droid bionic--too little too late?

[OBLAMA2009]

is this even a desirable phone anymore? with galaxy 2, ruby, vigor, droid hd, etc... with so much better specs (much faster cpus and much higher resolution screens) bionic looks pretty disappointing

 

[postmortemIA]

which one of these have 4G LTE and dual core CPUs?

 

[OBLAMA2009]

dont most of them. htc is going to have 1.5 ghz dual core really soon, why would you want bionic if you could get that? i know motorola is the preferred brand but still...

 

[Axon]

At long as it doesn't carry a super premium price tag and is 4G LTE, it will do fine. It's a sleek looking phone, and not everyone cares intensely (or at all) about their phone specs, as long as everything runs smoothly. My GF, for example, absolutely will not buy a phone the size of the Droid X or the Evo. She thinks it looks like a laptop. The design of the phone takes precedent for her over screen resolution.

 

[BenSkywalker]

htc is going to have 1.5 ghz dual core really soon, why would you want bionic if you could get that?

Neither phone is released, but based on both companies hisrories perhaps you want to have three to four times the battery life and that's why you went with a Bionic? I have no interest in either of them honestly, but to date HTC has harmed the perception of battery life on smart phones more then every other company combined.

 

[Paladin]

The HTC Vigor will have the 1.5 GHz Snapdragon, supposedly. that's comparing apples to oranges. The Bionic has the OMAP 4430. Historically the OMAP performs much better clock for clock. And not sure what GPU that the HTC will have. But we'll see. Now there's the leaked pictures of the Motorola Droid HD. We can all play the waiting game. Ugh. I'm due for an upgrade in October.

 

[Bateluer]

The Bionic's delays have dampened its appeal, with the higher spec'd, higher resolution phones showing up in leaked pictures now. There's a short time frame when these things can be released to have the maximum number of sales. I think the Bionic is getting very very close to that mark, and the US SGS2s have entirely missed that train.

 

[DisgruntledVirus]

Yeah I would have gotten the Bionic/SGSII a few months ago the week of release, but now I've kind of stopped caring or paying attention. I've waited for one of these "great next gen" phones for too long. Now I will take a look when I get my NE2 discount in Oct timeframe. Until then I will deal with my D1 and have fun with custom roms some more.

Frankly I'm tired of this shit. There is no reason the SGSII could not have been released in the states already. There is no reason the Bionic couldn't have been released either. I realize both phones have been revised from their original specs, but they are going the Duke Nukem Forever route of waiting/redoing it with the latest and greatest. The phone market is far too volatile and short lived to care that much. Release a phone with good specs, well built, designed well, and move on to the next generation. The iPhone won't be killed anytime soon, stop trying to be an "iPhone killer."

 

[poofyhairguy]

Frankly I'm tired of this shit. There is no reason the SGSII could not have been released in the states already. There is no reason the Bionic couldn't have been released either. I realize both phones have been revised from their original specs, but they are going the Duke Nukem Forever route of waiting/redoing it with the latest and greatest. The phone market is far too volatile and short lived to care that much.

I would argue that the carriers (AT&T and Verizon in particular) has a vested interest in dragging out releases to purposefully slow down the phone market. If the USA SGS2 would have been released at the beginning of the summer, then the big 2 wouldn't have been able to fleece customers for full price Samsung Charge and Infuse phones with last generation hardware for the entire summer. There goes a chunk of Q2 profits.

Also in the USA since the carriers subsidize the phones (and therefore can't really charge more than $300 subsidized price) it makes sense for them to try to slow down the phone market so that when new phones are released finally in the USA they are less costly to manufacture and therefore there is less gap to subsidize. As long as the comparable products are on the shelf by the time Apple releases its flagship phone (as Apple doesn't give a rats what the carriers want) then the big 2 can avoid cannibalizing higher margin products such as the current single core LTE phones.

 

[Geekbabe]

I was really excited about the Bionic but the waiting has worn me down, I need 4G power now and a phone in my hand when I need it is better than a phone that might be along soon.

 

[DisgruntledVirus]

I would argue that the carriers (AT&T and Verizon in particular) has a vested interest in dragging out releases to purposefully slow down the phone market. If the USA SGS2 would have been released at the beginning of the summer, then the big 2 wouldn't have been able to fleece customers for full price Samsung Charge and Infuse phones with last generation hardware for the entire summer. There goes a chunk of Q2 profits.

Also in the USA since the carriers subsidize the phones (and therefore can't really charge more than $300 subsidized price) it makes sense for them to try to slow down the phone market so that when new phones are released finally in the USA they are less costly to manufacture and therefore there is less gap to subsidize. As long as the comparable products are on the shelf by the time Apple releases its flagship phone (as Apple doesn't give a rats what the carriers want) then the big 2 can avoid cannibalizing higher margin products such as the current single core LTE phones.

I disagree with you on this. As to your first point, how would it slow down the phone market? People, on the whole, go to the "best" phone when they are due for an upgrade at 2 years. There is a decent sized group that will upgrade more often than that even. Hardware manufacturers are able to pretty much have a "new" product out every 3 months, and since they aren't all at the same time there is always something "new." Their profits wouldn't have changed through the summer if the Bionic/SGSII were released as people would have gotten those instead of the Charge/TB/Infuse. It might have even slightly increased them as the TB (which a lot of people are still buying) is now able to be had for <$200 because it's older. If the Bionic/SGSII were out they would be $300. The subsidized price doesn't matter much though as all the phones would be subsidized. One of the other things is people have been told to wait by the tech media for these "next gen" phones for ~2 months now. So people, like myself, have held off getting the current crop of phones and delayed that upgrade. So instead of getting those profits now, they put them off to get them in the future (when they would have gotten those in the future anyways from the next "next gen").

Cheapening hardware is a better argument though. Carriers aren't losing money on the subsidies though, and they generally drop the price of the phones to the end user (look at the TB for example) when they get cheaper. So I don't think it really matters to them one way or the other in actuality.

 

[poofyhairguy]

I disagree with you on this. As to your first point, how would it slow down the phone market?

Phones that are released in other countries take much longer to be released in America. Its pretty much a fact by now that carriers are to blame.

People, on the whole, go to the "best" phone when they are due for an upgrade at 2 years. There is a decent sized group that will upgrade more often than that even. Hardware manufacturers are able to pretty much have a "new" product out every 3 months, and since they aren't all at the same time there is always something "new."

Exactly- consumers buy when something is new. The current "new" thing for Verizon this year was LTE. They are milking that market. Just because its new doesn't mean its high-end, new midrange phones (like all current LTE phones) are released all the time and people buy them.

Their profits wouldn't have changed through the summer if the Bionic/SGSII were released as people would have gotten those instead of the Charge/TB/Infuse.

Bull. Those single core phones are clearing out last years inventory with the LTE buzzword attached. I bet Verizon got a discount on the guts (at least of the Charge which is really just a SGS1 with the SGS2's screen) and people who have paid $200 and $300 for these LTE phones were basically buying them outright with no real subsidy from Verizon other than bulk pricing.

Meanwhile if a LTE SGS2 was on the market all summer, that $700 (that I bet the carriers get for $500) phone being sold for $200 on contract would leave $300 on the table. That $300 times a million people buying one (easily done with the worldwide records of the SGS2) is $300 million which isn't chunk change. When the do release the phones in Q3 I bet they get them for $400 (or whatever) which means that when they start selling them for subsidized prices they can save a significant chunk of that $300 million in the future.

One of the other things is people have been told to wait by the tech media for these "next gen" phones for ~2 months now. So people, like myself, have held off getting the current crop of phones and delayed that upgrade. So instead of getting those profits now, they put them off to get them in the future (when they would have gotten those in the future anyways from the next "next gen").

You follow this stuff so you are in the super minority. Most people buy what is marketed to them and that means following one buzzword after the next.

Q1-Q2 - Verizon buzzword? LTE. By bundling cheap LTE phone with slick marketing Verizon is milking early adopters who want faster phone speeds.

Q3-Q4 - Dual Core. By then LTE is standard on high end, and Verizon will push dual core more.

The dual core early adopter market has some overlap with the LTE market but not 100&#37;, so why not milk the LTE market first THEN milk the dual core market? The real enthusiasts who buy phones often might be sucked back in within a year to buy that dual core LTE phone and Verizon maximizes its revenue potential.

At this point I fully believe that Spring (and maybe AT&T) already wanted to release the SGS2 but Verizon threw a hissy fit and demanded that it be a universal launch Apple style and that everyone waits till THEY were ready (Q3).

 

[anxi80]

DROID Bionic Hits Verizon MAP At $299 Starting September 8

 

[s44]

At this point I fully believe that Spring (and maybe AT&T) already wanted to release the SGS2 but Verizon threw a hissy fit and demanded that it be a universal launch Apple style and that everyone waits till THEY were ready (Q3).

Sprint, maybe. AT&T? C'mon, they couldn't have the SGS2 overshadowing their beloved iPhone. No coincidence that the carriers have delayed it until Apple gets *its* next-gen product out.

 

[ew915]

Bionic is Meh after all this wait, might as well jump on the waiting ship where everyone is waiting for the next iphone, galaxy S2, next nexus. Moto has outdone themselves.
Locked bootloader, shitty interface and huge phone, it was cool 6 months ago but not now.

 

[Bateluer]

DROID Bionic Hits Verizon MAP At $299 Starting September 8

They like the expensive pricing for their LTE devices, don't they?

Bionic is Meh after all this wait, might as well jump on the waiting ship where everyone is waiting for the next iphone, galaxy S2, next nexus. Moto has outdone themselves.
Locked bootloader, shitty interface and huge phone, it was cool 6 months ago but not now.

Remember, 6 months ago, it was a Tegra 2 device. The OMAP4430 is quite a bit beefier than the Tegra 2. But yeah, they're pretty close to missing the wagon entirely, if they haven't already.

 

[jpeyton]

Even Motorola is betting against the Bionic.

Did you see the leaked shots of the Droid HD? It looks like a slimmer, sexier version of the Bionic; likely faster as well.

The Bionic would have been a hot seller if it came out two months ago. At this point, they are just happy to get it out the door before the SGS2 is available.

 

[DisgruntledVirus]

Even Motorola is betting against the Bionic.

Did you see the leaked shots of the Droid HD? It looks like a slimmer, sexier version of the Bionic; likely faster as well.

The Bionic would have been a hot seller if it came out two months ago. At this point, they are just happy to get it out the door before the SGS2 is available.

This is exactly what I'm talking about poofyhairguy. If VZW/Moto had released the Bionic back around June timeframe then they would have been able to get those sales. Plus, the Bionic has been a phone people have heard about and been wanting for ~6 months now. I've told all my friends to wait for the Bionic to upgrade if they have asked, and I know I'm not the only one who feels that way.

Now this is more hurtful towards Moto than VZW as VZW doesn't care if the Bionic or SGSII is the "next great phone." They will push whatever. However I still think that they could have had the TB get the first wave of 4G adopters (some on the Charge), then the Bionic would get the more mainstream group as it's second gen and thus should have longer battery and better specs.

 

[lothar]

It's a Droid...People will still get it regardless of what's in it.

 

[NeoV]

I'm sorry - did I miss the other dual-core LTE phones available right now?

 

[Anubis]

I'm sorry - did I miss the other dual-core LTE phones available right now?

its a non factor for most people

 

[Bateluer]

its a non factor for most people

I disagree. Those are two specs that even the average bone head will understand. Two CPUs? Good. 4G speeds? Good. They may not have any understanding of the differences between the Tegra 2, OMAP 4, Exynos, etc, but they know two is better than one.

 

[Spoooon]

It's kind of too little too late in a way. Now that I got in on that TouchPad deal, I'm okay with holding out a while longer for a phone (OG Droid is still going strong).

Last week, I would have probably gone for the Bionic unless there was something horrendous about it.

 

[Chiropteran]

I'm sorry - did I miss the other dual-core LTE phones available right now?

Exactly. Delayed or not, the bionic is still going to be the first Verizon phone rocking dual cores & 4G LTE.

I really don't understand this thread.

"F U Motorola for making me wait 6 months for Bionic, I am going to get my revenge by buying a crappy single core phone, or waiting another 3 months for your next phone!"

Sure, waiting sucks. But what else are you honestly going to do? Buy a single core 4g phone? A dual core 3g only phone? Wait for the NEXT phone and end up waiting even longer?

 

[Scarpozzi]

I have a Droid 1 still. Honestly, my biggest gripe about it is the phone app. When I dial and try to use my phone as a phone....the menus always hide. I have to click through 2-3 screends just to end a call....often, this is difficult while trying to avoid leaving voicemail when someone doesn't answer.

The only other thing I wish the droid 1 had was more onboard storage since it only has 512MB for local apps. I have to remove things or migrate them to the SD card often to keep it from filling up. I'll probably keep my phone as long as possible so if the bionic is a good replacement, I'll hold out until the price drops.