[Q] Purchase Hesitate Plse Advise - Motorola Droid 4

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.
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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

Related

How many are happy or not happy.

Just wanna know how many people are happy with this phone and keeping it.
Vs
Returning it.
Besides the obvious bugs/screen etc.
I like it but I don't love it but not enough to return it.
Sent from my DROID BIONIC using xda premium
Love it. Keeping it.
Keeping it fersure... getting 10megabits down with 6/up. snappy and fast... rooted here.
came from a droid incredible with a dope rom from skyraider... I was running for 36 hours at a time with no kernel changes or undervolt... so my only complaint is the batt life sucks in comparison.
r4ph said:
Keeping it fersure... getting 10megabits down with 6/up. snappy and fast... rooted here.
came from a droid incredible with a dope rom from skyraider... I was running for 36 hours at a time with no kernel changes or undervolt... so my only complaint is the batt life sucks in comparison.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Welcome to 4G. Its not the phone its 4G that sucks your battery. I will say this; The bionic is by FAR the best on battery life compared to all 4G phones on the market right now.
I adore it. I came from a Moto Droid that had a display that died on me, so I was waiting for this.
Yeah, the screen's pixels are a little annoying at times, but other than that its speeds are INCREDIBLE, the new motoblur or whatever it is called now isn't obtrusive (the phone is actually fast enough to run it where it is actually attractive), and best of all it feels great in the hand.
Also, the extended battery's replacement back for the phone doesn't add that much width to it, making it a really good purchase. Shame none of the cases they had in stock support the extended battery.
One thing that I think people ignore when writing about new phones is the sound quality, and many people I have called are astounded when I tell them that I'm on a cell phone. I was on the highway going 60 mph with the windows and roof open, trucks all around me, and my dad thought I was on a landline when I called him. However they made the microphone, they got it down perfectly.
Now, I *NEEDED* a phone because of work, so it isn't an option to wait for the Droid Prime or the iPhone 5. Am I happy with the Bionic? Absolutely. Would I have waited for an even better phone if I could have? Perhaps.
I feel like when phones come out, they are outdated within a few days unless it's an iPhone. Eventually you have to bite the bullet, and I think that the Bionic is the best bullet I've ever bitten into!
Feoen said:
I adore it. I came from a Moto Droid that had a display that died on me, so I was waiting for this.
Yeah, the screen's pixels are a little annoying at times, but other than that its speeds are INCREDIBLE, the new motoblur or whatever it is called now isn't obtrusive (the phone is actually fast enough to run it where it is actually attractive), and best of all it feels great in the hand.
Also, the extended battery's replacement back for the phone doesn't add that much width to it, making it a really good purchase. Shame none of the cases they had in stock support the extended battery.
One thing that I think people ignore when writing about new phones is the sound quality, and many people I have called are astounded when I tell them that I'm on a cell phone. I was on the highway going 60 mph with the windows and roof open, trucks all around me, and my dad thought I was on a landline when I called him. However they made the microphone, they got it down perfectly.
Now, I *NEEDED* a phone because of work, so it isn't an option to wait for the Droid Prime or the iPhone 5. Am I happy with the Bionic? Absolutely. Would I have waited for an even better phone if I could have? Perhaps.
I feel like when phones come out, they are outdated within a few days unless it's an iPhone. Eventually you have to bite the bullet, and I think that the Bionic is the best bullet I've ever bitten into!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes the sound quality is superb. I don't sound like a robot coming from tb. My battery is awesome. From 630 to 12 only down 30% moderate use and that's alot. Glad that some peeps are happy.
Ill love it once I root this bad boy and get things going but man in so scared scratching this phone lol out of all th phones I've own this is the mother load of trying not to get it nik or so. It's so shiney and im ocd. About my phones lol. The case I got was from Verizon its that double layer case with ruber and hard screen and I like that.
Sent from my DROID BIONIC using xda premium
Case that i bought was already fitted for extended battery so i asked the rep how do i get extended battery and he said that he had one in the back bought it and been on battery since then phone is great keeping
Sent from my DROID BIONIC using XDA App
I also love my Bionic, having upgraded from the Droid I. The only thing which I think it's missing is a widget to turn on/off the 4g. Other then the already mentioned 4g battery woes it's awesome.
Wapples said:
I also love my Bionic, having upgraded from the Droid I. The only thing which I think it's missing is a widget to turn on/off the 4g. Other then the already mentioned 4g battery woes it's awesome.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
CM7 on the Tbolt has a toggle, but ya, I can see this as a pain on this phone. However, if you are using 4G - try juice defender. When the screen is off it will turn off data (and you can have your data turn on however often you wish to check for new data etc).
Highly recommend it.
I had to charge my phone yesterday twice. I went about 1.6hrs on the original charge then fully charged it. With heavy use it needed a charge around bedtime(2130). Today I got it off the charger at 0530 and used it heavy for about 40 mins, then barely touched it and it's at 70%. I have juice defender and it set to CDMA only. I do not like the battery life so far but I has ATK on it. I took it off and will see how it goes. I think the task killer is more harm then good.
Does anyone know the battery life with 4G turned off?
No 4G at all in my state yet, but our area should be getting it this year.
eakrish said:
I had to charge my phone yesterday twice. I went about 1.6hrs on the original charge then fully charged it. With heavy use it needed a charge around bedtime(2130). Today I got it off the charger at 0530 and used it heavy for about 40 mins, then barely touched it and it's at 70%. I have juice defender and it set to CDMA only. I do not like the battery life so far but I has ATK on it. I took it off and will see how it goes. I think the task killer is more harm then good.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah and I would imagine there is a lot of bloat that can be removed with custom ROM's or tweaking CPU settings.
//oops.. double post.
I am so temped to say forget and go back to old faithful.... Ip4. I can go like two entire days on a single charge. I admit I have never used an android phone without the ATK. Maybe that's my problem.....
I like it coming from two Htc phones. Im only having an issue with the vibrate sounding really annoying like its broken and the battery only dropping by the 10's. It dropped from 100 to 90 then to 80%. Nothing in between. Im on an extended battery and seems to be doing okay so far.
Sent from my DROID BIONIC using xda premium
How bad is the thickness with the extended battery, VZW is selling them local for 25 bux
And the battery by 10s is normal for the new motorola phones
Keeping. Best 4g phone on Verizon
Sent from my DROID BIONIC using XDA App
Toss me in on a keeper.
Sent from my DROID BIONIC using XDA App
DroidTh3ory said:
Toss me in on a keeper.
Sent from my DROID BIONIC using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Myself as well. My only complaint is that with the extended battery it makes it feel like I'm holding a brick when compared to regular battery, but that's a small complaint considering how well the battery performs... It's just how thin the device is when compared to other LTE devices with regular battery...
Rooted in seconds and im really happy with it now. Just make sure you update the bb binary once rooted. It makes a hell of a difference imo
Sent from my DROID BIONIC using xda premium

Should I get a DROID RAZR MAXX or a Samsung Galaxy Nexus?

I'm deciding on both. I need input on battery and reception. I work a lot so I barely use data and my Inc2 needed charge every night with less than average use. I do love ICS, what do I do?!?!
Galaxy nexus on my choice
Seems like you don't stay on your phone all day at work so would you really need the Maxx? Plus if you have a desk job you ciuld just hook up the charger.
Ics takes my vote on this
O and I don't like that you cannot remove the battery from the Maxx it makes me UN comfortable and makes me feel liner I own a iPhone
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk
Galaxy nexus, Motorolla has not behave properly with the bootloader's unlock, so if you want a customizable phone, go for the nexus
Nexus. It's not locked down like the Motorola, and since you're here at XDA i assume you like to do things with your device(s). Also:
- 720p display
- ICS
Nexus - Pure Google, need I say more?
bb4arson said:
Galaxy nexus on my choice
Seems like you don't stay on your phone all day at work so would you really need the Maxx? Plus if you have a desk job you ciuld just hook up the charger.
Ics takes my vote on this
O and I don't like that you cannot remove the battery from the Maxx it makes me UN comfortable and makes me feel liner I own a iPhone
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't work at a desk but I am a shift supervisor at Starbucks so I usually have my phone on Airplane Mode. Then I am usually at school and that is when I have my phone on but on vibrate. Another thing is that for some reason I get low reception around my house even though I am 1 mile or less away from a cell tower (according to Verizon rep).
LordManhattan said:
Nexus. It's not locked down like the Motorola, and since you're here at XDA i assume you like to do things with your device(s). Also:
- 720p display
- ICS
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes I LOVE to play with my phone's internals and all that good stuff that makes you stay up till 2 a.m.

should I buy the D4

Everyone here owns one I assume.
Should I buy a droid 4?
And what are the pros and cons?
Online video reviews are way to biased
It's all up to you. If you MUST have a physical QWERTY keyboard, then it's probably one of the best choices, but here's my own list of pros and cons:
Pros:
-Decent dual core processor, can be overclocked up to 1.4 GHz using myfishbear's scripts
-One of the best hardware keyboards you can find on a phone
-Build quality is good, feels sturdy
-Call quality is clear, haven't had any dropped calls
-Screen is pretty bright when you need it to be
-Loudspeaker is... loud.
-4G speeds are supposed to be good, but I haven't tried
-8MP camera with 1080p video
-Docks available (I use a Motorola Atrix 4G dock that I bought for a cheap price, modified it a bit and works fine)
-Global use possible due with GSM
Cons:
-Screen's Pentile - nowhere near as clear as a non-pentile screen, e.g. HTC One X, it's not HD, and black levels aren't low enough at high screen brightness
-Camera's photos may be slightly washed out, definitely doesn't beat an iPhone 4S (as much as I hate to admit it)
-Limited ROM activity, like most Motorola phones (but there are good ones available)
-Accessories limited, as with all hardware keyboard phones (few choices in cases, etc.)
-Interface lags behind slightly at times, but very little
-Internals are outdated as of 2013, since quad-cores are the rage now
-Battery life won't last with heavy use
At present, the Droid 4 is close to the best you can get with a hardware keyboard, but don't expect the screen to astound you like the newer models' would. If you want a hardware keyboard and can wait, I'd suggest waiting for a successor, maybe a Droid 5.
Droid 5? Somehow I doubt that will ever come out. :-/
nicholaslimck said:
It's all up to you. If you MUST have a physical QWERTY keyboard, then it's probably one of the best choices, but here's my own list of pros and cons:
Pros:
-Decent dual core processor, can be overclocked up to 1.4 GHz using myfishbear's scripts
-One of the best hardware keyboards you can find on a phone
-Build quality is good, feels sturdy
-Call quality is clear, haven't had any dropped calls
-Screen is pretty bright when you need it to be
-Loudspeaker is... loud.
-4G speeds are supposed to be good, but I haven't tried
-8MP camera with 1080p video
-Docks available (I use a Motorola Atrix 4G dock that I bought for a cheap price, modified it a bit and works fine)
-Global use possible due with GSM
Cons:
-Screen's Pentile - nowhere near as clear as a non-pentile screen, e.g. HTC One X, it's not HD, and black levels aren't low enough at high screen brightness
-Camera's photos may be slightly washed out, definitely doesn't beat an iPhone 4S (as much as I hate to admit it)
-Limited ROM activity, like most Motorola phones (but there are good ones available)
-Accessories limited, as with all hardware keyboard phones (few choices in cases, etc.)
-Interface lags behind slightly at times, but very little
-Internals are outdated as of 2013, since quad-cores are the rage now
-Battery life won't last with heavy use
At present, the Droid 4 is close to the best you can get with a hardware keyboard, but don't expect the screen to astound you like the newer models' would. If you want a hardware keyboard and can wait, I'd suggest waiting for a successor, maybe a Droid 5.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ya right now I have the razr hd and I realized I really want a full keyboard.
My main concern is battery, I am a texter and thsts about all I do....will it last me a day?
harecurtis said:
Ya right now I have the razr hd and I realized I really want a full keyboard.
My main concern is battery, I am a texter and thsts about all I do....will it last me a day?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you're mainly going to text, I can't see why it shouldn't last a day - as long as the screen brightness is kept low, and the Wi-fi off. You should try one out if you can first, to see if the screen's not a bother for you.
nicholaslimck said:
If you're mainly going to text, I can't see why it shouldn't last a day - as long as the screen brightness is kept low, and the Wi-fi off. You should try one out if you can first, to see if the screen's not a bother for you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ya I met a guy on craigslist, and didnt like the build quality
to me it seemed like a bionic with a keyboard and like a brick
Ill just wait til the droid 5 (IF there is one)
but the D4 is a decent phone im sure
Droid 5? Feel like 30/70 it wont happen. How much did the guy want for the phone?
iMaterial said:
Droid 5? Feel like 30/70 it wont happen. How much did the guy want for the phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We agreed on a trade;
My razr hd for his droid 4 plus $100
We met and I felt the droid 4 was too bulky and not and style at all, so i said no
I don't know about the 100$ with it... just my opinion.. good thing you didn't get it...
Sent from my DROID4 using xda app-developers app
dbreezy187 said:
I don't know about the 100$ with it... just my opinion.. good thing you didn't get it...
Sent from my DROID4 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I gave in, the same guy met with me today (he works at verizon)
he gave me $50 and a brand new droid 4
and I gotta say, im impressed
I just hope theres a droid 5, but from what i read it looks slim:/
but hey if there is a droid 5 someday and its anything like the droid 4 (just better) ill buy it
and i know this isnt the right place to ask but.......jellybean soon?
How much is the Razr HD? You can get the D4 on ebay for $140 - 190, any day of the week.
harecurtis said:
I gave in, the same guy met with me today (he works at verizon)
he gave me $50 and a brand new droid 4
and I gotta say, im impressed
I just hope theres a droid 5, but from what i read it looks slim:/
but hey if there is a droid 5 someday and its anything like the droid 4 (just better) ill buy it
and i know this isnt the right place to ask but.......jellybean soon?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sent from my DROID4 using xda app-developers app
JB was announced, but unlikely before summer imo. You got shafted my friend. People who are having problems, ie broken droid 4s are being given droid razr hds. I only use keyboards, thus only the droid line....put your phone in 3g and be happy. Batter life isn't bad per se, it is small however at 1785mah. Other than that, the phone is excellent. Screen is too bright for me, but that can be fixed.
ChristianPreachr said:
Sent from my DROID4 using xda app-developers app
JB was announced, but unlikely before summer imo. You got shafted my friend. People who are having problems, ie broken droid 4s are being given droid razr hds. I only use keyboards, thus only the droid line....put your phone in 3g and be happy. Batter life isn't bad per se, it is small however at 1785mah. Other than that, the phone is excellent. Screen is too bright for me, but that can be fixed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I didnt do too bad though....I payed $199 at verizon...send a $50 rebate (so I only payed $149) and the guy gave me $50
so I essentially payed $100 for a sealed Droid 4
and im much happier as of right now
I do miss the HD screen and the big screen BUT i love the keyboard and to me its worth it
I miss read what you said... I thought you had to pay him the 100... I just sat mine on my stove... bye bye warranty... hello root...
Sent from my DROID4 using xda app-developers app
dbreezy187 said:
I miss read what you said... I thought you had to pay him the 100... I just sat mine on my stove... bye bye warranty... hello root...
Sent from my DROID4 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
NO NO haha ide never do such a thing
i went to verizon and got my upgrade to razr HD (payed $199)
then verizon has a rebate for $50 (so take of $50 from that and now I only payed $150 for razr HD)
then met guy from CL, he gave me $50 plus a new droid 4
so in all actuality I only spent $100 to get this phone (with contract)
and I just bought the droid bionic lapdock (i read reviews and all says it works, even with ICS)
Im excited for that to come in the mail in a few days!
harecurtis said:
Everyone here owns one I assume.
Should I buy a droid 4?
And what are the pros and cons?
Online video reviews are way to biased
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well let me put it this way. i dont know if moto is gonna realease a D5, and im all for the fingerprint lock.. that is hot. but im going to buy a 2nd D4 and maybe even a 3rd to make sure i got a kickass qwerty to suit my needs. the d4 is great.. it's more like a computer with phone functionality than a phone.
Sent from my DROID4
jmagi said:
well let me put it this way. i dont know if moto is gonna realease a D5, and im all for the fingerprint lock.. that is hot. but im going to buy a 2nd D4 and maybe even a 3rd to make sure i got a kickass qwerty to suit my needs. the d4 is great.. it's more like a computer with phone functionality than a phone.
Sent from my DROID4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ya ive had it a few days and overall love it
I just bought a lapdock for it as well
The only issues I have with it are the lag it seems to have once in a while and the battery is pretty bad.
But besides that I have to say I love this phone
Now I think droid 5 is possible...moto recently released that keyboard phone for at&t or sprint photon q or atrix q or something like that
So we will find out soon enough
i would recommend trying to freeze unnecessary apps. and uninstalling the bloatware. sped mine right up to 400mb free memory. now i can run any number of my apps and the multitasking works great too on ics. even after a reboot. didnt want to run a custom rom so i sorta cleaned up the stock to suit my needs with the root script and link2sd.
JB is supposed to be released soon. within the next 8 weeks i think, so will be looking forward to that. and we'll know if a droid 5 is on the way by the end of february.
would love a 13/16mp camera, 2 or more gigs of ram droid 5 with the new flexible unbreakable screens. that would pwn.
Sent from my DROID4

Droid 4 worth getting still?

I am up for an upgrade on my company cell phone through Verizon. I have been looking forward to a physical keyboard hoping to see the Droid 5 by now.
At this stage, is the Droid 4 still a decent phone?
Sent from my Nexus 10 using Tapatalk HD
dmwagner said:
I am up for an upgrade on my company cell phone through Verizon. I have been looking forward to a physical keyboard hoping to see the Droid 5 by now.
At this stage, is the Droid 4 still a decent phone?
Sent from my Nexus 10 using Tapatalk HD
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Of course it is. Motorola is doing away with the droid series. X phone here I come!. Lol
Sent from my XT894 using xda app-developers app
Sure. The phone isnt bad. The battery just comes from a subpar time period. Be ready for that going in.
Sent from my DROID4 using xda app-developers app
I am coming from a Droid Charge which makes it to about 2pm each day before needing the battery changed out.
The Droid 4's battery, is it accessible to be swapped out easily?
Sent from my SCH-I510 using Tapatalk 2
dmwagner said:
I am coming from a Droid Charge which makes it to about 2pm each day before needing the battery changed out.
The Droid 4's battery, is it accessible to be swapped out easily?
Sent from my SCH-I510 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Quite the opposite. Its fixed to the phone by screws and a ton of glue.
Its a bit of an issue but for people who can charge often not so bad.
If im honest with you ide avoid the droid 4 now. I love it but thats only because of the fold out keyboard which i cannot survive without. So it depends on what you need it for. If there were a better option with a keyboard like this ide be straight on it
Battery life is much much better than the Droid Charge. Overall the phone itself is a pretty significant improvement over the Charge.
If a slide out physical keyboard is on your must have list, the Droid 4 is still a fantastic phone.
I take mine off the charger at 6:30 am and put it back on the charger around 11:00 pm (at @ 20% battery). I don't use it much for phone calls really....as I just don't care to talk on the phone. Texts, emails, apps primarily......
Rooted with cm10.1 and nos entropy scripts and my battery lasts all day cuz of entropies battery calibration
Sent from my XT894 using xda app-developers app
Still the best qwerty on Verizon
I LOVE my Droid 4, especially after rooting and using Eclipse JB right now. Looking forward to trying out other ROMs including CM10.1, since with Safestrap this phone is so easy to play with ROMs on since you get different rom slots you can install into. I find the battery life entirely acceptable under Eclipse, which is already improved over how it was stock. The Jelly Bean update that was pushed out recently improved performance on this device and the keyboard is by far the best qwerty keyboard out there. Unless you can pick up a Photon Q on Sprint, I'd say the Droid 4 is a safe bet, and will blow away your old Droid Charge easily. If you can wait, X Phone might be something fancy if it's announced at I/O next weekend, but I doubt it'll have a keyboard or physical buttons
There is no question that the Droid 4 is still the best hardware keyboard option on VZW.
Battery life is sufficient for most users to make it through a day of use without needing a recharge but is heavily dependent on specific network conditions and usage patterns.
The radios are excellent and the 4.1.2 JB release has the closest to AOSP UI of any of the OEMs and functions well even for users that are not interested in rooting and ROMs and other modifications of the device.
I still love my Droid 4. Even though it is outdated hardware-wise, it still deals with everything thrown at it very nicely. The keyboard is incredible, and if that is important to you, it's absolutely worth it. I weep at the thought of having to get a non-qwerty phone
Thanks for all the input here.
After some serious soul searching I have concluded that the most important feature in a phone to me isn't a keyboard, it's battery life. I think I am going to go with the Droid Razr Maxx HD.
dmwagner said:
Thanks for all the input here.
After some serious soul searching I have concluded that the most important feature in a phone to me isn't a keyboard, it's battery life. I think I am going to go with the Droid Razr Maxx HD.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great choice there, easily the best phone on verizon right now (............x phone anyone?)
Droid 4 is the best hardware keyboard phone there is ATM. There are phones that are better in every other way but if you want a keyboard you want the driod 4.
For battery I and others have tried the make an extended battery pack using the charge back. For my part all I got out of it was 2 bricked phones.
Sent from my DROID4 using xda app-developers app
I came from the original Droid, and swore to get another physical keyboard and ended ordering the Droid 4 on release. I've had the phone for a about a year and 3 months now, and I'm still using the same phone. That being said, there are a few things about the phone I regret, or wish it had.
There is a common problem with a crackling speaker. I don't hear as much about this issue anymore, so maybe they fixed it. I'm often working in loud enviromments where I need to turn the phones volume to max, but often times it's still not enough. I've used other peoples phones before (Blackberry, Samsung) and was able to hear just phone in the same place.
I've started using Swype in the last 9 months or so, and since then, I hardly ever use the physical keyboard. Swype just seems so "smooth" for lack of a better term. No constantly tapping on the keyboard or glass, and it's really fast just using my thumb to type. Looking back, I would have liked to get a phone without a keyboard for a thinner device.
Lack of support from Motorola to developers is a HUGE one for me, and I will mostly likely not purchase another Motorola phone unless something changes. I don't know if this is because of the contracts Motorola has with Verizon, or for other reasons. There are other brands and phones out there that are capable of running their own unique kernel, without having to use KEXEC to get around it.
On the positive side of things, I've felt no lack in this phone for horsepower or capability. I almost never have a problem with signal strength, and I've never seen this phone struggle to run any programs. The battery life is okay and enough to get me through the day to put on the charger again at bedside.
Yes, I would recommend it!
Unless the next generation of Motorola smartphones includes a high-spec QWERTY in their ranks, I'd definitely recommend this phone. The screen isn't the best, sure. But I'm a power user, and I love it. Yeah you'll have to charge it a good amount throughout the day, but for the ease of typing for a social-networking and text-maniac like myself, this thing is PERFECT!
In terms of qwerty phones, the Droid 4 is still one of the best (and on VZW it's pretty much the only). For the past few weeks I've been running Eclipse JB and my battery lasts all day and then some - that's with emails, texts, taking pictures, videos, a few games, the works. I've found that the stock JB sucks battery power, but a lot of the ROMs are much more efficient. CM10.1 has come a long way and will probably be my new main. Even the stock JB is fast and responsive, if you're not into rooting and installing a ROM.
The keyboard is excellent, and it looks like this might be one of the last qwerty phones for a while... which is discouraging, but if a hardware keyboard is big priority then I'd highly recommend grabbing a D4 before they're all gone. The lack of removable battery is a bummer, because that means that the phone will require service or some creative "surgery" when the battery eventually goes bad and needs to be replaced, but I'm hoping there will be a new flagship qwerty phone by then (or aftermarket batteries available for the D4). \
Bottom line, get this phone!
After flashing cm10 and using nos entropy and its battery tweaks and ram tweaks I have no lag or battery issues. Phone usually comes off charger at 7am and goes on charger around 1am and still has 20%+ and that's heavy use of 4g GPS and music. Absolutely get this phone. Take the time to root install safe strap and cm10 + nos entropy ram and battery scripts. Plus nova launcher? Perfection IMHO.
Sent from my XT894 using xda app-developers app
I love my D4. Still a great phone for cheap compared to what's out there now. Love the physical keyboard, and a dedicated number row is fantastic.
I looooooooove the keyboard on the D4. It's so awesome, especially with real number keys. It makes entering the MyCoke Rewards codes a breeze. I really hope to get a few years of use out of this phone or until another awesome keyboard phone comes out. If one doesn't, I suppose I'll eventually have to embrace onscreen keyboards, but am not looking forward to that day.
Don't have a droid 4 I have a sidekick 4g but I am looking into this phone
An for on screen keyboards search the phones name and bluetooth keyboard an find on that is like a case an there you go never have to deal with on screen keyboards again c:
Sent from my SGH-T839 using xda app-developers app

What will you get after the Droid 3?

I'm using the Droid 3 on At&t along with the $10 MediaNet plan,it's a downgrade for me coming from a Galaxy Note i717 so my objective is to save money since I dont feel like paying $30 for a At&t data plan.
I'd like to get another slider phone but the Droid 4(plus it still doesnt work on domestic gsm networks) doesnt seem like that much of an upgrade and the Photon Q GSM hack seems too complicated.
I might just stay with the Droid 3 indefinitely and get a Nexus to replace my iPad and give me my Android fix.
I really wish there was an official version of ICS for the Droid 3 at least,oh well.
Galaxy s4
I just moved to the Galaxy S4 from the Droid 3. I have always ha slider keyboards, so I was worried about how I would do with out it. I haven't missed it at all! Don't miss my Droid 3.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using xda app-developers app
Alowbman said:
I just moved to the Galaxy S4 from the Droid 3. I have always ha slider keyboards, so I was worried about how I would do with out it. I haven't missed it at all! Don't miss my Droid 3.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What is the battery life like? I'm a couple of months from my upgrade date; I'm thinking of either the S4 or the Razr Maxx HD, mostly for the huge battery, though I'm worried about the age of the device and it's possible upgrade future going forward...
I am a medium user. Email, text, web most of the day. Battery is great. I unplug charger when I get up at 5:30am and battery is usually at 45% when I go to bed at 11pm. Usually on Wi-Fi at work and at home. Love the phone.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using xda app-developers app
I'm not a fan of large screen devices so I'm waiting for a few smaller devices that are coming out sometime this year, the Galaxy S4 Mini, the HTC One Mini and the Motorola X Phone. I've given up on QWERTY devices since they don't really make them anymore and I've gotten used to soft keyboards.
PassingThruLife said:
I really wish there was an official version of ICS for the Droid 3 at least,oh well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Never going to he happen. I waited as long as I could!
Sent from my SCH-I545 using xda app-developers app
S4 enough said Samsung at least unlocks their bootloader
Sent from my DROID3 using xda app-developers app
Alowbman said:
I am a medium user. Email, text, web most of the day. Battery is great. I unplug charger when I get up at 5:30am and battery is usually at 45% when I go to bed at 11pm. Usually on Wi-Fi at work and at home. Love the phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's pretty much what happens with my Droid 3 with the extended battery right now, same WiFi connectivity for me. The wrench in the works is that when I'm in a bad signal area - and I am for a good part of the summer (with no LTE, either) - my phone will end up at about 25% by the end of the day at best. And I understand that the Samsung radios are not as good as Motorola's, so it may be even worse...
So, that sort of battery life is a bit discouraging.
Radio seems strong. I have a really good signal and its lightning fast. Too bad about your signal area. I have had the phone off of charger since 5:00 this morning. It is now 10:00pm. I am at 60%. Pretty consistent use today.
Sent from my Galaxy S4
Alowbman said:
Never going to he happen. I waited as long as I could!
Sent from my SCH-I545 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea,I kind of figured. The phone is going on 2 years of life which in the phone industry means its dead lol.
doogald said:
That's pretty much what happens with my Droid 3 with the extended battery right now, same WiFi connectivity for me. The wrench in the works is that when I'm in a bad signal area - and I am for a good part of the summer (with no LTE, either) - my phone will end up at about 25% by the end of the day at best. And I understand that the Samsung radios are not as good as Motorola's, so it may be even worse...
So, that sort of battery life is a bit discouraging.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The extended battery annoys me,no matter what app I use it,it never shows the correct status.It will go down to 5% and stay there for hours even with moderate usage.
PassingThruLife said:
The extended battery annoys me,no matter what app I use it,it never shows the correct status.It will go down to 5% and stay there for hours even with moderate usage.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the official Moto extended battery (BF6X) - I think it's 1880 mAh - and the battery meter works fine with it.
Alowbman said:
Radio seems strong. I have a really good signal and its lightning fast. Too bad about your signal area. I have had the phone off of charger since 5:00 this morning. It is now 10:00pm. I am at 60%. Pretty consistent use today.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, sounds good. I'm sure that I'd find a way to make that work. My use case is I think close to what you described, and I'm already altering some things when I know I'm in a bad signal area.
I'm thinking about getting the Xperia Z but I'm still waiting to see if Moto releases a Droid 5 (which I highly doubt they will)
Not another Motorola again. The Droid 3 was my first Motorola and it was the WORST phone I ever had. Random reboots multiple times a day, keyboard that just decides to go AWOL on me, locked bootloader. Never again.
The Samsung Galaxy Stratosphere 2 looks interesting though.
If they release the HTC One for verizon, that is my next phone. I want to stay with a slider, but the D4 is too old already and will be at EOL soon.
Sent from my DROID3 using Tapatalk 2
If I'm able to soon it will be between the Galaxy S4 (hopefully the Google experience edition) or the Moto X phone.
Sent from my DROID3 using Tapatalk 2
Thanks to the data plan changes by Verizon, I'm tied to 3G for a little while until I'm making more money. I tend to go through 2 or 3 phones in a 2-year stint, which means I would need to buy one through them in order to have the protection plan.
I've enjoyed my phones with physical keyboards, so hopefully I will have an option when my contract is up.
I'm waiting for Motorola's Project Ara to bring something to market, hopefully with a physical QWERTY option. If my Droid 3 fails me until then, I will probably go for a Droid 4, but under no circumstance am I considering any touchscreen-only device as an acceptable substitute.
The only way text input interfaces could get more usable for me compared to the physical keyboard is if they made a neural interface that could translate thought directly into text. This touchscreen-only nonsense? Just an episode of temporary market insanity.
donjoe0 said:
I'm waiting for Motorola's Project Ara to bring something to market, hopefully with a physical QWERTY option. If my Droid 3 fails me until then, I will probably go for a Droid 4, but under no circumstance am I considering any touchscreen-only device as an acceptable substitute.
The only way text input interfaces could get more usable for me compared to the physical keyboard is if they made a neural interface that could translate thought directly into text. This touchscreen-only nonsense? Just an episode of temporary market insanity.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To be honest, I think I am far more accurate typing landscape with Swiftkey than I ever was on the D3 keyboard.
It would be nice if somebody made a relatively high-end KB phone going forward, though.
doogald said:
To be honest, I think I am far more accurate typing landscape with Swiftkey
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's not even the accuracy for me, I just can't stand being forced to give up on continued visibility of the page I'm replying to just because the damned "soft keyboard" has no other place to get itself displayed except all over the content I'm trying to interact with.

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