TC_Mits
Newbie
So you're saying that there aren't going to be any top-end keyboard phones in the future, as the providers all go to the faster 4G modes of transmission?
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Droid 3 Running Tab On Rumors
- Thread starter RJT185
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- motorola droid 3
So you're saying that there aren't going to be any top-end keyboard phones in the future, as the providers all go to the faster 4G modes of transmission?
bsweetness
Android Enthusiast
There simply can be no good reason that the Droid 3 would not have 4G LTE, GSM sim card, and its trademark keyboard. If it doesn't, that can only mean that vzw does not put its customers first.
Wouldn't that be a huge surprise to everybody??!
The Droid 3 won't be 4G. Motorola has had epic problems with dual core processors and LTE (look at the Bionic and the delay for LTE on the Xoom). LTE is still in it's infancy, and it will continue to have issues to be worked out. Verizon still needs solid 3G phones in their lineup that won't have any of the issues that have plagued 4G phones so far, and will continue to do so for awhile. If they pushed out nothing but 4G phones right now, their reputation for reliability would completely evaporate.
LTE radios are also larger than 3G radios at the moment, so if they wanted to pack in an LTE radio, a 3G CDMA radio, and still make it a global phone with a 3G GSM radio, you'd be looking at an incredibly thick phone. There's no way around that. That's not the current aesthetic driving the market, and as much as that might not matter to the small percentage of users who frequent a forum like this, it matters for the majority of customers out there. Will that change? Absolutely. The radios will get slimmer over time to allow for slimmer phones. But right now that isn't going to happen.
By continuing to put out solid 3G phones, Verizon is indeed putting customers first. And there is (sadly) a lack of physical keyboard phones out there because most people don't want one any more. If most people wanted one, there would be more. It's really a quite simple issue of demand. Clearly those posting in this thread want a keyboard, or else they wouldn't be interested in the Droid 3.
I for one am extremely excited about the Droid 3, and I'm very glad that it's not 4G. While it would be nice to have 4G when it comes to my area, a phone with global capabilities is much more important for me. I prefer a physical keyboard over a virtual one, so the Droid 3 is going to be absolutely perfect for me.
D
Deleted User
Guest
There are BT keyboards out there. With HDMI out, you have a TV or monitor. Not sure about a mouse though.
shadowdude777
Android Expert
DVD/CD support will never happen. Ever. Manufacturers are opting out of them on full notebooks, and with good reason. They're useless wastes of space. The Acer TimelineX 3820TG is extremely powerful and small, because it has no DVD drive.
Flash drive support is already implemented in most cases.
Bluetooth keyboards work.
HDMI out can give you limited monitor hookup in most cases but I don't know if you can literally just mirror your display onto a TV/monitor.
Flash drive support is already implemented in most cases.
Bluetooth keyboards work.
HDMI out can give you limited monitor hookup in most cases but I don't know if you can literally just mirror your display onto a TV/monitor.
TC_Mits
Newbie
Jinwons (in another thread):
So it's pretty much set that the D3 will be a GSM (sim card) global phone?
Is it likely to come with blurry gingerbread? If so, can I make it unblurry by rooting it? (I've never done that.)
My TB didn't have a real rt click function so I could not dl videos from a site I often visit. One more reason I returned it. Without 4G I can't really stream videos so I would want to know there would be a good way to dl them to the SD card. Would trashcanning motoblur solve that problem?
Is it clear yet whether it will have the 5GB or an 8GB camera, or if it will record 1080p videos? I just bought my wife a 1080p lcd TV so the HD vids would be very nice played back through the HDMI link.
I am very disappointed about the 4G. Really can't think of any reason to be glad, that's for sure. The D3 would be a keeper -- "absolutely perfect for me," too -- if it had 4G. 4G is coming soon to my area, maybe before the D3 release. I really feel cheated by being forced to choose between efficient tweexting and 4G.
I just thought, by the time 4G radios shrink enough to be commercial under KBs, we'll be looking at 5G radios -- or some other phat new feature -- so maybe we never again will have top-end KB phones...
A n d ...Will the D3 be another case of a good solid mid-line phone at a tip-top-end price? Without 4G it won't be worth $200 under contract, much less the $300 vzw seems to be angling toward lately!
bsweetness
Android Enthusiast
Yes, it's pretty much set that the Droid 3 will be a global phone.
Yes, it's likely to come with Blur. Haven't heard whether it will have Gingerbread, but one would certainly think so. As far as getting rid of Blur, it will depend on the developer support. It will certainly have an encrypted bootloader, so custom ROMs that remove Blur will have to be done in the same way that they've been done for the X and the Droid 2. You can't get rid of it just by rooting, but you'll have to be rooted to install any custom ROMs that might be developed (and there are sure to be some).
Getting rid of Blur won't have anything to do with trying to download videos. Typically there aren't a lot of changes made to the stock browser by the phone manufacturers, so you're experience loading web pages is likely to be the same no matter which Android phone you're on. You can download apps that are made for making it easier to download movies, and you could also try a different browser from the market that might have the features you're looking for. I've never had any problems downloading anything from a webpage that was designed to be downloaded, video or otherwise, with the stock browser though.
Rumors on the camera have been mixed, with some saying 5mp and some saying 8mp. I tend to believe that it will be 8mp based on the partial firmware dump that was posted online that indicated pictures could be taken up to 8mp. Also, with a dual core processor and bumped up camera specs, 1080p video might be possible, but it's not certain. 720p might be more likely. 1080p certainly isn't out of the question though. But neither has been confirmed.
4G isn't everywhere yet, and the LTE technology, as evidenced by every release so far, isn't quite ready for prime time for phones and tablets. That happens with any new technology. Motorola in particular has been having major problems with it. Verizon and all of the manufacturers need time to work out the kinks. In the meantime, Verizon has to continue releasing 3G phones for those who don't have 4G or who don't care about it yet. They also need to keep releasing phones that are pretty stable without massive battery or potential network problems. If every smartphone they released from here on out was LTE and pushed as 4G, their reputation for a quality network would likely take a major hit. People would complain about bad battery life, lack of 4G in most areas, outages, and all of the other early adopter problems.
For me, I need a global phone. Since there aren't any LTE/CDMA/GSM phones on the horizon, having global capabilities is much more important to me than LTE. The Droid 3 is shaping up to be the perfect phone for my needs.
bsweetness
Android Enthusiast
Verizon is only charging $250/$300 for 4G phones at this point. You can rest assured that the Droid 3 will be no more than $199 on contract at Verizon, probably less elsewhere. The Droid Incredible 2 has already dropped to $99 some places on contract. And hopefully the lower full retail pricing that Verizon has on the Incredible 2 starts to take hold with other 3G phones from here on out as well.
If the leaked information and rumors hold true, the Droid 3 will pretty much be top of the line in every respect except for 4G. It will not me a "mid-line" phone. It just all depends on what you want and what you need.
There were several good physical keyboard phones released for 3G well in advance of 4G, so there's no reason to think there won't be good 4G physical keyboard phones at some point before too long. LTE is a brand new technology, and phones have just started being released. Everything can't be exactly what everyone wants right out of the gate. Give it time.
TC_Mits
Newbie
You're right, I should have said 'mid-line smartphone' to be clear. As for patience, I'm using a Treo 650 to fill in after returning the TB, so I'd love to have the D3 tomorrow, but...
What I want and need is a 4G phone with a true qwerty KB (no f-key for nos.) I will have to compromise. That's life.
My video dl problem was on a specific website which uses a right mouse-click to bring up a context menu. The TB wouldn't trigger it. I had a vzw store tech who had a TB look into it, but it didn't work for him either.
Thank you for sharing your insights. You were helpful.
bsweetness
Android Enthusiast
No problem. With so much information and non-information swirling around out there, we've all got to try to keep each other as up to date as possible. Verizon or Motorola sure aren't going to help us out in that regard.
A physical qwerty with a dedicated number row has always been quite the rarity with smartphones. I still contend that the HTC Touch Pro 2 had by far the best keyboard on a phone ever. I would kill to have a top of the line Android phone with a keyboard like that. Some releases from HTC on other carriers have come close, but none have been exact. The Droid 3 keyboard doesn't look to be at that level of awesome, but at least it's a marked improvement from the Droid 2, in part due to that dedicated number row.
One question, locked bootloader??
Actually, Motorola would have to come up with something pretty awesome for me to consider it. I LOVE my Droid, but the whole locked bootloader, Verizon's loading of bloatware, the Atrix going over to the anti-Android carrier, etc... I am almost tempted to go with HTC (until they start locking it down) or Samsung (and never get an update).
Actually, Motorola would have to come up with something pretty awesome for me to consider it. I LOVE my Droid, but the whole locked bootloader, Verizon's loading of bloatware, the Atrix going over to the anti-Android carrier, etc... I am almost tempted to go with HTC (until they start locking it down) or Samsung (and never get an update).
shadowdude777
Android Expert
Never having an OTA update is totally okay with me. The G1 never got updates past 1.6 but that didn't stop the good folks at CyanogenMod from fixing it. Plus, they do a better job than any of the manufacturers. I say screw the OTAs.
I've actually literally NEVER seen an OTA update occur; rooted my Droid back when it was on 2.0.1, my dad's Droid X on 2.1, and my mom's Droid 2 on out-of-the-box 2.2.
So I couldn't care less if Samsung didn't do well with the Galaxy S updates (which they actually did fine with, and they're releasing Gingerbread in Europe right now. It's just the terrible US carriers that are delaying it. Verizon, especially, delays everything. The Fascinate is still on Eclair officially and most of their phones take an extra 6 months from the promised release date to come out).
Moto released a press statement saying that their 2nd half 2011 and onward devices should have unlockable bootloaders, though. Unless the carrier objects. I've always thought it was Verizon that was pushing Moto to lock the bootloader. What does Moto care if we get to actually enjoy our devices?
I've actually literally NEVER seen an OTA update occur; rooted my Droid back when it was on 2.0.1, my dad's Droid X on 2.1, and my mom's Droid 2 on out-of-the-box 2.2.
So I couldn't care less if Samsung didn't do well with the Galaxy S updates (which they actually did fine with, and they're releasing Gingerbread in Europe right now. It's just the terrible US carriers that are delaying it. Verizon, especially, delays everything. The Fascinate is still on Eclair officially and most of their phones take an extra 6 months from the promised release date to come out).
Moto released a press statement saying that their 2nd half 2011 and onward devices should have unlockable bootloaders, though. Unless the carrier objects. I've always thought it was Verizon that was pushing Moto to lock the bootloader. What does Moto care if we get to actually enjoy our devices?
D
Deleted User
Guest
I'd like the unlocked bootloader, but have been very content with just root. WiFi tether , delete bloat, real HDMI, tweak cpu, and root explorer is all I've really needed. I had a HTC, nice phone, DINC, but the battery sucked. I'll stay with Moto IF they fix a few things:
1) DX, speaker phone sucks bad. Well, guess that is my biggest complaint. Right now I'm going through a crap load of random reboots, but will just wait for next OTA.
2) Keeps up with the accessories! Yes, love the powered window mount and desktop docks!
1) DX, speaker phone sucks bad. Well, guess that is my biggest complaint. Right now I'm going through a crap load of random reboots, but will just wait for next OTA.
2) Keeps up with the accessories! Yes, love the powered window mount and desktop docks!
TC_Mits
Newbie
This would now be the clincher for me.
When you said it was global, I took that to mean it was also GSM. But now I realize that the Droid 2 is global but not GSM. So, will the Droid 3 be a global GSM phone with a sim card, like the TB?
That's the deciding factor now for me.
Vzw is pricey. I can put an Epic on Boost (really) and get decent results for a lot less money. If that extra monthly money isn't really buying me what I need, anyway... might as as well compromise more cheaply.
Sim card, I wait. No sim card, I go Boost.
When you said it was global, I took that to mean it was also GSM. But now I realize that the Droid 2 is global but not GSM. So, will the Droid 3 be a global GSM phone with a sim card, like the TB?
That's the deciding factor now for me.
Vzw is pricey. I can put an Epic on Boost (really) and get decent results for a lot less money. If that extra monthly money isn't really buying me what I need, anyway... might as as well compromise more cheaply.
Sim card, I wait. No sim card, I go Boost.
bsweetness
Android Enthusiast
The Droid 3 will be global with a SIM card slot.
You're not quite right on the Droid 2. The Droid 2 was not global. A couple months after they released the Droid 2, they discontinued it and released the Droid 2 Global. The Droid 2 Global does have a SIM card slot. That's the one that you can buy now from Verizon. The Droid 2 and the Droid 2 Global are completely different phones. It's not global if it doesn't have a SIM card slot, so the Droid 2 was never a global phone.
The Thunderbolt is also not global. Its SIM card slot is for LTE, not GSM. When LTE starts getting deployed by carriers around the world, the Thunderbolt might become global for LTE networks. But it will not work on GSM networks.
The Droid 3 will work on CDMA and GSM networks (with a SIM card), making it a global phone.
TC_Mits
Newbie
That's a relief. I wasn't looking forward to messing around with pre-paid. Although, it is not a bad deal what Boost is offering.
I knew the history of the Droid 2. Just was making a joke about it being obsoleted less than a year after release. Hence the quotes around "old". Should have added a "
", I guess.Thank you for the clarification. It seems I did understand you correctly the first time. What I had misunderstood was being told (at vzw store) that the TB was vzw's first ever GSM phone and that it was global.
But now, your answer raises another question: If the Droid 3 is to be both CDMA and GSM how will it be sold? Will it come with a sim card and use GSM ootb like the TB? And, if so, will GSM usage be charged at the much higher "global rates"? Or will the modality be transparent to the user either way?
bsweetness
Android Enthusiast
That's a relief. I wasn't looking forward to messing around with pre-paid. Although, it is not a bad deal what Boost is offering.
I knew the history of the Droid 2. Just was making a joke about it being obsoleted less than a year after release. Hence the quotes around "old". Should have added a "
Thank you for the clarification. It seems I did understand you correctly the first time. What I had misunderstood was being told (at vzw store) that the TB was vzw's first ever GSM phone and that it was global.
But now, your answer raises another question: If the Droid 3 is to be both CDMA and GSM how will it be sold? Will it come with a sim card and use GSM ootb like the TB? And, if so, will GSM usage be charged at the much higher "global rates"? Or will the modality be transparent to the user either way?
Everything is obsolete less than a year after its release these days. The Droid 2 was just obsolete much quicker than normal when the Droid 2 Global came along.
Global phones on Verizon are not new. They've been making them for years, so the Droid 3 will be sold just like every other global phone on Verizon has been sold - Droid 2 Global, Droid Pro, Incredible 2, various Blackberries, and a variety of Windows Mobile phones - with a Verizon-branded SIM card. If you leave the U.S. and roam internationally on the Verizon-branded card that comes pre-installed in the phone when you buy it, you will be charged outrageous international roaming prices. The best route to go is to get the code to unlock the SIM card (which Verizon will give freely if you've been a customer for over 90 days and have an account in good standing). That will allow you to use SIM cards from anywhere in the world. But without unlocking it, you're stuck with the Verizon SIM card that will cost you a ton of money. Typically the GSM radio on Verizon phones does not work in the U.S., only the CDMA radio. The GSM radio is only there for when you leave the U.S. The Droid 3 will be a CDMA phone first and foremost with the GSM radio there for international travel.
The Thunderbolt does not use GSM. Whoever told you that was wrong. The Thunderbolt uses CDMA and LTE. LTE uses SIM cards, but not GSM SIM cards. They are completely different. The Thunderbolt has no relation whatsoever to global phones on Verizon and no relation to GSM.
TC_Mits
Newbie
I kept my LG V9800 until it fell apart, literally; then I got another one. Loved that phone! And never could find a replacement I like as much until this promising D3. If it was 4G I might keep it just as long.
So a TB sim card could not be used to activate a D3 -- nor vice versa? They are completely different systems that do not normally need to talk to each other? Would it be possible to make a GSM global LTE phone? Would it need two sim cards? Will a TB sim card activate another vzw 4G phone like a Charge or a Revolution?
If the D3 sim card doesn't act like an ATT GSM sim card then I'm back to square one on LTE for the D3.
bsweetness
Android Enthusiast
A Thunderbolt SIM is for LTE. The SIM in the Droid 3 will be for GSM. They are completely different. One doesn't work with the other.
For Verizon, is it possible that we'll see LTE/GSM/CDMA phones? Well, anything is possible, but that's three cellular radios, and at this point the LTE radios are pretty large, so we'd be looking at a really thick phone. And yes, again, LTE and GSM are completely different networks, so they need completely different SIM cards.
It should be possible to switch LTE SIM cards from one LTE phone to another. I'm not sure how Verizon has all of that set up currently since they're essentially the only network dealing in LTE right now.
The Droid 3 SIM will not work with AT&T, but it is a normal GSM radio and SIM card, which means you can switch out the SIM card internationally and use local GSM SIM cards in other countries. But it has nothing to do with LTE which is a completely different type of network, and the phone probably will not work with AT&T or T-Mobile in the U.S. After being unlocked, it should work with just about any other GSM carrier in the world.
CreativeLabs
Lurker
Question answered above mods can delete this if they'd like.
TC_Mits
Newbie
I am beginning to get this, I think.
I like to set my phone up carefully -- just the way I want it -- and then keep it that way until forced to change, a cupla years at least, better several. I was hoping to use the sim card idea like ATT GSM sim cards are understood by us CDMA sim card neophytes -- to go ahead and get the D3 and then pick up another vzw LTE phone and use the sim card to switch back and forth quickly and easily without the *228 hassle. So I'd have a 4G touch-screen for dls and video streaming, etc. and my KB D3 to carry most of the time for texting, etc. Kind of like having my cake and eating it, too. Expensive cake, though.
Now I see even that won't work. Catch-22. I am painted into a corner: KB or 4G but no way to have both. The truth sucks!
That Boost Mobile Epic 4G is starting to look good again...
It's a scammy looking web ad -- with a local house address right in my neighborhood! But if it works out it would suit my needs for a long time and slash my monthly bill in half in the bargain! Verizon LTE 4G would be a lot better, but I'm not sure it's really twice as good. And they can't sell me a phone that fits my needs anyway. If I can work out a cash deal face-to-face I might just do it.
A 4G phone with a real qwerty keyboard should not be so hard to get!
You have been very patient and helpful.
Many thanks!
bsweetness
Android Enthusiast
I am beginning to get this, I think.
I was hoping to use the sim card idea like ATT GSM sim cards are understood by us CDMA sim card neophytes -- to go ahead and get the D3 and then pick up another vzw LTE phone and use the sim card to switch back and forth quickly and easily without the *228 hassle. So I'd have a 4G touch-screen for dls and video streaming, etc. and my KB D3 to carry most of the time for texting, etc. Kind of like having my cake and eating it, too. Expensive cake, though.
Now I see even that won't work. Catch-22. I am painted into a corner: KB or 4G but no way to have both. The truth sucks!
That Boost Mobile Epic 4G is starting to look good again...
It's a scammy looking web ad -- with a local house address right in my neighborhood! But if it works out it would suit my needs for a long time and slash my monthly bill in half in the bargain! Verizon LTE 4G would be a lot better, but I'm not sure it's really twice as good. And they can't sell me a phone that fits my needs anyway.
I like to set my phone up carefully -- just the way I want it -- and then keep it that way until forced to change, a cupla years at least, better several. If I can work out a cash deal face-to-face I might just do it.
A 4G phone with a real qwerty keyboard should not be so hard to get!
You have been very patient and helpful.
Many thanks!
I'm sure they'll get around to a 4G phone with a physical keyboard. The demand in the market is for phones without physical keyboards, so they tend to focus efforts on where the demand is. But they'll eventually come out with one. LTE is a brand new technology, so we can't expect them to have every possible combination for it right out of the gate.
And you're right, there is no way to switch the cards in the Thunderbolt and the Droid 3. They won't work with each other. The SIM card and slot in the Droid 3 won't even work in the United States. It's only for international use. The Droid 3 will rely fully on CDMA while in the U.S.
paid to test out Thunderbolt, battery issue was there, died at 5 something pm. Took back early, they wanted me to try to Incredible2, cool. Didnt want but will see what it is like. Had way to many issues , and return next day. reception was no better than last incredible (no worky in house). back to my droid1. content to wait for droid3. Thunderbolt was nice but wife asked if Id like for2 years, (not really!) I like the new Samsung charge, but I'll wait for dual core and LTE. really want to up grade but after thunderbolt n Incred2 maybe not yet! Kickstand was way coool!
TC_Mits
Newbie
Well, at least the shills can make me crack a smile...
Thanks again to sweet b -- and RJ, too (I needed that!).
~
I'm surprised that the noise on the rumors has been about the superficial stuff, I want to meat of it, I want to know which processor and how much RAM we're counting on. Hopefully this phone will launch with internals that put it ahead of the pack and "future-proofs" it for the lenght of a 2 year contract.