4G Android phone megathread

[Foulkey Reese]

Can you elaborate sir?

Have you used Honeycomb at all? Because ICS is really just a blend of Gingerbread and the Honeycomb tablet OS.

Things I like:

Being able to quickly drag and app to uninstall it or being able to resize a widget without needing a separate launcher app.

The multitasking button is great and very useful.

The voice to text is phenomenal. Better than Siri in that regard imo.

Very slick and very pretty.

New gmail is great.

Just has a better overall feel. I think at one point there was a real advantage to IOS when it came to ease of use and aesthetics, with ICS I don't think that exists anymore.

 

[FL4WL3SS]

I have not used Honeycomb which is why I was curious.

 

[Foulkey Reese]

I have not used Honeycomb which is why I was curious.

I think ICS is the first version of Android I would feel comfortable with my parents using and understanding.

 

[smastroyin]

And even though i could technically run it, the locked bootloader on the X prevents me from doing so. Thanks so much Motorola and VZW.

 

[FanRoy]

So I just upgraded to the Galaxy Nexus from my old Blackberry Tour... I was under the impression that I would be able to keep my unlimited data plan if I already had one, but the rep at Best Buy told me that since I only had a "Blackberry Unlimited Data Plan", or whatever, that I don't qualify. I'm now capped at 2gb because I didn't want to pay any extra per month - is there anything I can do about this to get my unlimited data back? The guy really cut me out at the knees when he told me that I would be downgraded to 2gb. I plan on using the Nexus in my car to stream Spotify/Pandora whenever I'm driving, so I assume I'll blow past the 2gb mark. Is this correct? And I'm sure now that I have a true smartphone, I'll start using a bunch of other apps that will consume a ton of data also.

And while I'm here, a couple things I haven't figured out yet: on my Tour I had custom ringtones for texts for different individuals as well as different colored LED notification lights for different people. Does anyone know how to do this on the Nexus? As far as I can tell, I can have individual ringtones for people, but not individual text ringtones (or whatever they're called).

Thanks!

 

[jercra]

So I just upgraded to the Galaxy Nexus from my old Blackberry Tour... I was under the impression that I would be able to keep my unlimited data plan if I already had one, but the rep at Best Buy told me that since I only had a "Blackberry Unlimited Data Plan", or whatever, that I don't qualify. I'm now capped at 2gb because I didn't want to pay any extra per month - is there anything I can do about this to get my unlimited data back? The guy really cut me out at the knees when he told me that I would be downgraded to 2gb. I plan on using the Nexus in my car to stream Spotify/Pandora whenever I'm driving, so I assume I'll blow past the 2gb mark. Is this correct? And I'm sure now that I have a true smartphone, I'll start using a bunch of other apps that will consume a ton of data also.

And while I'm here, a couple things I haven't figured out yet: on my Tour I had custom ringtones for texts for different individuals as well as different colored LED notification lights for different people. Does anyone know how to do this on the Nexus? As far as I can tell, I can have individual ringtones for people, but not individual text ringtones (or whatever they're called).

Thanks!

You can not have individual notification ringtones. This is one of places where Android is still behind BB. You can change the ringtone for notifications but it's global for all contacts.

The functionality of the LED is dependent on the phone but there are lots of free apps that give greater control over what the LED does.

 

[BigJimEd]

I have switched several users from BB to android and iPhone and kept the unlimited data. Its a small business plan but I know a couple individuals that switched from BB and I don't believe they lost unlimited data.
I'd call Verizon.

 

[FL4WL3SS]

I'd call Verizon too, that's bullshit. I switched from an iPhone to an Android phone and didn't have any issues (although I'm AT&T). I think the stipulation is that you can't change your plan, else you lose the unlimited data. I've never heard anyone losing their plan because they switched phones.

 

[PortlandSoxFan]

You can not have individual notification ringtones. This is one of places where Android is still behind BB. You can change the ringtone for notifications but it's global for all contacts.

The functionality of the LED is dependent on the phone but there are lots of free apps that give greater control over what the LED does.

Not true at all. You have to set the notification ringtone within the app itself...but I have different notifications for different things.

 

[jercra]

Not true at all. You have to set the notification ringtone within the app itself...but I have different notifications for different things.

That's what I was saying. You can set the notification ringtone to something different but you can't have a different notification ringtone per contact.

 

[EddieYost]

That's what I was saying. You can set the notification ringtone to something different but you can't have a different notification ringtone per contact.

You absolutely can. I have been doing this with apps forever (ringdroid for example), but now I can do it without any special app. I have an Inc2 with GB and I can do it in the stock music player. Bring up a song, click menu -> more -> set as ringtone -> Contact ringtone

 

[Foulkey Reese]

You can also download an app called Zedge that lets you set individual ring tones.

 

[PortlandSoxFan]

That's what I was saying. You can set the notification ringtone to something different but you can't have a different notification ringtone per contact.

Also wrong. With no extra app, I've been able to do this on every Android phone I've had...from the original Droid to my current Galaxy Nexus.

 

[FanRoy]

First off, thanks to anyone that replied about talking to Verizon about losing my unlimited data plan - I got that fixed very quickly by one of their reps on the phone.

Also wrong. With no extra app, I've been able to do this on every Android phone I've had...from the original Droid to my current Galaxy Nexus.

Next, are we still talking about incoming text ringtones, or just a ringtone in general for when someone calls me? I can figure out the individual ringtones for different users but just didn't know of a way to assign an individual text tone (or text ringtone or notification tone or whatever that might be called?). To be clear, on my old Blackberry, I had a different song clip play depending on who was texting me. However, playing with the phone for a day, I didn't know of a way to do that on the Nexus.

 

[smastroyin]

You'll need a third party messaging app, like Handcent.

Just googling the question it looks like one of the more popular BB features.

 

[Fratboy]

Also wrong. With no extra app, I've been able to do this on every Android phone I've had...from the original Droid to my current Galaxy Nexus.

How do you do this within ICS without an app? I've been trying and I can't figure it out.

I shouldn't even bother; I'm going to return it in a week and hold out for the RAZR MAXX.

 

[Zomp]

Frat no likey Nexus?

 

[Fratboy]

Frat no likey Nexus?

Sigh.

My explanation's probably gonna end up being a big pile of bullshit here, but when I get a phone and if I'm gonna be locked into a 2 year deal, I don't want to like my phone, I want to LOVE it. And I like the GN, don't get me wrong, but I don't love it.

There's just a bunch of things about it that rub me the wrong way:

* No SD card
* Charger port on the bottom
* The Email inbox and maintenance
* Less than stellar camera
* Had to get an app (Light Flow) to get light notifications to work right
* No custom ringtones (I'm still waiting...)
* Crappy signal

It's just a whole bunch of things. And as crazy as this sounds, I actually liked BLUR (not the overly instrusive MOTOBLUR, but its less annoying sister) and its social integration on the Droid X. Don't get me wrong, there are things I really like about the Nexus: the screen and the processor are first rate. It's snappy. But it's all the other stuff that just leaves me with the impression that Ice Cream Sandwich... well, it's a little runny and not solid yet. I should have expected that as an early adopter. And it's kinda made me think, well, maybe I should hold out for an iPhone, but then I think about the things i hate about the iPhone, and it's similar to what I dislike about the Nexus.

So come Sunday, I'm gonna head back to Droid X land, and await Moto's first ICS offering.

I know I just made you all grab your heads and say "WHAT THE EFF ARE YOU THINKING?" but I'm okay with it. It's not for me.

 

[Foulkey Reese]

No phone is going to be perfect, but I would definitely return any phone that I wasn't happy with if I was going to be stuck with it for 2 years.

Personally I think ICS blows Gingerbread and Motoblur out of the water and it's not even close. Going back to the Droid X isn't going to be fun though. You'll be shocked at how bad the screen looks after coming from the Nexus.

 

[Beomoose]

I think the No-SD thing is odd, but may portend a bigger push for Cloud-based storage this year. The camera may not have great stats, but the ability to just bang out shots with no lag/shutter delay is wonderful.

 

[Foulkey Reese]

The camera really looks fine to me. I've compared shots that I've taken to my friends Razr and they really aren't all that different. I mean it's not the best camera on the market, but I can't really imagine needing it to do anything more than it does. I absolutely love how fast it takes pics. As fast as an iPhone.

I guess the SD card is an issue if you're looking to use more than 32gigs, but that's something I'll probably never come close to doing. I'll probbaly never use 16 gigs.

The notification light is one of those things that I just don't understand. If the light flashes, I pick up the phone and check it. Why would I need different colored lights? Same thing applies to ring-tones. If it rings, I'll look at it.

CES (consumer electronic tradeshow) is this weekend so there should be a ton of announcements. Maybe we'll finally see what the first Motorolla ICS device is.

Personally, after exchanging my lemon the GN is everything I had hoped it would be. It's the best looking and feeling piece of technology that I've ever owned. I don't think anything currently on the market really stacks up with it. And since all of the developers flocked to this phone, it's not going to become stale in a year. People will still be coming up with custom roms and Google will keep sending updates without any of the manufacturers like HTC or Motorola getting in the way.

 

[EddieYost]

That sucks about no SD card. I hate that trend. Just let us have a little extra storage in the phone for @#$$ sake.

 

[Foulkey Reese]

Well I mean the Droid 1 and Droid X both came with 16gig cards along with the internal memory. Of the people who owned those phones, how many do you think went out and got a bigger card? 2-3%?

 

[Fratboy]

I bought a 32 gig card with the phone. I don't deny that I have special needs.

 

[EddieYost]

Well I mean the Droid 1 and Droid X both came with 16gig cards along with the internal memory. Of the people who owned those phones, how many do you think went out and got a bigger card? 2-3%?

5% haha

On the flip side, for those who buy used phones this eliminates the thing where the seller takes out the sd card, so in that way its good. I suppose if the phone comes with 32 gb it doesn't matter that much.

 

[Corsi]

I'm finally due for a new phone.

I checked out the Nexus and Razr at a Verizon store and while ICS seems great, I really preferred the feel of the Razr.

How soon do we expect ICS on the Razr?

I'll probably sit back and wait for any CES announcements before making a move, but I am getting antsy.

 

[Foulkey Reese]

From what I've read the Razr should be getting ICS in the first quarter, but stuff like this always seems to take a long time. I wouldn't bank on it until the spring.

One thing I wonder about is what happens to the physical buttons on phones like that Razr once they get ICS and the on screen controls?

Edit: Here you go Corsi

Taking DROID RAZR to the MAXX
The DROID RAZR MAXX by Motorola will join the DROID family for customers who want all the great features of the DROID RAZR, but need a smartphone that overachieves. DROID RAZR MAXX is designed for customers who spend their days and nights multi-tasking. This smartphone is a marathon runner with enough endurance to let customers talk on the phone for more than 21 hours straight on a single charge. It’s the longest-lasting smartphone on the block, and at just 8.99 mm, the device is still impossibly thin. The DROID RAZR MAXX comes equipped with 32 GB of total memory and will be $299.99 with a new two-year customer agreement.

http://www.droid-life.com/2012/01/09/verizon-and-motorola-announce-the-droid-razr-maxx-and-the-purple-razr/

 

[Foulkey Reese]

delete

 

[Corsi]

Taking DROID RAZR to the MAXX
The DROID RAZR MAXX by Motorola will join the DROID family for customers who want all the great features of the DROID RAZR, but need a smartphone that overachieves. DROID RAZR MAXX is designed for customers who spend their days and nights multi-tasking. This smartphone is a marathon runner with enough endurance to let customers talk on the phone for more than 21 hours straight on a single charge. It’s the longest-lasting smartphone on the block, and at just 8.99 mm, the device is still impossibly thin. The DROID RAZR MAXX comes equipped with 32 GB of total memory and will be $299.99 with a new two-year customer agreement.

http://www.droid-life.com/2012/01/09/verizon-and-motorola-announce-the-droid-razr-maxx-and-the-purple-razr/#more-58163

 

[Zomp]

So even the MAXX will have Gingerbread originally.

If I wait until ICS comes to the MAXX, if I buy it in the store will ICS automatically be installed?

 

[FL4WL3SS]

There are a few websites out there like this one that claim the Galaxy SII will get an ICS update by the end of the first quarter. I can't vouch for the credibility, but that would be pretty awesome if true.

Foulkey - would the S2, with ICS, be comparable to the Nexus? They have very similar specs.

 

[Foulkey Reese]

There are a few websites out there like this one that claim the Galaxy SII will get an ICS update by the end of the first quarter. I can't vouch for the credibility, but that would be pretty awesome if true.

Foulkey - would the S2, with ICS, be comparable to the Nexus? They have very similar specs.

I have no idea as the SII isn't a Verizon device so I haven't really learned anything about it.

Honestly, this is temping. Just sucks so hard that it launches with Gingerbread, bloatware, and the hard buttons. This should have been the original Razr.

this is the same exact phone, only Motorola thickened it up a tad by somehow upping the battery from 1780mAh to 3300mAh. Yep, that’s a ton of battery juice. The rest of the specs all remain the same when you compare it to the regular RAZR, but this phone – according to Motorola reps – will get you through 2.5 days of streaming music, 21+ hours of talk time, and even more when sitting idle. This is clearly the Android phone for the daily grinder that can’t seem to find the time to plug in their device every few hours

 

[Corsi]

Honestly, this is temping. Just sucks so hard that it launches with Gingerbread, bloatware, and the hard buttons. This should have been the original Razr.

So tempting. I finally threw the extended battery back on my Incredible and I was blown away by how much the extra battery life improves the phone. I had trained myself to always have the screen dimmed, 3G off, etc, etc. Not having to do that just made the phone feel so much more useful.

A 3300mAh battery that doesn't turn the phone into a cinderblock is really, really attractive. If I had a better idea of when it would get ICS, I'd probably be all over it.

edit: And since I'm in the market for an iPod, the idea of 2.5 days of music streaming (I won't be this long in reality, but still) is great. I never even considered using my Incredible as a music player since I knew I'd fry the battery by noon.

 

[Foulkey Reese]

So tempting. I finally threw the extended battery back on my Incredible and I was blown away by how much the extra battery life improves the phone. I had trained myself to always have the screen dimmed, 3G off, etc, etc. Not having to do that just made the phone feel so much more useful.

A 3300mAh battery that doesn't turn the phone into a cinderblock is really, really attractive. If I had a better idea of when it would get ICS, I'd probably be all over it.

I would even consider returning the Nexus if this was coming out soon and there was a hard date for ICS. I just can't imagine going back to Gingerbread for the next 2-3 months at this point. The extended battery for the Nexus helps a lot, but it's nowhere near as powerful as the Maxx will be.

 

[Corsi]

Maxx top; Razr bottom

 

[Zomp]

Answer my question, jerks.

 

[Corsi]

So even the MAXX will have Gingerbread originally.

If I wait until ICS comes to the MAXX, if I buy it in the store will ICS automatically be installed?

I feel like in the past, these phones would have Gingerbread on them, but you'd be pinged to update basically as soon as you turned the phone on.

 

[Foulkey Reese]

Answer my question, jerks.

I mean the wait might be a month or 2-3 months at this point. No idea.

It depends on when ICS rolls out I guess. I don't think they open up the phones and update them for you until it's purchased. So it very well might still have GB on it until it gets activated and finds the ICS update waiting. Either way it doesn't matter. You don't do anything except hit "install" when it tells you there is an update waiting.

Edit: What Corsi said, although it might not happen immediately. Could take anywhere up to an hour from what I've seen/been told. When I got the Nexus it found an update as soon as I got in my car after leaving the store.

 

[Zomp]

But then if I root the phone ultimately it wouldn't matter what system im running?

 

[Fratboy]

I'm in love. I'm all over the RAZR MAXX when it comes out.

(Or maybe when the price inevitably drops to $199.)

Oh, who am I kidding...

 

[Foulkey Reese]

That battery life makes up for almost all concerns I have over the Razr. I have until the 15th to return the Nexus...

Hmmmmm

 

[Foulkey Reese]

But then if I root the phone ultimately it wouldn't matter what system im running?

Rooting just gives you additional rights to the phone. Lets you remove junk apps and do some other cool stuff. Because the Razr has a locked boot loader there aren't going to be a lot of good custom roms on it. It will be like the Droid X I had where it was rooted, but still running stock Gingerbread.

A rooted Razr Maxx running ICS will be a fantastic phone. It's giving me a lot to think about, and I absolutely love the Nexus.

 

[Corsi]

I'm in love. I'm all over the RAZR MAXX when it comes out.

(Or maybe when the price inevitably drops to $199.)

Oh, who am I kidding...

Yep, I think I'm with you. It'll be my next phone.

 

[Fratboy]

That battery life is nearly DOUBLE the Nexus's. Wrap your brain around THAT.

When I returned my Nexus on Sunday, I played with the RAZR for a bit, and I loved it. I can't even imagine what I'll think of the RAZR MAXX.

 

[Zomp]

If you get a phone and then it downloads a new OS do you have to reinstall all of the programs and shit?

 

[Foulkey Reese]

If you get a phone and then it downloads a new OS do you have to reinstall all of the programs and shit?

No, Mom. The apps will still be there.

 

[Fratboy]

Wrong. I just wiped my Droid X to clean it all up and stuff, and when I restored it, my stuff did NOT automatically load. It did it on the Galaxy Nexus, but not on the Droid X on Gingerbread. Thank cod for AppBrain and Fast Web Installer, which is reinstalling EVERYTHING with just a couple of clicks.

 

[Foulkey Reese]

A wipe is different than an over the air upgrade. I had the Droid 1 update to Froyo and then the X to Gingerbread. Neither time did any of the apps get erased.

 

[InstantKarmma]

Time for an upgrade. I'm getting the Galaxy S2 this afternoon - the ATT "Skyrocket" version.

Edit:

I love this phone.

After playing with it for a few hours my first impression is great. The display is amazing. I thought the display on my Captivate was good, and it was, but the display on the Skyrocket blows it out of the water. Some apps that would make the Cap strain absolutely fly with the dual core processor.

The internal speaker is louder (a good thing) and it comes with 16gb of storage on board. I'm still planning on moving my sd card so I'll have a total of 32gb. Wow.

There's no 4G coverage where I live yet, but when I'm at home, I've got wireless N, so that's not an issue. When I used the phone at the store, I fired up the Youtube app, and 4G is as billed. It streamed the video without buffering.

Have no plans to root it (yet). With all the internal storage, deleting the ATT bloatware is less of a priority.

 

[Corsi]

Droid RAZR MAXX: Available 1/26

http://www.motorola.com/Consumers/US-EN/Consumer-Product-and-Services/Mobile-Phones/DROID-RAZR-MAXX-by-MOTOROLA-US-EN