it.
Mine did nothing but glitch and power off with factory flash. 1 week later I love it... running MR2.5, BAMF Stripped 2.1, and lots of apps.
Temptation
The Samsung Galaxy S2 is tempting to me. I personally think the device looks amazing.
I remember when a kickstand and a FFC were the big draws.
I even got a 3rd line on my account just so I could get this phone.
But with 3D phones, dual core processors and fancier UIs I'm a little bummed out about this phone. If it wasn't for BAMF I'd have probably just sulked until the next big thing. As you can see I don't wait long to jump on the newest device (BTW, the mythical Bionic and GS2 don't impress me so it might be a looooong wait ):
Droid 1 - 11/09 - 4/10
Droid Inc - 4/10 - 7/10
Droid X - 7/10 - 3/11
Thunderbolt - 3/11 - present
The thunderbolt is well beyond expectation. The 4G LTE network is literally 20 to 30 times faster than the iPhone's 3G network, there are a couple dozen ROMs to test, and Android is better than iOS.
Also, there's a kickstand on the Thunderbolt, how can you not love it? If you overclock to 1.4 GHz like many of us do, you will most likely notice no lag. If you're smart with your battery, and take steps to save it, you should be able to get 12+ hours with it, even with somewhat heavy internet use and even a few videos or games everyday.
I love my Thunderbolt.
I had read all about battery life issues but decided to go for it anyway.
No battery issues to speak of and after rooter and going to BAMF the battery is even better.
The 4G speed is outstanding where available. I get 5mbps around my area (Mountain View, CA) but when I go to San Francisco it hits 20mbps+. Doesn't seem to matter where in San Francisco I am either, speeds are always amazing.
I never thought I'd use the kickstand. I just thought it would be there.. but I use it all the time. I do wish you could charge the phone while using the kickstand.. this seems like a major screw up on the people who designed the phone.
The Thunderbolt is the best 4g option right now, if it were me I'd get it before 7/7 to get locked into the unlimited 4g. If 4g isn't something you care about then I'd say the Droid X or X2. I like my Thunderbolt but not as much as my X, the thunderbolt is lacking in build quality, Motorola have always had the best from my experience.
my friend had one, but he sold it allready and will never buy a htc again.
He told me, it was ok, but nothing special..
most older htc models sucks anyway, mostly because of their bad camera and clumsyness.
Still loving the Thunderbolt. While the charge has a nicer looking screen, I still prefer HTC and the Sense UI over any other UI
I went from an Incredible to the tbolt and its not a switch I've second guessed for a second. Had mine rooted the same day I got it. I don't see how an iFone holds a candle to the tbolt in any way.
appreciate everyone's response
tct08 said:
I've had my bolt for about 2 months now and I am very pleased with it. I never had the reboot issues so that was a non factor. Battery life honestly isn't that bad. I can make it 12 hours which is enough.
That's probably largely due to rooting and installing custom ROMs, which is actually the biggest advantage. The developer support is massive on this device, at least matching what I was used to on the Incredible, which had some of the best dev support next to the Evo and Nexus devices.
Don't fret the lack of a dual core processor, I honestly thought I would but clocked at 1.4 I don't notice ANY lag. And honestly, having a slow network (IE not Verizon 4G) would cause far more noticeable slow down than not having a second processor.
Hope this helps!
Sent from my HTC Thunderbolt
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Click to collapse
awesome, thank tct08 for the sharing your experience
allchannels99 said:
Mine did nothing but glitch and power off with factory flash. 1 week later I love it... running MR2.5, BAMF Stripped 2.1, and lots of apps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
great that's definitely encouraging. I've been looking at the section w/ all the roms in it and i'm thinking i'm going to try one BAMF's roms
i keep seeing mr1/2 throughout the forums - what exactly is/does that mean? from what i've read it does it have to do w/ gingerbread at all?
mattsonhistb said:
The thunderbolt is well beyond expectation. The 4G LTE network is literally 20 to 30 times faster than the iPhone's 3G network, there are a couple dozen ROMs to test, and Android is better than iOS.
Also, there's a kickstand on the Thunderbolt, how can you not love it? If you overclock to 1.4 GHz like many of us do, you will most likely notice no lag. If you're smart with your battery, and take steps to save it, you should be able to get 12+ hours with it, even with somewhat heavy internet use and even a few videos or games everyday.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks matt for your user experience as well. @ this point i'm definitely going to go w/ the TB, my wife's planning to go w/ the iphone route lol.
for overclocking, is there a tutorial on how to get that done? is that involving changing the kernal or something?
- - Another question I had that for you guys: on my current blackberry I have multiple email accts on it
w/ the thunderbolt how many email accts can you setup on it? is it only 1 main one that we need to forward all emails to or ability to setup multiple accts?
thx again
crookshanks said:
When I bought this phone I thought the kickstand was absolutely the dumbest thing I've ever seen on a phone. Fast forward three months and now if I look at a phone and it doesn't have a kickstand I wonder how the user is able to deal with it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow that is how I felt. I thought phones with kickstands were absolutely DUMB. Now after having the TBolt for a few weeks I can't see how I ever lived without one haha. I LOVE this phone. The build quality is awesome. It's not scary to put down and handle like the iPhone 4 (glass cell phone....really? idiots!!!). The only thing I'm not huge on is battery life but I got the extended 2750mAhbattery so it all works out! Screw the locked down garden of iOS and get the TBolt!!
eraursls1984 said:
The Thunderbolt is the best 4g option right now, if it were me I'd get it before 7/7 to get locked into the unlimited 4g. If 4g isn't something you care about then I'd say the Droid X or X2. I like my Thunderbolt but not as much as my X, the thunderbolt is lacking in build quality, Motorola have always had the best from my experience.
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Click to collapse
Not hating on you but you really think the Droid X/X2 have a better build quality? My buddy has the X and to me it feels cheaper than the TBolt. Obviously it's our opinions and subjective overall but it just shocked me to read that.
- - Another question I had that for you guys: on my current blackberry I have multiple email accts on it
w/ the thunderbolt how many email accts can you setup on it? is it only 1 main one that we need to forward all emails to or ability to setup multiple accts?
thx again[/QUOTE]
I have 4 different emails setup all update just fine, the main issue with the bolt is htc and vzw screwed the pooch on the OS but the devs stepped up, it does have one of the largest group of devs working on it.
Bamf is runnin' my bolt - smoke that vzw!
One thing I really wish was different is the the location of usb port. I can't use the kickstand and and netflix at the same time, unless I'm lying on my side and have it kickstood portrait mode. I really think that the usb location should have been in between of the onoff button and 3.5 headset port. Tbh anywhere but the side it is now. =)
I love it. Rooted with a little love it is a very powerful device..stock is another story..
Related
Woo hoo guys and gals I just learned that I can get my upgrade now. I'm coming from the EVO 4G and want to know. Since u peeps already have the photon would u recommend me getting it or should I sit and wait and try my luck with the Samsung galaxy S2 coming out sometime this year? I'm asking here because all of you have first hand use with the photon some pros some cons so I'm sure you guys and girls will shoot me straight. Thanks
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
i came from the Evo4G and not regretted it a bit. I love the screen, best phone/3G/4G/wifi/gps signal there is, never a moment of lag, love the curved glass look and gunmetal trim, better camera than the Evo, great battery life, it's rooted and an unlocked boot loader is about to be released by XDA developers. If you get it now, you can always exchange it in 30 days or go back to your Evo.
If I was you I would wait. This phone is cool but if ur coming from an EVO I don't think u will be impressed. Ive had two customers who both came from EVOs return the photon and get the 3D cause they didn't like it. I love this phone but i could see why people like the EVO better. Just my two cents.
Sent from my MB855 using XDA App
laraiza said:
Woo hoo guys and gals I just learned that I can get my upgrade now. I'm coming from the EVO 4G and want to know. Since u peeps already have the photon would u recommend me getting it or should I sit and wait and try my luck with the Samsung galaxy S2 coming out sometime this year? I'm asking here because all of you have first hand use with the photon some pros some cons so I'm sure you guys and girls will shoot me straight. Thanks
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Use the upgrade now. This phone is awesome.
I'd definitely get the photon as well. I have 3 friends on the evo 3d wanting the photon instead. None of my friends on the photon want to switch. Photon wins hands down.
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megan23247 said:
If I was you I would wait. This phone is cool but if ur coming from an EVO I don't think u will be impressed. Ive had two customers who both came from EVOs return the photon and get the 3D cause they didn't like it. I love this phone but i could see why people like the EVO better. Just my two cents.
Sent from my MB855 using XDA App
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Click to collapse
I am the exact opposite. i felt like I would have lost more going to the 3D. Yeah you get 3d, but no kickstand, 5MP camera versus 8MP etc. The photon has the specs of the 3D (dual core, qHD screen, camera button, etc) plus the missing feature of the EVO 4G (kickstand, higher res camera, HDMI out, solid build). In addition it adds features such as the sd card slot which is HOT SWAPPABLE plus onboard memory, GSM, brighter screen in sunlight etc.
Both phones look like they will now be rooted (or soon enough) and both seem to have some good developers behind them. I chose the Photon for the reasons listed above as well as the cool nickname (MoPho) and much less of a GUI overlay (non-blur vs sense).
These are MY reasons for going this right. Hope that gives you a good viewpoint to help you decision.
In regards to waiting, there is the GSII (rumors are swirling saying it may not have the exyanos <sp> chip), nexus 3 and iphone 5 coming out. Only lots of rumors on those for now though.
megan23247 said:
If I was you I would wait. This phone is cool but if ur coming from an EVO I don't think u will be impressed. Ive had two customers who both came from EVOs return the photon and get the 3D cause they didn't like it. I love this phone but i could see why people like the EVO better. Just my two cents.
Sent from my MB855 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, because they are morons.
This phone ****s Evo's. The Evo's hardware isn't even close to what this thing has. I have owned the Evo, and the 3d, the 3d is just a gimmick phone, that is all.
Lol - people are dumb
-Also, don't just ask this question in the Photon forums, of course they will say yes here. Do yourself a favor and do some research, go to some sites, read some reviews, learn for yourself and decide for yourself instead of having us make your decisions. The people here have it because they like it/love it. I loved my Evo don't get me wrong, but this phone is the next best thing, and in a year I will have the next best thing then, etc etc.
The galaxy s2 or whatever it is that Samsung is calling it won't hold a candle to this phone. But you could extend your 30 days period 3 times if the customer service rep you use is cool. (Sprint allows this, just keep getting a new photon until your gs2 comes out) And for f*cks sake don't exchange your phone at a corporate store, they suck.
nuff said. GL
-DJ
First of all its preference when it comes to evo or photon... both have their advantages and problems, and i have both devices. With that being said I already returned one photon and grabbed a evo3d (how it all started) because of random resets and vibrations. But i was still so impressed with what the photon is CAPABLE of being i had to open another line just to have it as well. Let me dive into photon problems; aside from my first experience which i will blame on a faulty device, i am now experiencing these ghost calls people have been talking about... where basically no one is on the line but obviously they are (when call is received or dialed out even) i experienced this several times and ran into sprint to verify with manager.. we pulled the battery and everything is fine. Guessing though from other posts that this wont be the last time i deal with this though.
The EVO3D works but literally does everything the photon does a little worse. So if the Photon is actually working its flat out the better device, has better display... inky blacks, better viewing angles, etc. Better processor in terms of optimization for gaming, more available ram and app memory.
Now what i mean by preference is if you like to use these launchers that come with the devices; either blur or rosie (sense). If youre just going to take the phone out of the box and use it the evo really is the better experience due to the noticeable lag/choppiness of Blur, and the smoothness of Sense. It really is that big of a difference IMO. However if youre like me you are running launcherpro (paid) or adwEX... both phones are snappier after installing said launchers but the photon is much snappier due to the lesser integration of the UI.
So basically in short lol if the photon is actually able to make calls, and is running launcher pro (all speeds on 10, with all animations off) then yes hands down better than evo3d. I prefer evo out of box experience though, over the photon out of the box experience.
Sent from my gingerbreaded delight using XDA App
Honestly, I can't fathom going to this phone now given the issues that it has currently. If they really fix the call issues, I may come back to it. Given that they haven't with other Motorola phones exhibiting this problem I'm not holding my breath.
I loved much of the phone....the design, build quality, earpiece and rear speakers were superb. The phone was extremely fast but enough of a difference to switch up for that?
The lockups, inability to dial and silent calls on multiple handsets makes it kind of useless as an actual phone.
Also, after looking at the Photon screen side by side with my original EVO screen I would take the EVO screen every day of the week
BUT...had the Photon functioned on calls and not randomly shutdown, overall I would have preferred the Photon.
I'm not really a "sense" person I'm running a sense rom but I'm always running either go launcher or launcher pro anyway. I won't miss sense and I won't deal with blur. Once the phone is rooted and bootloader unlocked would it be possible for developers to fix at least most of the problems that r plaguing the photon right now since many issues seem to be more or less software issues?
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probably... but then again they may also bring more to the table....
I was in the same boat as you. I had previously had an evo 4g than traded for an epic. I fell in love with the samoled screen of the epic and was determined to use my upgrade on the sg2, as I've used the DROID charge and the samoled+ screen is beyond stunning. Well, I got sick of waiting and decided to give the photon a try a few days ago and figured if necessary I have the 30 day return policy. The photon is an awesome all around phone. Everything works, and its fast. I enjoyed the epic due to the screen, but gps was worthless and bluetooth and wifi were inconsistent. I am worried that although the sg2 may have the best screen, there are going to be other problems with the samsung build quality. The only negative about the photon is MOTOBLUR, which is much worse than sense and not even up to par with touchwiz. Alot of people complain about the pentile screen but I actually like it alot. Blacks are much deeper than my evo 4g and colors aren't washed out. The photon is an all around great phone, and every thing works(so far for me at least). I don't play games or anything so I can't comment on that, but every day tasks on this thing are fast.
Sent from my Motorola Photon 4G using XDA App
I'm in the same boat as the OP...
Currently have the OG EVO, eligible for an upgrade and have been reading EVERYTHING and ANYTHING I can about this phone. Even though I'm still leaning towards getting it, there's a little voice in me saying to hang tight and see "what's coming around the corner." However, with technology, there will always be something better coming out next week, next month, or next year.
As for the Photon, I imagine the developer support that this phone will be receiving compared to the EVO and other HTC devices, won't be as as deep, especially if you're someone who IS coming from the EVO and used to that type of support. However, from what I've seen on this forum and others, the consensus seems to be that it's a great phone right out of the box. And if you're not a big fan of sense anyways and run your own launcher (like I do), then maybe it won't be that big of a deal.
More than likely, I'll be pulling the trigger and picking one up as soon as I get to a Sprint store to check one out. I'm just one of those types that always upgrades anyways and will likely be getting another phone next year too (assuming that I don't object to my wife's monthly shopping sprees so that I in turn, can "build up my credit" for justifying my annual phone purchases).
If I get the photon thru the corporate store vs best buy will I still get to keep my upgrade if I choose not to accept it before my 30 days are up.
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I work for Sprint and was given both of them to use. I came from the EVO and loved it, so naturally I wanted to EVO 3D. I got it 2 weeks before the launched and loved it at first then the problems started. First the camera issues, when I take a picture it freezes up and I have to pull the battery to get it back. Sense 3 offers a lot of improvements to original sense (which I love) but has a few cosmetic flaws. I am not a stock Android fan, I love sense and it offers a lot of user friendly controls. I hate that every time I unlock the phone I get a wheel of screens and must wait a nano second to use the phone. The 3D camera isn't all that great and some 3D pictures gives me a headache, also the camera sticks out the back and if your not using a case, it can scratch the screen. Now I got my photon 2 weeks ago and I am amazed at how well it performs. I have not had any of the problems some people have, and I am already told that the problems will be fixed soon with the software upgrade. I missed my kickstand and the photon gives that back to me. The camera is nice, much better then the 3D. Only flaw I have with the phone is black, when you watch a movie the dark parts are really really dark and make it hard to watch sometimes. All in All I prefer it over the 3D, and I was never a Samsung fan so I wouldn't want the Within (galaxy 2). It took Samsung several months to upgrade to Android 2.2 and even then plagued with problems it had to be pulled twice, and the final version caused a few more texting issues and screen orientation issues that have yet to be fixed. Other problems with Intercept and Transform and no help from Samsung leaves me to never choice Samsung. Now the Nexus offers all the cool features of Samsung with none of their software issues since its pure Google.
I had the Evo 3D and liked it up to the point where I had lockups and tinny-sounding calls. I also experienced slowdowns and poor reception. When the Photon launched I checked it out, and decided to give it a try under the 30 day policy.
The build quality out of the box seemed better and the appearance was definitely more what I would expect from a top-end device. Once I booted up and began using it, I fell in love. The call quality is outstanding, speakerphone is excellent, battery life is great, and the screen is near-perfect.
It's obvious Motorola wants to be in the forefront of the portable device market once again. The Photon proves it.
I have not experienced any function issues at all with my MoPho. Smooth sailing here.
I came from the EVO4 where I kept getting low memory messages. EVO 3d has the same internal memory and I had no interest 3d. So far, I am exrememly happy with this phone. The build qulaity is superb. Its hard to put the phone down. I'm not so sure I would like thinner and lighter.....like Galaxy S2. The Photon gives you the feeling you have something. Believe me, the phone is not perfect. No phone is. But this is one of the best phones out there IMO. Do not hesitate one bit. Take the plunge.
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I was able to use both the Evo 3d and Photon side by side for about 12 days and went with the Photon. I really liked both phones but I liked the additional memory and, in my experience, better battery life and reception.
But, I would wait a few weeks and see what comes of the Samsung GS2. It looks like an awesome phone but I'm always leary of their update cycle.
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632627 said:
I enjoyed the epic due to the screen, but gps was worthless and bluetooth and wifi were inconsistent. I am worried that although the sg2 may have the best screen, there are going to be other problems with the samsung build quality.
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Click to collapse
I agree about GPS, Bluetooth, and Wifi on the Epic, and would add in overall call quality and consistency as the reason why I'm sticking with the Photon no matter what specs the SGSII has. The Epic pretty much convinced me not to get another Samsung phone.
So, given that the competition for the Photon over the next six months or so on Sprint will be the Evo 3D and the SGSII, I think the Photon is by far the better choice. Great call quality, best speakerphone I've had on a smartphone, great performance, love that my Tegra Zone games bought for my Asus Transformer will run on it, great screen for outdoor viewing (perfectly usable at noon in the SoCal sun), rock-solid GPS and Bluetooth, great car dock accessory, solid build quality, and good battery life.
Just a great phone.
Had one, and took it back because of the call problems. Now I'll wait to see the GS2, and will weigh against the Photon again (if they fix it). Until then, my Evo 4g continues to rock on.
Doing dishes this morning, and dropped my Nexus-S 4G in the water, I grabbed it lightning quick, was only dipped into the water for like 1/10th of a second. But now Bluetooth doesn't work, and the speaker for media is garbled and low sound. Other than that the phone seems to be working ok, but it's only been an hour.
I had it rooted with Oxygen ROM, and LOVED the screen colors, if the phone does flake out and I need a new device, would you recommend the Photon ? I did have the EVO-3D already for a couple weeks, returned it for the Nexus, I wasn't a fan of Sense, and the screen looked washed out.
I did like my Nexus-S 4G, awesome screen...lightweight...feels comfortable in hand...but the biggest beef is hands down the crap signal issue, WiFi, and 3G inside my house is non existent, overall download speeds blow on the Nexus. I was rooted with Oxygen 2.21 and running the Matr1x kernels. But even at stock 2.3.4 or stock 2.3.5 signal/network blew, and rooted with the ROM was no better, still crap connection to the network.
I will tell you know based on the issues I had with 3 units....and someone else will tell you they have never had an issue and it's a killer phone and I wouldn't doubt them for a second.
Honestly, do some reading, check this forum, the Motorola Photon owners forum and the Sprint community forum and see what you think for yourself.
Went to the local Sprint store, they had two Photon's on display to use. No offense, but that phone is garbage. Both units felt very laggy...the screen was washed out...Motoblur is disgusting...
My rooted Nexus-S 4G felt night and day smoother/faster, and the colors on my screen were a HUGE difference, as in way better quality and deep blacks and bright colors, the Photon looked bad. Vanilla stock Android is one hundred times better than Motoblur.
I am shocked for the Nexus-S being a bit dated tech wise, it is still my favorite phone of all the Sprint phones out today, I had the EVO 4G which was great last year, but is now slower and dated...bought the EVO-3D returned 3 weeks later, it was cool, just not a big fan of Sense, and the screen colors were just ok, picked up the Nexus-S 4G rooted it and installed Oxygen 2.2.1 ROM + Matr1x 6.0 kernel and this phone is a beast And I am sorry, but the Photon is the worst of the four phones I have tried, no offense.
If you loved the Nexus you will love this. Development is a bit hindered due to the locked/unlocked not 4G bootloader but we have a great rom out with a work around for 4G.
The Mo-Pho is as close as you can get to stock android without calling it AOSP
Zorachus said:
Went to the local Sprint store, they had two Photon's on display to use. No offense, but that phone is garbage. Both units felt very laggy...the screen was washed out...Motoblur is disgusting...
My rooted Nexus-S 4G felt night and day smoother/faster, and the colors on my screen were a HUGE difference, as in way better quality and deep blacks and bright colors, the Photon looked bad. Vanilla stock Android is one hundred times better than Motoblur.
I am shocked for the Nexus-S being a bit dated tech wise, it is still my favorite phone of all the Sprint phones out today, I had the EVO 4G which was great last year, but is now slower and dated...bought the EVO-3D returned 3 weeks later, it was cool, just not a big fan of Sense, and the screen colors were just ok, picked up the Nexus-S 4G rooted it and installed Oxygen 2.2.1 ROM + Matr1x 6.0 kernel and this phone is a beast And I am sorry, but the Photon is the worst of the four phones I have tried, no offense.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have to say that I personally just tried the nexus with the one click root and loaded about three roms. The phone seems very outdated and doesn't come with simple things that phones should come with. No led light to show its charging or fully charged. No led for notificiations. Bad Wifi and radio with or without the new update. Less ram and no Sd card slot.
I take no offense to your opinion but my Nexus went back the same day and I was back to the photon. Samsung and google dropped a phone that was outdated before it even hit the market and even though google supports the software. Things like radio issues are controlled by Samsung and we all know how much they support their products (sarcasm). I wouldn't buy a samsung product after my experience. Oh and I left out the back button bug where it gets stuck for 10 seconds when pressing it. All these bugs showed within 24hours. I didn't see anywhere near these amount of bugs on the photon. I only have the silent call bug and that should be a easy fix.
Zorachus said:
Went to the local Sprint store, they had two Photon's on display to use. No offense, but that phone is garbage. Both units felt very laggy...the screen was washed out...Motoblur is disgusting...
My rooted Nexus-S 4G felt night and day smoother/faster, and the colors on my screen were a HUGE difference, as in way better quality and deep blacks and bright colors, the Photon looked bad. Vanilla stock Android is one hundred times better than Motoblur.
I am shocked for the Nexus-S being a bit dated tech wise, it is still my favorite phone of all the Sprint phones out today, I had the EVO 4G which was great last year, but is now slower and dated...bought the EVO-3D returned 3 weeks later, it was cool, just not a big fan of Sense, and the screen colors were just ok, picked up the Nexus-S 4G rooted it and installed Oxygen 2.2.1 ROM + Matr1x 6.0 kernel and this phone is a beast And I am sorry, but the Photon is the worst of the four phones I have tried, no offense.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Judging a phone by units up for display in a Corporate store... No offense but THAT is garbage... God knows how many people have messed around with those phones and even messed with it's settings. And you are comparing a ROOTED phone with a highly tweaked out ROM/Kernel to a floor model at a Sprint store? Yup, very scientific apples to apples comparison.
HondaCop said:
Judging a phone by units up for display in a Corporate store... No offense but THAT is garbage... God knows how many people have messed around with those phones and even messed with it's settings. And you are comparing a ROOTED phone with a highly tweaked out ROM/Kernel to a floor model at a Sprint store? Yup, very scientific apples to apples comparison.
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Click to collapse
Point taken. Would love to see a Photon that has been tweaked and optimized. But with the Galaxy S2 to be announced next week for Sprint, might as well wait for a solid release date first.
The Photon can't run sense based rom's though, correct?
That's probably my biggest beef with it, but to be honest, I don't know that I even like sense that much or even use any of the features it has that aosp rom's don't have. When I ran Fresh, I used launcher pro, now I've switched to synergy, & while I'm actually using sense 3.0 now I must say that the very first thing I do is remove all those annoying ass battery eating widgets & just wind up with my app's, my clock, my calendar & a music widget.
I'm pretty torn on which one to upgrade to but my wife needs to upgrade from her bb & I'm due for an upgrade so I'm thinking I'll wind up giving her my evo & taking whatever new phone she gets off of her hands for her.
Neither can the GSII.......but roms and such can get ported....your loss
Also, look in the 3d forum, the Nexus s forum, the SGS2 forum, they all have a list of problems a mile long. That's what people post, problems. If your phone is running smooth, you tend not to post as much. Every phone released will have some units with problems. Mine has been almost flawless, but I know some have had problems. At least with Sprint you have 30 days to make up your mind. But really, don't make up your mind on any phone just by how the display model functions.
Zorachus said:
Doing dishes this morning, and dropped my Nexus-S 4G in the water, I grabbed it lightning quick, was only dipped into the water for like 1/10th of a second.
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Ok, I am surprised no one has touched on this, but why are you washing dishes with the phone nearby. That is just inviting disaster.
newalker91 said:
The majority of people hating on the photon seem to have no clue what they're hating. Never judge a phone by its display model, it's had more hands on it than a 16 year old blonde with father issues, making it just as messed up as worn out.
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Click to collapse
lmao, I don't mean to laugh but that was too funny.
yeah, there are those that will no matter what is said or shown will not like the Photon, be it the display, the shape, the almost hidden Blur etc etc. But myself coming from HTC phones and Sense, especially with the EVo 4G, I was totally taken back by the Photon. Its a much better phone. True, some have experienced an issue or two, but if one follows the instructions to the T as mentioned throughout the Development section, the issues will be tiny or fixed.
Not for nothing, but the display is one that for me at least can be useful outside in direct sunlight. Its almost Pixel Qi to me.
TS
Here's an "out of the box" short list of Photon vs Everything Else:
Direct sunlight readable screen- Photon
Full HDMI Mirroring- Photon
DLNA- Photon, Epic, 3D, GS2, Nexus?
USB Host- Photon, Nexus?
Full Desktop Browser: Photon
Full Bluetooth Stack- Photon, Nexus, Epic, GS2?
As far as the comment about store demo lagging. Come to my store. My demo runs Hulu via WebTop AND Netflix via phone window at the same time on a 32in TV with not much more than buffering issues.
In short. The Photon is a damn good phone and this is coming from someone that still refuses to ditch the Evo Desktop PC.
HondaCop said:
Judging a phone by units up for display in a Corporate store... No offense but THAT is garbage... God knows how many people have messed around with those phones and even messed with it's settings. And you are comparing a ROOTED phone with a highly tweaked out ROM/Kernel to a floor model at a Sprint store? Yup, very scientific apples to apples comparison.
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Click to collapse
Omg it's freaking hondacop wtf lol
dirkyd3rk said:
Omg it's freaking hondacop wtf lol
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Click to collapse
Calkulin is around here somewhere to. Wait, what are you doing over here? Somebody told me you went 3D.
I had a nexus s for 3 weeks before getting the photon. Here are my thoughts.
1 photon is much better in sunlight while nexus had more pop out colors
2 photon battery life is much better than the nexus (i get 30 hrs on the photon... no matter you habits you will not get that on a nexus s )
3 blur is almost asop but adds a good dialer and a few other things
4 led light on photon which is not fully working but there at least
5 both are pentile screens bit photon is higher res and brighter
6 i feel more confident holding the photon due to heft, backing, and the rolled over edges.
7 photon feels better on my ear than any other phone, not sure why just no shap edge any where. Nexus felt better on my face though.
8 signal is better on the photon
9 little tweaks make it better like "most likely" in your starred contacts and a picture plus widget
10 i think both have the anti fingerprint/ don't wash out in direct sunlight screen, but the photon add gorilla glass to it
11 2 external mics to cut down on background noise. Nexus s went software vs the original nexus
12 photon will do the dishes for you !!!!
In short yes IMHO the photon is better....WAY better.
Sent from my MB855 using XDA App
Lokifish Marz said:
Calkulin is around here somewhere to. Wait, what are you doing over here? Somebody told me you went 3D.
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I did lol but my friend won a photon in a raffle and he doesnt have Sprint so he sold it to me for 100 bucks. I hate the 3D but this phone is amazing.
Hey guys, been out for a good minute, but I'm about to buy a new phone. I had been wanting the HTC thunderbolt, as I've had good success hacking other htc phones.
I just wanted to make sure that its a good phone for modding
If anyone has any other suggestions on what I should buy, I'll listen.
Maybe the Bionic?
I just wanna make sure theres no bs blocks or anything that will stop me from modding it to my heart's content, and that theres plenty of roms and all that out there already.
(I would do all this searching myself but ive been working 18-20hrs past few days and I need some sleep, and u guys probably allready know all this)
Thanks
Why not wait for the Galaxy Nexus? I know its not HTC, but still...
cuz i need one this week. thursday at the latest. how long till the nexus comes out?
Deviant6 said:
cuz i need one this week. thursday at the latest. how long till the nexus comes out?
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Click to collapse
It comes out in November 2011.
droid charge is better than the thunderbolt. they're both noticeably weaker than any modern phones, but the thunderbolt is generally regarded as a poor investment. Charge has a pretty good development community.
From the benchmarks Ive seen, the charge isn't better than it at all. But the Droid Bionic is in many ways. Mostly with it being a dual core processor, and more ram.
I went in to a Verizon store today to check em out first hand, and I'm torn between the two. I really do like htc sense, and I might eventually change it, but there are enough skins and sense based roms available to keep me happy. However, the Bionic scored like 2400 on quadrant, and its a bit snappier.
But it doesn't have sense on it, oh, and it also doesn't quite have the "quality" feel to it that most HTC phones have. its a bit too light and feels a bit like cheap plastic. idk. but its definitely faster.
Any suggestions guys?
Thunderbolt or Droid Bionic?
Does the bionic have a big modding community?
Reason I didn't mention the bionic is that not only does it not have a good devoloping community, rooted Verizon motoblur devices (not ROM'd ones tho) have a really bad track record of getting majority screwed up every time there's a software update. It also has a horrible looking pentile display.
Oh, and it has a locked bootloader too, so don't expect a lot of ROMs for quite a while.
EDIT: actually, i take that back - the bionic apparently has CM7 moving along very nicely.
I am on a Rezound and this phone is nice, but it has its share of issues(audio hiss/buzz when aux/headphones plugged in, dead pixels, overheating/freezing) & all are known issues.
I have until Friday to do an exchange with Best Buy. Was considering holding out for the Nexus but due to delay after delay I have my doubts it'll be out before Friday. That being the case, I'm seriously considering a RAZR instead.
Has it been working out well for the most part? Any issues like what I'm experiencing on this Rezound? How does the battery hold out under "heavy use"?(like if I want to watch a few movies back to back). Also, for that "fuzziness" on the text/icons, is there a filter to smooth that out?
voxigenboy said:
I am on a Rezound and this phone is nice, but it has its share of issues(audio hiss/buzz when aux/headphones plugged in, dead pixels, overheating/freezing) & all are known issues.
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Click to collapse
I have experienced none of those issues with the RAZR. Keep in mind that under deep dark conditions with the screen at its lowest brightness setting against a black image, many units show some "smudges" or dots. If this concerns you, definitely check one out in the store ahead of time (try downloading draw! and open the app up on the lowest brightness underneath a jacket or shirt..people will probably stare..let them..haha) and judge how this effects you for yourself. I use mine as a night clock and though I can see some smudges in the middle of the night, they don't bother me.
voxigenboy said:
I have until Friday to do an exchange with Best Buy. Was considering holding out for the Nexus but due to delay after delay I have my doubts it'll be out before Friday. That being the case, I'm seriously considering a RAZR instead.
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Click to collapse
I gave up on the Nexus myself. Lack of USB mass storage was the final nail in the coffin for me. I think the RAZR has the potential to turn out a better ICS device than the Nexus.
voxigenboy said:
Has it been working out well for the most part? Any issues like what I'm experiencing on this Rezound? How does the battery hold out under "heavy use"?(like if I want to watch a few movies back to back). Also, for that "fuzziness" on the text/icons, is there a filter to smooth that out?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I LOVE my RAZR. Best Android phone I've owned to date. (Prev: Epic 4G, Droid 2, Nexus S, MyTouch 4G, LG G2X, Sensation 4G). Under light use, the battery literally lasts for days if you make proper use of the smart actions. Heavy use? I can't comment on video playback time, but I get about 4-5 hours of 3D gaming before running into battery trouble. There is no filter to help the pixelation around text that the Pentile screen creates, but it doesn't bother me. I find myself impressed by the deep blacks and color reproduction far more often than I do focusing on the Pentile effect, but again, you should view this in person yourself to be sure as everyone is different.
I haven't had the phone very long, only about a week, but so far no issues whatsoever with overheating or freezing at all. This wasn't the case with my OG droid or my droid 2 global.
I got this phone from someone else, so I don't have a contract and will probably switch to the droid 4 when it comes out, but won't consider the Galaxy Nexus at this point, as I can't have a plastic phone. I'm hard on my phones with keeping them in the same pocket as keys, and other items, and have broken many a plastic mounted phone just from that alone.
I do, however don't like the size of the phone overall. I find it a bit too large for me, and have had issues handling it....I'm hoping the Droid 4 has a bit smaller overall dimensions. Also I find the keyboard gives a better grip to the phone...but that's personal preference.
If you're adjusted the Rezound size, you shouldn't have an issue with this.
For screens, this screen is great. I actually was lucky and got one without the dark dots in dark light, so I can't comment on that experience, but the pentile is really almost imperceptible to me. You really have to strain your eyesight to pick up the pentile on this screen. I also agree with brianbrain on the deep blacks and color reproduction on the phone. It's a very good screen, IMO.
I've never owned an HTC phone, but have heard a few complaints similar to what you're talking about with their phones. I know Motorola is not always forthcoming with updates, and they release phones so quickly, you feel they're just out there to screw the consumer, but my experience has been completely different. I couldn't have lived without my OG droid, until the screen went out 1.8 years later, and I had my D2G that was a KILLER phone until I left in Thailand recently. The RAZR is a great addition to the Droid line, and I've had a blast with it since I got it last week.
Phone is awesome. Nothing wrong with this phone. Best phone I've had.
I'm more in live with this phone then the thunderbolt I had. Tbolt felt cheap. screen quality was lacking, and it just seemed slow. I know the rezound is different then the tbolt. But i'm leary on any HTC phone.
The razr feels very solid, very fast and the screen is great (even with the splotches in very low light). I've had battery issues with the media process. I haven't hooked my phone up to a 3.5mm input, so I can't say about any hissing. Having hooked it up to my Bose ie2, it absolutely sounds fantastic.
Sent from my DROID RAZR using XDA App
I had an Incredible 2, which is kind of the oddball in the HTC lineup as it is one of their only phones that has GREAT battery life (even more ironic considering the T-bolt was so bad and the phones are so similar in hardware) I ended up getting a Razr recently because long story short Verizon was struggling to get 4G going on my tablet on their end so I said screw it and told them to send me a 4G phone.
Even coming from the Inc2, the Razr is a lot better on battery than I thought it was gonna be. Worse than the Inc2 for sure, but it has a bigger display and faster hardware. On 3G (LTE isn't in my specific city yet, but I've used it in others) I make it all day, and I work for 12 hours and use the phone moderately to heavily when I take breaks and get bored. That's acceptable for me considering no matter what I do, I'm gonna plug the phone up at night regardless. When in 4G areas, the speeds are pretty impressive and consistently good. I was averaging 20mbps down and 11-15 up in Augusta, GA.
I played around with the Rezound in the store. It's not a knock on the Rezound specifically, I have not been impressed at all by Sense 3.5. They may as well call it Sense Vista. On the Incredible 2 we have a few Sense 3.5 roms and while they're pretty, to me I can't find the will to run them as a DD because they're laggy. At the time I chalked it up as the Single core snapdragon in the Inc2 struggling to run such a big and graphic intense rom. Then I played around with the Rezound. No real difference. Both are pretty slow compared to Sense 2.1/3.0 honestly. Hopefully Sense 4.0 and ICS will change that, but I'm doubtful given HTC seems to be getting lazier with every new version of Sense.
After a week and a half with the Razr:
Screen rocks IMO
Battery life is better than expected. I go all day (12-14 hours) on one charge, using 4G (maybe 30-40 minutes of phone calls).
Phone is very fast
Width is very akward at first, but you get used to it. First few days you freak out every time you grab for it.
Smart Actions will be great once they tweak them a bit
Voice quality and signal for phone is awesome (coming from an HTC Inc)
I was really wanting a Nexus, got impatient. The battery life, voice quality, and screen on the Nexus would have to be WAY better to make me send the Razr back.
I've had just about every android phone going....nearly ;-)
Actually had the Razr(GSM) for 2 weeks,pretty much loved the phone but was just waiting on the Nexus(GSM).
Well I've had the Nexus since friday,not really impresed,was rooted and custom rommed straight away,buggy as hell.Battery life sucks and that's with GSM, LTE is gonna be even worse.
Cut a long story short,Nexus sold,Razr's coming back. Go for the Razr.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
I'm coming from the Nexus S. Like the phone so far. Motorola did a pretty good job considering I usually like stock Android.
UI doesn't feel intrusive. Motorola seems to have added a lot of useful functions. Been running ICS on the Nexus S, but don't miss it due to the RAZR's hardware.
The phone is amazingly fast. Feel like I've been wasting my time modding the Nexus S so much lately cause the RAZR blows it out of the water even with all the bloatware.
Only problem I've run into so far is blotches on the screen when it is black and the room is dark. Not as bad as some other pics I saw, but still going to try and exchange. Also found a dead pixel.
If I can get a device with a good screen, I think I will stay with the RAZR. I've only seen the Galaxy Nexus display model... possibly might exchange for it when it comes out.
Really like the form factor of the RAZR better tho. If the RAZR had a 720p screen I'd probably be able to easily ignore the Nexus.
Chelsea FC said:
I've had just about every android phone going....nearly ;-)
Actually had the Razr(GSM) for 2 weeks,pretty much loved the phone but was just waiting on the Nexus(GSM).
Well I've had the Nexus since friday,not really impresed,was rooted and custom rommed straight away,buggy as hell.Battery life sucks and that's with GSM, LTE is gonna be even worse.
Cut a long story short,Nexus sold,Razr's coming back. Go for the Razr.
How is the signal strength compared between the 2? Ive noticed samsung always seems to have a weaker signal...My galaxy s/fascinate has a horrible signal. I want the nexus but the razr is looking sooo nice i can wait for ICS
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Click to collapse
How is the signal strength compared between the 2? Ive noticed samsung always seems to have a weaker signal...My galaxy s/fascinate has a horrible signal. I want the nexus but the razr is looking sooo nice i can wait for ICS [/QUOTE]
I would say the Razr is a tad better, moto is renowned for having good radios
Build quality wise there is no contest for me. Nexus is way too slippery and plasticky for my liking. Modders are already working day & night to make the nexus usable, the Razr works pretty much out of the box. 'When' ICS comes, I think it'll blow everything away.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
th3b3 said:
Chelsea FC said:
How is the signal strength compared between the 2? Ive noticed samsung always seems to have a weaker signal...My galaxy s/fascinate has a horrible signal. I want the nexus but the razr is looking sooo nice i can wait for ICS
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Im getting razr tomorrow buying it outright optus network TELECHOICE (GSM AUS)
for $600 from monne ponds vic (told the guy id give him a plug)
i'll let you know how it goes in terms of battery life on GSM
as far as i know motorola's antennas are PRETTY SWEET ... so dont worry about reception.. worry about downloading lots to feed that screen with awesome multimedia and moto cast
samsungs antennas are not bad... but motorola's track record with radios is proven (from UHF RADIOS to SATs experience counts)
nexus has ics but is trolling with bugs i had a play with it ... also looks so ugly next to the razr ... only good thing is the screen .....
however that said the bugs with ics troll the phone making it laggy and you can get jerky playback
so i decided get razr with ginger (motoblur customised to be more like an unbuggy ics) then next year when things perfect the razr will get ics
anyhow thats my rant hope it helps =]
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Click to collapse
Chelsea FC said:
How is the signal strength compared between the 2? Ive noticed samsung always seems to have a weaker signal...My galaxy s/fascinate has a horrible signal. I want the nexus but the razr is looking sooo nice i can wait for ICS
I would say the Razr is a tad better, moto is renowned for having good radios
Build quality wise there is no contest for me. Nexus is way too slippery and plasticky for my liking. Modders are already working day & night to make the nexus usable, the Razr works pretty much out of the box. 'When' ICS comes, I think it'll blow everything away.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
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Click to collapse
Hard for me to compare since I'm using T-Mobile and Verizon right now. T-Mobile's reception isn't too great in my area, so that's a main reason for me switching.
So far the reception on my RAZR has been great. Blows my Nexus out of the water in that respect, but not sure how much of that is attributed to the phone itself.
Definitely want to keep this phone... just wish the screen problems didn't exist.
google and motorola
apparently motorola will have more say with ics and customisations seeing as google acquired some share/part of motorola which comes in handy .. for razr and future moto users =D
maybe stuff pushed to us sooner ?
rzrsharp said:
apparently motorola will have more say with ics and customisations seeing as google acquired some share/part of motorola which comes in handy .. for razr and future moto users =D
maybe stuff pushed to us sooner ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Got a friend who works over at Moto mobility. He was one of the lead design heads on the Xoom & Droid 4.
The Google acquisition isn't going to truly affect platform builds and blur reductions till late 2H 2012.
They are still working out details on who and what is going where, and how programmers are going to be moved and cut. There's also the small thing of full FCC approval which still hasn't happened as well as EU approvals, which are needed for this (for more info, check out the WSJ article that came out yesterday on the subject). That should be completed by about Feb/March according to him, and then we'll really see some interesting movements. Right now everything is in stasis as far as building and coding are concerned.
So I wouldn't expect any increases in update frequency for a while, and I definitely wouldn't count on Android becoming less bloated on new moto phones for a while to say the least.
There's also been a lot of talk in his office about how Google may not put anything in place, because it could affect their relationship and promises to other handset makers, if they start tweeking with Moto's team a whole bunch.
I'll release info as I get it from him.....although he's interviewing with the automotive division of Moto, as he's not all that satisfied with the position at mobility. They have HEAVY requirements and deadlines, that he seems to think are totally unrealistic....but hey...how many people are really happy with all aspects of their job??
I wonder if the screen issue has been resolved (or even exists) in the GSM versions out there right now. Thinking of getting the Razr but am holding back due to development and the screen issue... Can someone give me an answer about this?
voxigenboy said:
Was considering holding out for the Nexus
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Click to collapse
With a release date of tomorrow, you don't have long to wait on the Nexus, better be at BB early to make sure you get one.
Droid RZR
I just bought the new Droid Rzr today. It seems pretty fast and awesome, however , when I am connected to WIFI, and try to browse in the market, it acts like theres no connectivity. I can browse the web pretty fast when this problem is occuring, then when I disable the WIFI it works. Ive worked for Comcast for five years and I have lots of experience dealing with this kind of stuff, so I know its not the router. Anyone else having this issue?
a fat Samoan said:
I just bought the new Droid Rzr today. It seems pretty fast and awesome, however , when I am connected to WIFI, and try to browse in the market, it acts like theres no connectivity. I can browse the web pretty fast when this problem is occuring, then when I disable the WIFI it works. Ive worked for Comcast for five years and I have lots of experience dealing with this kind of stuff, so I know its not the router. Anyone else having this issue?
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Click to collapse
I kinda have the same issue with you. I think it could be my router because out of the 3 routers that I have tried, only 1 is experiencing this problem. And only with the Razr that this happens. Something to do with the router and the phone settings? Anyone knows what might be the problem?
voxigenboy said:
I am on a Rezound and this phone is nice, but it has its share of issues(audio hiss/buzz when aux/headphones plugged in, dead pixels, overheating/freezing) & all are known issues.
I have until Friday to do an exchange with Best Buy. Was considering holding out for the Nexus but due to delay after delay I have my doubts it'll be out before Friday. That being the case, I'm seriously considering a RAZR instead.
Has it been working out well for the most part? Any issues like what I'm experiencing on this Rezound? How does the battery hold out under "heavy use"?(like if I want to watch a few movies back to back). Also, for that "fuzziness" on the text/icons, is there a filter to smooth that out?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Read my Thread "Galaxy Nexus" I in general (razr) I just got word I'll have my press sample tomorrow so they are going to release after all. They should be at Best Buy tomorrow as well.
I have been a die-hard Moto fan since the original Droid, they make great devices and I've never had any issues with the ones I've owned, which include the Droid, DX, DX2 and Bionic. I also owned the Dinc (great phone), Charge (only thing great about the phone was the screen, but other than that it was total garbage), Tbolt (for a short while, then gave it to the girlfriend) and now the Rezound.
I'll be honest, I do love the Rezound. It's S-off'ed, rooted, ROM'ed, everything. It's fast and has a wonderful screen. I was surprised at the call quality as well, my biggest grip with both previous HTC phones was the call quality. I currently have a Sense 4.0 ROM from Newt and it flies. However, the phone does have issues of it's own.
The screen is not durable at all, I actually had to go and buy a quality screen protector after I managed to scratch the screen the first day, never had any issues with GG-equipped devices.
The build quality isn't exactly great compared to even the Tbolt, that thing was rock solid, so was the Droid and DX.
The red capacitive buttons are nice, but I've had to take the phone apart and recolor the LED bulbs red because the buttons turned pink (common issue), and it's hard to run a nice theme other than red because the colors conflict easily.
The recessed buttons on the top and sides are difficult to press at times, which can be frustrating especially with a case on the phone.
Bluetooth is almost non-functioning in ICS. It ran fine on GB with my Mitsubishi Lancer's stock audio system over bluetooth, but ever since ICS it doesn't work at all. I've tried the Tbolt, Droid and a friend's Razr, they all work perfectly. The Rezound, not so much. And after how well the phone runs on ICS, I can't go back to GB and be content with it.
Now, the Bluetooth is kind of important because I am in the process of being hired for a law enforcement agency in the DC area, and it requires me to drive into DC everyday and it's a hands-free zone. I'd like to be able to stream my music library and calls in my car, but currently I can't and that's a problem. Also, with this possible job opportunity comes the need for durable equipment, and I'm sorry to say the Rezound does not feel like it would hold up to a drop on the hard ground even with a good case on it. I also need something that has excellent call quality, excellent radios and very reliable. Out of the three possibilities that Verizon currently offers, the Razr seems like it would be perfect. After owning a Samsung and being unhappy with it, as well as seeing the horror from the Gnex, I won't even consider the GS3. My girlfriend even had the Fascinate and she hated it as well.
It's hard to consider getting a different device that isn't as dev-friendly, and doesn't have as nice of a display (that 720p has grown on me a lot). Granted, I played with both the Razr and Rezound at several stores and the experiences were pretty much the same at each store. They're both great phones in the end, but despite the locked internals, I've always had good luck with my Motorola devices. The screen isn't all THAT bad on the Razr, it beats the crap out of the nasty screens they put on the Bionic and X2.
I guess I'm just conflicted with a decision to either keep the Rezound, or go for a Razr Maxx. I know more phones are coming soon, but I need to get something that will last me a while. The modding of kernels, radios, OS's and whatnot is fun, but time consuming and free time is something that I won't have much of anymore. As long as I can theme the Razr, make it faster and be sure it has excellent wireless connections, I'll be happy.
Sorry for the long post...
The MAXX is a great phone. With the official ICS having been released last week, it's just gotten better. In the end it's entirely personal preference though. The screen is perfectly fine and clear for all practical purposes. Under minimum brightness settings there may be dark blotches visible in black areas of your screen, but this is extremely common and due to the screen type. It doesn't indicate any problems with the device nor will it be visible under screen brightnessess above like 15%. Personally I say go for it :good:
I have first hand experience on this topic, so I will dive in.
I too owned a Rezound and was reasonably happy with it. But ever since I got the Rezound (about 6 months ago), I could never understand or get over how sluggish the phone felt to me. With or without being rooted, GB was extremely choppy on homescreen scrolling. Way too much lag for the specs of the phone. So it was obviously a Sense thing.
I of course rooted it right away. And I can tell you that I tried every single ROM available for that phone and none of them ran the phone like I felt it should. That was GB, ICS and 4.0 ROM's. The Ultrasmooth tweak smoothed out the homescreen lag, but the overall phone felt sluggish too. Just in opening apps and all of that.
Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying the phone was super slow or anything. But just slower than what it should be with the specs.
Fast forward to a few weeks ago and I sold my Rezound and picked up a Maxx locally off someone. I'm not looking back. This phone is great! Battery life is all it's cracked up to be and everything just runs smoother. Everything is snappier compared to the Rezound.
In the end, I would highly recommend making the switch. Just my opinion.
Feel free to ask me any questions.
WizeGuyDezignz said:
I have first hand experience on this topic, so I will dive in.
I too owned a Rezound and was reasonably happy with it. But ever since I got the Rezound (about 6 months ago), I could never understand or get over how sluggish the phone felt to me. With or without being rooted, GB was extremely choppy on homescreen scrolling. Way too much lag for the specs of the phone. So it was obviously a Sense thing.
I of course rooted it right away. And I can tell you that I tried every single ROM available for that phone and none of them ran the phone like I felt it should. That was GB, ICS and 4.0 ROM's. The Ultrasmooth tweak smoothed out the homescreen lag, but the overall phone felt sluggish too. Just in opening apps and all of that.
Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying the phone was super slow or anything. But just slower than what it should be with the specs.
Fast forward to a few weeks ago and I sold my Rezound and picked up a Maxx locally off someone. I'm not looking back. This phone is great! Battery life is all it's cracked up to be and everything just runs smoother. Everything is snappier compared to the Rezound.
In the end, I would highly recommend making the switch. Just my opinion.
Feel free to ask me any questions.
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Awesome, I was hoping a former Rezound owner would chime in.
You know, I completely understand what you're saying about the sluggishness. While the phone isn't slow by any means, it does indeed have some "twitching" at times, and I want to say it has something to do with either the 720p resolution, the graphics chip, or both. Perhaps it's the fact that Sense is embedded into the OS and there's no way to run AOSP/AOKP as of right now, and we all know that Sense is a resource hog. There's no way the 1.5ghz dual core processor is slow, it's quick to open apps and whatnot, but your right it's definitely a little sluggish at times. And I understand no phone is perfect. Even the iTurd gets hung up as well. I even loaded Go Launcher up on the two test phones I mentioned in my first post, and the Razr just seemed to rock right through it with hardly any lag or sluggishness, whereas I can see it on the Rezound.
triton302 said:
Awesome, I was hoping a former Rezound owner would chime in.
You know, I completely understand what you're saying about the sluggishness. While the phone isn't slow by any means, it does indeed have some "twitching" at times, and I want to say it has something to do with either the 720p resolution, the graphics chip, or both. Perhaps it's the fact that Sense is embedded into the OS and there's no way to run AOSP/AOKP as of right now, and we all know that Sense is a resource hog. There's no way the 1.5ghz dual core processor is slow, it's quick to open apps and whatnot, but your right it's definitely a little sluggish at times. And I understand no phone is perfect. Even the iTurd gets hung up as well. I even loaded Go Launcher up on the two test phones I mentioned in my first post, and the Razr just seemed to rock right through it with hardly any lag or sluggishness, whereas I can see it on the Rezound.
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Yeah, you're right. It's not that the Rezound was a slow phone, but it felt like it which always irritated me. Sense is probably most of the culprit.
Just FYI, if you get a Razr or Maxx. Try Launcher Pro. This phone absolutely flies with that launcher!
WizeGuyDezignz said:
Yeah, you're right. It's not that the Rezound was a slow phone, but it felt like it which always irritated me. Sense is probably most of the culprit.
Just FYI, if you get a Razr or Maxx. Try Launcher Pro. This phone absolutely flies with that launcher!
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I will take that into consideration should I choose to buy one.
Good news is my girlfriend was eligible for an upgrade yesterday, right before this whole "share everything" went live, so she was able to preserve her unlimited data. Me, not so lucky anymore for discounted upgrades. Anyway, she decided to get a 16gb Razr in blue, so once it arrives I will be testing the crap out of it to see how well it does, especially bluetooth. If everything goes well, then I will fork out the money for one and sell the Rezound.
triton302 said:
I will take that into consideration should I choose to buy one.
Good news is my girlfriend was eligible for an upgrade yesterday, right before this whole "share everything" went live, so she was able to preserve her unlimited data. Me, not so lucky anymore for discounted upgrades. Anyway, she decided to get a 16gb Razr in blue, so once it arrives I will be testing the crap out of it to see how well it does, especially bluetooth. If everything goes well, then I will fork out the money for one and sell the Rezound.
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Just FYI about bluetooth and the Razr/Maxx.....I just recently got a brand new Ford Focus with Sync and MyFord Touch and the Maxx works beautifully on bluetooth with the system. So I think you will be good on the bluetooth front.
But please note that I am still on Gingerbread. Things can change on ICS, but I highly doubt it.
Check the sig.
The Razr is the better phone of the two. If the bootloader was unlocked I would say the Maxx is w/out a doubt the best phone to date....overall.
You guys are making my wallet run and hide, lol. But I do appreciate the input. Hopefully the gf's Razr arrives tomorrow so I can play around with it.
triton302 said:
You guys are making my wallet run and hide, lol. But I do appreciate the input. Hopefully the gf's Razr arrives tomorrow so I can play around with it.
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I too have used both phones. I can tell you that the RAZR MAXX wins hands down. IMHO. I bought the MAXX on it's release day and bought a Rezound off CL. I just switched my SIM card (had to use an adapter) between the two. Didn't care for the way the Rezound was built. From the recessed buttons, raised screen frame, poor battery life, and Sense. The only thing I did like was the unlock ring, that would allow you to camera/text/phone/unlock. I really like that Moto kinda copied this with the new unlock key on ICS. Don't know if you buy from CL, or pay full retail, but you will be happy with the RAZR MAXX.
WizeGuyDezignz said:
Just FYI about bluetooth and the Razr/Maxx.....I just recently got a brand new Ford Focus with Sync and MyFord Touch and the Maxx works beautifully on bluetooth with the system. So I think you will be good on the bluetooth front.
But please note that I am still on Gingerbread. Things can change on ICS, but I highly doubt it.
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Yep the Razr should work excellently on bluetooth as it has BT 4.0 capability. Awesome phones...
Bought my girlfriend a Maxx several months ago, she loves it. It works well with Bluetooth in my Mazda 3. She is a medical student, spend all day in a hospital, and if you work in a hospital (i do too) you'll know that your phone is constantly reaching for a signal through thick walls all day. She comes home with 70% battery after 12-16 hour shifts. She has a Charge previously, horrid horrid phone, i rooted it, but that thing was beyond help. With her Maxx, she doesn't even want me to root it or change it bc she loves it so much. No ICS yet, but I'm sure it will just be a better experience for her. Personally, i wouldn't take anything over my Galaxy Nexus, especially now that I'm running Jellybean, and i recommend the Nexus, pure Google is the way to go, this is my first Nexus device, and i will always have one now. If i could keep the slim profile of my phone and get the 3300 mah battery, it would be perfect, battery life my only complaint. Point of my ramblings i guess, personally, i recommend the Galaxy Nexus, but the Maxx is a hell of a phone, solid build, comparable specs, astonishing battery life. It's all personal choice, but if i was in the market for a phone right now, the Maxx would be my number 2 pick, hand down.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
evltwn72 said:
I too have used both phones. I can tell you that the RAZR MAXX wins hands down. IMHO. I bought the MAXX on it's release day and bought a Rezound off CL. I just switched my SIM card (had to use an adapter) between the two. Didn't care for the way the Rezound was built. From the recessed buttons, raised screen frame, poor battery life, and Sense. The only thing I did like was the unlock ring, that would allow you to camera/text/phone/unlock. I really like that Moto kinda copied this with the new unlock key on ICS. Don't know if you buy from CL, or pay full retail, but you will be happy with the RAZR MAXX.
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If i'm going to buy a phone that I want to take care of, I buy it brand new. I've had too many CL and ebay phones, never again. But I agree with you on some of the points about the Rezound.
pjcons said:
Yep the Razr should work excellently on bluetooth as it has BT 4.0 capability. Awesome phones...
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Awesome, thanks!
jprakes said:
Bought my girlfriend a Maxx several months ago, she loves it. It works well with Bluetooth in my Mazda 3. She is a medical student, spend all day in a hospital, and if you work in a hospital (i do too) you'll know that your phone is constantly reaching for a signal through thick walls all day. She comes home with 70% battery after 12-16 hour shifts. She has a Charge previously, horrid horrid phone, i rooted it, but that thing was beyond help. With her Maxx, she doesn't even want me to root it or change it bc she loves it so much. No ICS yet, but I'm sure it will just be a better experience for her. Personally, i wouldn't take anything over my Galaxy Nexus, especially now that I'm running Jellybean, and i recommend the Nexus, pure Google is the way to go, this is my first Nexus device, and i will always have one now. If i could keep the slim profile of my phone and get the 3300 mah battery, it would be perfect, battery life my only complaint. Point of my ramblings i guess, personally, i recommend the Galaxy Nexus, but the Maxx is a hell of a phone, solid build, comparable specs, astonishing battery life. It's all personal choice, but if i was in the market for a phone right now, the Maxx would be my number 2 pick, hand down.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
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Well I don't want the GN simply because my experience with Samsung phones has been horrible, both the Charge and my gf's Fascinate. Plus, I really didn't like the call quality from any of the GN's I tested, and the fact that I can't use my 64gb SDcard is a huge no-no. I'm also looking for something great on battery life, which is why I'm considering the Maxx. But thank you though!
No problem, like i said, not dogging the Maxx at all, if there was no nexus, i would have the Maxx with out question. Good luck, with ICS, it will be a great phone.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
Well, the girlfriend's Razr showed up yesterday, did some testing on GB and then installed ICS. Man, I didn't think this phone would be this great. The bluetooth was great on GB, connected up to my car with no problems, and it actually got better with ICS.
I think I'm sold on a Maxx now.
After dealing with the incompetent jackasses at the Verizon store at Fair Oaks Mall in Fairfax, VA, I decided just to call customer service and buy one. Should be here Monday or Tuesday.
triton302 said:
After dealing with the incompetent jackasses at the Verizon store at Fair Oaks Mall in Fairfax, VA, I decided just to call customer service and buy one. Should be here Monday or Tuesday.
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I REALLY like my local Verizon store. It's this rare gem on a beach of fools gold. I've bought all my phones there for over 10 years. But, they simply couldn't help me with a new phone this time. I was nearing the upgrade date, but was going to be out of town when it hit and I wanted a new phone before I left. No dice. Then, Verizon had a sale on all 4G LTE smart phones on their website. $100 off. This was actually better than waiting for my upgrade discount. I went to the store, said I'd rather buy from them than online and asked if they could match it- they said no way. So, I bought it online, get it 2 days later, activated it myself with no drama and was good to go.