.:Official Review And Impressions Thread:.

[blkbeltkid17]

I know I dont have one but how is everyone liking it so far?

 

[one1speed]

I know I dont have one but how is everyone liking it so far?

I picked up mine on Monday, quite happy with it so far. Coming from the Eris, it's quite the dramatic change, both in size, and speed.

Some brief thoughts:
. Screen - amazing
. Touch - very, very sensitive, sometimes I'm not sure I've even touched the screen, yet it registers
. UI - I'm good with Sense so far, runs very smoothly, like the ability to customize and tinker; some nice upgrades from where I was
. Call quality - an initial concern of mine, but seems fine so far; I do notice that computer-recorded messages sound more digital, but real voice sounds plenty natural and clear
. Size - taking me time to get used to it, but much more comfortable than some of the other options
. Speed - seems very quick, yet smooth
. Camera - so far so good; a bit of a photo guy, decent results thus far; haven't messed with video yet
. Bloat - irritating! but it does not seem to start running on it's own, however if I launch an app to see what it is, it can take a couple clicks through the Task Manager app to get them to actually shut off, but Task Manager seems to work
. Battery life - this is a big one, pretty poor so far; I consider myself a light user (mainly email, some browsing, but really not that much) and even with the phone sitting with 4g on and syncing, it will just chew throw the battery; only on my second full charge, so will see how this lasts; I tend to manage my time by turning off Wifi or 4g, and / or sync when I'm not needing them.

All in all, a pretty amazing device, likely more than I need. But what a cool tool / toy. Much more to explore. I am trying out a pretty minimal case, ran my Eris 'naked' for the 2 years I had it with no issue, hardly any wear, etc. But with the metal(ish) edge, this could get ugly really quickly if it scratches easily. Time will tell if I can deal with using a case, I am against them. Why buy an esthetically-pleasing phone, when you have to cover it up to actually use it?

 

[soccermom17540]

thanks for writing the review one1speed . . . I too am coming from the Eris and agree with everything you say although I'm struggling with the camera a little. I just need to get used to it. Coming from the Eris makes this a true treat. The display is beautiful and the speed oh so much better!!!

 

[kenc3dan]

can anybody who already has it or gets it today let me know if this HTC phone has the quick battery drain from 100% from 86%-ish like other HTC phones? thanks in advance!

My battery graph shows EXACTLY this problem. It drops from 100% to below 90% right away, ~15 minutes, even when unused, then plateaus there.

 

[kenc3dan]

I'm having problems with Calendar not being synced probperly with Google Calendar.
THANKSGIVING IS TOMORROW!?
Grrrr.
Other recurring items are fouled up too.
I'm starting to think that a pure Google device would be better.
Apparently mankind has not been able to reproduce the whole Palm Pilot 1995 PDA-level of calendar technology again.

 

[olbriar]

I'm having problems with Calendar not being synced probperly with Google Calendar.
THANKSGIVING IS TOMORROW!?
Grrrr.
Other recurring items are fouled up too.
I'm starting to think that a pure Google device would be better.
Apparently mankind has not been able to reproduce the whole Palm Pilot 1995 PDA-level of calendar technology again.

My calendar synced up just great. I have between three and five event recurring weekly every day and they all imported to the new calendar just fine. I don't know how it could be so wrong for you or how to fix it.
All I know for certain is if you celebrate Thanksgiving two weeks running you may never be able to look a turkey sandwich in the face the rest of your life.

 

[nelamvr6]

My calendar synced up just great. I have between three and five event recurring weekly every day and they all imported to the new calendar just fine. I don't know how it could be so wrong for you or how to fix it.
All I know for certain is if you celebrate Thanksgiving two weeks running you may never be able to look a turkey sandwich in the face the rest of your life.

My calendar is syncing without issue also.

 

[olbriar]

You made the jump also olbriar? Hell Yea! lol

Did you disable 4g while at work and just go 3g mode?

You bet I jumped.. both feet at once lol. My last Dinc refurb was done.. been done for a while now so I was more than ready.

I did not disable 4g. I set the phone to lte/cdma mode. I had 4g when I left the house. Checked again about half way to work and I still had 4g.
When I arrived at where I'm working right now (out in the sticks) all I had was 3g. Not knowing but guessing... it stepped down gracefully and did not eat up battery looking for 4g once it wasn't available.

 

[soccermom17540]

So you don't feel it necessary to turn off 4G? I live in an area that is still only 3G but can't wait to sample 4G (only 45 minutes away - tempted to drive there just to test it - lol).

 

[TxGoat]

I still say that a sadist had to have designed those awful power and volume buttons, though.

The otterbox protector series works well with the buttons, surprisingly.

 

[blkbeltkid17]

So you don't feel it necessary to turn off 4G? I live in an area that is still only 3G but can't wait to sample 4G (only 45 minutes away - tempted to drive there just to test it - lol).

Are you paying fore 4g although it is not in your area

 

[RSurge]

So my initial impression is mixed.

I spent 45 minutes on the phone with support because I was not getting able to register my SIM card. My device was not able to get a strong enough signal from the nearest tower. I had a signal, and had to take out and put the SIM back in so many times that I did not return the back cover to the phone while working through my issues.

I was told by the rep that if I drive just down the street, that I should have a strong enough signal to establish my new phone on the network.

I drove, I sat, I took out and back in the little SIM, I made sure there was not any physical damage to this SIM, and found nothing more than a phone that did not have any connection to any network.

BUT...... I realized that when I placed the back cover back onto the phone that had been off for some time during the troubleshooting process, the signal appeared and it was a full 4g signal. PROBLEM #1 SOLVED.

I've read the reviews on the 4g hound called the Rezound. It "locks" onto 4g coverage in weak 4g areas where other phones drop it.

That being said, I live in a full 4g coverage area. My physical address shows a sea of red on and around my residence according to Verizon's 4g coverage area. Yet, I maintain a 3g signal most of the time inside the house. Sometimes a 4g appears for a few, but goes away before too long.

It has not had a full charge yet, so maybe the full battery will give it the juice needed for the signal indoors? I hope that there is an easy explanation, and hope maybe someone can provide some advice?!?!?

Other than these issues, I am impressed with the display and the phone in general so far. Have yet to mess with some HD video's but hopefully this will come tomorrow. I've only had it for a few hours now...

Looking forward (for once) to go to work that is in a full coverage area tomorrow.

 

[TxGoat]

Verizon's 4G network is/was having some issues. Some say it's attributed to new 4G markets coming up.

I haven't even bothered activating my Rezound for that reason.

 

[soccermom17540]

Are you paying fore 4g although it is not in your area

My plan price didn't change at all. So no, I'm not, and I took advantage of the 4g of data for the price of 2g even though I'm not usually close.

 

[TxGoat]

My plan price didn't change at all. So no, I'm not, and I took advantage of the 4g of data for the price of 2g even though I'm not usually close.

I don't recall 2G....

 

[civicsisedan]

Is the speaker volume low to anyone else?

 

[soccermom17540]

On calls? I haven't used it yet but for everything else, definitely not. Make sure you hand isn't covering it - it would be easy to do.

 

[soccermom17540]

2gb of data that is . . .

 

[civicsisedan]

definitely not covering mic... have it screen down and music is low..

ringtones and notification sounds seem really low....

and the power button and me are gonna be fighting.... seems like you really have to press it down

 

[TxGoat]

Is the speaker volume low to anyone else?

During speaker phone mode or when holding the phone up to your ear? You have to position your ear just right on the speaker or else you can't hear the speaker correctly. I still have that issue with the Thunderbolt. Try moving your ear up and down on the earpiece, it's an acquired art.

 

[soccermom17540]

Both ringtones and notifications on mine are LOUD. Huh.

 

[Blackthanos]

definitely not covering mic... have it screen down and music is low..

ringtones and notification sounds seem really low....

and the power button and me are gonna be fighting.... seems like you really have to press it down

I don't understand that at all. Mine is like a mini theater. I don't even want to think about putting my ear close to it. I know this may sound like a silly question but are you sure you didn't accidentally adjust the volume some where in the phones settings?

 

[DroidAV8R]

Okay, I finally had a minute to pick up one of these phones today. After a minor lag issue followed by a factory reset, I've been up and running for 4.5 hours without a hitch.

IMHO, those who have said this phone is too thick are dead wrong. To me, this phone feels just right, and fits very well in my hand. The build is solid, and the weight is enough to feel solid, but not so much that it feels too heavy.

The area where I live won't have LTE until 2012, but the area where I work has it now, so I can't comment on 4G until I try it at work tomorrow.

The screen is simply gorgeous. Compared to my DInc 2, it's not quite as bright, but the colors are better and like many have said, I can't see even a hint of a pixel with the screen so close it touches my nose...amazing.

I took a few pics, and all I can say is wow. This is by far the best mobile phone camera I have ever used. The pictures are crisp and clear, and even the pictures taken with the flash lack the over-saturation I see on both the DInc 1 and DInc 2. I haven't used the video camera yet.

Bluetooth immediately paired, synched with my car and transferred my phone book. No issues whatsoever.

Did someone on this board say this phone is quick? It is. Very.

Call quality was great both using the speakerphone, and holding the phone to my ear. Everyone I spoke with said that they could hear me loud and clear.

I can't really comment on battery life since I haven't given it a chance to fully charge without use. I can say that the battery meter isn't falling as quickly as I thought it would.

As several have said, the speaker is loud! The default notification tone volume is absolutely cranked up- I got a text and I almost jumped out of my chair. Even with lower volumes though, I seem to be getting a bit of distortion with sounds coming from the rear speaker. Does anyone else notice this?

Two other quick questions: when my soft keys light up, they almost look pink instead of red. Also, when the soft keys light up, some of the white light from the underlying LEDs seems to leak into the bottom of the screen. Does anyone else notice either of these issues?

 

[blkbeltkid17]

So my initial impression is mixed.

I spent 45 minutes on the phone with support because I was not getting able to register my SIM card. My device was not able to get a strong enough signal from the nearest tower. I had a signal, and had to take out and put the SIM back in so many times that I did not return the back cover to the phone while working through my issues.

I was told by the rep that if I drive just down the street, that I should have a strong enough signal to establish my new phone on the network.

I drove, I sat, I took out and back in the little SIM, I made sure there was not any physical damage to this SIM, and found nothing more than a phone that did not have any connection to any network.

BUT...... I realized that when I placed the back cover back onto the phone that had been off for some time during the troubleshooting process, the signal appeared and it was a full 4g signal. PROBLEM #1 SOLVED.

I've read the reviews on the 4g hound called the Rezound. It "locks" onto 4g coverage in weak 4g areas where other phones drop it.

That being said, I live in a full 4g coverage area. My physical address shows a sea of red on and around my residence according to Verizon's 4g coverage area. Yet, I maintain a 3g signal most of the time inside the house. Sometimes a 4g appears for a few, but goes away before too long.

It has not had a full charge yet, so maybe the full battery will give it the juice needed for the signal indoors? I hope that there is an easy explanation, and hope maybe someone can provide some advice?!?!?

Other than these issues, I am impressed with the display and the phone in general so far. Have yet to mess with some HD video's but hopefully this will come tomorrow. I've only had it for a few hours now...

Looking forward (for once) to go to work that is in a full coverage area tomorrow.

Dude I have the same problem with my incredible 2 if you look at the battery cover you will see metal contacts some of them are for external mics and others are for full antenna connections and hack gone through ths with vwz before and it is a pain n back side

 

[olbriar]

So you don't feel it necessary to turn off 4G? I live in an area that is still only 3G but can't wait to sample 4G (only 45 minutes away - tempted to drive there just to test it - lol).

I have not turned it off yet and have had no battery issues. I could not see it struggling to make a 4g connection when it wasn't available. It just went to 3g.