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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
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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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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.
Okay, trying to find out all of the relevant things about this phone is a lot more difficult that it sounds, getting some real world experiences from the XDA community makes more sense. I am coming from a Samsung Vibrant, a device still without 2.3 from the manufacturer, that has always had pretty bad GPS, and leaves a lot to be desired..
Feel free to offer any of the positives/negatives you've found switching from your old device, compare, contrast.. anything goes. A few of my specific questions:
Battery life? Under heavy use, not just because you have a million apps with notifications every 5 minutes..
The ease of rooting and recovering if something goes wrong? I've never came close to bricking my old phone, but we have software we can flash(odin) the original software with in download mode-- does this phone have protections like that?
Development and community support? I've never owned an HTC, so I am wondering if they are better about updating devices? Does the dev community here have difficulty getting drivers and such to create new roms(or upgrade to ICS)?
Think about the concerns you had before you upgraded to this phone(for those who actually think things out, not the "oh, shiney!" crowd), did this phone fill your expectations, is there another phone you wish you had bought(or one coming out you would hold out for) that works with T-mobile?
The only thing this phone seems to be missing is NFC, and I'm unsure about how the screen quality is versus my amoled galaxy S. The only other phone I'd consider that is out now is the S II, but something about it leaves me underwhelmed..
Please, be positive, no flaming, no telling me I should spend hours/days using search to find outdated answers to my questions- this has the potential to help other people considering the device!
Silentbtdeadly said:
Okay, trying to find out all of the relevant things about this phone is a lot more difficult that it sounds, getting some real world experiences from the XDA community makes more sense. I am coming from a Samsung Vibrant, a device still without 2.3 from the manufacturer, that has always had pretty bad GPS, and leaves a lot to be desired..
Feel free to offer any of the positives/negatives you've found switching from your old device, compare, contrast.. anything goes. A few of my specific questions:
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See my signature. This phone suits my needs. The others have been good for what I needed them for (Sensation: similar but the Amaze has better everything; more RAM, better backlit illuminated camera, 2mp front camera, NFC, dedicated video/camera button), (Galaxy Note: has everything I needed, but camera was slightly slower and I have Tmobile and I couldn't handle the EDGE data only) I don't regret getting the Amaze. It is slightly heavier and thicker than the Sensation, but its solid.
Silentbtdeadly said:
Battery life? Under heavy use, not just because you have a million apps with notifications every 5 minutes..
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Battery life is not that great if you are a power user. I have 3 batteries and it gets me through the day. I usually do not need to use the 3rd battery. I use the phone for practically everything. Gaming: Shadowgun 30mins-45mins, texting: 30-50 msg, Netflix streaming: Yo Gabba Gabba 30mins, Music playing via bluetooth headphone 1hr at the gym, phone calls via car bluetooth for 30mins, regular phone calls 30mins-1hr, surfing the web 20-40mins, xda forum for 30-40mins. With all those things, I use 2 batteries. If I cut the activities in half, I can use 1battery and it will last me around 12-14hrs. (My rooted sensation did better at 16hrs, but I don't mind the 2hrs sacrifice)
Silentbtdeadly said:
The ease of rooting and recovering if something goes wrong? I've never came close to bricking my old phone, but we have software we can flash(odin) the original software with in download mode-- does this phone have protections like that?
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use the search button: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1324177
Silentbtdeadly said:
Development and community support? I've never owned an HTC, so I am wondering if they are better about updating devices? Does the dev community here have difficulty getting drivers and such to create new roms(or upgrade to ICS)?
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This phone is roughly a little over a month old. Don't expect the community to be brimming with new things, especially with the announcement of ICS. Most developers do not want to dev something that will last only 2 months and then have replaced by a totally new firmware (ICS). So there will be a slight lull during this couple of months. But there are some great developers like Xboarder56, NRGZ28, mike1986 and Revolution that is keep this phone relevant. I really appreciate these guys.
Silentbtdeadly said:
Think about the concerns you had before you upgraded to this phone(for those who actually think things out, not the "oh, shiney!" crowd), did this phone fill your expectations, is there another phone you wish you had bought(or one coming out you would hold out for) that works with T-mobile?
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The build quality is top notch (at least initially) for HTC phones. IMO it is definitely better than the current Samsung phones out now. The Galaxy Note was a nice phone but you can totally tell that it did not use premium material for the overall phone. The glass looked nice, but it did not have Gorilla glass.
Silentbtdeadly said:
The only thing this phone seems to be missing is NFC, and I'm unsure about how the screen quality is versus my amoled galaxy S. The only other phone I'd consider that is out now is the S II, but something about it leaves me underwhelmed..
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This phone DOES HAVE NFC. Check the specs. (Near Field Communications)
http://htc.t-mobile.com/amaze-camera-phone#/Specs
Having come from the Vibrant:
Great battery life-QS1.5.1
Great build quality
Great camera
Easy to root
Easy to backup
Easy to flash
[CWMR]
you can't really brick this phone because we're stuck with s-on. Usually bricking occurs when you mess with bootloader and radio. However, with s-on we can't change that unless its through an OTA update.
Rooting takes a minute, recovery is done with CWM recovery, so it should be familiar.
btw the vibrant sucks balls.
however the gs2 is supposedly a huge upgrade to all their crappy predecessor so you can check that out too if you're afraid of the change from samsung to htc.
You can always invest in a mytouch 4g or sensation to see how it's like. They're both AMAZING phones har har but of course they lack in hardware specs, but they're both better than any other samsung phones out there except the latest ones.
Best T-Mobile phone going right now!
Let me start by saying I have been with Android since day 1. Started with the G1, then Mytouch 3g, the Nexus One, the Vibrant, the Mytouch 4g, and now the Amaze. I have not had a problem with any HTC phones and they are all still running today. The only phone I had any issue with was the one Samsung (also still running). I am not an HTC "fanboy" if something better came along I would certainly buy that.
The Amaze is the best phone T-Mobile offers right now. Compared to your Vibrant you'll be blown away with the quality of the phone the fact that everything works as it should.
HTC has a good track record of updating their devices OS's (Even the Mytouch 3g got Froyo before the Vibrant) and they do it OTA, no Kies. HTC's have always been quickly adopted by the development community for their relative ease of rooting and overall usage of "common" hardware that allows you to make ROM's for several different devices with very little modification.
Gingerbread is not a huge leap from Froyo. Most everyday users would be hard pressed to find a real difference. What will be different is going to HTC Sense from Samsung's TouchWiz interface. This will be a case of "It's up to you" totally depends on your own personal taste. I personally couldn't stand Touchwiz.
Battery life has been a little better than my MT4g was and seems to be about on par with or maybe a little better than my Vibrant. I have not owned a phone since my Palm Treo 650 that I didn't have to charge at least daily so I don't think there will be any surprise for you here.
Lastly, the screen. It is very nice and smooth. The resolution is higher than SGS2 therefore making it very crisp. It is not AMOLED, however, so you will not have the vibrance and deep contrast of the AMO screens. Your blacks won't seem as black and your bright colors will not jump out of the screen at you like the AMO screen does. Once again this is somewhat of a personal preference but compared to the Samsung devices this may be the only slight disadvantage.
This phone has the best camera ever offered in a smart phone. It has as much or more computing power of any phone on the market. The device is very solid, it just feels high quality and it has all of the bells and whistles that any smart phone out now has including NFC. I can't imagine this phone not exceeding any expectation you would have for a smart phone, unless you need a phone with a battery that lasts several days between charges, then you my friend have un-realistic expectations. Ha!
In a nutshell..
Good -
Sharp and Bright screen. Blacks levels are ok light bleed makes it worse. Still better than GS2 screen because of sharpness and IMO color accuracy.
Very fast camera. Dedicated buttons for camera and camcorder. They also wake the phone which is a huge plus IMO.
Eye pleasing . White model looks great IMO. If this were a super light/thin phone itd be a no brainer.
Bad-
Just big , heavy, and Fn bulky. Simply doesnt feel as good as other phones in the hand.
Lack of support. I give nothing but credit for wonderful work by Xboarder and others but take a gander at GS2 forums , or when Galaxy Nexus drops there forum. I just dont expect this place to ever be buzzing with the number of great tweaks , enhancements , and features other phones may get. ICS ROMS will likely be on other phones much sooner than Amaze.
Galaxy Nexus and its HD screen are going to be available soon. Just something to consider. HD screens will be more prevalent and the Amaze fast camera and gorgeous screen wont be as impressive by weeks end.
Love my Amaze
I've had a Nexus One for over a year (prior to that it was a Droid). I've also used the original Galaxy phone as well as the Evo.
I've been waiting patiently for a Galaxy Nexus for months as a replacement for my Nexus One. After seeing the camera shots - which are identical in shot quality to the (poor) camera on my Nexus One, I knew I could not possibly get a Galaxy Nexus. For me, camera quality is very important, since my phone *IS* my point-and-shoot, and the Galaxy Nexus camera simply blows. So I gave up waiting to get a GN.
I went into the T-Mobile store to play with the GSII side by side with the Amaze. Both are very good. For me, I went with the Amaze.
1. Build quality, IMO, is top notch. Yes the phone is heavy. To me it has a really solid feel. It's like comparing a S300 Mercedes to a Fiat - both may actually provide similar reliability, but the Mercedes feels far better built.
2. The screen is excellent. I suspect the GN will be better, but side-by-side with the GSII the Amaze had the better screen IMO. The GSII's AMOLED "pops" more but the improved resolution on the Amaze made the real difference.
3. The camera on the Amaze took better photos, and I liked the software better. The flash is amazing for a camera phone.
4. Battery life has been a huge improvement over my N1/Cyanogenmod phone. In normal use I go all day easily without charging. If you aren't playing games or heavily using Maps, I suspect you'll never need to "top up."
5. Great network performance. I haven't benched the speed, but the network feels 3X faster than my N1.
6. The new Sense is much better than TouchWiz IMO.
I want to say this is some great quality feedback, definitely hit everything I asked then some. I have a multitude of reasons for wanting to upgrade from my vibrant besides the "oh, shiney!" factor. Not a huge fan of touchwhiz, poor gps performance, lack of updates, no camera button, etc.. The biggest issue I have right now is price, I'm not willing to go contract with tmobile, and I don't want to pay the current full price like I did with my vibrant-- so if anyone decides they want to get a different phone and knock a fair chunk off of their amaze to get rid of it, bookmark me(I'm looking at you deleriousbb!)
The best points for me I've read about so far:
picture quality, I do want a good camera in my phone since it is the device I have with me always, who knows how many pictures I've lost by not having a dedicated button too..
I forgot it DID have a NFC- that was the original thing I was looking for when looking for a phone, trying to find one that is a little more future proof, this phone being the only one that I could find with hardware specs that sounded good.
Hell, it even has FM radio, something I wish I had a few times now..
Heavy- I actually LIKE this, my vibrant felt far too light, I want to have a solid feeling phone, and if it can double as a brick to be used for self-defense-- so be it.
Overall this sounds like a phone worthy of upgrading to(I really want to make sure I am upgrading) from my vibrant, more or less future proof.. the only thing it doesn't have that I see in the near future is a quad core processor, and those only interest me because of the battery savings they are supposed to offer.
I don't know about the s-on thing someone mentioned, that locks the radio too? That would be the only downside I've seen so far, changing radios has been the way I get the best battery out of my phone thus far, but I suppose I can deal(and have something to research). I also don't know much about how the qHD led screen compares to the vibrant, I was looking forward to better battery life because I know amoled screens use more power than most and using black reduced that..
I guess the only question that didn't get answered is if there is a phone out or coming out that people wish they had held out for? I am not impressed by the galaxy nexus- no external sd, no camera button, lower mp camera(yes I understand better quality sensor), and a few other things.. but I am a hardware guy, and this phone is superior in specs, and the feedback makes me feel good about that.
Also, is there anyone who thinks they may be trying to sell their phone anytime soon? I see myself buying this used rather than going contract(I hate contracts), so I am going to have to wait till there is a price I like more..
Thanks again everyone for the great info, besides everything about the phone that sounded so great, it sounds like you guys are pretty friendly, supportive, and overall helpful!
Check out XDA's market there are some pretty cheap phones there. usually range about $400 for amaze. So you can sell your vibrant for iono $150? on CL and pay $250 more for an amaze.. on contract you already pay $200?
So anyways I actually have a gs2 in hand right now so i'll add some things, although it is similar to what manmythlegend said.
the gs2's connectivity is actually on par with the amaze. I would say amaze's gps is slightly faster but gs2's wifi connectivity is a bit stronger and has quicker connection time.
amaze's camera is better, GS2 appears to have more options on the camera and has their own scenes to choose from, BUT it does not compare to the amaze's scenes at all. BTW I love how the amaze's dedicated button works even when phone is locked.
Screen. the super amoled compared to the amaze's screen reminds me of mt4g good and bad displays. gs2 looks awesome when you view it from every angle. Amaze reminds me of an old LCD when you view from different angles the blacks become like gray. However, I hate how gs2 looks all stretched out and it's not as sharp. think iphone 2-3 vs iphone 4. Amaze is defintely more uhh pretty, its like the UI and icons actually pop out at you compared to gs2' where everything looks blended in a bit.
Another factor, I do not like gs2's blue tint when viewing websites or anything with a white background, it actually feels bad for my eyes. oh and amaze's color seems to be more true.
But remember this, Amaze's battery right now is SO SO, so if you're a heavy user make sure to carry a spare or your charger around.
This may seem like a bias review, but I'm actually pointing out what I normally use on a daily basis that the gs2 would not do for me as the amaze would.
keypoints
1. CAMERA (love amaze's camera and its scenes)
2. Web browsing or anything that has to do with a white background (XDA APP ahem), blue tint is no go for me..
3. base on user preference. I like the weight of the amaze. It tells me that my phone is in my pocket and that it's sturdy to carry around. The amaze's curve body makes it feels better in my hand.
There's something about the gs2 that just doesn't feel right. probably the width or depth of the phone, not exactly sure. I have about an average adult male size hands and the width of the phone might be the thing that is bothering me or that it's actually too thin that makes it feel weird, idk grip both phones, you'll see what i mean.
things that will bother you on the amaze:
the light bleed from the bottom (fixed with screen filter or other ways) and possibly the mediocre battery life.
GREAT GREAT reviews here. Just what I was looking for.
My G2 has some wear and tear and TMo said they would do an early upgrade where I could get the Amaze for $250. I went to the store and played with the Amaze, and it was a pretty nice looking phone at face value.
I, too, wanted to wait for the Galaxy Nexus to drop on TMo, but I despise Samsung. If I had to use Odin every time I flash, I'd be pissed. HTC is perfect for people who love to flash roms, and I am that guy.
Really thinking I should do this...only thing that had me thinking, was whoever said that development for this phone would be weak. xboarder is a BEASt, though - dude was in the G2 forum for a few months and had things going.
Should I do this?
enserio said:
GREAT GREAT reviews here. Just what I was looking for.
My G2 has some wear and tear and TMo said they would do an early upgrade where I could get the Amaze for $250. I went to the store and played with the Amaze, and it was a pretty nice looking phone at face value.
I, too, wanted to wait for the Galaxy Nexus to drop on TMo, but I despise Samsung. If I had to use Odin every time I flash, I'd be pissed. HTC is perfect for people who love to flash roms, and I am that guy.
Really thinking I should do this...only thing that had me thinking, was whoever said that development for this phone would be weak. xboarder is a BEASt, though - dude was in the G2 forum for a few months and had things going.
Should I do this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the SGS2 uses CWM recovery to flash too, you only need odin to install the recovery, after that you're golden.
I'm testing out the sgs2 for the day, and i'll update my opinion on it by the end of the day... so far battery life is good, camera is definitely no comparison to amaze, camcorder seems better though. wifi and bt connectivity is definitely stronger and connection time is quicker on the sgs2. HD games, amaze is better (more details). anything with fonts/texts goes to amaze.
It does support NFC btw, and also AT&T 4G bands.
Screen resolution is great, and its better than the S-AMOLED of the SGSII (which has some discoloration issues it seems).
The SGSII S-AMOLED has a very bright and saturated screen so the colors are shot at you, but if you are a pro as I think you are, and not a "oh, shiny!" fella... You know that definition is better and more important than brightness.
Unless you don't care, then that's different.
4G on the phone is pretty fast, and so its installing apps.
The 1.5 dual-core does not score that high on quadrant as the SGSII (especially the Exynos) does, but you know that they are to be taken with grano salis, and in everyday usage its pretty fast.
Camera is amazing, period.
Video quality is great, but sound recording should be much better on a device like this.
The HTC phone itself however, does have downsides:
Reception (its fair, but not amazing).
Battery, with heavy usage on 4G, will last you few hours. On 2G, a bit more. Phone does get warm by the way. Its not something that should worry you, but it is bothersome when you are on the phone playing a video or what have ya, you get a phone call and have to talk to a distance of the device.
The worst aspect is the earpiece. It is UTTER TRASH. It literally silences itself when you talk, and will "turn on" when the other party speaks, however, when that occurs, it will "eat" the first few milliseconds and you will get a broken up phrase (from the other party), 99.9% of the times. Seems to be an HTC issue btw.
The touchscreen is tricky. It seems pretty responsive overall, but I did have doubts sometimes. But overall no big issues for me so far.
The phone also does have an heft. It doesn't seem that big a deal, until you place this 4.3" monster phone in your pocket. Its bothersome, at least to me.
Final words: I am trying to sell the HTC Amaze 4G. It is a great media device, but an horrible communication device. This solely depends on you. I have been using a BB 9700 for the past two years and I went back to it after 8 days of impossible phone calls with the Amaze, battery that lasts nothing (on the Amaze of course), and I personally suck and can't stand typing on screens. Sure, the Amaze thrashes my 9700 on so many levels, but for what I need, the 9700 does a far superior job than the Amaze.
Hope this helped.
Capitan Totti said:
The worst aspect is the earpiece. It is UTTER TRASH. It literally silences itself when you talk, and will "turn on" when the other party speaks, however, when that occurs, it will "eat" the first few milliseconds and you will get a broken up phrase (from the other party), 99.9% of the times. Seems to be an HTC issue btw.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sounds like you have a defected phone or earpiece. From what I know the amaze doesn't come with an earpiece. I use my old mytouch 4g one and i do not get this issue. well good luck with your deals!
edit: that sounded sarcastic lol, I wasn't trying to be haha
The reception on my amaze is light years ahead of my old samsung galaxy s 4g. I would have one bar on the highway to town and the amaze has a full signal. (2g) just amazing.
The worst aspect is the earpiece. It is UTTER TRASH. It literally silences itself when you talk, and will "turn on" when the other party speaks, however, when that occurs, it will "eat" the first few milliseconds and you will get a broken up phrase (from the other party), 99.9% of the times. Seems to be an HTC issue btw.
I don't have this issue at all. It sounds to me (like someone else mentioned) like you have a defective Amaze.
Teo032 said:
Sounds like you have a defected phone or earpiece. From what I know the amaze doesn't come with an earpiece. I use my old mytouch 4g one and i do not get this issue. well good luck with your deals!
edit: that sounded sarcastic lol, I wasn't trying to be haha
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
By earpiece I mean the speaker part.
FranzDages said:
The worst aspect is the earpiece. It is UTTER TRASH. It literally silences itself when you talk, and will "turn on" when the other party speaks, however, when that occurs, it will "eat" the first few milliseconds and you will get a broken up phrase (from the other party), 99.9% of the times. Seems to be an HTC issue btw.
I don't have this issue at all. It sounds to me (like someone else mentioned) like you have a defective Amaze.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So, what do I do now? Can I go back to the store and try another one? And see if its defective or not?
Capitan Totti said:
By earpiece I mean the speaker part.
So, what do I do now? Can I go back to the store and try another one? And see if its defective or not?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You should have a minimum of 14 days to exchange it from where you purchased it. After that you might have to send it in to HTC for repair/replacement.
enserio said:
GREAT GREAT reviews here. Just what I was looking for.
My G2 has some wear and tear and TMo said they would do an early upgrade where I could get the Amaze for $250. I went to the store and played with the Amaze, and it was a pretty nice looking phone at face value.
I, too, wanted to wait for the Galaxy Nexus to drop on TMo, but I despise Samsung. If I had to use Odin every time I flash, I'd be pissed. HTC is perfect for people who love to flash roms, and I am that guy.
Really thinking I should do this...only thing that had me thinking, was whoever said that development for this phone would be weak. xboarder is a BEASt, though - dude was in the G2 forum for a few months and had things going.
Should I do this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You have obviously owned a Nexus S. We don't use Odin. Anyone who uses Odin on any Nexus (from Samsung) is a moron. Rooting and flashing recovery is all performed via fastboot and then make a clockwork backup like normal. The Galaxy Nexus will be the same way. All you need is fastboot.
Sent from my Nexus S using xda premium
Capitan Totti said:
So, what do I do now? Can I go back to the store and try another one? And see if its defective or not?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep if you can't exchange at store anymore then call Tmobile to do an exchange.
Sent from my HTC Amaze 4G using XDA App
14 days are now gone guys...
And when I went back and told them, they said that I had to pay $50 dollars... which I found ridiculous... So I didn't do anything apart from trying to sell the phone.
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.
Click to expand...
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.
Click to expand...
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
Click to expand...
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 =]
Click to expand...
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
Click to expand...
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
Click to expand...
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?
Click to expand...
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.
Are the majority of the owners of the rezound happy, and if you had to do it again, would you purchase the same phone? Looking at getting the rezound
Thanks
Yes I would this phone is the best when it comes to gaming but the battery life suck, unless you have the extended battery which is 50% off. But just to sum it up yes, yes I would.
Best phone for Verizon hands down. Only thing close to being at par with the Rezound is the Nexus and that's just software. Hardware wise, not even close.
Sent from my Htc Rezound
Follow me on twitter @lmrtech
I would buy again in a heartbeat. It's been nothing but good for 3 + months.
same for me. I pretty much have always stuck with HTC devices
Hello,
Yes I am VERY happy and would do it again! Plus I got mine while it was on sale for $49.99 online
Seriously though Im very happy with the screen and camera which were things I really look for in a phone. My previous android was the droid X, I honestly didnt think it was bad (I was on a rom) but I HATED!!!! the camera.
If you get it you will be happy.
Yes, I would
I went from Incredible to Incredible2, then Rezound.
I like the hand feel of the Rezound best. Easy to locate
in pockets, easy to use, and soon likely to have Ice Cream
Sandwich, making it about perfect.
YES, I would buy it again best phone i ever owned
Perhaps, it certainly is a good device, I just feel it is a poor fit for me. I'm actually looking for a trade for the GNexus right now.
Extremely happy with the phone, would choose it over any other on the market atm. Signal is strong where all other phones fail where I live... Really I just hate the carrier, Verizon themselves lol.
I love this phone. When I purchased it, I was contemplating the G Nexus, Moto Razr and this one. The processor specs were the same for the most part, but what stood apart was either ICS on the Nexus, but no removable memory, or no ICS goodies for the Rezound, but removable memory. Of course with any good Android device the developer following was gonna be good so I went with the rezound. Haven't regretted it yet. Also I came from the Droid X as well and before that the OG Droid all had custom Roms and Kernels as will any Android phone purchased in my future.
I also love it! It took three replacements but I finally have one that plays nice with me xP
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using Tapatalk 2
I love the rezound, but I wouldn take again, because I'm a gsm user
Sent from my Htc Rezound using XDA
No question. IMHO it is STILL the best phone VZW offers at the moment.
Only downside is the screen scratches easily. Get a protector. Runs a little hot too.
I researched the galaxy nexus, razor, and rezound for a month straight. I picked the rezound and I'm very proud of my decision. Best part is the screen. Not only is it extremely clear, but it scrolls smoother than any other android phone I've seen. Just don't play any games with high graphics and your phone will last you a whole day!
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using XDA
rcavalier3 said:
I researched the galaxy nexus, razor, and rezound for a month straight. I picked the rezound and I'm very proud of my decision. Best part is the screen. Not only is it extremely clear, but it scrolls smoother than any other android phone I've seen. Just don't play any games with high graphics and your phone will last you a whole day!
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using XDA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did very much the same. My two choices were either the HTC Rezound or Galaxy Nexus. I researched and went in to Verizon to play with both phones. Sure, the Nexus has a slightly larger screen, but the phone was held together by duct tape in the store. It just felt flimsy to me. The Rezound, on the other hand... ahhhh... I knew she was going to be mine the moment she touched my hand...
I would choose Rezound over and over again. I have never loved a phone so much. LOL
Yes
Agreed with most here, it is my favorite on V right now for these reasons:
Best Screen - 720p, not pen-tile and best pixel density of any phone, on any carrier...
SD card support - gnex and other ICS phones are dropping this feature for some reason
Dimensions - smaller screen dimensions than other top-end devices (yes, that is a plus for me... if I wanted a tablet to hold to my ear I'd buy one, lol)
Headphones - they don't suck (not something you normally say about any bundled 'phones)
Powerful - the dual core 1.5Ghz keeps things on par with gnex and any other contemporary
Out of each of those, the screen is hands-down the biggest asset. It is a amazing. Great to watch movies on when traveling. I can't say enough about the pixel density. From the endgaget review (silly link restriction): "And not only does the Rezound beat the iPhone's display soundly, it does so with a larger screen size. Rivals such as the Vivid and Droid RAZR are left in the dust."
The only downers from my perspective are it's not as thin as some (like the gnex) even though it is smaller screen it is heavier than some too. (only slightly) The positives above more than outweigh these though.
The ICS update was solid, but the rom scene showed (especially BAMF 2.1 version) how awesome batt life can be on it. Simply amazing.
You know, it would still be a tough choice between the Rezound and the Galaxy Nexus again (mainly because I dislike manufacturer skins).
But when it comes down to it, I probably would buy the Rezound again. It's a great all-around phone and gets much better battery life than I expected it would. Also, the iBeats were a nice inclusion.
There is no other phone but the Rezound. I haven't even looked at the One. I imagine at some point there will be another phone that draws my eye, but I am really surprised by the fact that no other super-phones have really been announced.
Love this phone.
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using Tapatalk 2
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.