Almost ready to buy...one question though

[woodjer]

Ok, I'm planning to pick up a new phone today. Moving from iPhone 3GS to an Android phone. I've been looking around for a while...initially wanted the Atrix but then went to play with it and was wowed by how pretty the Infuse seemed next to it. Now, after reading through the forums, I'm leaning back toward the Atrix. Still not completely sold though...

Anyway, my question is regarding the main home screen. I really don't like the green phone and blue person buttons on the Atrix. Not sure what it is but I just don't like it. That said, I've heard that it's possible to change that type of thing. I'm not planning to root it though...will it still be possible to change that?

I know that the Infuse will bat its eyes at me again when I go in for a play session though. Any tips/info for keeping me away from it? It's easy to just say "don't look at it" but they are side-by-side in the store.

 

[Rhouse]

With 2.3 the home screen will look different, search for gingerbread on atrix video. The update is coming out this month as far as I know. Also there are different things like launcher pro that you can put over motoblur and use that without being rooted. Like someone else said in a different post " dont ever choose your phone based on how home screen looks, they are easily changed".

 

[woodjer]

Thanks, Rhouse. I read that same thread. In fact, I think that's what got me back to looking at the Atrix. Also, the Atrix seems much closer to 2.3 than the Infuse...that was a big plus too. Will the move to 2.3 allow the Atrix to utilize the Amazon AppStore and Netflix? Sorry...new guy here.

 

[Rhouse]

Yes 2.3 upgrade will allow atrix to sideload apps from different app stores. Not sure about netflix though.

 

[woodjer]

Thanks again. Just got back from the AT&T store and am 99% sure I'm going with the Atrix. The salesman is looking to see what he can do about a deal for the Infuse but, unless he comes back with something outstanding (like phone + case + headset), I can't see it changing my mind.

Anyway, back to my response...he did seem to confirm my suspicion that the Atrix would get 2.3 before the Infuse by saying that it's the only phone they carry that can handle it seamlessly from a hardware perspective.

 

[kilasix9]

Thanks again. Just got back from the AT&T store and am 99% sure I'm going with the Atrix. The salesman is looking to see what he can do about a deal for the Infuse but, unless he comes back with something outstanding (like phone + case + headset), I can't see it changing my mind.

Anyway, back to my response...he did seem to confirm my suspicion that the Atrix would get 2.3 before the Infuse by saying that it's the only phone they carry that can handle it seamlessly from a hardware perspective.

I'm just curious by why would they include a case and headset with the phone?

 

[Noxx]

I went from a 3GS to an Atrix 4g and i'm thoroughly satisfied. I don't know how it compares to the Infuse but I am not disapointed at all and I think I would be if I had gone with the infuse. If you look at the specs of the two phones the Atrix 4g has so much more.

My only complaint is my phone fell roughly 7 inches off my lap sitting cross legged on my concrete porch and the screen shattered, but this is a problem i'm reading about with gorilla glass, which the infuse also uses if i remember from Corning's website correctly. Either choice I would highly recommend a case designed to withstand impact. It seems the gorilla glass breaks quite easily if the object lands on its side.

*edit*

specs to note.

4.5" 480x800px screen on the infuse vs. the 4" qHD (540x960px) on the atrix. the atrix has a smaller screen with more pixels which means higher pixel density resulting in a better quality picture.

the atrix has a dual core 1ghz processor vs. the 1.3ghz single core processor. also, the atrix 4g has 1GB of ram vs. 512Mb, which means a whole lot more in terms of speed than the processor imo.

camera specs on the infuse are better, but i have a digital camera so I ignored those.

they're both very good phones, but those are 2 key points to consider if you ask me.

 

[Noxx]

Anyway, back to my response...he did seem to confirm my suspicion that the Atrix would get 2.3 before the Infuse by saying that it's the only phone they carry that can handle it seamlessly from a hardware perspective.

Sorry for the second post, but a big reason for that is the 1GB of RAM, I imagine.

 

[Rhouse]

I had iphone 3gs before my atrix as well. I lost the iphone when it fell from my lap as I was getting out of a car. The screen shattered and phone became unresponsive. I work as a boilermaker, about 2 weeks ago I was on top of a 14 foot tank as my atrix fell from my pocket down 14 feet to concrete base of the tank. I was horified as I was climbing down. To my surprise my atrix was unharmed working and without a sctatch. Only thing I had on the phone was back rubber cover and a screensaver. Now it might just been luck but to me that spoke volumes towards how durable this phone is. Not saying I would do it again though...

 

[woodjer]

I'm just curious by why would they include a case and headset with the phone?

I'm not saying they would...just that if they offered that as some type of deal to match/beat Best Buy or Amazon's price, it would be too good to pass up. I've heard of people getting a case thrown in to sweeten a deal so that much isn't too far-fetched.

Regardless, I just heard back and they said they'd match the price but didn't mention anything else. Still, I think the Atrix is where I'm headed.

Sorry for the second post, but a big reason for that is the 1GB of RAM, I imagine.

He said that it was because of the dual-core processor but you might be right. I've heard people saying that the Infuse is supposed to be getting it too but that's only a single-core.

I had iphone 3gs before my atrix as well. I lost the iphone when it fell from my lap as I was getting out of a car. The screen shattered and phone became unresponsive. I work as a boilermaker, about 2 weeks ago I was on top of a 14 foot tank as my atrix fell from my pocket down 14 feet to concrete base of the tank. I was horified as I was climbing down. To my surprise my atrix was unharmed working and without a sctatch. Only thing I had on the phone was back rubber cover and a screensaver. Now it might just been luck but to me that spoke volumes towards how durable this phone is. Not saying I would do it again though...

Wow...guess I'm really lucky. I've done that PLENTY with my 3GS. I have a bad habit of putting it in between my legs and forgetting that it's there when I go to get out. I even had it fall out into 2-3 inches of snow and it worked fine. And, no, I'm not about to put any phone through the test that you did

 

[Noxx]

He said that it was because of the dual-core processor but you might be right. I've heard people saying that the Infuse is supposed to be getting it too but that's only a single-core.

From my experience, your "average joe" gives too much credit to a processor and not enough to RAM because the "average joe" doesn't know squat. From my understanding the atrix 4g is beating out a lot of other phones in it's class in load times, and a lot of other phones in it's class have only 512MB or 768MB of RAM.

That being said...

The Tegra 2 processor has exceeded expectations (The Tegra "1" was a heap from what a read) and only one other phone uses this Tegra 2 chip. This is info from an article I read, and the article was a few months old. it's an ARM Cortex-A9 architecture while most other phones use the Qualcomm Snapdragon chips, which are ARM Cortex-A8.

Now someone might call me out and say I'm wrong...but I'll make my disclaimer here. Wikipedia is my friend I watched the Cnet review on the atrix 4g and various articles when it came to load time comparison, and I can't remember the article I've read to know only 1 other phone uses the Tegra 2 (which could easily not be the case anymore)