OT - Motorola Droid
I'm considering buying a Motorola Droid. I'm not terribly handy with the touchscreen keyboards, so I like that this one has a physical keyboard and I like the Android operating system a lot.
Does anyone own a Droid? What do you think of it so far? Any regrets on your purchase?
March 28th, 2010 at 11:41 AM ^
My wife has a droid and she loves it. It is much faster than my Storm2. The only knock on it, is that the battery life is crap. She is constantly charging it.
March 28th, 2010 at 11:45 AM ^
it is probably the gps on the phone. If you use the power control widget that comes with the phone and shut the gps off it really increases the the battery life. I make it about 10 hours without a charge, it used to be 6 or maybe 7.
March 28th, 2010 at 12:15 PM ^
If you turn off the extra backlight display with the power widget it helps battery tremendously. I just leave automatic sync on and turn wifi, bluetooth, gps, and extra backlight off (unless of course I'm outside in the sun). Also you might want to consider buying one of the "advanced task killer" aps which allows you to turn off/exit apps, which you normally can't do, which also helps with battery life. I can go about two days on my battery, and that includes a whole lot of texting.
March 28th, 2010 at 12:43 PM ^
Most Apps actually exit with the back button. Also the way Android is designed you shouldnt need to exit out of any apps. Plus some people actually end up having problems with performance after they install a task killer.
I recommend just following the other things, turn off gps, bluetooth, and wifi unless needed. Dim display some and your set.
I love mine. Like lots of people said, get task killer and the battery will improve a lot. Also turn off GPS,and turn the back light down and it will also help. Also I bought the Droid for the keyboard. After I got "swype" I stopped using the keyboard. That program is that good. Google Swype. Its awesome.
It is not the GPS. The GPS is set to E911.
Try the task killer. There's an app called "Advanced Task Killer Free" that gets the job done well. I get no performance issues from it, and despite what the other poster said, most apps don't close upon backing out of them, and other apps will frequently just open themselves from time to time. Having a task killer and killing apps when you're not using them increases the battery life significantly. I rarely have to charge my phone more than once a day.
March 28th, 2010 at 12:49 PM ^
I work for vzw and I own one and its easily the best phone I've ever owned! The other thing u need to d/l is the advanced task killer this gives the battery great life! I use my droid so much I rarely use my laptop anymore.
You have any experience with the Nexus One? I really like the specs of this phone. The only downside, to me, is the limited storage for apps.
March 28th, 2010 at 11:43 AM ^
I love it. I rooted(jail broke) mine after the first couple weeks and I have never looked back. There is also a great online community at droidforums.net and alldroid.org that walk you through any problems you may ever have with the phone. I came from an iphone and at this point I wont go back. Great phone.
March 28th, 2010 at 11:48 AM ^
I'm not familiar with rooting an android phone. What are the benefits and the risks?
Just in researching it a little, I've already seen a very positive community which is exciting. My wife and I are both considering picking up Droids and she was complaining that it didn't have a "check-list" program and in 30 seconds I was able to find a checklist app for free for it.
I'm like half a second from pulling the trigger, I just figured if there were any mgoblog users who HATED it, it would give me reason to pause.
March 28th, 2010 at 11:50 AM ^
I am reading about rooting right now on one of your helpful links.
March 28th, 2010 at 11:59 AM ^
this thing will be a beast
Google the Sprint HTC Supersonic 4G (WiMax)
http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/23/htc-evo-4g-is-sprints-android-powere…
March 28th, 2010 at 11:47 AM ^
It's very cool, except for one major caveat. I had to return my first one the next day, as everyone I spoke to said the sound quality n my end was crap. The Verizon store gave me a new one, which was better, but not great, so I had to fidget with some programming options, and now it sounds great. It appears to be a fairly widespread problem with the Droid, so make sure you try it out thoroughly before you leave the store. See this thread for more info:
https://supportforums.motorola.com/thread/17480?start=0&tstart=0
Once I made those changes, things have been terrific so far. The battery life is not wonderful, but it's OK considering how powerful the device is. Good luck!
March 28th, 2010 at 11:53 AM ^
Sounds like a good tip, I'll keep that in mind if we don't like the call quality.
March 28th, 2010 at 11:51 AM ^
so here's my short review:
if you want a physical keyboard, its the best thing out there by far. the screen on it makes my iphone's look cheap, the hardware is nice looking, and it definitely processes fast, the web browser seems faster than the iphones, although that may be a verizon thing. also the speaker on it is really clear and loud, thats just something i noticed right away. app wise, it doesnt compete w/ the iphone, but pretty much any useful app is in the android marketplace, and instead of like 100 tower defense games, there are only 5, so its fine. all the google apps are really strong, definitely set up a google voice account for visual voicemail, and also it transcribes your voicemails to text and stores them in your gmail account (if you need an invite to google voice let me know since its still in beta). you kind of need to be a gmail person, since it syncs all your contacts from gmail. also cool is the voice search, basically you hit a button and speak your search term, and it opens a web browser and google searches it w/ amazing accuracy, useful in the car. the only real downsides compared to iphone that i can tell are that its a little thicker, although a fair tradeoff for the physical keyboard. also not as many apps, but again, the quality is there, just not the quantity, also there is no pinch to zoom yet, but android v2.1 is supposed to be released for it any day now and that is a feature they are adding, as well as some other features like voice search for pretty much everything. if i think of some more pros or cons ill post, but overall its a really solid phone, on the best network in most locations (verizon), and if you want a physical keyboard, its definitely the best one available, and from what i've seen of whats coming out over the next few months, there isn't going to be anything better w/ a keyboard.
March 28th, 2010 at 11:56 AM ^
Yeah, I was reading about that, sounds like a really cool service. I may take you up on that invite if I end up picking up the phone - from what I'm reading in this thread, my likelihood of buying is tipping from 90% to 100% pretty quickly.
March 28th, 2010 at 12:28 PM ^
Dolphin Browser App has pinch to zoom
March 28th, 2010 at 12:35 PM ^
dislikes that app
Good thing it has Gorilla Glass.
Edit: for those who don't know, Gorilla Glass is a nigh-indestructible glass that's used for the Droid touchscreen. Very resistant to dolphin punches.
How many of those Google Voice invites do you have? I could definitely use one, heh.
March 28th, 2010 at 12:03 PM ^
Verizon - $40 for baseline minutes, $30 for data, $20 for unlimited texts
Sprint - 40$ baseline minutes, $30 for data AND unlimited texts
If you text, I think the cost comparison is a no brainer. As far as differences in networks well they actually share the exact same network infrastructure (CDMA). I guarantee that if you live anywhere reasonably populated, you'll have consistent 3G data connection (way better than AT&T).
And if you want essentially the same phone as the Droid, check out the Samsung Moment. It runs Android as well, albeit an older version (which will get upgraded), has without question a nicer keyboard, equivalent hardware, and same OLED screen. Oh and it's $100 less.
You could also consider HTC Touch Pro 2 (non Android OS).
March 28th, 2010 at 12:39 PM ^
Ok. Sprint is cheaper, no doubt about that. BUT I take issue with a couple things here:
1. I don't think you can say the Moment is equivalent to the Droid. I guess keyboard feel is a matter of opinion, but the Samsung is really sluggish...which for me is a deal breaker.
2. The Touch Pro 2...really? Have you used Windows Mobile recently? It's so far behind the competition it's not even funny. I think HTC has said that you'll be able to upgrade the Touch 2 to Windows Mobile 7 when it's released, but there's still no release date, so I'm guessing it's not gonna be available till Christmas.
March 28th, 2010 at 12:46 PM ^
the screen on the moment, while it is amoled, is much smaller, w/ about 1/3 the pixels as the droid. it runs an older version of android, and the arm11 processor is about 40% slower than the cortex 8 that the droid has. The keyboard may be better on the moment, but having held both these phones the moment feels cheaper. and yeah, don't get a winmo phone, until winmo 7 comes out this fall/winter, id sooner get the palm pre plus.
I have the Moment and also played with the Droid. I'll agree that despite the Moment's powerful hardware, it doesn't feel as seamless as an iPhone or Droid. But I really do think, on the whole, the phones are very similar and in terms of bang for your buck, Sprint is the winner. Touch Pro 2, I'm actually not familiar with but just saw it was decently reviewed so maybe I shouldn't have mentioned that. I did play with the Pre but it felt cheap and keyboard is way too small to justify having one.
I think physical keyboard is all a matter of personal preference, and that part aside I like the iPhone better than anything, especially considering app store.
I'm also really interested to see how the cell phone industry evolves with Google's emphasis on open-source platform, Google Voice, and network flexible hardware.
March 28th, 2010 at 12:52 PM ^
Wtf? I have been a PDA user for work and school for like 7 years and absolutely refuse to buy anything windows mobile until 7 comes out in december.
I am seriously looking forward to WinMo 7, however, as it looks like it MAY be the best option when it comes out for gaming/phone/apps combined.
But WinMo 6?
Ick.
March 30th, 2010 at 10:38 PM ^
Having switched from Sprint to Verizon, the cost difference is well worth it. They may use the same infrastructure but there is no comparison on service. Sprints dropped calls, text lag and 12 hour later voice mails were enough to make it worth the contract buy out.
I looked at the Moment before I ditched Sprint, yes it has the google OS but it is not nearly comparable to the Droid. 3 megapixel camera for the moment vs 5 for the Droid higher Resolution sceen on the Droid also.
The customer service at Verizon is heads above Sprint and is, IMO, reason enough to make the switch.
March 28th, 2010 at 12:24 PM ^
My brother got one and swears by it. I've played around with it a little bit, and it's amazing. There's very little you can't do with that phone.
March 28th, 2010 at 12:26 PM ^
I've had mine for a couple months and I keep finding new things I love about it. I got it because I thought I would use the physical keyboard but now I rarely use it.
March 28th, 2010 at 12:27 PM ^
I've had mine for 2 months now and love it. I did have a problem with the sound the first week and Verizon gave me a new one in exchange. The battery was a problem and then I downloaded the Battery Widget and it does seem to make the life of the battery last longer. I kill all the apps and make sure the backlight is only on left on for 15 to 30 seconds which help keeps the battery life too. Hope this helps.
March 28th, 2010 at 12:37 PM ^
your schtick is rather obvious. you're trying to get enough points to shower the board with inane posts. you've created several accounts to cover your tracks. enough. summarizing the entire post's commentary into one post was rather... unimpressive.
The only negative points I've had was on a topic I started yesterday about the halo. I have given an honest opinion and have not left any responses that have been negative before. I have gotten positive points up until yesterday, what is wrong with my message I have left today about the droid?
Why did you remove your profile pic?
March 28th, 2010 at 12:29 PM ^
my girlfriend has one and the sound quality is terrible. The Droid also drops calls and when holding the phone to you head to talk you cheek is picked up by the touch screen which activates thinking its your finger. Short story...It is good for web browsing and that is it!
March 28th, 2010 at 12:54 PM ^
The worst part of it is the phone feature. I'm careful how I hold it while I'm talking on the phone because I routinely accidently hang up on people. The touch screen is super sensitive. I absolutely love my Droid, though, and it is by far the coolest phone I've ever had.
This could just be because I'm always on it, but my Droid has horrible battery life. I bought an extra charger to keep in my office, because on a typical day I will get my "only 15% battery life left!" warning by 2:00 pm.
March 28th, 2010 at 12:33 PM ^
While we're at it, any comments on the HTC Droid Eris?
March 28th, 2010 at 12:42 PM ^
if you are considering that phone for verizon, you are much better off waiting until the nexus one is released. much more powerful processer, much better screen, android 2.1, better support. it will probably cost 100 dollars more, but its definitely worth. as far as release date, it was rumored to come out march 23rd, which didnt happen, so im not sure when it comes out, but it has cleared the FCC as a CDMA device, so i would imagine w/in the next month. I know a couple people who have this phone for tmobile and it is really nice.
March 28th, 2010 at 12:52 PM ^
I guarantee it costs more than 100 dollars more. The eris will be getting 2.1 and has just as good support. There are plenty of forums for gsm heroes, sprint heroes, and Droid Eris.
I have the gsm version good old chin and I love it. It can do almost everything the droid can. Just watch one of the droid commercials asking if your phone can do this, and Hero/Eris will answer all yess. You do lose on stuff requiring android 2.0 or 2.1 but HTC is going to release an update for the phones and so you will have 2.1 on the Hero/Eris.
That said just look into both the eris, droid, and nexus one watch tons of reviews and buy the one that fits your price range/has what you want.
I love my hero and the only thing I would trade it in for is the HTC legend which is just a sequel to the hero.
March 28th, 2010 at 12:58 PM ^
is $179 on tmobile, so i figure it will probably be about the same on VZW, is the eris less than $79? i guess it is important to weigh the cost of the phone vs. the features, but over the course of a 2 year contract, paying thousands of dollars, an extra 100-150 upfront for a more powerful device is worth it, in my opinion.
March 28th, 2010 at 12:43 PM ^
I've used a friends and it's a solid phone as well...just keep in mind it doesn't have a physical keyboard. The nice thing about the Eris is that it's also available for Sprint as the HTC Hero if you don't want Verizon.
I upgraded recently from a Razor to the Eris and it has been great.
It isn't perfect but if you don't mind a touch screen keyboard, it is a great phone. Also the 2.1 update should be out by June.
It takes great pictures, video and allows me to tether my laptops to it for free internet anywhere.
March 29th, 2010 at 12:43 PM ^
I always wanted a Droid, but was forced to opt for the Eris' cheaper price tag. So far, I have been surprisingly impressed by it. The hardware is nowhere near as impressive as the Droid, but I am totally loving the benefits of the HTC Sense UI with the 7 home screens. It can be a little laggy, but I upgraded to 2.1 last week and my phone is noticeably faster.
March 29th, 2010 at 12:51 PM ^
How did you upgrade to 2.1?
March 31st, 2010 at 12:32 PM ^
There are two leaked versions out there. You just put THIS file on your SD card, turn off your Eris, and push Power and Volume Down at the same time. It's as simple as that. And worth it as long as you don't mind doing a full factory reset.
March 28th, 2010 at 12:45 PM ^
I love my droid. I have not had an issue with sound qualities or talking issues or the touch screen activating when I am talking on it. I don't care that much about the email app but it is a minor thing. There are different ways to save battery and it is the first phone in some time that I have picked up and thought to myself that is was made to last by it's heavy duty design. The only thing I wish could happen is certain companies that have apps for the Iphone start making apps for the android operating system.
March 28th, 2010 at 12:48 PM ^
I've been pretty fascinated with the loyalty that Apple has cultivated among its customers. Until recently, the iPhone was obviously *the* phone to have.
Now, I'm getting the impression that there are a number of respectable alternatives, some which might even be superior.
What's everyone else think?
March 28th, 2010 at 12:53 PM ^
and after messing around on the droid, and used the nexus one as well, i am going too switch to an android phone when my contract is up this summer, im not sure which phone, or for which carrier, but that is kind of the beauty of it, there are options. want an android phone w/ a keyboard? get the droid on verizon. want a hulking beast of a 4g smartphone, get the new HTC Evo for sprint this summer, want an iphone like alternative, w/ better specs, and a more open platform? get the nexus one for tmobile, verizon, sprint or att. but if you want an iphone you are limited to 1 current model, on att, which isn't so good anyway.
IMO no one has matched an iphone screen quality yet:
http://www.electronista.com/articles/10/03/24/robot.test.shows.apple.ht…
more screen studies here:
http://www.displaymate.com/Nexus_One_ShootOut.htm
That doesn't mean a different phone's screen can't look nicer to you however, and that should be your final determination (just make sure it's not just a battery-eating brightness issue)
Palm? They will be out of business within 6 months.
Motorola? They might still be around within a year or two, a somewhat safer bet.
HTC? They are being sued, and possibly blocked from importing phones for infringing on some of Apple's 200 iphone patents. Technically, the HTC phones are very advanced however.
I don't have any problem with Google's Android OS either, but they better solve the fragmented market issue pretty quick, right now, many OS's and phones that supposedly run android can't run the latest versions.
Windows phone OS? I"ll never put up with the viruses and inconsistencies of Windows on any type of machine, but that doesn't mean it isn't the right choice for someone else. I do think almost any other phone OS would be a better choice however.
For me, I like the ridiculous amount of apps, the iphone build quality (including the screen), the auto sycning, full browsing, etc., etc, etc. AT&T is the weakest link in the iphone chain for me, but I like their long term strategy the best, so I have to put up with an occasional dropped call.
Apple does lock their phone & OS down, and some people hate that lack of freedom, I understand that, it bothers me sometimes.
What most people DON'T understand is that Apple doesn't do this to be dicks, or to have total control, hell they don't even do it 100% for the $. They do this because there is no other tech company in the world right now that is as focused on the consumer as Apple is. It isn't just marketing, even though that's sometimes tough to believe.
March 28th, 2010 at 12:56 PM ^
Wow, guys, thanks for all the great tips and info - very helpful. I just found the Droid for $19.99 + $30 activation on wirefly, so I think that may clinch it!