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Deciding today...Atrix vs. Charge

E

Eric Bishop

Well-Known Member
Droid Charge on Verizon VS. Atrix 4G on AT&T

I feel like the Atrix is the better phone, but I feel like the Charge is only slightly inferior and is on a MUCH BETTER network.

In my mind...

Atrix:
Pros - More RAM and dual core for future-proofing performance; "better" size and hand feel; $0.01 on Amazon and the monthly is $5 cheaper than Verizon
Cons - NO UNLIMITED DATA; the network is AT&T's (i.e. calls with friends who are on AT&T still break up and their coverage isn't as complete nationwide as Verizon's)

Charge:
Pros - Unlimited LTE...nuff said...future-proofed for network consumption; Super AMOLED screen; comes with 32GB card
Cons - could slow with many apps running? only 368MB RAM after the OS gets its cut; BIG/too thin; BATTERY LIFE...sad, but too sad?

Thoughts?
 
Unlimited 4G LTE all the way. Now if you are in a 3G area that's different, I find in ATL the VZ 3G sucks, but 4G ROCKS. Thats said if VZ every forces me out of unlimited data then I will jump ship. I like Moto build quality. True the DC RAM is tight, but so far I have been fine, but I am a light user. I don't understand why they are so cheap with memory in these phones. My guess is the average user will never dent the RAM, they'll load 2-4 apps and be done and use the phone as is.
 
The Charge actually has 512 ram total. I came from an Atrix and now use a Charge and it has been great. Both are good phones but if ATT is going to be a problem you might just want to avoid them. The reason I returned the Atrix was because of how bad the network is. I was not dropping calls like I was before but it was taking 30+ seconds to dial out and my phone was not ringing when I was being called. Data speeds were also horrible for a "4G" phone as they were the same if not worse then my Verizon 3g.
 
moondrius said:
The Charge actually has 512 ram total. I came from an Atrix and now use a Charge and it has been great. Both are good phones but if ATT is going to be a problem you might just want to avoid them. The reason I returned the Atrix was because of how bad the network is. I was not dropping calls like I was before but it was taking 30+ seconds to dial out and my phone was not ringing when I was being called. Data speeds were also horrible for a "4G" phone as they were the same if not worse then my Verizon 3g.
Click to expand...

Only 368 for non-OS operations, I believe...

As I understand it, AT&T had no confidence in their network to provide the full capabilities of the Atrix. So, the speeds were essentially throttled. At this point, people I know with the Atrix are getting ~8-10mbps down and 2mbps up.

addictedtocars said:
Unlimited 4G LTE all the way. Now if you are in a 3G area that's different, I find in ATL the VZ 3G sucks, but 4G ROCKS. Thats said if VZ every forces me out of unlimited data then I will jump ship. I like Moto build quality. True the DC RAM is tight, but so far I have been fine, but I am a light user. I don't understand why they are so cheap with memory in these phones. My guess is the average user will never dent the RAM, they'll load 2-4 apps and be done and use the phone as is.
Click to expand...

I'd be in LTE areas most of the time, but I'd need the phone to be able to hold a charge for 8-10 hours MINIMUM under moderate use, without charging.
 
That is a tough call, I give the edge to the Charge because of the network. I'd use tin cans and a string before I'd get stuck dealing with either AT&T or Sprint these days.

Sad, because I used to love AT&T but they got so bad I wouldn't have them for FREE.

My Charge will easily go 8-10 hours with MODERATE use... start using it for data and watch the battery drain. My solution.... home, work, car chargers and an extra battery for those emergency 'I need juice' situations.

Good luck!
 
Bozz5384 said:
That is a tough call, I give the edge to the Charge because of the network. I'd use tin cans and a string before I'd get stuck dealing with either AT&T or Sprint these days.

Sad, because I used to love AT&T but they got so bad I wouldn't have them for FREE.

My Charge will easily go 8-10 hours with MODERATE use... start using it for data and watch the battery drain. My solution.... home, work, car chargers and an extra battery for those emergency 'I need juice' situations.

Good luck!
Click to expand...

So, "moderate" use for me is mostly done while in transit. Maybe 5-10 web page loads on the train home, a 15-20min call or two, Google Maps to search stuff and plan out an evening, a few updates and checking stuff on Twitter & Facebook, 3-5 more web pages, more Google Maps, a half dozen 2 min calls, 20 texts and a call to the cab to take me home. The phone MUST WORK for this scenario without charging. It would almost always start at the end of the day of work, 4-6pm with a full charge.
 
Its better for the network alone. I'm getting 18mbps download. Streaming HD videos on HBO GO with no buffering or pixelation.

I will admit though, the HTC software/keyboard/operating system is MUCH better. I had an EVO before and miss that part.

I love how light the Charge is though.
 
I would definitely go with the charge. I have had my phone only a week and i have already used something like 6 gigs of service. Its amazing to have the power and the unlimited data. If you get it before the seventh of July you will be grandfathered in.
 
Always go with the better network. Also you can get a extended battery for the charge. Picked one up at a local VZ store yesterday. Today my Charge came and I am liking it so far, this is coming from a Epic and a Vibrant before that. LTE is awesome!
 
Eric Bishop said:
hold a charge for 8-10 hours MINIMUM under moderate use, without charging.
Click to expand...
I get around 12 with moderate use, but I also don't crowd the screen with widgets and whatnot, so "moderate use" is a flexible term.

I run the Power Control widget and 4 app shortcuts (at the most) per page....(I like looking at my wallpapers :D)

Last night I did around 4 hours of streaming video and the battery went down by 40%. I think that's good.
 
Ordinarily, I would say the Charge wins hands down. At the end of the day you are not just committing to a phone for 2 years but also to a network, and Verizon bests ATT hands down. The fact that you are getting your Atrix essentially for free and your calling plan is $5.00 per month cheaper definitely narrows the gap though.

Verizon's 4G is definitely faster and more powerful than ATT's though. And you do kind of get what you pay for in terms of service. Also, if you are using more than 2 GB of data per month and ATT is running tiered data plans, you may want to consider that in your monthly cost estimate.

I wouldn't let the RAM scare you off. The phone is pretty quick. Since the last update from Samsung/Verizon, the only occasional lag I see is when I switch back to the home screen from the browser after surfing heavy duty multimedia pages. And it only lasts about a second. Other than that, the phone is pretty responsive. Plus I am using the stock Touch Wiz UI. I am not sure if this happens with Launcher Pro.

If battery life is the key deciding factor, I wouldn't hesitate on the Charge. I think you can get 10 hours easily with moderate use, but everyone's situation is different. It depends upon where you are and what programs and widgets you have running.

I would at least try the Charge. If you have a Costco membership, I think you have a 90 day period to try it out and return it if you don't like it. I think Verizon might charge you a $35.00 restocking fee and limit you to 14 days. Amazon might be another option that is more flexible and cooler with returned merchandise.

Good luck....
 
Spare batteries are cheap. If you want the world from your phone, you have to be prepared.Verizon has that spare battery with a Y adapter you can charge both batteries at once. And remember it takes a few weeks for the battery to improve.
 
that guy said:
4g lte is faster than my internet at home (comcast cable)
Click to expand...

Well, I've heard a rumor that there's a way to use the Charge as your primary internet and access it's data through your laptop. I don't know how you might do that, but I've heard it's possible.
 
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