Fascinate: How Bad Could It Be Now?

[esone1ll]

Hello, Fascinate owners.

I'm switching to VZW from Sprint this month and I want an Android device.

I'm strongly considering the Fascinate, despite its apparent shortcomings. Here's why. I went to a Verizon store, and played with the high-end Android phones.

1. The Fascinate was LIGHTENING quick, with NO stutter, jerkiness, or jankiness. Everything loaded perfectly, and quickly.
2. The screen was amazing.
3. The default lock screen was cool.
4. The Droid 2's keyboard is useless (for me).
5. The Droid X's screen-to-screen scrolling seemed janky and jerky.

I'm basically down to the Incredible and the Fascinate. I know the Dinc has FroYo and generally better corporate support, but the Fascinate wins on screen (size and quality).

So, my question is:

Would anyone here purchase a Fascinate, if they were a new VZW customer today?

Thanks for your input!

 

[Bob-o]

In a heartbeat! Id buy another one if given the chance to go back and do it again. The dev community here is out of this world. That is if you decide to root. Yes buy it if you like it. 2.2 will come eventually.

 

[esone1ll]

In a heartbeat! Id buy another one if given the chance to go back and do it again. The dev community here is out of this world. That is if you decide to root. Yes buy it if you like it. 2.2 will come eventually.

Thanks for the kind words!

I know there are bugs, but the most recent Maintenance Release seems to have fixed them...

 

[nitsuj17]

i would....but on the understanding that

1. i refuse to ever buy another motorola for philosophical reasons
2. the incredible's screen was too small for me
3. i root/mod the phone

 

[esone1ll]

i would....but on the understanding that

1. i refuse to ever buy another motorola for philosophical reasons
2. the incredible's screen was too small for me
3. i root/mod the phone

Thanks!

1. Understood; for me, Moto's offerings are just sub-par, software-wise.
2. Me too -- that's the biggest detractor for me.
3. I rooted my EVO when I had it -- easy to do, and relatively risk-free (thanks to HTC).

Is rooting easy and safe on the Fascinate?

 

[tkirane]

I would absolutely, but I also rooted. I take apart things for fun, so I'm always trying to get my electronics to be the best they can. It really depends on if you want it more to be perfect out of the box, like to play around with the rooting community, or if you are already happy with how it functions like you seem to be.

Can always get around flash by using skyfire

But yes, absolutely!

 

[Bob-o]

Rooting is safe. The sf is hard to permabrick. If something goes wrong, there a tonn of people to help you out. Helped me twice. Its pretty straight forward.

 

[tkirane]

Thanks!

1. Understood; for me, Moto's offerings are just sub-par, software-wise.
2. Me too -- that's the biggest detractor for me.
3. I rooted my EVO when I had it -- easy to do, and relatively risk-free (thanks to HTC).

Is rooting easy and safe on the Fascinate?

It isnt bad. I've never rooted a phone before, just follow the instructions and ask any questions you have, any the gurus here ( nit, saps, david, and others ) are more than willing to help.

 

[esone1ll]

I would absolutely, but I also rooted. I take apart things for fun, so I'm always trying to get my electronics to be the best they can. It really depends on if you want it more to be perfect out of the box, like to play around with the rooting community, or if you are already happy with how it functions like you seem to be.

Can always get around flash by using skyfire

But yes, absolutely!

Great!

Flash support doesn't affect me -- at all. I hate Flash, and refuse to use it on a mobile browser. Youtube plays just fine sans flash in the Youtube app.

I'm a Launcher Pro Plus user, so I have no trouble modifying the software to get it "just right."

 

[esone1ll]

It isnt bad. I've never rooted a phone before, just follow the instructions and ask any questions you have, any the gurus here ( nit, saps, david, and others ) are more than willing to help.

Which instruction set? I've seen a couple...

 

[Squeaky192]

I'd definitely do it if you're going to root/mod. It's in my opinion the best device Verizon offers right now, once you mod it.

And 2.2 WILL be here eventually. A few dev's are working pretty hard on Gingerbread, so I wouldn't count 2.3 out within a couple of months.

 

[tkirane]

Great!

Flash support doesn't affect me -- at all. I hate Flash, and refuse to use it on a mobile browser. Youtube plays just fine sans flash in the Youtube app.

I'm a Launcher Pro Plus user, so I have no trouble modifying the software to get it "just right."

Beautiful, You should have some fun then haha

Which instruction set? I've seen a couple...

This is the general Sticky for tutorials. Very, very helpful.

Root Guide Sticky

Rooting in particular is

How to Root - Android Forums

Enjoy!

 

[Bob-o]

the sf will amaze you everyday. I'm still learnin what it can do. If you go the mod route....the things the devs are doing is amazing in my book. Completely change the look of the phone. I am only rooted at the moment, but I'm gonna odin dl09 tonite, and pissible buy nit, dav, and saps a beer to hold my hand through flashing something from the devs . They can figure anything out for you if you goof something. Period.

 

[davidnmegan6907]

the sf will amaze you everyday. I'm still learnin what it can do. If you go the mod route....the things the devs are doing is amazing in my book. Completely change the look of the phone. I am only rooted at the moment, but I'm gonna odin dl09 tonite, and pissible buy nit, dav, and saps a beer to hold my hand through flashing something from the devs . They can figure anything out for you if you goof something. Period.

Don't worry one of us will be around bud

 

[esone1ll]

Don't worry one of us will be around bud

This is good news! Y'all are making my decision very easy for me

 

[Member138406]

I have been a verizon customer for a while, I got a Fascinate yesterday. Its a pretty slick phone I have been pleased with it so far. And thing will only get better with 2.2.

Screen size is perfect too.. I didnt like dx, it felt like a brick in my pocket, and Inc is a great phone but I always wanted a bigger screen.

 

[davidnmegan6907]

This is good news! Y'all are making my decision very easy for me

We try to always have someone on here that has a pretty good hang of it. Also the more info we hand out the more that info can be passed along. I look at it as a pay it forward. If it wasn't for guys in here I would be clueless, but thanks to them I now feel knowledgeable enough to pay forward. So we may not have froyo, but you can count on the community.

 

[esone1ll]

I have been a verizon customer for a while, I got a Fascinate yesterday. Its a pretty slick phone I have been pleased with it so far. And thing will only get better with 2.2.

Screen size is perfect too.. I didnt like dx, it felt like a brick in my pocket, and Inc is a great phone but I always wanted a bigger screen.

The X has blatantly unfinished software IMHO. I'd rather wait for FroYo done right than get it now without the right polish.

 

[esone1ll]

We try to always have someone on here that has a pretty good hang of it. Also the more info we hand out the more that info can be passed along. I look at it as a pay it forward. If it wasn't for guys in here I would be clueless, but thanks to them I now feel knowledgeable enough to pay forward. So we may not have froyo, but you can count on the community.

That's how I feel too. Good thinking.

It's always the dev/mod community that ties me to Android. Good stuff.

 

[Crucial]

I'm no advanced phone user (yet), but from what I can see, the SF runs circles around the DInc. My girl has the DInc and both her and I hate it. (She's going to be an iPhone user come Feb. 10).

I still love rubbing in her face how she should have gotten the SF. (The phones too big she complained. Despite the fact that' it's a whopping half inch larger max.)

 

[ggt1_02]

I would definitely get the SF again if I had to, I am still well within the window to return but love this phone. I am coming from a BB storm so the SF is like being freed from prison.

A friend of mine has the DX and loves it, me not so much. It feels clunky in my hand and what's up with the tiny buttons?

I do plan on rooting if only to de-bloat which is really my only complaint with VZW. At the end of the day this is a great phone, and my expierence has only improved with the great knowledge base on this forum.

 

[saps]

esone1|| are you in a area where you'd actually have 4G service because if you're not upgrading for a few weeks you might consider waiting for those next wave of phones. Having said that, with the impending certainty of actually get 2.2 or greater OS than yes the SF certainly seems like a slam dunk and yes I'd probably buy it today given all the other choices. The 2.1 is hard to swallow so hopefully that changed, like real real soon

 

[glendower]

Hello, Fascinate owners.

I'm switching to VZW from Sprint this month and I want an Android device.

I'm strongly considering the Fascinate, despite its apparent shortcomings. Here's why. I went to a Verizon store, and played with the high-end Android phones.

1. The Fascinate was LIGHTENING quick, with NO stutter, jerkiness, or jankiness. Everything loaded perfectly, and quickly.
2. The screen was amazing.
3. The default lock screen was cool.
4. The Droid 2's keyboard is useless (for me).
5. The Droid X's screen-to-screen scrolling seemed janky and jerky.

I'm basically down to the Incredible and the Fascinate. I know the Dinc has FroYo and generally better corporate support, but the Fascinate wins on screen (size and quality).

So, my question is:

Would anyone here purchase a Fascinate, if they were a new VZW customer today?

Thanks for your input!

Yes. We bought one Black Friday knowing it was 2.1 because it was the best phone, and would do the same thing again without hesitation.

 

[esone1ll]

esone1|| are you in a area where you'd actually have 4G service because if you're not upgrading for a few weeks you might consider waiting for those next wave of phones. Having said that, with the impending certainty of actually get 2.2 or greater OS than yes the SF certainly seems like a slam dunk and yes I'd probably buy it today given all the other choices. The 2.1 is hard to swallow so hopefully that changed, like real real soon

I am definitely in a 4G area (NYC), but I've been burned before. There is a serious WiMax+Android bug that destroys battery life -- I'm coming from an EVO.

I know VZW's 4G is LTE and not WiMax, but I'm still weary.

AND, I don't want to wait

 

[saps]

I am definitely in a 4G area (NYC), but I've been burned before. There is a serious WiMax+Android bug that destroys battery life -- I'm coming from an EVO.

I know VZW's 4G is LTE and not WiMax, but I'm still weary.

AND, I don't want to wait

Fair enough. But yeah LTE is a different universe from Sprints junk. Just saying that you will likely be stuck on the SF for 20 months now and while its a good phone and would be great once we get 2.2+ we are on the doorstep of some next wave phones too. All in all if you cant wait then yes the SF would be a decent phone to run quite some time