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c811
- Thread starter mhiker
- Start date
Willster419
The Casio Smartphone Guru
oh my bad did not know how different and rugged the s4 active is vs. s4, and with an otterbox case. it won't have all the outdoor features like the commando or commando 2, but lets think of it as Samsung "getting their feet wet" in the world of outdoor rugged smartphones.
Willster419
The Casio Smartphone Guru
That is true as well, especially when you have 7 batteries and only 3 phones to charge them with. It can get tiresome. But still, the point remains.
runsondiesel
Member
I bought the Commando 4G on Thursday evening. I had gotten a Moto Razr Maxx HD back in October, but about a month ago it did not survive an encounter with a hardwood floor. I went back to my old Commando and suffered a month of weak processor and 3G. These are my initial impressions.
- I like the overall size better than the Moto. The corners are rounded, it’s slightly smaller and feels better in my hand and against my ear. It’s easier to use one-handed than the Moto. The screen is more sensitive than the old Commando.
- The screen is plenty big and has more life-like colors than the Moto's cartoonish over-colored Super AMOLED screen. I have a 10 inch tablet and a 50 inch TV. Big screens aren't the be all end all.
- The processor and RAM are the same as the Moto, and are nice and fast. In my view, there are processors with more cores and phones approaching the size of tablets with more RAM, but I wonder how often that will come into use. My son has a Galaxy S4 and I don’t find it was faster and it was almost big enough to require a trailer hitch to bring it with you.
- The old Commando’s charging cradle does not fit this phone. The contacts are on the opposite side and it's just a tad too long to fit.
- The 1800 mAh battery is underwhelming after one day’s use. I ordered the 2920 battery this morning, along with a cradle and both have shipped.
- FM radio the old Commando and Moto don’t have.
- ICS instead of JB. This is probably the weakest point. There’s always hope for an upgrade and go Wiki the difference between the two. Mainly it’s Google Now, that I turned off on the Moto because it was creepy having the damn thing follow me around.
- Global Ready like the Moto.
- Internal storage is 16 gb and about 10 is available to the user.
- The wall charger of the old Commando puts out the same amount of juice as the new wall charger. Both are micro USB so can be interchanged.
- If I had bought another Moto outright it would have been $649 plus tax. That comes out to right at $700 in Houston. This was $479. Add the battery and the cradle and tax, and it totals about $580.
The only thing I find dismaying so far is the compass seems to point exactly opposite. At my house I know which way North is….the compass shows South. Calibration didn’t help. I guess I need to “RTFM”, but have to download it because the “FM” doesn’t come in the box.
If anyone has specific questions, ask.
Update: I turned on GPS and it got it's first fix. After that I turned the GPS back off and noticed that the compass had found its sense of direction. I wouldn't have thought one had anything to do with the other.
David
- I like the overall size better than the Moto. The corners are rounded, it’s slightly smaller and feels better in my hand and against my ear. It’s easier to use one-handed than the Moto. The screen is more sensitive than the old Commando.
- The screen is plenty big and has more life-like colors than the Moto's cartoonish over-colored Super AMOLED screen. I have a 10 inch tablet and a 50 inch TV. Big screens aren't the be all end all.
- The processor and RAM are the same as the Moto, and are nice and fast. In my view, there are processors with more cores and phones approaching the size of tablets with more RAM, but I wonder how often that will come into use. My son has a Galaxy S4 and I don’t find it was faster and it was almost big enough to require a trailer hitch to bring it with you.
- The old Commando’s charging cradle does not fit this phone. The contacts are on the opposite side and it's just a tad too long to fit.
- The 1800 mAh battery is underwhelming after one day’s use. I ordered the 2920 battery this morning, along with a cradle and both have shipped.
- FM radio the old Commando and Moto don’t have.
- ICS instead of JB. This is probably the weakest point. There’s always hope for an upgrade and go Wiki the difference between the two. Mainly it’s Google Now, that I turned off on the Moto because it was creepy having the damn thing follow me around.
- Global Ready like the Moto.
- Internal storage is 16 gb and about 10 is available to the user.
- The wall charger of the old Commando puts out the same amount of juice as the new wall charger. Both are micro USB so can be interchanged.
- If I had bought another Moto outright it would have been $649 plus tax. That comes out to right at $700 in Houston. This was $479. Add the battery and the cradle and tax, and it totals about $580.
The only thing I find dismaying so far is the compass seems to point exactly opposite. At my house I know which way North is….the compass shows South. Calibration didn’t help. I guess I need to “RTFM”, but have to download it because the “FM” doesn’t come in the box.
If anyone has specific questions, ask.
Update: I turned on GPS and it got it's first fix. After that I turned the GPS back off and noticed that the compass had found its sense of direction. I wouldn't have thought one had anything to do with the other.
David
runsondiesel
Member
No, I hadn't planned on selling it. It's inoperable.
I have the new Commando, upgraded from an original Commando. I love it. I'm not a big online user by phone, but the speed seems lightyears ahead. I watched a movie, surf the net and email much faster, the screen is bigger and seems brighter. The FM radio is pretty cool, but you have to use earphones because the phone uses the earphone wiring for an antenna.
I have the extended battery. It comes with a rubberized humpback cover that locks into the case to accommodate the larger battery. YES, it DOES work with the drop in cradle (the new one, the previous model Commando cradle does not work with the new model).
So far, I really love it, the improvements for me are tangible and having an extended battery option was the deal maker for me.
I have the extended battery. It comes with a rubberized humpback cover that locks into the case to accommodate the larger battery. YES, it DOES work with the drop in cradle (the new one, the previous model Commando cradle does not work with the new model).
So far, I really love it, the improvements for me are tangible and having an extended battery option was the deal maker for me.
Anyone figure out how to silence the camera shutter? I am using CAMERA ZOOM FX and it was able to silence the shutter on my Commando One using it. On the Commando 2, after trying Camera Zoom FX has a popup advising that some phones won't allow the silenced shutter option.
I understand some people felt a silent shutter led to pictures taken w/o people's knowledge, sometimes for creepy purposes, but taking pics of sleeping babies or animals, etc. is hard with an audible "click."
I understand some people felt a silent shutter led to pictures taken w/o people's knowledge, sometimes for creepy purposes, but taking pics of sleeping babies or animals, etc. is hard with an audible "click."