Chilly Posted February 16, 2010 Posted February 16, 2010 any further updates on the Droid now that y'all have had it for a couple months? I can get one for 79.99 and am looking to take the plunge......thanks in advance.... It's a great phone. The only thing keeping me away from it is: 1.) Verizon (I'm an AT&T guy) 2.) Blackberry Messenger If I didn't want those two, I'd be all over a droid.
MattyT Posted February 16, 2010 Posted February 16, 2010 any further updates on the Droid now that y'all have had it for a couple months? I can get one for 79.99 and am looking to take the plunge......thanks in advance.... Still love it and that's a great price.
Scraps Posted February 16, 2010 Posted February 16, 2010 any further updates on the Droid now that y'all have had it for a couple months? I can get one for 79.99 and am looking to take the plunge......thanks in advance.... The bad part about the droid is its weight and the manual keyboard sucks. Outside of that, I've been happy that I replaced my flip phone with the droid.
Andrew in CA Posted February 16, 2010 Posted February 16, 2010 I got one for XMas and have zero complaints so far. Although, I was happy with the Razor for 5 years, so my standards are pretty low.
bills44 Posted February 17, 2010 Posted February 17, 2010 any compatibility issues (related to synching email) with Outlook Exchange?
The Poojer Posted February 18, 2010 Posted February 18, 2010 bit the bullet and signed up for a verizon plan with the droid....we shall see if it is all its cracked up to be...thanks for the feedback on this
Jim in Anchorage Posted February 18, 2010 Posted February 18, 2010 bit the bullet and signed up for a verizon plan with the droid....we shall see if it is all its cracked up to be...thanks for the feedback on this Why do you need a droid to sit on the couch and swill beer?
The Poojer Posted February 18, 2010 Posted February 18, 2010 makes it easier to sirf porn Why do you need a droid to sit on the couch and swill beer?
duey Posted February 18, 2010 Posted February 18, 2010 I just got the Droid Eris and I absolutely love it. I opted for the Eris over the straight Droid because I'm not a big fan of the slide out keyboard. Eris's touch keypad takes a little getting used to, but overall I love this phone.
The Poojer Posted February 19, 2010 Posted February 19, 2010 got mine this am...working on figuring it all out........ I just got the Droid Eris and I absolutely love it. I opted for the Eris over the straight Droid because I'm not a big fan of the slide out keyboard. Eris's touch keypad takes a little getting used to, but overall I love this phone.
Scraps Posted February 19, 2010 Posted February 19, 2010 got mine this am...working on figuring it all out........ You ended up with the Eris or the Droid?
Acantha Posted February 20, 2010 Posted February 20, 2010 You ended up with the Eris or the Droid? They are both Droid (just the operating system), one is made by Eris the other Motorola. I just had to change out my iphone for Verizon because I moved to an area with zero ATT coverage (not just 3G, but phone too). I went in the store and checked out the Motorola Droid and said no because of the weight. Thing was like a brick! I didn't like the keyboard much either. When I told the salesman that I changed my mind about the Droid, they told me about the Eris version and gave me one to check out. It was perfect. Great size, basically the same weight as the iPhone, and very sleek. I just got it yesterday and I'm still trying to get used to the differences, but so far I like it.
MattyT Posted February 20, 2010 Posted February 20, 2010 They are both Droid (just the operating system), one is made by Eris the other Motorola. I just had to change out my iphone for Verizon because I moved to an area with zero ATT coverage (not just 3G, but phone too). I went in the store and checked out the Motorola Droid and said no because of the weight. Thing was like a brick! I didn't like the keyboard much either. When I told the salesman that I changed my mind about the Droid, they told me about the Eris version and gave me one to check out. It was perfect. Great size, basically the same weight as the iPhone, and very sleek. I just got it yesterday and I'm still trying to get used to the differences, but so far I like it. Eris is made by HTC. The Eris and Motorola Droid both run Android although different versions.
Chilly Posted February 20, 2010 Posted February 20, 2010 They are both Droid (just the operating system), one is made by Eris the other Motorola. I just had to change out my iphone for Verizon because I moved to an area with zero ATT coverage (not just 3G, but phone too). I went in the store and checked out the Motorola Droid and said no because of the weight. Thing was like a brick! I didn't like the keyboard much either. When I told the salesman that I changed my mind about the Droid, they told me about the Eris version and gave me one to check out. It was perfect. Great size, basically the same weight as the iPhone, and very sleek. I just got it yesterday and I'm still trying to get used to the differences, but so far I like it. Technically they are both "Android OS" phones, but only one is DROID.
Acantha Posted February 20, 2010 Posted February 20, 2010 Technically they are both "Android OS" phones, but only one is DROID. From what I understand "Droid" is basically just the nickname given to the Android OS phones by Verizon. I realize that when someone refers to Droid, they are normally talking about the Motorola since that was the first Verizon Android phone, so for a while it was the only phone referred to as DROID, but the Eris phone is also called Droid (by HTC and Verizon). Verizon stores (or at least the one I was in) specify Droid Eris or Droid Motorola on their documentation about the phones. Maybe the explanation I was given was wrong, but I can't think of another way that HTC would be allowed to actually use "DROID" on their phone.
MattyT Posted February 20, 2010 Posted February 20, 2010 From what I understand "Droid" is basically just the nickname given to the Android OS phones by Verizon. I realize that when someone refers to Droid, they are normally talking about the Motorola since that was the first Verizon Android phone, so for a while it was the only phone referred to as DROID, but the Eris phone is also called Droid (by HTC and Verizon). Verizon stores (or at least the one I was in) specify Droid Eris or Droid Motorola on their documentation about the phones. Maybe the explanation I was given was wrong, but I can't think of another way that HTC would be allowed to actually use "DROID" on their phone. More bad info. - It's not just a nickname - Not all Verizon Android phones will be called Droid (the Moto Devour and HTC Desire for instance) - Moto Droid and Droid Eris both came out on the same day - They can both use "DROID" because they paid George Lucas a boatload of cash
CarolinaBill Posted February 20, 2010 Posted February 20, 2010 I have a question about tethering. Are there any phones/wireless providers that allow tethering for cheap/free? When I first got my verizon LG flip phone a few years ago I looked up ways to hack it and found out that many people were using their phones to tether and verizon didn't know about it. Then when verizon figured it out they started charging extra for tethering. Can you currently use your iPhone to tether to a laptop and connect to the internet? you can download pdanet app, it works, gotta have a android phone or iphone
CarolinaBill Posted February 20, 2010 Posted February 20, 2010 For anybody with Sprint (I've never had service issues in the 7 yrs I've had them) I would highly recommend the Samsung Moment, very nice design, slide out keyboard, and the 800mhz processor makes it pretty dern fast. Plus my plan is cheap as dirt everything unlimited for 50 bucks a month, cant beat it.
Virgil Posted February 20, 2010 Posted February 20, 2010 First off, let me say that I actually sell cell phones for my job. I'm a store manager at a store that sells all the carriers except for T-Mobile. I've read all the comments on here and everyone seems to be pretty legit. I thought I might shed some insight on a few things for those thinking about buying. Android OS - I don't mean to come off as stating the obvious, but Android is an OS for your phone the same way that Windows is an OS for your computer. You can have a Dell, HP, or Compaq and they all run windows. The only difference is how well the hardware supports it. With Android, you have 3 basic versions out there 1.5/1.6, 2.0, and 2.1. The Droid runs 2.0 which is extremely efficient. The 2.1 update comes out in the next few weeks. The reason I bring this up is because most people seem to look at each phone like they are so dramatically different, when they really aren't. Once you decide on a carrier, it's really a matter of deciding which piece of hardware you want, then picking your phone. The great thing about the Android software, opposed to the iPhone, is that they seem to really be all about making improvements to the OS consistently and releasing them for all of their phones. So, no matter what phone you buy, you'll never really feel obsolete because you can always upgrade to the newest software. No, the updates don't all happen at once as they need to be customized to each phone's hardware, but it's still coming. Then, the only really difference is how well your hardware supports it. The Droid - This is by far, the best Android phone Verizon has. Now, the selection isn't that great on Verizon, but of the few they have, the Droid is a great piece. The processor is top notch and it comes with a 16g memory card that can be expanded up to 32g. The reason the Droid got so much popularity is because it was the first to have the 2.0 software which had the new Google Maps. The Google Maps is the one that does turn-by-turn navigation and street view for free. Basically, you get a free GPS with your phone. Also, Verizon does have the largest (and unfortunately the slowest) 3G network with the most customers. So, sorry T-Mobile, this was Androids first real exposure into the public mainstream. This is a great phone to have and those who have it, congrats. The Droid vs the iPhone - Right now, the iPhone wins in terms of overall hardware, response, and quality. However, ask me again in a year. The reality of it is, the iPhone had a 3 year head start. The alarming thing is how the Android OS has come up from behind so fast. Apple has 100,000 apps while the Android has 50,000. When you look at how fast they got those apps though, the Android should surpass Apple within the year. Also, the most important thing is how the Android OS is programmed. Anyone, and I mean ANYONE, can work on Android for apps and customizers. Apple is very strict in who they approve to touch their phones. Because of that, the amount of brainpower working to improve Android is far greater than that of Apple. Between that, and how many hardware developers are allowed to create varying models of phones for the OS, gives Android the brighter future. Plus, if you are like me and like to customize your phone with widgets and simply drag and drop files from your computer, then the Android is your baby. No having to use iTunes and Apple formats only for this guy. Current Hardware - Right now, the high end Android phones are running a 1.0ghz processor and 512 Ram. The phones coming out starting in March are expected to have 1g of Ram. Why is this important. Because if you have more Ram, then that will absorb more work from the apps and not the rest of the phone, thus much better battery life. Also, the phones coming out will all have alteast the newest 2.1 software. Right now, the 2.2 softare release is rumored for June. People looking to buy - If you absolutely can't wait, the Droid on Verizon, the Samsung Moment on Sprint, or the Backflip on At&t would be your best buys. However, if you can wait at all, I would recommend it. In less than a few months, you will see phones coming out that have anywhere between 1.0-1.5ghz processors and 1g in ram. That is a significant difference in power. For Sprint customer's, wait for the HTC Supersonic. This thing will be a beast with a 4.3" screen and 4g capability where available. For Verizon, it seems like a bunch of variations of the Droid are coming out. I would either get the Droid now, or just wait for another version with better hardware specs in a few months. At&t, either stick with the iPhone for another year until At&t finally gets a good selection of Androids phones. Applications - If you have an android phone, I do recommend downloading the Advanced Task App Killer. This is an app that simply closes any apps running in the background. You'd be amazed at how much stuff is typically running in the background that runs down your battery. Also, Pandahome is a great app if you like to really customize your phone to how you want it to look. What Carrier to get? - Planwise, Verizon and At&t are pretty much the same. At&t has the faster internet, but Verizon has the larger 3g coverage area. (no, not overall coverage like the commercials suggest, just the faster internet 3g coverage). Sprint, is by far the best bang for the buck. For $70, you get unlimited web, text, and 450. However, that 450 is just for calling landlines. You get unlimited cell to cell on ANY carrier. I know a lot of people complain about Sprint's customer service, but honestly, as long as you pay your bill on time, why would you ever have to talk to them? iPhone lovers not on At&t - I'm sorry, but you are going to be waiting until probably June of 2011. I know there are a lot of speculations out there about when the exclusivity deal ends with At&t, but it's not until the end of Fiscal 2010. Besides, Apple doesn't want to make a CDMA version of their phone for Sprint or Verizon, they are hoping that 4g pushes them to GSM. We'll see. But man, I tell you this, when it's available for all the carriers, expect to see a huge price plan battle. At&t lives off the iPhone. Take that away, and they will have to start being more price competitive with their plans and not be able to get away with mandating $20 on all their touchscreen and qwerty keyboard phones. In any case, I hope some of this helped. I tried to not be too biased one way or the other or too technical. I love phones. I'm a bit obsessed actually. I have a Blackberry Tour, Palm Pre, Samsung Moment, Samsung Instinct, and Palm Centro. If anyone has any questions, or are looking for purchasing tips, please feel free to ask.
Virgil Posted February 20, 2010 Posted February 20, 2010 More bad info. - It's not just a nickname - Not all Verizon Android phones will be called Droid (the Moto Devour and HTC Desire for instance) - Moto Droid and Droid Eris both came out on the same day - They can both use "DROID" because they paid George Lucas a boatload of cash Agreed. The way I explain it is that the Droid phone runs the Android OS. The Droid is the name of that specific phone. There is only one Droid, and that's the phone on Verizon by Motorola with the slide out keyboard. Why they had to call the phone something so similar to the name of the OS is beyond me. But don't feel bad, people confuse it all the time. It's almost like how people come in looking for MP3 players, but ask for an iPod not knowing there is a difference. Kudos to Apple's marketing team on that one :-)
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