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Fascinate vs Droid X

Lodingi said:
It would be great to know what made DX owners come to the Fascinate & it would be great to know why any Fascinate owner leaves for the DX, or even the DInc for that matter.
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I had the DX for about 3 weeks. It was my first smartphone. There were a lot of things I liked about it. But, there were a number of software issues that I wasn't prepared to live with for the next two years and neither VZ or Moto could guarantee they would be fixed with the 2.2 update and they couldn't say when that update was happening. My 30 days was coming to a close and I wasn't willing to gamble, so I returned the phone. Honestly, even beyond the issues, I never quite felt comfortable with the DX - it felt big and bulky for me. But that was just me. It is a very good phone.

I learned that the Fascinate was going to be launched and started researching it. Once it was released and I could actually hold one and test it out in the store, I knew it was much more to my liking. Yes, it has its own share of initial bugs, but these are ones I can live with. And, I know it really isn't much smaller than the DX, but it just feels so much more comfortable and lighter in my hands. For me, it is just more user friendly.
 
I agree with Jacki1008. With both the HTC Incredible and Droid X, they had their own set of issues or quirks, they I never felt at home with them.

There are some quirks with my Fascinate, some that may never get fixed, some which hopefully will - regardless, I feel A LOT more comfortable with it and am a lot happier with it.

Oh, and the Camera beats the Incredible and Droid X, and that's huge for me.
 
^Yup, thats key for any phone someone wants to get. If u can live with its quirks, its issues, than u made a good choice.
 
Can anyone comment on the Super AMOLED vs TFT LCD screens under sunlight?
I've seen comparison videos on youtube, but does anyone have first hand experience between the two?
 
The SAMOLED is easier to see in strong, direct sunlight on the screen. However, I still had to turn the screen brightness all the way to max. I had the Droid 1 previously, it would've been nearly impossible to see the screen in the kind if intense afternoon sun I just tested the Fascinate's screen in.
 
I was going to up grade my Incredible to a DroidX I went and checked it out a couple days after release and was thinking I was going to be leaving the store with it especially after really liking the EVO i had played with but the Droid X was way too big for me the EVO I could use one handed the X was just slightly too big for me. I really disliked the physical buttons also.

I finally went and played with a Fascinate at the Verizon store the other day for about 15minutes and I've gotta say the size is perfect that ontop of having a better CPU and GPU makes it a winner in my book. The HDMI out and more Internal Storage are nice features of the X but The rest out weigh it in my opinion.

Really you can't go wrong with either, I honestly think if it's a Android based phone its a winner in my book
 
Here are my main thoughts on the two, after using and comparing them side by side:

Fascinate

Pros:
1. Brighter/"contrastier" screen, easier to see in sunlight than DX
2. Faster GPU. I tested this on a 3D game. The Droid X did well. The Fascinate did exceptionally well - noticeably smoother.
3. More ergonomic, sleeker design - For my hands and phone habits, the button placement and shape of the phone HANDS DOWN beat the pants of the DX. No odd hump to get used to, no stiff buttons to push (although some prefer physical buttons, I use my phone at night, and the DX buttons are borderline loud enough to wake my wife from slumber!) The volume buttons still work when you're on a call.
4. More video codec/container support
5. Because the Galaxy S is on multiple carriers, and the models are all similar, I believe we will see a greater variety of custom and stable roms as time goes on, versus the fairly well locked up DX. They are cracking the DX, but it's only on one character, and it's a little tougher of a nut to crack.

Cons:
1. 2GB of memory vs 8GB
2. Bing
3. Mic quality - call quality is fine, but on the Droid X it's extraordinary
4. Reception - the reception is also fine, but the DX is still a little better
5. Glossy black back - minor gripe, just a fingerprint magnet

Droid X

Pros:
1. 3 noise cancelling microphones
2. One of the best Android phones for battery life
3. Out of this world reception. In my basement, for example, the Eris got 1-2 bars. The DX gets 3-4.
4. 8GB memory - this is handy especially for root users with Root Explorer that want to store more stuff on their phone for quicker access, and permanence if they frequently change SD cards or share them with other devices
5. Slightly larger screen - this is a benefit for e-readers and web browsers. You have an extra 54 pixels to read!
6. Notification light - know when you've missed messages/calls, or received emails
7. HDMI out - mostly (works more completely with a $2 app)

Cons:
1. Not a handy power button, and more difficult to use one handed than the Fascinate - the difference, at least in my usage, was HUGE here. In my hand, the Fascinate just felt right. Things were where they automatically and ergonomically made sense. The Droid X is noticeably more difficult to hold and operate one-handed than the Fascinate.
2. Design - even though I'm typically not a big fan of shiny, glossy black plastic things, the Fascinate is sleeker, and more attractively designed and pleasing to look at than the DX. The DX is impressive and imposing, but not as impressive and polished looking as the Fascinate. I originally feared it would look and feel cheap based on the pictures I'd seen of it pre-release. Look at it and hold it in person. Even though it's lighter, it doesn't feel cheap or plasticky at all.
3. Screen - even though the screen is bigger, it's not brighter and it's not darker. Although side by side it actually doesn't look as bad against the Fascinate as I thought it was going to. The DX is still one of the best looking TFT-LCD phones to date. Motorola really pulled all the punches on that thing, and that's why it's STILL on a short waiting list to order one.

I may add/subtract from this list as I play with the Fascinate more tomorrow, but so far, I'm leaning in preference to the sleeker, brighter screened device. It is easier to see in sunlight, and the GPU is quite faster. And playing all those different media formats, such as MKV, right off your card natively, is pretty dang cool.

Hopefully that helps quickly sum up a comparison so you can relate it to your wants/needs.
 
The only thing the DX has that I wish we has was the 8MP camera (for uploading larger pics to the computer) Dedicated camera button (Don't really need it, but it would be nice) and the BIGGEST thing is the extra mics. I would LOVE 3 mics.
 
Great info, folks. I'm actually looking at both of these phones.

Anyone know why they only put 2GB of internal memory on the SF? That's 4 times smaller than the X?! No one here thinks this is going to be a problem here on out?
 
Gevis said:
The only thing the DX has that I wish we has was the 8MP camera (for uploading larger pics to the computer) Dedicated camera button (Don't really need it, but it would be nice) and the BIGGEST thing is the extra mics. I would LOVE 3 mics.
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Megapixel shmegapixel ... Trust me, the photo quality of the Fascinate is very much on par with the Droid X. I have used both, and seen multiple other posters' comparisons. The saturation is a tad heavier on the Fascinate. The extra 3 MP gives you NOTHING but extra data.

To state this another way, the Fascinate can give you the same quality photo and the same amount of actual usable and important photographic information as the Droid X using only a 5 MP file rather than a larger 8 MP file.

In this case, more MP does not = more quality.

From a recent review:
Samsung are known for their strong multimedia performance, and the Fascinate is no different. The 5-megapixel camera produces excellent stills and 720p video, with touch-to-focus and sensible automatic use of the LED flash. The results outclass what we produced with the 8-megapixel DROID X, which once again goes to show that it’s not the number of pixels you have but how you use them. The flash can also be used during video recording, and unlike on rival devices, when you’re shooting in low-light situations it comes on as you frame the shot rather than just when the picture is taken.
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lodestar said:
Great info, folks. I'm actually looking at both of these phones.

Anyone know why they only put 2GB of internal memory on the SF? That's 4 times smaller than the X?! No one here thinks this is going to be a problem here on out?
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It's more of a problem if you do the 1GB lag fix to make the phone work faster. I'm worried about this too.
 
SirKronan said:
It's more of a problem if you do the 1GB lag fix to make the phone work faster. I'm worried about this too.
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FWIW, the lag fix is down to 512mb, which still only leaves us about 1GB because even that 2GB is down to about 1.5GB when you get the phone [filesystem et al]. Still at this point even that 1.5GB of internal storage is plenty. Most apps and games are less than 3mb. I have around 80 apps taking up around 200mb. So even with a 512mb lag fix there is room. Its a temporary issue which will get even less bothersome post Froyo.
 
usb said:
What about audio sound quality? I hear the Fascinate has a great sound chip for playing audio files. (http://androidforums.com/htc-incred...redible-vs-samsung-fascinate.html#post1279300)
Can you comment on this?
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Both the Droid X and Fascinate sounded about as good as you can expect playing music off the built in speaker. One complaint I had about the Droid X is that as soon as you put it down on its back, the audio volume is cut down to less than 25% of when you're holding it in your hand. If it's a soft object, like fabric of a couch, the sound is so muted that you can hardly hear the phone ring, even if ring volume is all the way up. I didn't get the chance to test the Fascinate in such a fashion, but I will A.S.A.P. tomorrow.

Now were you referring to the headphone or built in speaker phone quality of the devices? Playing 320 bitrate MP3s, both devices sound excellent with my decent quality noise isolating earbuds. I think both will make capable music players. I liked the visualizations that you could run on the Droid X, but while they looked cool, they really are functionally useless (lol!) and would only serve to drain the battery some more. I did like the horizontal album browser when you put the phone on its side. It's a nice touch.

Samsung advertises a "5.1" setting for listening to headphones. It's pretty much a gimmick. I'll test it out some more tomorrow, including different EQ settings, but it's more like a customized loudness preset than anything that actually improves the sound.



Non-related side note:
After perusing tons of reviews, it looks like the battery life is better on this thing than I expected. It still does not match the Droid X, but it comes a lot closer than I thought it would. No mid-day charge should be necessary for most users. I haven't had the chance to fully drain it, recharge, then fully drain again yet on it. I'll do what I can, though, in the next couple of days!
 
SirKronan said:
Samsung advertises a "5.1" setting for listening to headphones. It's pretty much a gimmick. I'll test it out some more tomorrow, including different EQ settings, but it's more like a customized loudness preset than anything that actually improves the sound.
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Yeah I messed with that using just my vmoda earbuds. IMO it really depends on the song/whatever you are listening to. Sometimes 5.1 is better and sometimes stereo sounds more authentic.
I'm no audiophile. I suppose IMO the 5.1 was just a tad louder. Overall most things sounded a tad "better" in the 5.1 mode but really there wasnt much tangible difference to my ears
 
Hmmm, actually Im going to go ahead and say the 5.1 is slightly better. I just spent a few minutes watching a DVD I ripped onto the SD Card and for movies the 5.1 is tangibly better IMO not just louder. Different ears might have different opinions.
 
I just played around with a pal's Samsung Captivate for about ten minutes and compared it to my Droid X. The Captivate and Fascinate are both Galaxy S phones so they should be very similar.

The screens: (This was at night and an indoor test.)
On the lowest brightness setting, the Super Amoled screen was noticeably brighter.
On max, the DX's LCD screen was brighter.

But I found the whites on the SAMOLED surprisingly disappointing. I opened up google on both phones and the whites on the Samsung were very dim and almost blueish. I don't know if I can live with that. I've never read about anything like this before so thought I'd bring it up.
 
usb said:
I just played around with a pal's Samsung Captivate for about ten minutes and compared it to my Droid X. The Captivate and Fascinate are both Galaxy S phones so they should be very similar.

The screens: (This was at night and an indoor test.)
On the lowest brightness setting, the Super Amoled screen was noticeably brighter.
On max, the DX's LCD screen was brighter.

But I found the whites on the SAMOLED surprisingly disappointing. I opened up google on both phones and the whites on the Samsung were very dim and almost blueish. I don't know if I can live with that. I've never read about anything like this before so thought I'd bring it up.
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The apparently bluishness is a common complaint amongst AMOLED's. Personally I havent noticed it at all on my SF but it is a complaint of a sizeable minority
 
I see. Yea I probably wouldn't have noticed until I put my DX right next to it.
Also could someone explain the "Lag Fix" for the Galaxy phones and why its Quadrant Score JUMPS after it has been applied?
Is that a realistic benchmark of the phone's hardware? ~800 vs ~2000 is a big difference.
 
arcanic said:
I had the DX, and while I liked it, I found the Fascinate a bit more fitting.

Why?

1. Size - I have medium size hands. For me the DX was just a little bit too large for one handed use. I had to really stretch my thumb to get the top of the screen.

2. Screen - It's hard to argue with the AMOLED screen on the Fascinate. Simply put, it's gorgeous.

3. BOGO - Really? I couldn't believe they had this thing on BOGO. Scored two.

4. Slim - The DX is thin, but the Fascinate is noticeably thinner. It's very pocket friendly, even with a silicon case on the back.

5. GPU - I'm hoping Android will get some quality games soon in the Marketplace. Angry Birds is a start. I love the ability to game on the go.

6. Touch keys - I wasn't a fan of the hard keys on the DX. They wiggled and felt a bit cheap. The only problem I have with the Fascinate is the known issue with the lights. According to BGR, it'll be resolved in an update.

7. Battery Life - I've been abusing my Fascinate ALL DAY....Its now 11PM and I still have around 25%.

You really can't go wrong with either phone. In the end, it comes down to personal preference.

Arc:D
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Personal prefrence....
I agree
 
usb said:
I see. Yea I probably wouldn't have noticed until I put my DX right next to it.
Also could someone explain the "Lag Fix" for the Galaxy phones and why its Quadrant Score JUMPS after it has been applied?
Is that a realistic benchmark of the phone's hardware? ~800 vs ~2000 is a big difference.
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I cannot give you an accurate detail explanation of Lag Fix but the Quadrant score is largely contingent upon the I/O scores. Whatever the lag fix fixes addresses this aspect of that benchmark, which is why after we apply the lag fix the rest of the phone does not feel 2.5x faster. In fact most people myself included don't notice a difference with the phone post lag fix outside of the increased Quadrant score
 
saps said:
I cannot give you an accurate detail explanation of Lag Fix but the Quadrant score is largely contingent upon the I/O scores. Whatever the lag fix fixes addresses this aspect of that benchmark, which is why after we apply the lag fix the rest of the phone does not feel 2.5x faster. In fact most people myself included don't notice a difference with the phone post lag fix outside of the increased Quadrant score
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Do you have a link to the 512MB version?
 
I got the DX about 10 days ago and I finally seem to have gotten it working the way *I* want it to - I have to say it was a bit more work stripping out some of the bloat and customizing some of the features than I thought it was going to be, but in the end - and with the help of several key apps - I've got it behaving like I want.

I (like everyone else) have been finding the DX a little too big for one-handed usage, and although I (like everyone else) like the battery life, reception, and call quality, I'm tempted by the slim and smaller form factor of the SF.

plus I'm finding the 'hard' buttons a little *too* hard.

I actually prefer the screen on the DX under real-world conditions, I find it retains more clarity in bright sunshine and the white point is *way* more accurate (important for judging pics).
I will admit tho that the SF looks gorgeous, and the DX pisses me off with it's **inexplicable** 4:3 crop for wallpaper for a 16:9 screen (WTF?!? seriously!)

but really, with any phone, what it all comes down to is: how good of a **phone** is it?

the DX gets great reception, sounds great (on *both* ends) and has an awesome battery life.

so, my question is this: for all and any who have tried both under real world conditions just how much difference is their between the two re: reception, call quality and battery life??

we've heard from a few folks but I'd like to hear from a few more.

cheers,
b
 
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