Verizon customer looking for new smart phone...

[the DRIZZLE]

Dammit you guys are making this difficult.

I suppose one thing I could do is upgrade to the Thunderbolt, and then give my wife that when the Bionic comes out and her phone is upgrade eligible in November. I may have to do some wheeling and dealing with a Verizon rep to see just how good of a deal I can get as who knows what I am missing.

Decisions, decisions. Personally, I quite like the idea of a dual core phone, as it is easy to see the difference made to desktop PCs. Not sure I want to spend 299 on a phone I plan on upgrading within the year.

But you don't use a phone like you use a PC. You're not going to be doing video encoding while browsing the internet and IMing at the same time on a phone. I think people are too obsessed with phone processor specs.

I think this is a better plan. By November there might be even better options than the Bionic.

 

[mvbighead]

But you don't use a phone like you use a PC. You're not going to be doing video encoding while browsing the internet and IMing at the same time on a phone. I think people are too obsessed with phone processor specs.

I think this is a better plan. By November there might be even better options than the Bionic.

While I certainly see your point, I can say that my current phone (and most other non-smart phones I have used) are just simply too slow. Will I am sure any new phone I buy will be leaps and bounds better, I do know that multiple cores goes a bit further than just multitasking. IE - The phone's OS still uses CPU as does any application you run. So running the OS while also using the GPS is still, in a sense, multitasking. In any way you look at it, a dual core of similar speed is ALWAYS better than the equivalent single core. Not twice as good mind you, but a good margin above the other. So with that in mind, I would simply like to make sure that I make the wisest purchase plan possible with respect to the phone, especially when the price points are going to be very similar.

Also, with respect to buying the Thunderbolt, I am sure it would be a fantastic phone, but I really have to consider the fact that my wife likely won't need/want something like that when I do upgrade to a Bionic (if that is the route I take). And, for all I know, she may very well want to pick something out specific to what she wants. I don't know that she'll have a problem either way, but would prefer to leave that up to her.

I suppose, in my mind, I could buy a Droid 1 for 100-150 on CL, and start figuring the Droid software out. Upgrade to the Bionic when it is released, and either give her that or resell it for 25-50 less than I paid. Better in my mind than spending 300 on something I'd use for 3-6 months that would lock me into that phone with that contract, and limit her options for choosing her own phone.

 

[mvbighead]

Actually, upon checking CL, I could buy a Droid 2 for 150... so that is definitely an option.

 

[the DRIZZLE]

Yeah if she doesn't want/need the Thunderbolt then that path doesn't make sense. Obviously its up to you. Like I said I currently have a Droid 1 and will probably jump on the thunderbolt so take from that what you will. One of the reasons for my decision is that the newer Moto phones are very unfriendly to running custom ROMs. I'd rather have slightly inferior hardware and not be at the mercy of the manufacturers for updates.

In the end I'm sure you'll be happy will either one.

 

[Malak]

Droid 2 isn't bad, has a slide-out keyboard which some prefer. I got the Droid X and love it, the touch keyboard is actually not that bad at all and I like the larger size screen.

 

[mvbighead]

I am leaning towards buying the Droid 2 via CL as a stop gap at this point. Looks to run 150 give or take, which seems fair for a non-contract phone thats a bit past its prime. I figure it should sell for roughly 100 when I go to upgrade to the Bionic, so I only lose 50 in the process of screwing around with my first Droid... so not too bad.

It also would give me the option of letting my wife take it on for a while to see if she'd like something like it when her upgrade time comes as well. I'd guess she would be more apt to like an iPhone, which is why I really don't want to force her into a Droid that she has no choice on, and then have her be stuck with it for 18 or so months.

At this point, thanks to everyone's opinions, I am leaning towards the Bionic. Sounds like a mean phone with the power to do quite a lot. Also, by CLing an old phone, I will have time to figure out how I feel about the Droid OS, and whether or not I want to shell out 300 and lock myself into one for 2 years. Thanks everyone for your input, and I am still open to further opinion on both the CL idea (and what phone to look for) as well as better phone options than the Bionic.

 

[mvbighead]

Any reason not to pick up a Droid 2 for 150? Essentially this is due to my present "need" for a new phone, and the current wait for the phone that I am willing to sign a contract into. This will also allow me to upgrade my wife from her 4 or so year old phone, so rather than having her wait with a crap phone for 6 months, she'd at least have a fairly modern non-smart phone. So, I guess this temporary solution goes two fold, and in my mind is a required path. But is there any reason not to get a Droid 2, or even a Droid 1?

 

[s44]

Not unless you can find a Fascinate under 200.

 

[mvbighead]

I just looked and found one for 190 in a neighboring city, not sure I want to make the trip though. I was reading around on here and most seem to hate Samsung based Droid phones... not sure why. What makes the Samsung a better choice, in your opinion?

 

[s44]

Bigger & better screen, faster processor, un-secured bootloader, less bulk (if you don't use the hard keyboard all the time, it's just extra weight). Also, your wife might like it later. Not sure the difference is worth $40 and a trip, but that's your call.

The issue people have had is with slow updates and bloated stock software, but if part of your Android learning process is going to be flashing custom firmware, that's stuff is just incentive. I believe the Droid 2 is pretty locked down so you can root but not mess with the kernel.

Remember to confirm clean ESNs on any phone (call Verizon customer service) before you pay...

 

[mvbighead]

Yep, definitely plan on checking the ESN. Already found a URL that will allow me to do it without calling CS:

http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/store/controller?item=serviceOnly&action=enterEsn

I had read some on GPS issues with Samsungs, and that they were more locked down and didn't really update anything with old phones which makes me wary. Hmmmm.

 

[s44]

GPS issues linger on the Vibrant and Captivate (most are fine), but the different back design makes them quite rare on the Fascinate with current firmware (even stock).

Updates are what I talked about -- they do suck if you don't root and flash. Samsung is actually the *least* locked down manufacturer at this point, which means that custom development will continue even if the company abandons it (official Gingerbread is quite likely, and I doubt the Droid 2 will go further than that either).

 

[Yuriman]

Grab the Fascinate.


I picked up a D1 from ebay over the summer, and I'm rather in love with the Android platform for its openness. The past few weeks I've been carrying around an iPhone 3GS (dual-boot android and ios), my D1 (android 2.3), and an HD2, dual booting w7 phone and android 2.3. I wouldn't want a phone with a locked bootloader. The Droid X and 2 will likely never have gingerbread.

The 3GS would have been a no-brainer over the D1 when they first came out, but it's very much the other way around now. Even jailbroken, it makes me sick looking at all of the $15 and $20 apps which I can get for free or $1 on my Droid1. Stock to stock, the iPhone wins by a landslide in fluidity and responsiveness (mainly due to having gpu acceleration in nearly everything), but the wonderful thing about Android is that it keeps getting better. The D1 running gingerbread and overclocked to 1ghz or 1.2ghz screams.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btjqmXcY5s0

 

[mvbighead]

Grab the Fascinate.


I picked up a D1 from ebay over the summer, and I'm rather in love with the Android platform for its openness. The past few weeks I've been carrying around an iPhone 3GS (dual-boot android and ios), my D1 (android 2.3), and an HD2, dual booting w7 phone and android 2.3. I wouldn't want a phone with a locked bootloader. The Droid X and 2 will likely never have gingerbread.

The 3GS would have been a no-brainer over the D1 when they first came out, but it's very much the other way around now. Even jailbroken, it makes me sick looking at all of the $15 and $20 apps which I can get for free or $1 on my Droid1. Stock to stock, the iPhone wins by a landslide in fluidity and responsiveness (mainly due to having gpu acceleration in nearly everything), but the wonderful thing about Android is that it keeps getting better. The D1 running gingerbread and overclocked to 1ghz or 1.2ghz screams.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btjqmXcY5s0

This is very interesting. In case this Fascinate deal falls through, are you saying I might be better off with a Droid1? If so, that really makes my shopping easy, as there are a number of those out there for 100 or so. Also, I was reading a bit on Gingerbread last night, and I thought it was indicating that it wasn't available for Droid1 or something. Based on what you're saying, it would appear a Droid1 wouldn't be all that bad. Especially if I can upgrade the software like you're saying. Unfortunately on the Fascinate, there is only the one seller looking for 190, and everyone else wants 300+, which is understandable. The Droid1's have quite a few sellers in my area, most looking for around 100-150.

BTW, the Droid 2 deal I was looking at fell through. Flaky seller. Asked about the phone and got an immediate, "Yep still have it." Asked whether the ESN was clean and if it could be given to me to check to make sure, haven't heard back since and that was quite some time ago. That, and the seller's email address immediately went to spam in gmail, which had be a bit leary from the git go.

 

[mvbighead]

Well, the sub 200 fascinate fell through. Guess I should be looking at a Droid 1 with a mod to gingerbread? Does that sound like the best plan, or should I start looking for something altogether different.

 

[the DRIZZLE]

The Droid 2 and Droid X have significantly faster hardware than the Droid 1. The Droid 2 has a better keyboard as well. But the 2 and the X aren't as hackable as the Droid 1. In my area D2s go for twice the price of D1s.

 

[mvbighead]

The Droid 2 and Droid X have significantly faster hardware than the Droid 1. The Droid 2 has a better keyboard as well. But the 2 and the X aren't as hackable as the Droid 1. In my area D2s go for twice the price of D1s.

Yeah, that is definitely what I have been reading as well. The hackability part has me quite curious about the Droid 1. Especially with the info on this site:

http://www.peteralfonso.com/2011/02/download-stock-rooted-gingerbread.html

And while the phone may be slower, my guess is that it will be leaps and bounds better than what I have now.

At this point, CL is looking pretty bare, so it is appearing as if the Droid 1 is my easiest option. I could also just go past the 200 price point and buy the Incredible from the forums here. All kinds of options, but I'd prefer not to invest too much into a phone that I might not keep more than 6 months.

 

[s44]

The Droid 2 is basically the OG Droid overclocked to 1ghz. Since most original Droids have no problem with that overclock, there's not much value lost.

 

[Vdubchaos]

Another vote for Fascinate.

I've been doing research past 2-3 months and it came down to DroidX and Fascinate. After LONG LONG time I decided to get Fascinate, and glad I did.

Only had it for 3 days so far, its been great. Screen is like nothing else out there and in general I haven't really experienced any lag issues or general issues people report other than GPS, which I fixed and now it works great/perfect.

Go to the store and play with all of them ,decide which you like the most. But it would be HARD to pass up on Samsung JUST because of the screen, it's just amazing.

 

[mvbighead]

Another vote for Fascinate.

I've been doing research past 2-3 months and it came down to DroidX and Fascinate. After LONG LONG time I decided to get Fascinate, and glad I did.

Only had it for 3 days so far, its been great. Screen is like nothing else out there and in general I haven't really experienced any lag issues or general issues people report other than GPS, which I fixed and now it works great/perfect.

Go to the store and play with all of them ,decide which you like the most. But it would be HARD to pass up on Samsung JUST because of the screen, it's just amazing.

Problem is I am looking to go without a contract upgrade at the moment to get me by until the Bionic or similar is released. The fascinate by way of most sellers in a used form is quite a bit out of what I want to spend.

Also, the Droid 1 has me intrigued with the capable mods that can be done so I will have plenty of time to tinker and see what Droid has to offer. Then move up to a better phone when it becomes available.

 

[mvbighead]

The Droid 2 is basically the OG Droid overclocked to 1ghz. Since most original Droids have no problem with that overclock, there's not much value lost.

Thank you sir (or maam), this is exactly what I wanted to read. I put out a couple feelers for some Droid 1s and am seeing what looks like legit feedback. One is a Droid that is practically unused for 175, the what appears to be a used Droid with plenty of extras for 150. Leaning towards the one for 150 as the lower cost and extras would leave me with more money in my pocket, and less necessary investment for a temporary solution.

Thanks all for the input. Looks like my game plan of Droid1 to Bionic when released is what I'll be doing. Couldn't have made these decisions without everyone's help. Very much appreciated!

EDIT: Maybe I should lean towards the more unused phone, as it would likely be newer and more likely to support the higher clocks? Would this be a fair guess to make?

 

[mvbighead]

Well, bought the less used phone last night. Got setup with VZW, and I am already loving it in its stock form. Will likely be playing with the Gingerbread mods tonight or perhaps later this week.

Thanks again all for your help. Not exactly anxious anymore about the Bionic, as the basic Droid is a monumental upgrade for me, but I still intend to pick one up when released as I am sure I will be able to see the difference. Thanks again.