Verizon & Android news

[jwinslow]

Free with contract

[ame="http://wireless.amazon.com/HTC-ThunderBolt-Android-Verizon-Wireless/dp/B004M5HB6U/ref=sh_br_ph_2?ie=UTF8&transaction=INDIVIDUAL_NEW"]AmazonWireless: HTC ThunderBolt 4G Android Phone (Verizon Wireless)[/ame]

Others may be on sale as well, as this is 150 cheaper than their already terrific sale price of 150 from last week.

 

[Tlangs]

I'm getting a new phone next week. Currently have a Blackberry Curve and was going to "upgrade" to an Android phone. Let's just say it is a little overwhelming to figure out what to get. I want 4g which gives me 3 options.

HTC Thunderbolt
Samsung Droid Charge
LG Revolution

I'm thinking of drawing a name out of a hat cause I don't know what to do.

 

[jwinslow]

Motorola must have blackmail against Verizon, because I can't figure out another reason why they refuse to release an HTC slider keyboard for Verizon. It would have absolutely destroyed the Motorola excuses for slider keyboards on the lousy droid lineup. They delayed the release of the HTC Merge so long that it can only be purchased at US Cellular because it is almost a year late.

The original Android phone was an HTC slider. There's no excuse to not have an HTC Shift 4G for the Verizon network.

Personally, all of the 4G phones seem a bit average so far. That dual-core phone headed to t-mobile looks intriguing, but they always get the good phones.

 

[TooTall]

Motorola must have blackmail against Verizon, because I can't figure out another reason why they refuse to release an HTC slider keyboard for Verizon. It would have absolutely destroyed the Motorola excuses for slider keyboards on the lousy droid lineup. They delayed the release of the HTC Merge so long that it can only be purchased at US Cellular because it is almost a year late.

The original Android phone was an HTC slider. There's no excuse to not have an HTC Shift 4G for the Verizon network.

Personally, all of the 4G phones seem a bit average so far. That dual-core phone headed to t-mobile looks intriguing, but they always get the good phones.

I'm wanting a powerful phone WITH a slide keyboard. Is that so much to ask for?

 

[Tlangs]

Motorola must have blackmail against Verizon, because I can't figure out another reason why they refuse to release an HTC slider keyboard for Verizon. It would have absolutely destroyed the Motorola excuses for slider keyboards on the lousy droid lineup. They delayed the release of the HTC Merge so long that it can only be purchased at US Cellular because it is almost a year late.

The original Android phone was an HTC slider. There's no excuse to not have an HTC Shift 4G for the Verizon network.

Personally, all of the 4G phones seem a bit average so far. That dual-core phone headed to t-mobile looks intriguing, but they always get the good phones.

I just keep telling myself that any 4g phone I get should be better than my 3 year old blackberry curve. I probably can't go wrong with any of the 4g verizon phones.

 

[MaxBuck]

Just replaced my dead Fascinate with a Droid Charge. What an incredible device. Verizon 4G rocks: 5-6 MBps download, 4-5 Mbps upload. Video streams flawlessly, even in HD (no more "buffering ..."). Absolutely stunning SAMOLED-plus display, 4.3-inches in size (huge). And I for one love the TouchWiz interface.

Downsides include:

1. Bluetooth profiles are limited, meaning lots of Bluetooth peripherals and car sets will be incompatible with the Charge.

2. Battery life is no great shakes, just like with every other 4G phone and most Androids.

3. Kind of plasticky feel.

Downsides are pretty minor IMO given what you get. Special deal at Costco for the next couple of weeks: $120 off.

 

[jwinslow]

Thanks for the feedback. I am just terrified of purchasing a Samsung phone, they always have amazing hardware but typically find a way to limp their way to the finish line with clunky software (even with a solid android framework).

Do you like the physical buttons? I would like some tactile buttons, but in the store they felt a bit spongy and cheap.

 

[MaxBuck]

Thanks for the feedback. I am just terrified of purchasing a Samsung phone, they always have amazing hardware but typically find a way to limp their way to the finish line with clunky software (even with a solid android framework).

Do you like the physical buttons? I would like some tactile buttons, but in the store they felt a bit spongy and cheap.

I liked the virtual buttons on the Fascinate; I now like the physical buttons on the Charge (no real difference functionally, to me). Overall the device has, as I said, a plasticky feel that you could characterize as a bit "cheap." But really, the only phones you can't say that about IMO are the DroidX and the iPhone, neither of which offer the overall performance of the Charge.

I understand what you say about the Samsung software, but a couple of things are worth pointing out about the Charge:

1. Default search is via Google rather than Bing, which is the default on other Samsung Android phones sold by Verizon.

2. This phone is Droid-branded, which should mean its OS updates should be more timely than non-Droid phones.

 

[Tlangs]

I'm getting a new phone next week. Currently have a Blackberry Curve and was going to "upgrade" to an Android phone. Let's just say it is a little overwhelming to figure out what to get. I want 4g which gives me 3 options.

HTC Thunderbolt
Samsung Droid Charge
LG Revolution

I'm thinking of drawing a name out of a hat cause I don't know what to do.

I got the Samsung Droid Charge...absolutely love it. My first android phone. I had a blackbery curve and tried out my sisters orignial Blackberry Storm for a couple months.

Only downside for me is no led message indicator and no physical call button. I really liked just hitting the green phone button on my storm to bring up my recent call history.

Battery is longer lasting than my cousins HTC Thunderbolt. No netflix yet which is only on the LG revolution. Although my cousin has a rooted netflix app that will work on any android phone, i am just nervous about installing it on my phone.


As someone stated above....the bluetooth doesn't work with my laptop. With my blackberry, i could send pictures to my computer very easily. Now I have to get the usb cable out. Small price to pay for such a great device.

Love the touchwiz interface. makes a lot fewer mistakes when autocorrecting than my storm. Very happy so far.


I don't mind the plasticky feel because the phone is so light. I don't like heavy phones. I got the case from the verizon store with the belt clip and screen cover. It seems to make it much more sturdy. With the case it is lighter than the thunderbolt without a case.

oh....one more negative. My case comes with a kickstand. But the video player doesn't rotate the image when you flip the phone over to plug in the charger. In other words, the video is upside down when the phone is charging using the kickstand. Maybe there is a different video player app that will rotate the video when you flip the phone over...i'm not sure. going to research it tonight.

 

[jwinslow]

For anyone who wants a smartphone without a contract, the palm pixl plus is 44 on amazon

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004IPAC10/"]Palm Pixi Plus Verizon Cell Phone ~ No Contract:Amazon:Cell Phones & Accessories[/ame]

Also, see Slickdeals for many deals on accessories, like 5 bucks for the touchstone wireless.

http://slickdeals.net/forums/showthread.php?t=3052035

 

[OHSportsFan]

Bought an iPhone. May God have mercy on my soul.

...

x2.

 

[wadc45]

Need help again...

I have been very satisfied with my iPhone 4 and was able to sync it with Outlook no problem...eventhough we don't have a Microsoft exchange server.

Now I am trying to help my mother with her phone and she also uses Outlook at the office.

She has an iPad but struggled with syncing to her office computer. Wasn't so much the contacts and calendar as it was the actual apps that were giving her constant error messages. I think her USB ports on her work PC are shot.

She needs a new phone from Verizon. If she was having better experience with the iPad I would say iPhone no question...why try and have her learn a completely different operating system? This is not a very tech-savvy individual.

Her parameters are pretty simple...easy to use, easy to read and the ability to sync with Outlook (without a Microsoft exchange server).

If I were to look in the Droid's direction, which phone would you all recommend for a near senior citizen who still has to call me to attach something to an email? Or should I just stick with the iPhone and hopefully we can get her iPad and iPhone back on track?

 

[Deety]

She has an iPad but struggled with syncing to her office computer. Wasn't so much the contacts and calendar as it was the actual apps that were giving her constant error messages. I think her USB ports on her work PC are shot.

Just to be sure... is there a chance they've been disabled by the IT dept?

 

[MaxBuck]

... I am trying to help my mother with her phone and she also uses Outlook at the office.

... Her parameters are pretty simple...easy to use, easy to read and the ability to sync with Outlook (without a Microsoft exchange server).

If I were to look in the Droid's direction, which phone would you all recommend for a near senior citizen who still has to call me to attach something to an email? Or should I just stick with the iPhone and hopefully we can get her iPad and iPhone back on track?

If syncing things other than calendar is an objective, the Droid phones are a poor choice. You can sync calendar very easily, but tasks and contacts are way complicated and iffy. I don't have experience syncing iPhone, though.

 

[wadc45]

Just to be sure... is there a chance they've been disabled by the IT dept?

She's essentially self-employed so I am her IT dept...and I'm also BKB.

She has synced contacts and calendar with her Blackberry in the past. But she hates out small the screen is.