The situation with the Motorola Bionic

[Bateluer]

http://www.droid-life.com/2011/04/1...itter-that-the-droid-bionic-is-not-cancelled/

Curious. Some rumors that it was canceled, then not canceled. Then delayed. Then delayed until the Summer for 'enhancements'. Now, possibly delayed to allow 'Targa' to move into the Bionic name.

Not sure what the hold up is exactly, something with newer Blur versions and CDMA/LTE transitions?

Update:

http://www.droid-life.com/2011/04/2...c-is-on-the-way-with-an-improved-form-factor/

Based on compelling feedback since the show, we are incorporating several enhancements to make this an even better consumer experience. This includes expanded features, functionality and an improved form factor. Motorola Mobility and Verizon Wireless are very excited about bringing the ‘new’ DROID BIONIC to market.

Maor RAM?

 

[Mopetar]

http://www.droid-life.com/2011/04/1...itter-that-the-droid-bionic-is-not-cancelled/

Curious. Some rumors that it was canceled, then not canceled. Then delayed. Then delayed until the Summer for 'enhancements'. Now, possibly delayed to allow 'Targa' to move into the Bionic name.

Not sure what the hold up is exactly, something with newer Blur versions and CDMA/LTE transitions?

When Engadget posted that it was canceled they cited rumors stating that it was due to issues with getting the Tegra 2 and the LTE baseband chip to play nice. They also mentioned overheating issues as well.

 

[Bateluer]

They also mentioned overheating issues as well.

Does the Atrix have overheating issues? I haven't heard anything about the Optimus 2X/G2x overheating either.

 

[Mopetar]

Not that I'm aware of, but the Atrix has a different baseband chip. It probably draws a lot less power, therefore producing less heat. Depending on what the internals look like, putting a Tegra 2 right next to a hot running LTE baseband chip might cause some problems with prolonged 4G use.

 

[lothar]

Good riddance if true.
I never cared about the Motorola Bionic. Locked/encrypted boot loader, blur, and inferior Tegra2 dual core chip.

Hopefully Verizon will start cranking up OMAP4 dual core chips with LTE on them which are clearly superior.

 

[Bateluer]

Hopefully Verizon will start cranking up OMAP4 dual core chips with LTE on them which are clearly superior.

OMAP4 should be better, you know, since it was several months behind the Tegra 2.

 

[lothar]

OMAP4 should be better, you know, since it was several months behind the Tegra 2.

I agree.
It should and it is.

So far the only phones announced to use the OMAP4 chip are LG Optimus 3D(not announced for Verizon) and Droid 3(a rumored "Motorola" phone...meh).
I want more choices.

 

[Mopetar]

The Tegra 2 isn't bad, but I think it suffered from being massively hyped and not being able to live up to it. It showed good performance, but shortly after it came out, we saw some early benchmarks for TI, Samsung, and Qualcomm's next chips and they were just as good if not better.

 

[s44]

The Tegra 2 isn't bad, but I think it suffered from being massively hyped and not being able to live up to it. It showed good performance, but shortly after it came out, we saw some early benchmarks for TI, Samsung, and Qualcomm's next chips and they were just as good if not better.

Meanwhile, not a single phone with one of these chips has actually released.

If you're playing the waiting game, might as well wait until Kal El, etc. etc.

The real problem with Tegra2 is that all of its release devices has been meh otherwise. Transformer might be the first one that's not.

Does the Atrix have overheating issues?

No, but every single LTE device so far has been an implementation nightmare, so I'm guessing it's that.

 

[fbrdphreak]

This has pretty much solidified me getting a Thunderbolt. I am not in a hurry, but I do want to get into 4G before the tiered pricing goes into effect. We shall see.

 

[lothar]

Meanwhile, not a single phone with one of these chips has actually released.

If you're playing the waiting game, might as well wait until Kal El, etc. etc.

The real problem with Tegra2 is that all of its release devices has been meh otherwise. Transformer might be the first one that's not.

Assuming Kal-El doesn't get delayed forever like it's predecessor was, yes.
However, I seriously doubt that Kal-El will be on a handset before Christmas like nVidia is promising, but then again...you never know.

I don't consider the Optimus G2X to be "meh".
If it was on Verizon, I would get it today over a Thunderbolt, no questions asked. The problem is:
a.) It's on T-Mobile. I get 20/20/25% discount on voice/data/accessories on Sprint, Verizon, and AT&T. Nothing at all on T-Mobile.
b.) Even though it has AT&T compatibility(this assumes I'm going to overpay for the monthly T-Mobile plans to begin with which I may not), I'm still leery.

I have to study it more but if it has 3G data compatibility for Europe, then it's a winner(well, almost).

 

[s44]

If Verizon were on GSM/HSPA(+), we'd all be a lot happier.

The G2x is probably top of the heap right now, but the uninspiring screen (we know LG can make excellent panels, so how come none of their own phones have one?) and so-so source support (it feels like getting in on Samsung a year ago) shouldn't tempt away anyone with a good-enough phone now. Euros use basically just 2100 btw, so any US smartphone basically works.

But the point of this post: Moto asks Facebook fans what they want. Predictable hilarity ensues.

 

[Bateluer]

Assuming Kal-El doesn't get delayed forever like it's predecessor was, yes.
However, I seriously doubt that Kal-El will be on a handset before Christmas like nVidia is promising, but then again...you never know.

Phone, doubtful. But I could easily see it showing in WiFi tablets, since they wouldn't need to be screened through carriers at all.

 

[BenSkywalker]

I never cared about the Motorola Bionic. Locked/encrypted boot loader, blur, and inferior Tegra2 dual core chip.

Seems odd, I must have missed it, what chip came out in a phone that is faster then Tegra2? Really want to know this, I try to keep all of the top handsets SoCs on hand and as of right now Tegra2 obliterates everything else I can compare it to that has been released(and still gets better battery life then most of them). So if you could just point out which phones are shipping with superior SoCs it would be much appreciated

 

[lothar]

Seems odd, I must have missed it, what chip came out in a phone that is faster then Tegra2? Really want to know this, I try to keep all of the top handsets SoCs on hand and as of right now Tegra2 obliterates everything else I can compare it to that has been released(and still gets better battery life then most of them). So if you could just point out which phones are shipping with superior SoCs it would be much appreciated

I already gave 2 examples in this thread, and there are more not mentioned.
None of them have shipped yet.
The Bionic hasn't shipped yet as well either so it's a fair comparison to both.

Where did I claim that there are phones currently shipping with the SoCs I mentioned?

 

[lothar]

If Verizon were on GSM/HSPA(+), we'd all be a lot happier.

The G2x is probably top of the heap right now, but the uninspiring screen (we know LG can make excellent panels, so how come none of their own phones have one?) and so-so source support (it feels like getting in on Samsung a year ago) shouldn't tempt away anyone with a good-enough phone now. Euros use basically just 2100 btw, so any US smartphone basically works.

But the point of this post: Moto asks Facebook fans what they want. Predictable hilarity ensues.

Actually, I prefer CDMA for regular use.
But I also want GSM compatibility for when I go to Europe or back home to my 3rd world country but it's not necessary.
I usually take a cheap Nokia phone, that way I know my phone won't get stolen and people won't see me as "showing off" when I come in with a top of the line Android set.
But it would be nice to have only one phone.

Regarding their panels, I partially agree but they haven't really had the chance to do so yet. The only high end Android phone I know of that they've done is the G2X(which is the same as the Optimus 2X). There's no point in putting high end panels on mid and low range phones like Optimus V pre-paid phones. It would be nice to have an alternative to Samsung's SAMOLED+, however.

http://www.lg.com/global/support/opensource/opensource.jsp
LG provides source support. They've released source code for their Optimus S and Optimus V series phones, which are also officially supported by CM7 I believe. The G2X(Optimus 2X) was just released a few days ago, so it's a bit early to start clamoring for it. I have confidence in them that they will release it on a timely basis based on their history. AFAIK, Cyanogen has already promised "official" support for the G2X, but lets see what happens.
Samsung provided "meh" source support, but the main problem was their locked boot loaders.
But now we may not have to worry about that.
http://androidheadlines.com/2011/04/new-samsung-devices-to-feature-unlocked-bootloaders.html
If this is true for the Samsung Galaxy S II, then that phone just moved up my list as long as we get "official" support from Cyanogen.

Lets hope Moto gives their fans what they want and voted for. If they do, I would consider them because they usually have excellent form factor. The unlocked boot loader would eliminate 99% of the complaints I've seen on the internet which seems to be "Blur".

 

[Bateluer]

But now we may not have to worry about that.
http://androidheadlines.com/2011/04/new-samsung-devices-to-feature-unlocked-bootloaders.html
If this is true for the Samsung Galaxy S II, then that phone just moved up my list as long as we get "official" support from Cyanogen.

This would be awesome. Just need sturdier build quality, I'm not a fan of the plasticy feel of Samsung phones either. It just feels cheap and flimsy.

 

[Fire&Blood]

Seems odd, I must have missed it, what chip came out in a phone that is faster then Tegra2? Really want to know this, I try to keep all of the top handsets SoCs on hand and as of right now Tegra2 obliterates everything else I can compare it to that has been released(and still gets better battery life then most of them). So if you could just point out which phones are shipping with superior SoCs it would be much appreciated

OMAP4 appears to be superior to Tegra2 but the only phone that has it is Optimus 3D. Other than the 3D and the Playbook tablet no other device has it.

LG went with Tegra2 for the Optimus 2X, went with OMAP4 for the Optimus 3D (arguably their top phone) but then for the G-Slate they went back to Tegra2.

I suspect aggressive pricing, Nvidia's PR and Tegra Zone beat TI, wish there were more OMAP4 phones.

 

[Bateluer]

LG went with Tegra2 for the Optimus 2X, went with OMAP4 for the Optimus 3D (arguably their top phone) but then for the G-Slate they went back to Tegra2.

I suspect aggressive pricing, Nvidia's PR and Tegra Zone beat TI, wish there were more OMAP4 phones.

Uh, both the G-Slate and O2X have shipped already. You won't see the Optimus 3D for a few months at least. There are NO shipping OMAP4 phones right now.

Nvidia beat every one else to the market with dual core ARM SoCs by months, and will get a number of design wins because of it. The Tegra 3 will drop at the end of the year in some fashion, Nvidia's not the company to sit on its laurels and do nothing.

 

[Fire&Blood]

Uh, both the G-Slate and O2X have shipped already. You won't see the Optimus 3D for a few months at least. There are NO shipping OMAP4 phones right now.

Nvidia beat every one else to the market with dual core ARM SoCs by months, and will get a number of design wins because of it. The Tegra 3 will drop at the end of the year in some fashion, Nvidia's not the company to sit on its laurels and do nothing.

O2X has been on Korean networks for a while now but I didn't know the 3d hasn't shipped yet. I could have sworn I saw a LG Thrill (AT&T) review a while ago, and I remember Anand was benching it like 2 months ago.

Nvidia does seem bent on becoming the go to platform for SoC's. I think the early Tegra 3 benchmarks and demos served to put TI, Broadcom and Qualcomm in the background.

Nvidia wants Samsung, the largest Android handset retailer to comletely adopt Tegra instead of their own Exynos and it seems to be working, I read many reports claiming a number of SGS2 will feature the Tegra2.

As it stands, any OEM wanting a Cortex A9 SoC is bound to go with Nvidia. Personally, I would like to see future HTC phones with Tegra3. I doubt others can put a dent in Nvidia sales before the Cortex A15 is out.

 

[lothar]

O2X has been on Korean networks for a while now but I didn't know the 3d hasn't shipped yet. I could have sworn I saw a LG Thrill (AT&T) review a while ago, and I remember Anand was benching it like 2 months ago.

Nvidia does seem bent on becoming the go to platform for SoC's. I think the early Tegra 3 benchmarks and demos served to put TI, Broadcom and Qualcomm in the background.

Nvidia wants Samsung, the largest Android handset retailer to comletely adopt Tegra instead of their own Exynos and it seems to be working, I read many reports claiming a number of SGS2 will feature the Tegra2.

As it stands, any OEM wanting a Cortex A9 SoC is bound to go with Nvidia. Personally, I would like to see future HTC phones with Tegra3. I doubt others can put a dent in Nvidia sales before the Cortex A15 is out.

I doubt that.
I think Samsung ordered them because their chips would be late and they wanted something to hold them over. Either that or they don't have enough capacity to make Exynos yet to meet demand. I have a feeling it's the 2nd sentence. Galaxy S had millions of sales across the wireless telecoms.
There's even talk about them licensing Exynos to other vendors.

I agree with your other assessments.

 

[s44]

I suspect aggressive pricing, Nvidia's PR and Tegra Zone beat TI, wish there were more OMAP4 phones.

Oh geez, is the Team Red nonsense going to infect this forum too?

The fact that Tegra2 *is actually in production* beat TI's sample-only chip. The fact that Nvidia was first to market got them all these wins. By the time OMAP4 is fully available we may see Tegra3 already.

Samsung has never locked bootloaders. The problem is proprietary (closed-source) driver blobs. The big community of devs has mostly solved this on the Galaxy S (except, ugh, on the CDMA Fascinate), but LG's G2x has similar issues. There seem to be some heavy hitters involved with the device now, though, so it probably won't be orphaned.

 

[Fire&Blood]

I doubt that.
I think Samsung ordered them because their chips would be late and they wanted something to hold them over. Either that or they don't have enough capacity to make Exynos yet to meet demand. I have a feeling it's the 2nd sentence. Galaxy S had millions of sales across the wireless telecoms.
There's even talk about them licensing Exynos to other vendors.

I agree with your other assessments.

I stand corrected. Upon reading your post I recall reading an article about Exynos shortage and the impact on Samsung's upcoming flagship.

I have to admit, I did initially dismiss the Orion/Exynos because of poor showing in benchmark suits. While quadrant scores are far from truthful performance indicators, I am pleased to see the Exynos recently scored a 3k.

I hope LG's cherry picking is a trend other OEM's will follow because I am under the impression there are Nvidia/Qualcomm blocks that OEM's are in and the exclusive ties between OEM's and certain SoC's platforms may obstruct progress, I would hate to see a OEM go with a inferior solution because of their prior pertnerships.

As for Motorola, it's indicative of their position in the market when a Moto Bionic thread is derailed and no one objects. Having seen the leaked images of the Targa and Droid 3, I hope these handsets make an impact, if for no other reason then to force others to respond with equal or better phones.

Their bootloader policy and ties to Verizon aren't helping, they pretty much disqualified themselves from being chosen as the Nexus OEM which ironically is exactly what they need, a Blur-less, flagship phone available on all carriers, running the latest Android version and has a accessible bootloader.

 

[Bateluer]

The G2x is probably top of the heap right now, but the uninspiring screen (we know LG can make excellent panels, so how come none of their own phones have one?)

From Twitter:

Chris Soyars (ChrisSoyars):
G2x summary - feels fast, but lets see how it holds up to a real use-case 2morrow, and the screen is so bright it will give you eye cancer.

I was under the impression that the G2x/O2X's screen was pretty solid.

 

[lothar]

http://www.lg.com/global/support/opensource/opensource.jsp
LG provides source support. They've released source code for their Optimus S and Optimus V series phones, which are also officially supported by CM7 I believe. The G2X(Optimus 2X) was just released a few days ago, so it's a bit early to start clamoring for it. I have confidence in them that they will release it on a timely basis based on their history. AFAIK, Cyanogen has already promised "official" support for the G2X, but lets see what happens.

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1046574

LG source has been available for more than 24 hours. It was released in a timely manner as I expected.
Both Froyo and Kernel source are now available.

Looks like HTC might have some competition in this arena.
Lets hope all LG phones are like this.