Bionic actually solves all 3 issues you mentioned.I'm pretty sure that despite the "first-gen-ness" of the LTE in the Bionic, it will still be a pretty polished device, but it will still be thicker and much heavier than the SGSII. I'm honestly starting to be of the mind set that I'd rather NOT have LTE in a device until it's more polished and mature, on that new 28nm fab, and available in more areas. I will spend 99% of my time in non-LTE areas for at least the next year, possibly more. The SGSII may actually be more appealing to me if it doesn't have LTE.
Obviously if I could have LTE tech without any negative trade offs I would take it, but right now to get LTE you have to put up with THREE major trade-offs: Heat, bulk, and battery drain. Putting up with one wouldn't bother me too much, but having to put up with all three of those, just to get a speedy LTE chip I'll never be able to use in the phone's lifespan?
Hmm ....
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Droid Bionic or Samsung Galaxy S II?
- Thread starter droidfan1
- Start date
If this is the case I will be picking up the Bionic with no problems.
You'll be happy you did.
The charging rate has also gotten very fast. If you can't tell, Motorola has been sticking a lot of resources onto this device.
johnlgalt
Antidisestablishmentarian
Ahhh. I never considered the ICs themselves. But still, I say the battery technology has progressed far less rapidly than other technologies. We have phones that are doubling in cores *and* in clock speeds and still being powered by the exact same technology in the batteries as the previous ( or previous *3*) generation of phones.
I'm beginning to think that LTE is *not* going to be a good thing for me - except for the fact that I graduate with my masters in May, and I may very well then move into an area with LTE availability - and then it would suck *not* to have it.
I'm pretty sure that despite the "first-gen-ness"
of the LTE in the Bionic, it will still be a pretty polished device, but it will still be thicker and much heavier than the SGSII. I'm honestly starting to be of the mind set that I'd rather NOT have LTE in a device until it's more polished and mature, on that new 28nm fab, and available in more areas. I will spend 99% of my time in non-LTE areas for at least the next year, possibly more. The SGSII may actually be more appealing to me if it doesn't have LTE.
Obviously if I could have LTE tech without any negative trade offs I would take it, but right now to get LTE you have to put up with THREE major trade-offs: Heat, bulk, and battery drain. Putting up with one wouldn't bother me too much, but having to put up with all three of those, just to get a speedy LTE chip I'll never be able to use in the phone's lifespan?
Hmm ....
Well put. However...
You'll be happy you did.
The charging rate has also gotten very fast. If you can't tell, Motorola has been sticking a lot of resources onto this device.
See, I had a feeling that this time Moto was not going to sit around and offer 4 generations and 3 versions of the exact same phone for the next 5 years like they have in the past. I had a feeling that the success of the DROID would have made them giddy - and the lackluster success of the line since would have made them redouble and even more their efforts to make the next must have phone.
And, of course, there is the fact that if they don't I'll find the company that does.
SirKronan
Android Expert
I just want to point out for the record that even if it has one or two of those issues, it would still likely beat out the SGSII if it had one thing:
An unlocked bootloader.
The second best thing would be if you could give us a tip as to whether or not it will at least be unlocked soon after. I can handle a wait. I've waited this long to upgrade my smartphone (a year, LOL) I can wait a little longer for a bootloader unlock.
Exceedingly good points. And if that last bit isn't true, I'll be with you and whatever that other company ends up being.
messenger13
Android Expert
I've enjoyed this thread (and many others) comparing the Bionic to other phones coming by the other manufacturers. At the end of the day, I think I have to admit that my OG DROID has made me a believer in Motorola ... at some lame level. 
Being in IT, I've played with other Android phones (setting up Outlook email, etc...) and they just don't seem to hold the same kind of weird attraction that I still have with my ol' DROID. Maybe Motorola has an installed app that has me totally brain-washed ... I dunno. All that I *DO* know is that the Bionic is the only phone that has me wanting to finally "upgrade". My OG DROID will go to my wife, so it won't be far from me. And she'll expect me to keep it updated and to teach her all the ins and outs ... so I'll still be closely connected to my first smart phone. (<-- sad, I know)
Being in IT, I've played with other Android phones (setting up Outlook email, etc...) and they just don't seem to hold the same kind of weird attraction that I still have with my ol' DROID. Maybe Motorola has an installed app that has me totally brain-washed ... I dunno. All that I *DO* know is that the Bionic is the only phone that has me wanting to finally "upgrade". My OG DROID will go to my wife, so it won't be far from me. And she'll expect me to keep it updated and to teach her all the ins and outs ... so I'll still be closely connected to my first smart phone. (<-- sad, I know)
BlueBiker
Android Expert
I've enjoyed this thread (and many others) comparing the Bionic to other phones coming by the other manufacturers. At the end of the day, I think I have to admit that my OG DROID has made me a believer in Motorola ... at some lame level.
I'm with you. Was using an admittedly very nice Charge for a few weeks and returning to OG Droid was like coming home.
johnlgalt
Antidisestablishmentarian
I've enjoyed this thread (and many others) comparing the Bionic to other phones coming by the other manufacturers. At the end of the day, I think I have to admit that my OG DROID has made me a believer in Motorola ... at some lame level.
Lol - my OG DROID is going to my dad. He has a Blackberry from work but a simple dialer phone for his personal line. Of course, he'll need to add data, but I doubt he'll use above the 2 GB limit, so I'm not worried about him not being grandfathered into unlimited.
Same experience here when I've used a few phones from friends for a day - my DROID just works. Even if I have OC'd it
milan03
Android Enthusiast
For everyone that's currently on Verizon's LTE, you've signed up for it because you are one of a few (hundreds of thousands) that want's to be early adopter, on a bleeding edge of tech world and experience it before most of consumers. You've signed up for a technology that is still being optimized and the chipsets are still power hungry, therefore you battery suffers.
But, you were the smart one for locking yourself into the unlimited data/tethering for at least two years, and as the LTE industry is growing and technology advancing, you will be the one that will win in the long run, and enjoy that LTE the way it's supposed to be enjoyed. With that unlimited data out of 73mbps pipe (per sector).
So you can either wait, and wait, and never be happy with how well your phone benches, or you can love every second of the fastest mobile network available for smartphones in the WORLD. Sell your phone in a few months, and buy outright the next hot LTE phone and keep your contract.
On a sidenote, Bionic really looks outdated (esthetically) I was expecting a handset that would compete with other beautiful industrial engineered phones on the market, but Moto failed again. That said, loads of dual-core LTE phones are coming around the same time to Verizon and it'll be interesting to see if Motorola's strategy pays off.
But, you were the smart one for locking yourself into the unlimited data/tethering for at least two years, and as the LTE industry is growing and technology advancing, you will be the one that will win in the long run, and enjoy that LTE the way it's supposed to be enjoyed. With that unlimited data out of 73mbps pipe (per sector).
So you can either wait, and wait, and never be happy with how well your phone benches, or you can love every second of the fastest mobile network available for smartphones in the WORLD. Sell your phone in a few months, and buy outright the next hot LTE phone and keep your contract.
On a sidenote, Bionic really looks outdated (esthetically) I was expecting a handset that would compete with other beautiful industrial engineered phones on the market, but Moto failed again. That said, loads of dual-core LTE phones are coming around the same time to Verizon and it'll be interesting to see if Motorola's strategy pays off.
SirKronan
Android Expert
Respect for your strong opinion, and I know your fellow 4G LTE residents are more likely to agree than someone like me that lives in a state with a much smaller population, but I disagree a little bit here and there ...
1. I don't think the outdated design we saw in January is going to be what we get. With beautiful devices like the Sensation and the SGSII with killer designs and ergonomics, there's no way Motorola's not going to compete from a design standpoint. I think the pictures are going to be more in line with what you see in the leaked dock photos from Amazon. If so, that's not a bad looking device at all. I'm not a fan of the worthless hump to accommodate a worthless physical camera shutter, but if that hump houses extra communication tech, then I'll just "shut the front door" about it.
Other than that, it's a pretty sweet looking phone. I really am not expecting the bland and bulky looking device that we already know was scrapped for good reason.2. I would have MUCH rather preferred 3.5G such as what T-Mobile and AT&T offer. We're talking about a PHONE. Speeds 3-5 times faster than Verizon's 3G are fantastic for a phone, and still faster than much of our nation's home delivered broadband!!! I've already pointed this out, but this is just an answer for you. To get 4G LTE you're having to sacrifice device size/ergonomics, possible heat issues, battery life, and until the Bionic releases, you have to sacrifice dual core power.
If being on the bleeding edge and having your fancy signature speedtest image is worth sacrificing all that, be my guest. But I could have 3-5 times my 3G speeds, enough to stream netflix HD video with ease, a dual core device, a thin, ergonomic device, AND good battery life, on two competing networks.
Yoda says the Bionic solves those issues. I hope he is right, and that Moto has put this extra time and development to good use, but right now the cost for 4G is too great unless you really need it. That's why I qualify this answer by saying that I recognize that there ARE people that do need it. I understand. Go ahead and sacrifice dual core power to get your LTE. That's what Verizon is limiting us to right now, anyways. I would have much preferred AT&T and T-Mobile's device and wireless speed progression so I wouldn't have to sacrifice so much just to have something better than 3G.
Is 3G getting long in the tooth? Yes. But Verizon's three LTE handsets are having to sacrifice other design aspects to win speed tests and boast about their network still being the best. Yes, LTE is the fastest, but superior phones are found on EVERY other nationwide carrier.
H
HanSolo
Guest
The "outdated design" we saw in January was actually a refreshing change to the "brick" design of the OG Droid. Sorry to say, but the pics revealed on the FCC site really do show a "bland and bulky looking device". I compared the pictures of the Bionic to what my OG Droid looks like, and there is very little change. Looks the same as the OG Droid except for the fact that it's bigger and the huge lip on the bottom is now inverted. But it's still there.
And I know 3G vs. 4G, at least at the moment, depends on where you live. I live in the Chicago area and my 3G speeds are slow as molasses. I can't wait to have 4G and not have to wait 20 seconds for a web page to load.
Sandroidfan
Android Expert
AT&T and t-mobile's 3.5G HSPA+ is fast only where it works. Even where it works t-mobile devices rarely gets above 10Mbps and AT&T is usually below 6Mbps, less than half of their advertised speeds. Once you get out of major areas, it will drop down to 2G Edge speed quickly.
3G CDMA/EvDo on Verizon is more consistent and covering larger area though it's slower. Their LTE is more like HSPA+ on T-mobile in terms of spotty coverage though it will get better and better.
SirKronan
Android Expert
4-6Mb on AT&T is still 3-4x faster than CDMA. And you don't get your 1.4 speeds everywhere on CDMA either, although it is a bigger coverage map than any other carrier.
Sadly T-Mobile has only 2G in my area, and AT&T is more horrible in worse ways than just being behind in phone tech. Verizon has three modern 3G towers in my area, despite the smaller population. No LTE on the near horizon though.
Big competition areas, such as larger cities where you have all three carriers putting out a strong signal, and where you have the most users by far, customers have to decide what's best for them. I'm of a mind that 95% of users would be better served with "only" 6-10Mbps connections but much better, smoother, more powerful phones. Newer phones like the SGSII and Sensation are capable of 21Mbps speeds anyways, as soon as the network catches up.
What everyday user is going to really "see" the difference between loading a webpage at 10Mbps on their four inch screen vs. the same page loading at 14-20Mbps?? Remember that's still enough for very smooth streaming.
The only real practical "need" for LTE is frequent tethering. It's really hard for me to justify needing "lightning fast" LTE speeds on a four inch device, unless I'm piping it to my dual core laptop with an IPS screen, full size keyboard, and an nVidia graphics card ...
milan03
Android Enthusiast
@SirKronan: I really don't think that current LTE smartphone users "'suffer" for not having dual-core phones right now. People that bought Verizon's LTE phones aren't gonna stick with them for the rest of their lives. They're locked into the unlimited LTE and have an option for unlimited HotSpot/USB tethering for extra $30.
They can still buy outright the next hot dual/quad-core phone once it becomes available, and after they sell current phones they'll be at about the same price point. We all knew that unlimited LTE deal is too good to be true and that it wouldn't last long so we consciously invested in a first ten phone with their known issues.
Once Qualcomm drops 28nm LTE chipsets later this quarter, and Samsung, HTC, Moto, etc start coming out with hot, thin and fast phones, we'll be all over that as well. Looking at Bionic pics, I really don't get that excited and a lone fact that it's a dual-core phone doesn't really do it for me.
On a side note I totally understand users in non-LTE areas not getting early LTE phones, but even if your area was remotely on vzw's LTE roadmap, I'd be still buying LTE phone, just to grandfather myself and future proof my contract. But that's just me I guess.
They can still buy outright the next hot dual/quad-core phone once it becomes available, and after they sell current phones they'll be at about the same price point. We all knew that unlimited LTE deal is too good to be true and that it wouldn't last long so we consciously invested in a first ten phone with their known issues.
Once Qualcomm drops 28nm LTE chipsets later this quarter, and Samsung, HTC, Moto, etc start coming out with hot, thin and fast phones, we'll be all over that as well. Looking at Bionic pics, I really don't get that excited and a lone fact that it's a dual-core phone doesn't really do it for me.
On a side note I totally understand users in non-LTE areas not getting early LTE phones, but even if your area was remotely on vzw's LTE roadmap, I'd be still buying LTE phone, just to grandfather myself and future proof my contract. But that's just me I guess.
BlueBiker
Android Expert
Are you suggesting that Verizon has future plans to charge more for 4G/LTE than for 3G? I haven't heard any such rumor.
milan03
Android Enthusiast
Verizon stopped offering unlimited data on July 7th. Now they only offer metered data packages, and having a phone connected to 73mbps pipe makes it extremely easy to run over your $30 2GB data allotment.
BlueBiker
Android Expert
Heh, I thought you were going there. Verizon makes it easy to check data usage both with their MyVerizon phone app and via their website, so I can't support recommending anybody buy a slower phone solely to protect themself from exceeding limits.
Nobody gets 72mbps either, I think people report 7-22mbps which may even diminish as areas become saturated w/new 4G customers. -- Oops, wrong. Reports of 50mbps+ on Verizon LTE!
Also, as Verizon has mentioned a time or two, as long as you have unlimited data prior to July 7th, you are grandfathered in for 4G LTE as well.
AKA I have no issues with getting unlimited.
If I had a better phone than the OG Droid I might be able to wait, as it is I cannot wait.
milan03
Android Enthusiast
Yes you get grandfathered into unlimited LTE but you don't get unlimited tethering option.
*shrug*
I have yet to have any use for tethering... It isn't like I am using the internet on my laptop when I am driving, even if I was it is far to cumbersome to use while seated in pretty much any car I have ridden in.
I don't know, guess it doesn't really bug me at all.
To each his own =)
milan03
Android Enthusiast
That's true too. For anyone that needs AirCard with unlimited LTE this is really the only option. It's as fast as home internet connection but on the go. And if you travel a lot, it's priceless. I actually downgraded my home internet because of that.