Firstly, let me preface this article by stating that I have been an avid HTC owner for nearly a decade. That said, I have always been partial and loyal to the HTC brand from PPC to WP7; So, when it came to my first Android device the stars aligned and the HTC Vivid became the first Android device I personally purchased. I have several Android Devices, all slates, and as a road warrior I missed having a device with a hardware keyboard.
As far as AT&T's Android line up, there isn't much choice in the upper mid-level to high end device line up that includes a keyboard. A family member on Verizon recently purchased a Samsung Stratosphere & I was underwhelmed to say the least. Naturally I was hesitant when the Captivate Glide was released. I gave my SkyRocket as a gift & stuck with the Vivid, even though community development was stifled, because the Vivid just is built solidly & overall a superior device in my view.
Recently, I picked up a Samsung Captivate Glide as it was the first Android Device at AT&T with a hardware keyboard and decent specs.
At first touch, I was immediately reminded of the different materials used in manufacturing and I prepared to be disappointed as the Glide just felt cheap to me because of the plasticity. I am a tall guy with big hands & like a solid feel, even a little heft in my device designs. This is one of the reasons I truly enjoy the HTC Vivid, it's fresh, elegant, solid and minimalist design. The pure elegance in it's simplicity along with it's solid frame and metallic back was refreshing to me in a world of soft touch plastic coated devices & chromed plastic bezels.
While the Captivate Glide definitely is part of the standard light plastic design of recent Samsung devices, what's inside is just as important, if not more so, to many users. In this, I must admit, I was pleasantly surprised with Glide. While it is not the hottest eye grabber on the market, it outperforms many devices and is in my opinion the best qwerty slider on the market.
While I wish the back cover wasn't a truly flimsy piece of plastic with small hook tabs, the rest of the device, including the slide mechanism, is decently constructed. The device display is amazing in low light environments, particularly when viewing dark colors. The biggest disappointment regarding the display is that it is only 4 inches. It would have been really nice to have a 4.3 or even a 4.5 inch display.
Aside from the items I mentioned above, there are also some real pros on the list, some of which you just won't find on any HTC device.
I'll start with one of the most important features/accessories, that truly affects everything with the device...The battery.
While both the Vivid & the Glide come with a 1650mah l-ion battery, the Glide gets more time and use out of it's 3.7 volts than the Vivid by a matter of several hours if properly configured.
The camera (front 2.3MP and back 8MP) is nice and fast and equal to the camera on the Vivid or Rezound. It also captures 720p video.
The display has both pros and cons, being amoled. While there is no doubt it saves power over super LCD, bright light colors sometimes get washed out & light letters on a light background can be difficult to read at times. This is particularly evident outside on a sunny day. For the most part though, the display is sharp with wonderful contrast. The 4 inch screen size however makes no sense to me, especially when the device is DIVX HD certified & can easily handle heavily coded DIVX and XVID files at a resolution of 720p.
The device is powered with a 1GHz dual core Tegra 2. Video and games perform admirably while watching HD content or heavily encoded music files.
Another pro, the Glide will natively handle heavily encoded .flac files, unlike HTC, as well as all the other popular media codecs.
Another really great feature, the wifi radio, is wireless-n capable on both 2.4 and 5.0GHz frequencies which is nice when watching Netflix on the tube while surfing my favorite sites. The wireless range is about equal to the HTC devices I compared, which includes a Vivid, Sensation and Rezound.
Obviously all these devices are acceptable and which is for you depends on your preferences.
I happen to like Sense, I find it intuitive & easy to use. Overall, I prefer the design and feel of the Vivid of all the devices available in todays market. But if you enjoy a smaller screen or need to have a hardware keyboard (or just like to have a qwerty backup device), I would definitely recommends looking at the Captivate Glide. It is miles away from the Stratosphere Slider and its issues.
In conclusion, if a qwerty slider is a must in your stable, the Glide nicely accommodates those users.
Now if we could just get HTC to implement some of these feature...I particularly like having the ability to use the 5GHz wifi band, since not every device can utilize it, I usually find ample bandwidth there. I also love the DIVX HD support & being able to play all my media without having to buy or download half a dozen market apps.
Related
I figure since people are talking good and bad I figure making a new thread would be best option.
I find user reviews to be the best reviews and I figure people will like this idea
Rules are simple:
1. you must already have the 3d to post
2. must post the 3 biggest pros and the 3 biggest cons
3. must post which phone you came from
4. 1-10 for initial impression
5. 1 sentance summary.
example
pros-
1: It blends
2: It knows what I want it to search before I type such in
3: Its my best friend
cons-
1: this doesnt do my laundry
2: doesnt print money
3: is not a time machine
upgraded from evo4g
1-10: 9
summary:this phone doesnt go to work for me but sure is my new bestest friend
pros-
1: Fast and smooth, no lags
2: High resolution screen
3: Battery Life
cons-
1: The Sense 3.0 carousel
2: Bloatware to the max
3: no LED screen
Hero-->Evo--> Nexus S 4g --> 3vo
1-10: 9
summary: Nice phone but lacks in the screen. Once yoou come from a nexus s or galaxy s you understand. Battery life is boss
Review Placeholder
pros-
1: It blends
2: It knows what I want it to search before I type such in
3: Its my best friend
cons-
1: this doesnt do my laundry
2: doesnt print money
3: is not a time machine
Upgraded from HeroC
1-10: 9
summary:this phone doesnt go to work for me but sure is my new bestest friend
Ive had mine since the day they made me an advocate for it at sprint which was about a week now? Im gonna break the rules a bit because people have to know what they are getting themselves into.
Pros
1. Faster -Shorter Boot Time, Faster loading of everything compared to the evo4g as expected with double the cpu, gpu, ram
2. Build QA - It just feels better all around and being that the device is a tad bit narrower easier to hold in hand.
3. Sense - I like the new shortcuts as they save time and although the animations are neat they will likely get old pretty soon like the evo4g ones did.
4. Resolution - its not really too noticeable but have those extra pixels make web browsing a little less of a scroll fess and the screen itself is very bright and clear but sadly pales to the amoled screens for videos.
Cons
1. Slow! - Still has that annoying choppy feel when using kinetic scrolling in app drawer, swiping from one window to another, web browser scrolling by comparison im doing a side by side with an epic and nexus s which both do not show this issue, 3D apps are obviously not optimized for the Areno 220 as most heavy 3d apps are sluggish vs the 540 in the samsung devices and even though its a higher res device it should not have to struggle when htc claims higher gpu through output along with a dual core cpu.
2. STILL CANNOT PLAY .MKV FILE TYPES! this is so annoying a lot of videos i download are usually .MKV packaged files and even with software renderers like rockplayer the phone displays terrible visual artifacts and out of sync play vs epic and nexus s. If I wanted to sit around and convert them to "proper" formats I would have picked up an iphone or ipad instead I like beiing able to drag and drop files and play them off the bat like on the samsung devices.
3. Camera blows - Its obvious that the processing is auto sharpening the images compared to the Evo4g but comparing it to the beauty that is the epic camera this is a downgrade the only upside is having the wonderful tactile camera button which is the best ive used on a phone. I have a real camera a canon SD1400 and a Nikon D90 but neither are portable enough for me to remember to bring them out which is why I rely on my phone for a lot of instant moment shots.
4. 3D - Plainly is terrible in fact despite all that they advertise (3d capture, record, youtube, movies, games) only the movie included seemed to really make great use of it since all the other options had the 3d settings a bit off causing headaches and blurry vision with longer than 10 minutes of usage. the spider-man game they included is a joke as it performs considerably slower than the 2d version and in most cases caused the unit to crash and power cycle if you minimized and reentered the game which I was able to reproduce 2/3 times
Neither here or there
Speed - 4g and 3g is still exactly the same and upon opening mine up its the exact same 4g wimax chip in that they use in the evo 4g
Battery - its technically a better battery however the EVO3d uses more power thus this cancels out the actual savings and imho less efficient than the evo4g
Android - although gingerbread out the door since it is not a ASOP rom no GB animations =(
Design - Great idea on the powerjack placement but the lack of kickstand saddens me as i use it quite often and dread the fact that i have to use a case to get one adding weight and bulk for no reason.
Overall you can see im not a fan of the new phone but the inner geek in me loves the new hardware under the hood but it feels like something only custom roms could really solve. Im quite shocked that the evo3d isnt really offering the 2x performance I was hoping for in android and everyday it feels like my inactive iphone4 is laughing at me having to work so hard to make android enjoyable like windows mobile 5, 5.1, 6, 6.5 did.
This phones gets a 5 From me
Current phones I bounce around Evo4g (owned since day one I rate it a 8) Epic4g (owned since day one I also rated it an 8) Nexus S4g (owned since day one rated also 8) and Evo3d (collecting dust but owned since day one rated 5) and for comparrison sake Iphone 4 ATT (was given to me as a gift despite me not actually being on ATT so I use it as a jailbroken ipod I rated a 8.5)
Due to extreme boredom at work I've decided to take a shot at a review. So here it is my official review of the Motorola Droid Razr.
After reading many bad reviews and going against my own initial choice of the HTC Rezound I decided to take a leap and pick up the Droid Razr. To say this phone is sharp is an understatement ( see what I did there? Sharp. Razr... Ok i'm done I swear) The phone is amazingly thin and very light weight. Some may find the phones width a little odd to hold but its something you get used to over time. One thing I found is that for a phone this thin the over all build quality is a step above the competition. The back is a soft touch piece of kevlar with a nice black and grey pattern. The screens glass is cut to look edged which adds a bit elegance to the shape. The screen is a very impressive quarter hd super amoled advanced screen made by Samsung. Colors are vibrant, contrast is amazing with blacks being jet black and not washed out like lcd screens. I find super amoled to be second to none on a mobile phone. Another note on the screen is that it is made of Gorilla glass. (check out peoples YouTube videos for scratch tests) lastly on the build of the phone is the splash resistant nano coating protecting the insides.... i'm not testing that lol. Motorola really went all out on the rebirth of the Razr. As for the software, I was worried about using a phone with Motoblur due to the fact that it used to slow down whatever phone it was on. Blur has been stripped down to a very subtle user interface that is very fast and manages to keep a considerable amount of eye candy. Like when you transition from screen to screen the widgets and icons gleam. Driving Android gingerbread version 2.3.5 (It will be getting 4.0 ice cream sandwich in early 2012) is a very fast 1.2ghz dual core processor and a full gigabyte of ram. As for storage you get 8 gigabytes of internal storage and a little under 3 gigabytes of application storage. The Razr includes a 16 gigabyte micro sd card for additional storage. Moving on to the camera, this is the other area reviewers knocked the phone. Yes in really low light it fails to take quality pictures. This is however a cell phone. Not a dslr camera. I found in adequate lighting the pictures were sharp and colors were accurate. The camera is also capable of recording full 1080p high definition. The front facing camera is a very nice 2 megapixel camera that can record or video chat in full 720p hd. I will be posting sample images to demonstrate. Another feature that seems to be coming standard on a lot of Motorola devices is a micro hdmi output which I frequently use for streaming Netflix on my hdtv. Last but not least is call quality and data connectivity. After all this is a phone first and foremost. Reception is probably the best I've ever gotten on a smart phone. I have yet to get no service or even dip to below 2 bars. This includes going inside places like Walmart. Calls come through loud and clear with almost no distortion and the speaker phone is loud and clear. As for data I get very good speeds on 3g and often don't bother using wifi which speaks a lot for the phone. To wrap up my review I have never been a fan of motorola and often had numerous issues with many models, however I can't deny they have some of the most solid phones build wise and they have redeemed themselves with the Droid Razr. If your holding onto a phone upgrade you won't regret getting the Razr. Only phone that I think will outshine it is the Galaxy Nexus. With the Rezound by HTC coming in a close second.
See the camera samples below.
Thanks for reading and look for my review of the Galaxy Nexus as soon as it gets a solid release date
Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk
Great review! Just made the wait for mine that much longer
Thanks i'm really enjoying the razr. I bet with ICS the phone will be a beast. I'm going to try the nexus in a Verizon store and see if I really want to exchange my razr for it.
Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk
I read that the battery cannot be removed. Would it be an issue? Because I'd like to buy a phone which I could use for some years and I'm afraid that the battery could eventually be a problem. I'm thinking about the SgsII and the Razr (I don't know if the nexus will be available in Chile) Maybe you could help me to decide (hope you're not a fanboy, and please no offense) Thanks for the review.
The__Ripper said:
I read that the battery cannot be removed. Would it be an issue? Because I'd like to buy a phone which I could use for some years and I'm afraid that the battery could eventually be a problem. I'm thinking about the SgsII and the Razr (I don't know if the nexus will be available in Chile) Maybe you could help me to decide (hope you're not a fanboy, and please no offense) Thanks for the review.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
S2's screen is terrible, low resolution, color bugs,... but S2 has a wide support community and seems smoother than Razr
Anyway, I like Razr's design, launcher UI and icons
actually I have to correct you on the S2 is bad. In fact I have both phones along with thinking about the Nexus.
The SG2 LTE I find is a great phone worked flawless from the day I bought it mostly keep it on haven't turned it off in like maybe 3 days and hasn't rebooted or powered off by itself. The screen they say is crap compared to the Razr, I have compared both I find the Razr Screen has more jaggies than the SG2. In fact the Screens are both made by Samsung and both are AMOLED. Motorola boasts that their screen is SuperAdvanceAmoled. To clairfy this AdvanceAmoled was abandoned by Samsung in favour or RGB stripe Amoled on the SG2. The Razr screen is comprised of RGBG pixels meaning there is an extra green pixel to make up an element. With this arrangement Motorola claims to have a higher resolution screen but fail to tell you that the actual pixel density isn't as high because of the use of 2 subpixels to display one element. This is my understanding you have to read on this based on Samsungs report of the Pentile display matrix. RGB stripe on the SG2 has a much cripser and more focused display than the pentile displays. So even at low resolution at 800x480 with a 4.5 inch display you would hardly notice the pixels unless you like using a magnifying glass to look at your display. The Nexus uses a Pentile display but a much newer version than what is used on the Razr. This display uses the Pentile matrix but with a much higher density and pixel count so you wouldn't see much pixelization but again how close to you actually look at your display. The truth is having a higher pixel density on a screen that is under 5 inches isn't going to matter much. Until you get to the 7 inch size then you'll start to notice the pixels I mean really how small do you want the text to be on a web page on a 4.5 inch screen or for that matter 4.3? I could barely make out text on the screen unless I actually magnify it a bit but then again I don't use one to view web pages. No bad display here and very happy with this phone SG2, seriously debating Nexus. After reading all the comments here about the Nexus I think I'll stay with the SG2 until they update it to ICS or until somethinb better comes out.
Don't get me wrong I like the Razr it has tons of great features software wise and hardware. The build quality is excellent based on the many devices I have had in the past. There is the drawback of non removable battery, but the slim design does make up for that. The camera is great and the autofocus smooth along with the video. One little issue I had was it was slow to switch from 2G to 3G or 4G when available. I find when I'm on 4G with 1 bar and it has to switch to 2G it actually shuts the network off and then connects back.
I'm sure most are correctable through software but there isn't enough to make the phone not worthy of consideration.
My Skyrocket finally died so tomorrow Im getting a new phone. I'm leaning toward the Note, but also thinking about the S3. I think you Note owners could clue me in. Thanks
Well ...
The answers here will likely sway toward the note ...and the S3 has it's fair share of issues ...(they all do )
And having no use of the S3 under my belt...I'll say this ..
Samsung built a good device here. Not great, but good. And I like it's ability to take punishment in the flashing sense.
This note is arguably unbrickable, and the phone just works.
It's not dense, it's not a powerhouse , and it's not the fastest thing on the street. But then we get to the BIG BEAUTIFUL SCREEN !!!
Sammy did good here, with the strong resolution, and gorilla 2 cover, it's a thing of beauty to look at .
All glass, all the time. And not a better view to be had at the moment. Even the note 2 won't look this good ..(fact )
So if you want a very capable , flashable device, that functions well on it's current platform ...then note 1 is it.
It's a proven device with a quality chipset, and can handle pretty much anything you can throw at it.
My only complaints are these:
No built in notification LED, and a small battery.
But honestly, a BLN app solves the first, and with the bigger battery and cover ....it's simply a surfing, movie watching, and music playing beast ...
Now get off the internet, and go buy one ...LOL
Edit: I forgot to mention the great development base, and the abundance of custom software for the note..
If you go S3 ...you'll wait a while for this level of support.
Yes I'm bias, because I know how well the note runs...(using Flappjaxxx. IMM76D UCLF6 build #5)(shameless plug for an awesome developer)
Damn nice ...g
Had a chance to play with both:
S3 is significantly faster (e.g. web browsing) and lighter. The screen seemed a bit brighter/sharper too. It can be bought with 32/64GB builtin space, before adding an extra 64GB card. Has the novetly/wow factor.
Note is best at horizontal resolution (800 vs. 720, a feat not even matched by the new Note II), and obviously screen size, and these make it most suitable for office use, web surfing and videos. S-pen comes handy for precision operations, and the hover cursor icon feels reassuring for heavy computer users. Harder to use with a single hand, if you don't have big hands. It has an extra Search button, which I find useful.
TL;DR
If you need a great tablet/computer replacement without the extra bulk, get the Note.
If you do a lot of real-time social stuff on-the-fly (e.g. Instagram), get the S3 (more nimble/agile/speedy when fractions of a second matter).
I would say get a bunk phone and wait til the galaxy note 2 comes out. It was already announced and looking at the comparison reviews the note 2 will be a lot faster and with a wider screen. Plus the 64gb capacity. I love my Note but why buy it when you can wait a little while and be set? The note 2 looks like it would be worth the wait.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I717 using xda premium
Note 2 has a taller screen, but it's _narrower_ than Note, in spite of the slightly larger diagonal (due to the different aspect ratio):
The Note screen is 2.8 inches wide (800 pixels).
The Note 2 screen is 2.7 inches wide (720 pixels).
Galaxy Note II has a much better screen than Note I.
It has a new sub pixel arrangement that enhances the color representation and offers more clarity than the original Note.
Also, the new resolution better supports movie viewing experience by offering less black area as it fits the HD movie fully to the screen.
See the preview from GSMArena on this feature. http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_note_ii_n7100-review-806p2.php
For the gadget carrier, this is a good grab. I recommend getting it from Amazon or Best Buy ($284 for 32GB).
I usually beta test iOS applications from time to time so I get some value out of owning an iPod Touch. I've honestly grown to liking it.
I've recently upgraded from the Black 4th Generation iPod Touch 8GB to a White 5th Generation 32GB model.
Owning a EVO & an iPod has allowed to juggle tasks & applications between both devices & gain more ground on the battery front for both devices.
While one is charging, I can also switch to the other. (Only recommended in WiFi areas)
Its great for those iOS exclusive moments when you need them, without giving up a superior phone experience from Android, especially as far as Google Voice is concerned.
It also kills the inner fanboy, its a healthy experience.
What I like about the 5th Gen model is:
It forces you into getting a decent amount of storage on it's lowest end configuration.
The cameras have been upgraded significantly & it is a very decent 5 megapixel shooter w/ flash.
The rear is no longer a scratch magnet.
Although the screen is bigger & the build quality is better, the device is lighter & thinner than the previous model.
Wireless performance seems to be x2 as good as before, no sure why it's significantly better but it is & shows. (VOIP / Wi-Fi Tether approved)
This charges insanely fast.
What could be a con:
If you had any Apple accessory investments, they're now screwed by the new connector.
No front mic (sure its not a phone but with Facetime present, a discreet video chat isn't possible on the iPod without headphones w/ mic.
Pricey
Color options: You can't get solid Red, Blue or Lime Green, each has a white front.
Neither Pro or Con:
Earpods (Honestly you should buy/own a pair of Shure, Klipsh, Etymotic, V-Moda etc.) I haven't used or tried them.
Lanya- *cough* "Loop".
Siri
No GPS (uses Wi-Fi triangulation?) If you're tethering to anything it's very accurate, I'm not going to use any Turn by Turn service with it though.
Maps (You have a flagship Android, you should never even open this travesty outside of jokingly playing with it, the location previews are pretty nice & the niceness ends there.)
Thanks for your input! I currently have a 32gb 4th gen black iPod Touch and my girlfriend has the white one. We are both avid Android phone users, have been since launch and never bought an iPhone, but like having the access to IOS at times. Used to be needed more as IOS had many apps/games that weren't available on Android, but Android is catching up VERY fast and I rarely even use my Touch any more! I also have a 16gb iPhone 4 that used to be on AT&T, but it's never been activated by me. I simply used it as another iPod Touch because it has the nicest screen of the two, and having the mic is nice for making free calls with Textfree(now Pinger) when my phone was charging or I was in a game and didn't want to stop playing just for a phone call.
That said, I've been considering selling both and buying the Touch 5. Just don't know if I'll use it as much as I used to use the Touch 4 and iPhone 4. Of course that's a decision I'll have to make. Also considering buying a Nexus 7 with the cash from the sales. Just not sure how much I'll put it to use either though, since I already have an Asus Infinity(TF700T) which is 10". I think I would like having a more easily portable Android tablet though, and its also made by Asus(who I love), like my Infinity and previous Prime, and has the same processor as my Infinity, just clocked to a slower speed. The development community is also great and quite large for the Nexus 7.
I've always thought the Touch 4 has a pretty nice camera. Used it more before getting the Evo 3D, and the LTE, which has a stellar camera! How does the camera of the Touch 5 compare to the 4? Also, is the display really that much nicer? Of course it's larger and has better specs, but is it that noticeable in daily use? Guess I just need to go to Best Buy with my Touch 4 and compare it to the 5.
Anyway, thanks for starting this thread, stating your thoughts, and for answering my questions.
EDIT: Sorry for the super long post!! It's just something I've been thinking about recently and this is the first time I've got it off of my chest, lol.
Sent from my EVO using xda premium
I use it more (new device syndrome) take it with a grain of salt.
The camera is literally 5 times better, its slightly better than the iPhone 4S's camera & its FF camera is better than the iPhone 5's with color.
Performance is definitely noticeable but the screen is more so, as it its the same display as the iPhone 5's screen. Unlike the 4th gen which had its own, cheaper screen.
For support sake & resale value, I highly recommend it as an upgrade.
Sent from my EVO using xda premium
Hi everyone,
I've been using an Xperia V for almost two years now, and beside the noticeable lack in oomph (old processor, too little RAM, stuck with JB 4.3), I also noticed that I use my phone for reading, messaging, photo and video much more than actual phone stuff, i.e. calling people or receiving calls. For the computer stuff I do, its 4.3 inch screen doesn't seem to cut it anymore.
So I decided that my next device will feature a substantially larger screen, but I am yet uncertain which phablet or large screen device to get. Here's what I've come up with so far. (Note: I'm specifically looking for a device that will stay with me for the next two years, as I don't believe in upgrading every year. Also, battery size is relevant, i.e. the larger the better.)
Sony Xperia Z Ultra: 6.44 inch seems a bit too large, 6 inch appears to be the ideal compromise between handling and a nice large screen experience. Also, it's 2013 technology and may not cut it in a year from now.
HTC One Max: perfect size, but mediocre camera and once again, 2013 technology. I do like the fact that HTC offers an accessory handset that you can use for calls and texting, as I'm not keen on holding a 6 inch phone to my ear, looking like a total dork.
Huawei Mate 7: seems perfect. Has up-to-date hardware, supports all LTE bands, expandable memory, 6 inch screen in a very compact body. Downside: bugs in the OS, and Huawei is taking its sweet time updating to Lollipop, which makes me afraid of what their customer service will be like in the future (one to two years from now.)
OnePlus One: appears to be a superb phone in almost all regards. Power, large screen, frequent updates, great OS, ridiculous price tag. My only worry is that 5.5 inch, though not that far from 6 inch, might be a tad too small. What are people's experiences with 5.5 and 6 inch screens respectively? Do you think that 5.5 is enough for a phablet experience? (I REALLY want a LARGE screen that's nice to browse the internet and watch videos on.)
Nexus 6: oh my. I sooo want this device. BUT: it's incredibly expensive. Shell out the big bucks for a perfect phone, or save 50% and make a compromise?
What are people's opinions? Are there any other devices you'd suggest? Please don't mention Samsung stuff, as I hate their look and feel, no matter how great the hardware.
Thanks for your input!
I have a couple of the Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 tablets are they are great!
Hm, this forum doesn't seem to see much love.
Anyway, I went with the Mate 7 and couldn't be happier. Beautiful design, great screen with the perfect size for what essentially is a tiny, portable computer, + amazing battery life.
Some issues on the software side that need tinkering to be solved, but I like tinkering