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I'm due for a new phone (Verizon)

Beev

Beev

Diamond Member
I got an original Droid a couple of years ago, and I'm due for a renewal now and thus a shiny new phone. I absolutely love my Droid, and I would like a great phone to replace it with. I don't mind waiting for a newer version to release if I need to. Are there any Droids on the horizon that are like the Droid? Specifically it needs to have a physical keyboard. I love the slide out one the Droid has a lot, and I can't stand the digital ones like on the iPhone, etc.

Suggestions?
 
Asside from a picture of a rumored droid 3 (who knows if even true yet alone when it'll be released) I haven't seen any decent phones out or due to come out that has a slide out keyboard. I've been waiting for months already, and Verizons phone choices are kind of depressing for me : (
 
I'd say just wait for the Droid 3. Some images have leaked of it already. Supposedly it will have a 1.2 GHz processor and LTE (Verizon's 4G).

Most of the high-end Android phones with physical keyboards came out last summer (Droid 2, G2, Epic 4G), so they are due for a refresh in the near future.

If you're interested in Windows Phone 7, there's the LG Quantum (AT&T) or the HTC Arrive (Sprint). The Arrive has nearly the same keyboard as the Touch Pro 2, which was widely regarded as the best physical keyboard ever on a smartphone.
 
Beev said:
Based on my quick research none of these have physical keyboards 🙁
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Yeah; physical keyboards are becoming a rare breed these days. Although I think the fact that the screen is 4.3" somewhat makes up for the lack of a keyboard.
 
Physical keyboard is a rare feature these days. Very few phones have and they are split among different carriers. If you want a new keyboard phone on Verizon, you will have to have patience. Or try to get used to virtual keyboards. Some people fell i love with swype.

The reality is that the market is moving away from physical keyboards as only 1 out 5 new phones has it.

I personally traded my insistence on keyboard away for other features that I found more important.

Know that insisting on having it will limit your selection and you may wait a long time. Even if you do find a new phone with, the phone may lack some other features or be bad in general...
 
I highly recommend that you stay away from Samsung. The Samsung Fascinate is still languishing on 2.1. Verizon and Samsung both have been saying since October that 2.2 is just a few weeks away.


My next device will be HTC or Motorola.
 
Having a 4.3" screen really helps. With my Samsung i7500 typing is a total pain in the ass. I hit the wrong key all the time. I got to play with the Samsung Focus the other day, and the difference in night and day. A physical keyboard is always going to be superior of course (the one on my Blackberry bold is amazing), but with a large enough screen the problems are at least mostly negated.
 
H54 said:
I highly recommend that you stay away from Samsung. The Samsung Fascinate is still languishing on 2.1. Verizon and Samsung both have been saying since October that 2.2 is just a few weeks away.


My next device will be HTC or Motorola.
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All depends on if you care about the phone working out of the box. If you don't mind using custom roms, then updates shouldn't be an issue. I hear that there are already Gingerbread roms available for the original Galaxy S. I agree though Samsung is a pain in the ass, but their hardware is though to beat. The GS2 just looks sexy.
 
Thats true. Their hardware is amazing. Hummingbird > Snapdragon.

However, it really torques me that they refuse to update and support their flagship device. They've sold over 10 million of them. I personally have no problem with root/custom roms but like you said, the majority of people want something that works out of the box. Up-to-date software, GPS that works, etc...
 
Beev said:
I got an original Droid a couple of years ago, and I'm due for a renewal now and thus a shiny new phone. I absolutely love my Droid, and I would like a great phone to replace it with. I don't mind waiting for a newer version to release if I need to. Are there any Droids on the horizon that are like the Droid? Specifically it needs to have a physical keyboard. I love the slide out one the Droid has a lot, and I can't stand the digital ones like on the iPhone, etc.

Suggestions?
Click to expand...

Droid 3 should be available by the 3rd quarter or so. looks nice too. very nice 5 row keyboard.

not much info out yet regarding specs.

http://www.droid-life.com/2011/03/15/droid3-poses-again-this-time-with-keyboard-showing/
 
Thanks for the feedback, guys. I think I'll wait for the Droid 3. I'm not in a huge rush or anything, and I like the picture of it 😛
 
Well if you were to go with the Nexus S you will be getting the build quality of a Samsung phone, with the software support of Google. It's just too bad the specs of the Nexus S doesn't match the Galaxy S2.
 
dpodblood said:
Well if you were to go with the Nexus S you will be getting the build quality of a Samsung phone, with the software support of Google. It's just too bad the specs of the Nexus S doesn't match the Galaxy S2.
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Excellent point, that is pretty much the only way I would ever buy another Samsung device. I don't know if the OP is willing to switch from verizon though.
 
OP, if there was a phone you really wanted badly and it doesn't have a physical keyboard, you could get a bluetooth keyboard.

I know it's not as practical but it could work.

But I'd probably just wait for the Droid 3. 4" screen and 5 rows of keys sounds nice.

boom314 said:
the thunderbolt is android and has a full keyboard
Click to expand...

What world do you live in?
 
Just note that from all reports that I've seen, the Droid 3, like the X 2, is not going to be a LTE phone.

If you're not near any major cities, that won't be a problem, but I'm near Chicago so I wouldn't want to be waiting for a phone release on a 3g phone.
 
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