Need some Feedback: Should i buy the Droid Bionic? - Motorola Droid Bionic

Hello XDArs,
Currently i am using the Droid Revolution, but planning on buying the Bionic. Any suggestions/feedback that you guys can give me about the Bionic?
I have been reading user reviews all over the internet, but i feel true review comes from somebody who has used/operated the phone for a longer period of time.
Please throw in any feedback...

The bionic is awesome. It is super fast and its just a very nice device. I must tell you one thing so you are not caught off guard. The screen is not great. It looks very good but when you compare it to an iphone 4 or Samsung charge under low light it will not look as good as either of the mentioned phones. In the daylight even under direct sunlight it looks awesome and better than any other screen I had. I highly recommend the extended battery especially because its only 25 bucks.

If you're looking to root your phone and start flashing roms and kernels right away I would go with something else since it'll probably be a short while for the bootloader to get unlocked
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After a few days of use, I can tell you that its a fantastic device. The overall experience is positive, and I would only caution you about the camera focus issue, and minor bugs in skin. Both of these will probably be solved in the near future... It is a new phone after all.
Sent from my DROID BIONIC using XDA App

awesome..thank u for the input...anybody use bluetooth on the bionic..is it buggy?

Don't ask and don't listen to.
Just buy one if you feel like it.

1 word for the DB = SWAG...nuff said...
Now go buy 1... XD
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I'm in the same boat as OP. However, I have the tbolt. I want the latest and greatest, and the wife will inherit the bolt.
I get it that the Bionic is pretty nifty, but is there anything in verizon's pipeline(around the corner) worth waiting for over the Bionic?
Thanks, all!

Best Android device I've used.
Screen its great. As long as you don't put out directly up to your eye ball, it is a beautiful high resolution display that is perfectly viewable on direct sunlight.
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Okay so I have add plenty of new phones, and the Bionic Dual Core Processor and incredible 4g coverage is the perfect mix that will satisfy anyone. I am a owner of the Motorola Droid x (3g coverage only) , HTC thunderbolt (3G and 4G), and now the Motorola Droid Bionic, and this far the bionic is deff the best phone. I reccommend to get it now because vzw has a special on extended batteries for under 30$. This is a amazing deal because the life of the phones is 24+ with moderate use and 4g coverage almost always available.

acPIZZA said:
Best Android device I've used.
Screen its great. As long as you don't put out directly up to your eye ball, it is a beautiful high resolution display that is perfectly viewable on direct sunlight.
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i see so many people complaining about the pixelation effect(lol...as people put their eyeball directly on the display..lol)..i even tried it....and my eyes started to pain,dropped the idea...and checked the display(normally) and i was blown away..it was very good actually...
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patelhj1 said:
Okay so I have add plenty of new phones, and the Bionic Dual Core Processor and incredible 4g coverage is the perfect mix that will satisfy anyone. I am a owner of the Motorola Droid x (3g coverage only) , HTC thunderbolt (3G and 4G), and now the Motorola Droid Bionic, and this far the bionic is deff the best phone. I reccommend to get it now because vzw has a special on extended batteries for under 30$. This is a amazing deal because the life of the phones is 24+ with moderate use and 4g coverage almost always available.
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24+ hours..??? and you have so many phones..u shud sell your bionic to me,..

The bionic is very quick. I came from a droid x and this beats the droid x in speed in every possible way. Web browsing feels just as quick, if not faster, than an ipad 2. I recently connected my droid to my tv with an HDMI cable and i'm really happy with the different options it gives you.
People are talking about this screen "problem" but I never noticed anything wrong with the screen until the threads started to pop up.
The only thing that I'd like to figure out is how to put pictures into folders to organize what I want to see.
If all this appeals to you I say get the bionic with the extended battery.

If you have to ask yourself "hmm...should I buy this?" the answer is don't buy it. Only buy something you truly want. You already have the experience of 4G, all that's left is to get a powerful phone, and if you can get something like the Prime in a couple months, I'd tell you to wait for that.

I am just looking/fishing for hard facts.....want to buy based on facts.....
Berzerker7 said:
If you have to ask yourself "hmm...should I buy this?" the answer is don't buy it. Only buy something you truly want. You already have the experience of 4G, all that's left is to get a powerful phone, and if you can get something like the Prime in a couple months, I'd tell you to wait for that.
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Sent from my VS910 4G using XDA App

afma_afma said:
i see so many people complaining about the pixelation effect(lol...as people put their eyeball directly on the display..lol)..i even tried it....and my eyes started to pain,dropped the idea...and checked the display(normally) and i was blown away..it was very good actually...
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24+ hours..??? and you have so many phones..u shud sell your bionic to me,..
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Yeah, its the same people that will walk up to a 36" 720p television screen and complain about the lack of full hd, when in fact the difference isn't noticeable to the eye unless you are right on top of it.
Holding the phone as little as 12 inches, give or take yields a beautifully crisp image. Text and all.
Even engadget digs the screens. They raved about the qhd in the x2, and for some reason I feel this one is even better (I owned, and am currently trying to sell the x2). For the most part they are usually right in the ballpark with their reviews, imo.
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I upgraded from an OG Droid, and this phone is flat amazing comparatively. Get the extended battery though, and turn off 4G if you aren't using it. It's a battery hog. I got about 14 hours out of the stock battery with 4G off most of the day; only used about 30 minutes worth throughout the day. I had 30% battery left after about 14 hours on the extended battery (first day, batteries seem to get better after about a week) and that was with about an hour of solid 4G usage in there.
One odd thing about this (and in searching, it seems to be happening on other 4G phones, so it must have something to do with 4G and 3G decisions on the phone) but from time to time, 3G disappears. There is a thread about this question here, but I can't post because I don't have 10 posts and it's a development thread. All you have to do to fix the data connection is put the phone in Airplane mode for a second, then turn airplane mode off. It resets the radio and 3G comes back. Even if you turn on and use 4G, 3G doesn't want to come back until you reset the radio.
All in all, great phone, much better battery than OG Droid, awesome display, camera needs work and motorola is working on it, very smooth and fast, and the 4G is blazing. My best download is 21Mbps, and my best upload is 7.7Mbps.

afma_afma said:
awesome..thank u for the input...anybody use bluetooth on the bionic..is it buggy?
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Somewhat buggy.
If you have a Nissan or Infiniti with BT, BT is going to suck no matter what due to Nissan's horrible implementation. That said, Bionic's BT was the best of HTC, Samsung, and Moto phones I had. The least amount of distortion I've had while using the car's speakerphone. I've seen some complaints with Ford's SYNC as well.
However, it wouldn't automatically connect with the car all the time and it would randomly drop at times. I'd have to tell it to manually connect with the car or it would just sit there. Even with the manual connections, it would take longer than other phones.
Not a huge deal, but it is somewhat annoying.
Biggest annoyance can be the screen. You have to look at it and play with it to see if it's something that works for you or not. Works for some, not for others.
I also had some issues using the sdcard storage when connected to my PC. Sometimes only one of sdcards would mount. Sometimes neither would. In those cases, it took a reboot to fix it.
Other than those issues, great phone overall. Great signal and reception, and LTE rocks. Phone ended up not working for me, but it can be a good choice for some.
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acPIZZA said:
Yeah, its the same people that will walk up to a 36" 720p television screen and complain about the lack of full hd, when in fact the difference isn't noticeable to the eye unless you are right on top of it.
Holding the phone as little as 12 inches, give or take yields a beautifully crisp image. Text and all.
Even engadget digs the screens. They raved about the qhd in the x2, and for some reason I feel this one is even better (I owned, and am currently trying to sell the x2). For the most part they are usually right in the ballpark with their reviews, imo.
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Subjective. Everyone's eyes are different and pick up on different things. I could hold it at over 12" and still see the pixelation. It was really noticeable when green or blue was a dominant color on the screen. Look at the demo of Let's Golf 2 and it was quite obvious when it was all green.
Others will focus on color saturation and make a call either way too.
It'll bother some and not others. Neither opinion is more right than the other as it's a personal thing.

Here's my summary on the phone. This is subjective based upon my few days with the Bionic so its not a final definitive opinion but simply my views on the Bionic.
Pros: Fast device. 4G speed is great. Phone feels pretty light in hand yet still "heavy" enough to where it doesn't feel too bulky. Moto Blur for the most part on the Bionic is pretty tolerable enough to where I actually didn't think about using any home screen replacements. Sound quality is very good out of the speaker. 720p/1080p video recording is decent. ZumoCast works great for streaming audio. Battery life at least from the few days I had the Bionic was pretty good as I got about 17 hours with "moderate" use... however....
Cons: ... the battery life isn't so good when you start to use it beyond "moderate" usage such as streaming video or even heavy audio/bluetooth use. The screen is very lackluster due to it being pentile - I highly recommend you play with the phone via store demo for at least 5-10 minutes to see if this bothers you. Camera quality is so-so and could be better. No camera hard button on the phone like the original Droid had but then again it seems like most phones have abandoned that. A bit overpriced at $299 since I feel $199 is stretching it for this phone.

I have generally good things to say about this phone, but since you already have a LTE phone, I might suggest standing aside until the next generation starts rolling.

Related

change my thunderbolt for a droid bionic or not?

What do u guys thing keep thunderbolt or change for bionic?
CARLITOZ18 said:
What do u guys thing keep thunderbolt or change for bionic?
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Just came from a ThunderBolt check out my review: Link
.
Thanks i wiil wait for some othee phones
Yea I just switched from my cm7 thunderbolt that I got on launch day at the Verizon store I work at and I'm kind of uneasy about the switch I made but my thunderbolt sold that day for 200of the 300 that it cost for the bionic so no going back now. Either way worst case scenario I upgrade on of the phones on my contract lines to a quad core next year. So if you have the opportunity to switch later go for it but if you have to keep it for 20months I would wait
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open1your1eyes0 said:
Just came from a ThunderBolt check out my review: Link
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Good review
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I've had the Bionic for 2 days and returned it. Back on the Thunderbolt.
I recommend waiting another month or so. Something else will come out.
open1your1eyes0 said:
Just came from a ThunderBolt check out my review: Link
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That is exactly what I am doing.......Switching from the Thunderbolt to the Bionic.
It has been painless so far. Switched the 4G sim cards and SD cards. Then pointed TiBu to where to backups were and restored all my apps from the Thunderbolt.
The Bionic is blazing fast and the battery is awesome. But need more testing for battery life to get a better results....
I also came from a Thunderbolt.. and in my opinion, the Bionic while being a very nice phone and powerful - feels very intermediary to the next "big thing".. It doesn't feel like "the phone to have for the next year" to me... Either way, haven't sold my Tbolt and i'm giving it about 10 days before deciding if i'm keeping the Bionic or returning it.
Diversion said:
I also came from a Thunderbolt.. and in my opinion, the Bionic while being a very nice phone and powerful - feels very intermediary to the next "big thing".. It doesn't feel like "the phone to have for the next year" to me... Either way, haven't sold my Tbolt and i'm giving it about 10 days before deciding if i'm keeping the Bionic or returning it.
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Same here. Truly hate the screen. Like almost everything else. Battery has been better but not amazing. I'll keep it and sell it for the prime.
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I personally don't own a TB, but know several who do. The Bionic is a much nicer phone in just about every aspect. Battery life is much better not just a little. "Reviews" of the Bionic are only opinionated "initial impressions" just like my statement above
And the screen....coming from an amoled and slcd Inc....it's actually very nice. The best outdoor viewing I've seen on any phone.
bionic screen and no data+voice over 3g
hate the screen.
hate the fact that one cannot do data + voice over 3g like the t-bolt
love the build quality
love the call quality
net, net - keeping my bolt for either the htc vigor (oct. 6 launch according to sources on the web).
biswasd said:
hate the fact that one cannot do data + voice over 3g like the t-bolt
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That is my only gripe so far. That should be standard on all LTE phones.
I'm going to use it for another week and decide. Battery life and screen is the only thing making me think twice about going back to the tv.
Keeping the bionic, wifey gets the TB. Like someone else in this thread stated, the bionic feels like an intermediate step forward rather than a leap. Still, I'm quite happy with it. I refuse to obsess over the pentile screen. Has any other TB owner noticed how great this phone is in direct sunlight? The TB was tough to use outside.
biswasd said:
hate the screen.
hate the fact that one cannot do data + voice over 3g like the t-bolt
love the build quality
love the call quality
net, net - keeping my bolt for either the htc vigor (oct. 6 launch according to sources on the web).
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If you are in a 3g area, then I would wait. My data connection is worse than when the Thunderbolt just came out. I lose data for hours. I toggle modes (cdma/lte) switch airplane mode off and on, and reboot. Reboot works most often. When I'm on wifi and on cdma mode, the verizon data stays connected. But either way my battery (always on cdma) dies in less than 10 hours
If you use your phone outside then you'll like the Bionic screen.
I don't have an opinion if you are in a 4G area.
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cmhfdisker said:
Has any other TB owner noticed how great this phone is in direct sunlight? The TB was tough to use outside.
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Can you please elaborate on this point? I have a TBolt and it is impossible to read the screen in sunlight. How readable is the Bionic?
It's so bright you can read it outside with sunglasses on. It does however have a funny hue to it with sunglasses on that I don't have with the Thunderbolt
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jonno95 said:
It's so bright you can read it outside with sunglasses on. It does however have a funny hue to it with sunglasses on that I don't have with the Thunderbolt
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I didn't notice any hue with my Oakley's. Love being able to see the screen with them on.
In direct sunlight with sunglasses on it is very readable. I've never seen a smart phone screen this viewable in the sun.
I have a TB that I just went back to. Bionic is better, but with locked bootloader, wifi tether issues, and price, it isn't worth using my upgrade IMO. Now, if I wasn't already on a 4 g device like my old droid x, then I would say get a bionic, you will love it.
tbtaf said:
I have a TB that I just went back to. Bionic is better, but with locked bootloader, wifi tether issues, and price, it isn't worth using my upgrade IMO. Now, if I wasn't already on a 4 g device like my old droid x, then I would say get a bionic, you will love it.
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I am having that exact debate with myself. Already having a 4g device do I need this phone? Call quality is 100 times better though.
Having full control of my TB is nice. I can tether at will and talk and surf on 3g.

I dont know what ya *****in for

I got bionic on the launch date .. and for some reason i hear all these nerdlings qqing about oh this phone is old hardware and what not. I came from a Nexus One which in my opinion was the dopest android phone ever made besides the touch sensor. The screen on the bionic ****s all over my n1 and in every way its a upgrade. I looked at samsung LED screens before hand and I do enjoy them, but the bionics screen is great imo unless you got the magnifier glass out lmao
am i the only one whos really loving this phone and doesnt really care about the samsung and other phones coming out -__-
this a solid phone
avniii said:
I got bionic on the launch date .. and for some reason i hear all these nerdlings qqing about oh this phone is old hardware and what not. I came from a Nexus One which in my opinion was the dopest android phone ever made besides the touch sensor. The screen on the bionic ****s all over my n1 and in every way its a upgrade. I looked at samsung LED screens before hand and I do enjoy them, but the bionics screen is great imo unless you got the magnifier glass out lmao
am i the only one whos really loving this phone and doesnt really care about the samsung and other phones coming out -__-
this a solid phone
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Solid yes... What it was chalked up to be .. No. dont get Mr wrong, I love it... BUT your comparing it to a nexus 1. If you had came from a sensation, like myself, you'd understand the let downs a little better. Great phone definitely... Could it have been better, absolutely.
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I'm completely happy with Bionic. Samsung has pretty screens but much lower quality materials and design if you ask me. Samsung and Toshiba are both pretty crappy but they know if you put a beautiful screen on it people will overlook all the other areas costs were cut. people should pick a phone and try to live with their choice and enjoy the new toy. The Bionic is a hell of a phone. Quite being babies indecisive with too many choices.
I'm coming from an Original Droid and while I kind of hoped I'd be able to make it until the Prime released, that didn't happen....and I LLLOOOVVVEEE this phone! Now if only they can send an update to fix the network connectivity issues I'll be all set!
I love my bionic, no qestion's asked it works perfect. Have not had any problems with it, i will not give this phone up unless the pohone that replaces the bionic is 50x times better. Way better then my DX2. I perfer the cpu/gpu in the bionic then the nvidia cpu/gpu.
The 4g lte is great very fast. pretty sad my 4g lte is faster then my cable connection.
The only thing this phone is missing is CM7 or CM8 if it comes out.
I enjoy the BLUR but im to accustomed to my nexus one custom ROMs.
I honestly never use my 4g on my bionic only for specific times whe nits needed. I keep my data off completely throughout the day and oh man does the battery ****ing kill it hahah i love this phone so much the speaker/video camera/and all around feel of the phone is superb..truly superb. Samsung might have a nice screen and GPU or w.e but moto dominates with the actual phone feel.
This is comign from the guy who was like dreaming about getting a GS2 because thats my favorite phone but the bionic>>>gs2 in my opinion beside the led
avniii said:
bionic>>>gs2 in my opinion
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I would almost promise you that if you held them side by side, this wouldn't be your opinion any more. Now, I absolutely love my Bionic and it's the best phone I've used on Verizon(it's worth noting that I've owned nearly every Android smartphone to come to Verizon since the Droid 1) However, a coworker of mine imported a GSII some time ago and I've had ample opportunity to play with it. To me, it remains completely unrivaled by anything I've seen from another manufacturer to date. This is really just my 2 cents.
P.S.:When I say nearly every, I mean literally all but 3 =P I will continue this with the upcoming Rezound, as well. Nothing like having variety with my LTE.
I have tried out nearly every phone out there.
I had money just sitting here, so why not put it to good use.
When it coolness down to phones, I liked 2 the best.
GS2 and the Bionic
The GS2 screen was truley amaizing, but like sanding usually does, they increase there contrast. Pictures no longer feel... realalistic.
The GS2 was lighter. It in a way felt cheaper as well.
The main reason I chose the bionic was it's processor.
Prosesses utilize ram.
The OMAP4 is the only multiple-channel processor which makes ram access better.
Gingerbread doesn't support multiple cores or channels, but ice-cream sandwich will.
I didn't want a phone that would become old technology as soon as the next OS was released.
Not hating the GS2, but single thread benchmarks with a 1.5ghz is not that impressive when the OMAP4 is pretty close at 1ghz and working less than half as hard as the1.5ghz.
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I'm coming from an iPhone 3GS (so, admittedly a few years of technology and freedom behind), but this is easily the best phone (smart or otherwise) that I've ever owned, and I had tried a Samsung Infuse 4G briefly a few months prior.
I'm a little apprehensive to see what the Nexus Prime is going to look like, but I just have to keep reminding myself how much joy this phone has brought me. There's always the possibility of something newer and shinier, but I'm increasingly glad that I pulled the trigger when I did. This phone is a beast
I'm coming from a Samsung Fascinate (Galaxy S) and had a Droid1 before it, so I feel like I understand the strengths/weaknesses of Samsung and Motorola. I appreciate the light weight and great screens of Samsungs. But Samsung is crappy at ongoing software support/updates, and many of the things that don't get the fancy headlines (e.g., call quality, GPS locks, external speaker volume and sound quality) are inferior due to cramming so much stuff in the light/thin phone.
Both of my Motorolas have been heavier and thicker, and I don't love the Bionic screen, but man it just works well. Instant GPS, great audio and call quality, good reception, better battery life.
Sometimes the supermodel is fun to be out with, but doesn't make a great wife.
Coming off a Pantech Matrix,,,,anything is faster.
Only thing I have to complain about is...the locked bootloader
I've owned both the BB Storm and Storm 2, the HTC Imagio, Moto Droid, HTC D.Inc., Moto Droid X, Samsung Droid Charge, and the Moto Droid X2 before this. While I have to say the display on the Charge was nice, the 800x480 resolution is getting old fast. Hell, the OG Droid was the Android device that changed the smartphone "game" in the US when it was released, and it had a higher resolution screen. But the Charge's screen felt... fake and cartoonish. I wanted something in between the DX and the Charge.
The Bionic's screen isn't something to write home about, but the colors are good IMO, the high resolution is perfect, dual core and a gig of quality RAM, 4G LTE and excellent call quality. Out of all the phones I've owned, including flip phones, Motorola's have always been the best in signal and call quality, period. The worst was the D.Inc., even on EVRC-B it was still crappy. Plus the screen... while it was an AMOLED, it had an older Pentile matrix that makes the Bionic look fantastic.
Overall, I'm glad I waited and was able to get the Bionic. People have too high of an expectation when it comes to smartphones. As long as it does what you want, be happy with it. The Bionic does all of that, plus much more and this is by far the best device I've owned.
Oh... and f*ck Apple.
Mmmaannn i have high expectations for the Bionic because #1 its farking 300$ @launch. I think sgs2 was 129$?
#2: all u guys talking about ur OGdroids, I upgraded from an Omnia from 2-3 years. The only thing for me the Bionic is good for is the performance, internet speed and phone speed, and I like the screen the fact that I can clearly read in sunlight.
I'm new to Android. I only played around with it so maybe I'm not familiar with the OS. about winmo I liked was having a task bar like on your desktop where I can hold right click and actually close or minimize. And I mean actually close, when I goto open the app it loads like new. When I use task killer it tells me it killed the apps but same apps keep reapearing. And for example I would kill the browser and when I reopen the browser it opens where I left off.
Also, I played with some Samsung devices and I really like how I can change brightness, screen rotation wifi gps etc. is that like a touch wiz only thing? So apart from the OS I also need to figure the interface? Is there like a complete stock barebones gb platform I can go to? Is that just getting a nexus?
Honestly I got the phone for the specs because you can always tweak usability but you can't add ram or cpu.
Any APPS or Tweak suggestions is greatly appreciated.
Oh btw on my winmo I never had to buy apps I could dl and install cracked vers. Not that I dont want to support devs im just uuber broke (yea rite rocking a 3oo$ fone) it was a gift smarta's.
And I could load a movie on my sd card and coreplayer would play everything even HD with crz stutter bcuz phone too slow. Android I have to start converting files? Wtf? And I also had wifi tether! Wmwifitouter...
Im on the fence should I trade my phone downgrade and get some cash in my pockets or will the Bionic get better?
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Also to add on samsing phone if you hold the home button you get a list of recent apps BUT there's also a button for task manager anyway I can get this on Nothing-but-a-BLUR?
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I'm loving the bionic so far, the one thing that's really annoying me doesn't seem to be a big deal to others. I understand the increased resolution but the font is way too small. It's giving me a headache.
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harpdoc said:
I'm coming from a Samsung Fascinate (Galaxy S) and had a Droid1 before it, so I feel like I understand the strengths/weaknesses of Samsung and Motorola. I appreciate the light weight and great screens of Samsungs. But Samsung is crappy at ongoing software support/updates, and many of the things that don't get the fancy headlines (e.g., call quality, GPS locks, external speaker volume and sound quality) are inferior due to cramming so much stuff in the light/thin phone.
Both of my Motorolas have been heavier and thicker, and I don't love the Bionic screen, but man it just works well. Instant GPS, great audio and call quality, good reception, better battery life.
Sometimes the supermodel is fun to be out with, but doesn't make a great wife.
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you sure hit that one on the head. i have had many phones and i like motorola phones alot. with some tweaks and stuff you can make the bionic a bad a## phone. i love the things you can do with this phone! just amazing!! zumacast is one of my favorite apps ever. despite what others say about the lapdock, i love it.

[Edit]: (I did) Would you bring your bionic back for a razr if you could?

So I bought my bionic a best buy less than 2 weeks ago. I've had Bluetooth dropping out quite a bit, and tonight I lost data connection for a while for the first time, and it has me thinking of getting my money back and going for a razr. But,....seeing as most of the important stuff inside both are the same, I would think the same problems will likely persist between both. So why bother if the same problems will be there? Add on top of that I already had to buy an extended battery for the bionic (I can return obviously, but isn't offered with the razr).
I would, the bionic isn't bad but the razr is better. I would imagine some of the problems with the bionic will have been worked out for the razr, and we'll probably see the this as well in the next OTA.
Tough choice. It has slightly better specs, but I personally think its an ugly phone. If I took it back for anything it would likely be the Galaxy Nexus, but I'm not even too pumped for that. I was surprised it wasn't clocked at 1.5GHz.
I have had to do a battery pull on my bionic once since getting it. What would you do with the Razr in those situations?
It is a lot slimmer though. I probably would do an even trade, but I am not 100% sure.
Nope. I think the Bionic combines all the good qualities of all the mentioned phones. Removable battery? Check. SD card? Check Screen viewable in all conditions? Check. Now that I'm running 5.7 I really enjoy the Bionic. Besides, there's no guarantee the Razr or Nexus is going to be any less buggy than the Bionic. On the other hand, if you have the chance to sample all the current offerings, go for it. You could always trade one of those phones for a Bionic again I'm sure.
No I wouldn't. The specs are slightly better but I prefer the design of the Bionic. They're both getting ICS so there's nothing really compelling over the Bionic.
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Well, I figure I'm pretty certain both use the same processor, lte/CDMA/bluetooth likely, too. So it stands to reason it will have similar problems related to these pieces. I will say I just installed shift3r 2.3 and listened to 40 minutes of Bluetooth pandora and mp3 without a single skip.
I switch between batteries alot. No removable battery is a big no.
Sent from my DROID BIONIC using xda premium
The main reason I would upgrade is the screen, this is the main area the bionic lacks. It's great in bright light compared to HTC and Samsung phones but that doesn't completely make up for it. I rarely notice the black pentile squares unless I get way to close to the screen, but reading text, and the numbers on my notifications can be a pain at times. I also like the thin frame, I miss how thin my X was, and the non removable battery isn't an issue (unless you have to have a extended battery) as it should have a hard reset button combo, and if tie battery is as good as the bionic's then it should be fine for most people. I wouldn't get the nexus for two reasons, 1. It's a Samsung and they have bad radios and call quality is nowhere near as good as Motorola, 2. No removable SD card.
wseyller said:
I switch between batteries alot. No removable battery is a big no.
Sent from my DROID BIONIC using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Instant deal killer for me. I depend on multiple batteries each day.
Sent from my DROID BIONIC
Maybe if there were no additional costs. It has enough "upgrades" that I might want it. I got my Bionic a few days before they officially announced these devices and I knew that new devices would be coming up soon. I definitely don't regret my choice. I got my Bionic from amazon wireless for $0.01, so I would have been stuck paying $300 more to get one of the newer devices and that simply wouldn't be worth it.
The back of the razr is nice and the fact that it's thin and light is impressive. One of my biggest concerns while I was waiting for my Bionic to arrive was the size. This is the biggest screen I've had and the phone, at the thickest point, is thicker than other devices I've used. I was extremely surprised when I got it out of the box. I actually liked the bigger size and weight! I definitely don't have large hands, but the Bionic just feels like a better fit. The weight gives it a sturdier feel too. The razr seems like it would feel a bit on the fragile side. I don't really like the angles of the razr. The subtle transition on the back of the Bionic is better, in my opinion, and I don't think I like the corner angles on the razr.
The larger screen also helps when switching between my tablet and my phone... my old phone felt tiny after using my tablet for a while. The Bionic feels a little small in comparison, but that small increase in screen size seems to really make a difference.
I also like the texture of the back cover.The razr looks nice, but I'm not sure how it would feel. I assume it's a bit slicker than the Bionic, so I'd definitely prefer the Bionic for that.
I have yet to experience any problems with my Bionic, so removing the battery is not a huge issue for me. I also manage to get satisfactory battery life, so being able to replace the battery isn't a concern. I'd be fine with getting an external battery charger if I needed more life to get through the day. From what I understand, there should still be a way to force the phone to reboot if necessary, so that might not be a problem.
I'd say people should still consider the Bionic if they're in the phone for a new phone. Try to get a feel for the phones... check out the size, weight and overall feel of holding the device. Consider any important or necessary features (expandable memory, removable battery, etc.). In terms of things like processor speeds, I don't think the average person will really notice much of a difference.
I'm still in my remorse period. I might have considered Raze except for battery. Logic says the phone has the same embedded battery and its done well. But I've never owned a phone that hadn't required a battery pull...except the iPhone. Can Motorola pull it off?
Im on Bionic #3. First one I returned to Verizon because of the amazon 1 cent deal. 2nd one was slower and rebooted. 3rd one is a week old today. Only have the sound issue in my car.
I like Motorola, and I like the Motorola DROID. I've always wanted one. Now I've got one. The Raze is ugly, IMO. Plus I see DROID Razr, and, Motorola Razr. Which means its not even uniq ue anymore. Don't want any part of AT&T.
I'LL. stick with the Bionic.
here is a review from the verge
I can't post links yet but the verge put up a review of the razr.
I'm in the same situation as you, but no removable battery and apparently worse looking screen, I'm going to stick with the bionic.
http://www.theverge.com/2011/11/7/2543626/motorola-droid-razr-review
Wow, pretty bad write up on the screen.
Battery about the same as the standard Bionic's (big surprise)
Back camera same as Bionics 8mp
Overall rating of 7.0 vs Bionic 7.6
I've actually grown to love the Pentile display, and no replaceable/extended battery is a problem. So, the Razr doesn't tempt me. The Galaxy Nexus does, but even there, I'm still on the fence.
Stick with the Bionic
After reading most of these reviews that came out today for the Razr, I would most definitely say stick with the Bionic. I know I am. Below average battery life that you can't do anything about is not good. Also, I have read in multiple reviews that even with an AMOLED screen, reviewers prefer the Bionic LCD over the Razr's. It's not a good screen. Moto made to many concessions by trying to get the "wow" thin factor. The only thing is has going for it is the form factor, in which I prefer the Bionics more, in my opinion. The only other option would be the Galaxy Nexus but as someone already pointed out, I would wait on that one. There's no telling how many bugs/issues it will have being brand new software. Anyway, that's my 2 cents, stick with the Bionic.
After running droidth3ory's new shift3r 2.3 since last night, I have to say, on initial impressions, my Bluetooth is running much better. I hope it continues. I did have one spontaneous reboot with it this morning, but I wiped cache and dalvik cache in hopes to curb it doing it again.
Sorry, I tried to 'Thank' everyone, but apparently am limited to 5 a day.
Would not get rid of my bionic for the razr but I will be ditching it next Monday for the Rezound. The bionic is my first Moto android phone and it is built very well but the locked bootloader sucks. The Rezound has root and s-off. Also it seems most of the guys that developed for the EVO 4g will be working on it. Droidth3ory has done a great job on the bionic but I am headed back the the land of HTC.
I had a Thunderbolt, and liked it OK, but the battery was horrid. The only thing worse than it was the HTC extended battery. Made it like its ass was pregnant.
--

Where's the Bionic love?

I know there's been a lot of discussion of recent handsets, given that the Bionic was the first of a flurry of next-generation phones, made all the worse by Motorola's steadfast refusal to hand us the keys to our phone and the various software issues they've so far completely failed to address. Given all that, it's very easy to down on the Bionic or feel suckered.
But where's the love for the Bionic?
I've been offered a different handset (as the software issues on the Bionic have been killing me) by VzW, offered the Razr, Rezound, and if I'm willing to wait, even the GNex. But as I've been considering that, I've realized that the Bionic really is the sweet spot for me.
We're quite nearly as fast as the Razr, same other specs, none of Moto's rubbish Smart Actions, and we can replace our batteries or get an extended battery. Not to mention that we'll be getting the bugfix release sooner than they will, so likely, our network drops will be fixed first.
The HTC Rezound is a great phone, but it's thicker than the Bionic, and that's without the (still unannounced) extended battery. It's also slowed down by HTC Sense, and they (as of last I checked) still don't even have root. It's got a beautiful screen, and a slight speed bump, but not much else on us.
The Galaxy Nexus LTE hasn't even been released yet, but we know that it won't have an SD Card slot (and thus, won't ever support 64GB cards as the Bionic already does), and that the sound quality from the speakers is very quiet, especially compared to Motorola's speakers. We also know that we can get good battery life, and that our extended battery actually fits the phone nicely versus their (still not announced) batteries. They've got a nicer screen, NFC, and likely a nicer camera, but at the end of the day, if you need extended batteries and extended storage, the Bionic is all you've got.
But, the Nexus Bootloader is unlocked. That's the main temptation for me to go over there, and for many of us, it's a sine qua non. That said, that's something that's well within Motorola's power to fix, either intentionally, by accident, or "by accident". They likely won't, but hey, there's hope. And even now, there's a growing ROM-building community, which will likely only grow larger as the software issues are fixed and ICS nears.
Of course, the software issues are huge, and I don't mean to excuse Motorola's massive screwup there. Motorola has really screwed us over with the software on this phone, and their refusal to unlock the damned bootloaders is huge. But hopefully they'll learn and improve the software from there.
In short, in the Bionic, we've got plenty of (expandable) storage, good speakers, a reasonable extended battery, good cases, promises of ICS, and a chipset that can keep up with anything on the market.
It's not perfect, but nothing ever is. For some of you, the other phones may offer something better, and more power to you, but for people like me who like large battery and storage capacity, even after this latest glut of releases, the Bionic will still be the best choice. It's not a dead headset, surpassed and unworthy of development. It's not been replaced by, well, anything, it's just one good option among other options.
So, if you're one of the people like me for whom the Bionic really still is the best phone on the market, hang in there, and don't let the haters get you down.
I love it!
Sent from my DROID BIONIC using XDA App
Bionic ftw!
Sent from my DROID BIONIC using XDA App
I completely agree with everything in the OP. The Bionic is a great phone even with its flaws and poor treatment from the manufacturer, and I believe it will only get better if Motorola holds to their promises of bugfixes and ICS, and the possiblity of an unlocked bootloader.
I can't believe I just read all of that on my phone.... but I'm glad that I did! The Bionic goes to 11!!
jus curious, when u were offered other phones...did u already cross the 14days return period ?
wanderfowl said:
I know there's been a lot of discussion of recent handsets, given that the Bionic was the first of a flurry of next-generation phones, made all the worse by Motorola's steadfast refusal to hand us the keys to our phone and the various software issues they've so far completely failed to address. Given all that, it's very easy to down on the Bionic or feel suckered.
But where's the love for the Bionic?
I've been offered a different handset (as the software issues on the Bionic have been killing me) by VzW, offered the Razr, Rezound, and if I'm willing to wait, even the GNex. But as I've been considering that, I've realized that the Bionic really is the sweet spot for me.
We're quite nearly as fast as the Razr, same other specs, none of Moto's rubbish Smart Actions, and we can replace our batteries or get an extended battery. Not to mention that we'll be getting the bugfix release sooner than they will, so likely, our network drops will be fixed first.
The HTC Rezound is a great phone, but it's thicker than the Bionic, and that's without the (still unannounced) extended battery. It's also slowed down by HTC Sense, and they (as of last I checked) still don't even have root. It's got a beautiful screen, and a slight speed bump, but not much else on us.
The Galaxy Nexus LTE hasn't even been released yet, but we know that it won't have an SD Card slot (and thus, won't ever support 64GB cards as the Bionic already does), and that the sound quality from the speakers is very quiet, especially compared to Motorola's speakers. We also know that we can get good battery life, and that our extended battery actually fits the phone nicely versus their (still not announced) batteries. They've got a nicer screen, NFC, and likely a nicer camera, but at the end of the day, if you need extended batteries and extended storage, the Bionic is all you've got.
But, the Nexus Bootloader is unlocked. That's the main temptation for me to go over there, and for many of us, it's a sine qua non. That said, that's something that's well within Motorola's power to fix, either intentionally, by accident, or "by accident". They likely won't, but hey, there's hope. And even now, there's a growing ROM-building community, which will likely only grow larger as the software issues are fixed and ICS nears.
Of course, the software issues are huge, and I don't mean to excuse Motorola's massive screwup there. Motorola has really screwed us over with the software on this phone, and their refusal to unlock the damned bootloaders is huge. But hopefully they'll learn and improve the software from there.
In short, in the Bionic, we've got plenty of (expandable) storage, good speakers, a reasonable extended battery, good cases, promises of ICS, and a chipset that can keep up with anything on the market.
It's not perfect, but nothing ever is. For some of you, the other phones may offer something better, and more power to you, but for people like me who like large battery and storage capacity, even after this latest glut of releases, the Bionic will still be the best choice. It's not a dead headset, surpassed and unworthy of development. It's not been replaced by, well, anything, it's just one good option among other options.
So, if you're one of the people like me for whom the Bionic really still is the best phone on the market, hang in there, and don't let the haters get you down.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
afma_afma said:
jus curious, when u were offered other phones...did u already cross the 14days return period ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, this was only last week (purchased shortly after release), but I've been in touch with them about these issues since very quickly after the 14 days. I've called Verizon nearly 15 times, and only recently have they made this offer, and that's only because I've had especially bad troubles with the travel and amount of wired-headset-calling I do. I doubt that they'll be open for that if you don't have a history of calls and complaints.
wanderfowl said:
Yes, this was only last week (purchased shortly after release), but I've been in touch with them about these issues since very quickly after the 14 days. I've called Verizon nearly 15 times, and only recently have they made this offer, and that's only because I've had especially bad troubles with the travel and amount of wired-headset-calling I do. I doubt that they'll be open for that if you don't have a history of calls and complaints.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
cool..thank u for the info..my bionic has been sailing smooth with no issues this far..i am hoping it stays that way..
Actually the galaxy nexus got slammed for having an absolutely terrible camera. I was going to see my bionic and get it, until I saw that. Dealbreaker.
Sent from my DROID BIONIC using XDA App
nosympathy said:
Actually the galaxy nexus got slammed for having an absolutely terrible camera. I was going to see my bionic and get it, until I saw that. Dealbreaker.
Sent from my DROID BIONIC using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's certainly not worse than the bionic camera.
I'd trade your bionic in a heartbeat. Mine is in a drawer collecting dust because it's awful. Most regretted phone purchase of my life.
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using xda premium
my bionic is garbage the constant data dropping makes me want to throw it against a wall and the only thing stopping me from doing so is the hope that I can sell it to some chump for at least 200 bucks when the nexus comes out.
smartphone minus data connection = ****ty phone with poor battery life.
From what I hear they say the data dropping out is common with all 4g devices. I cave from the thunderbolt and had the same experience. I'm seriously considering switching to a 3g device
i had a blackberry to a facinate now the bionic. BIONIC IS THE BEST
Th3demolitionman said:
From what I hear they say the data dropping out is common with all 4g devices. I cave from the thunderbolt and had the same experience. I'm seriously considering switching to a 3g device
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can force you phone into CDMA only instead of LTE/CDMA. I was told at a VZW store thats a possible work around. I did switch back to my OG droid incredible until the bionic gets software fixes.
I also wish the screen was better, but getting everything i want in a phone would make it 800$+
Just got the Bionic a couple days ago. I haven't had any data issues yet but I have it in CDMA only mode at the moment. Will test it in a 4g area in a couple days as I am right on the edge of a 4g area. I also have a Inc2 and have had a Fascinate and D1. This phone rocks for me. Battery is decent, its fast, solid build, blur (nonblur) is kind of nice now. Camera software isn't great but it isn't as bad as I thought it would be. Phone is also a little thick. I am optimistic that the data bug will be fixed with the next update.
Troll much?
eallan said:
It's certainly not worse than the bionic camera.
I'd trade your bionic in a heartbeat. Mine is in a drawer collecting dust because it's awful. Most regretted phone purchase of my life.
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Bionic camera is not one of the problems with this phone. It promptly takes good pictures and shoots very usable videos.
pharaoh45 said:
The Bionic camera is not one of the problems with this phone. It promptly takes good pictures and shoots very usable videos.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's the absolute worst cell phone camera I've ever used. It's completely laughable and almost unusable. I feel sorry for you thinking it's "good."
The camera in Theoryrom makes it not one of the problems in this phone.
eallan said:
It's the absolute worst cell phone camera I've ever used. It's completely laughable and almost unusable. I feel sorry for you thinking it's "good."
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It all depends what system you are on.
886 - agreed, worst camera ever!
893 - much improved

[Q] Purchase Hesitate Plse Advise

I loved my OG droid. Battery life was kinda lame, new phone were coming out so I got a TBOLT. Tbolt is very lame.
deciding to get a droid 4. im worried about these screen issues, everyone cries about 2 things. the battery and the qhd screen.
is it really THAT bad? I hardly play games and maybe watch you tube once in a while. if i do a play a game is it going to ghost that bad?
if i do any media its a psx game or angry birds on the pooper. occasionally ill try a new game out but nothing big.
if im not using the droid will the battery go down? that makes no sense if it does (alot), my tbolt now is at 5 hrs 95% turned off data.
i read alot on the web and text/chat often.
should i not get this phone bc of battery life and screen?
The screen is not THAT bad. I think it's fine personally. It stutters when scrolling through text but I don't think it's a big deal. Is it as nice as the gnex or razr? No, probably not. But I think it's fine. I have played Dead Space on it with no issues.
Battery life is fine for me with moderate use. It makes it through a full day for me. 4G defenitely sucks the juice depending on how much you use it. I will usually plug it in to the car charger on my way home from work just to be safe.
If you don't need a keyboard there are better phones out there. But this is definitely the best keyboard phone out there and totally worth the trade offs IMO. Wouldn't have wanted to type all this using an on screen keyboard that's for sure!
Sent from my DROID4 using XDA
Thanks man, btw how bout this locked bootloader? whats that mean exactly?
are we going to get the rom support as we did with og droid?
Having a locked bootloader isn't as big a deal as some make it out to be. The way I understand it the only thing this really affects is the ability to flash custom kernels. Is it BS? Yes. But it's not the end of the world.
Sent from my DROID4 using XDA
The locked bootloader is thankfully a minor annoyance thanks to the community and SafeStrap recovery. I have already tested CyanogenMod 9 alpha, and it worked smoothly.
Personally I am very happy with the screen. See my posts in "is the Droid 4 the best keyboard phone" for more information.
Sent from my DROID4 using XDA
DroidOG > Droid4
I have the DroidOG and loved it. I was so reluctant to leave it, but when I got this phone, I was surprisingly impressed.
Battery life is not much different (at least for me) with this phone compared to the DroidOG.
Keyboard is amazing. I love what Motorola's been doing to their devices.
I have a Zagg on mine and the screen isn't as bad as I was expecting. I use the Droid 4 and a Samsung Galaxy S2 Skyrocket (which has a Super AMOLED Plus screen) and am not disappointed by the Droid 4 at all.
Droid 4 Screen
The screen is NOT that bad. You will get use to it. The only bad thing about the screen is the blur that occurs when you are scrolling test. Some apps are worse then others. PowerAMP has a pretty big blur when you scroll through text but with the stock web browser you don't really notice that blur on the text when you scroll. Another thing to keep in mind also is the qHD screens are pretty battery efficient which is definitely needed on a 4G LTE phone. Don't let the screen be a deal breaker because it really is a great phone IMO.
awesome guys thanks for the replies.
how is everyone's battery? How long can we get on a full charge?
if it can make a whole day 15 hours i'll be happy (moderate use) of course.
id be only using 3g and turning of data completly 8 majority of the day. (no service at works drains drains the bat searching for signal)
I leave background data, wireless and 4g connected all day, it does just fine. Needs a charge by the end of the night, but usually not before unless I spend several hours gaming or listening to music and keeping the screen on because I'm dumb. It does pretty good.
Could still go for a big fat battery backpack, though.
punkonjunk said:
I leave background data, wireless and 4g connected all day, it does just fine. Needs a charge by the end of the night, but usually not before unless I spend several hours gaming or listening to music and keeping the screen on because I'm dumb. It does pretty good.
Could still go for a big fat battery backpack, though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't bother with wifi, but I do keep 4g on, and I get about the same results.
Sent from my DROID4 using XDA
I duno whether to get a droid 4 or not and if yes will there be an international version with the gsm active? Any help please? And is the screen worse than the samsung galaxy s1? Thank you
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA
mygmy said:
I duno whether to get a droid 4 or not and if yes will there be an international version with the gsm active? Any help please? And is the screen worse than the samsung galaxy s1? Thank you
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Basic advice, if you really want a keyboard, get the Droid 4. If not, go with Galaxy Nexus or Razr Maxx. I have heard that there is a GSM radio built into the Droid 4, it just isn't active. Assumption is Motorola will activate it at some point but who knows for sure. I don't have any experience with the Galaxy S1 but I think the screen on the Droid 4 is fine. Maybe not as pretty as some others, but it is not bad at all. I like it just fine. Performs will in sunlight which is a plus as well.
kwyrt said:
Basic advice, if you really want a keyboard, get the Droid 4. If not, go with Galaxy Nexus or Razr Maxx. I have heard that there is a GSM radio built into the Droid 4, it just isn't active. Assumption is Motorola will activate it at some point but who knows for sure. I don't have any experience with the Galaxy S1 but I think the screen on the Droid 4 is fine. Maybe not as pretty as some others, but it is not bad at all. I like it just fine. Performs will in sunlight which is a plus as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you and yeah i need a qwerty that's y i think d4 is the best qwerty phone till now
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA

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