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Feedback on droid x requested (from current owners)

Y

you2

Android Expert
I'm still debating on this phone (trying to pick between evo, droid x, vibrant/captivate).
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Two things I've noticed when playing with the phone in the store when I rotate it with the browser; the screen does not rotate (i.e, move from vertical to horizontal). But if i rotate the phone prior to starting the browser then it rotates; but i have to exit and rotate back then restart to change from horizontal to vertical.

The second thing is that max volume is very low for phone calls (I did try a second phone and it was much louder; though no where near as loud as the evo). This is not speaker phone but just volume if you put the phone next to the ear. The first one was not loud enough for usage outside; the second was.
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The third thing is that the UI sucks (but I think that can be fixed by changing to launch pro).
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Have you noticed any other issues with the phone? If so plesae list them so I can test for them in the store to see if they are issues to me.
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For me buying this phone will be a bit of a hassle since I'm changing providers. Also does this phone have any real advantages over the EVO (from limited usage HTC sense seems a bit nicer; volume is louder on the EVO, sprint has ok service in my location); I think i like the form factor of the droid x a bit more but i'm not very enthusiastic about the buttons or dialer on the phone (I though the the hard buttons were a good idea but playing with the phone I find them a bit annoying; the dialer is just weird - this is the first phone i used that had a pia dialer (can it be replaced with a standard dialer?).
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Anyways in summary the current negatives I've found so far are
soft max volume
browser won't rotate
buttons a bit awkward to use
default gui sucks
dialer is a pia
(read but not tested; wifi is foobar)
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'cept for the first most of these are minor
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pluses so far are
gorilla glass (big deal to me)
form factor (when compared to evo)
said to have better battery life (big deal to me)
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Anyways I am interested in hearing about issues from folks who have had the phone for a week or so and what (if any) work arounds.
 
Hey you2! I'll can solve some of your concerns.

- The browser does rotate. I'm not sure what was going on with the demo unit you played with, but I rotate my phone back and forth often and it works well.
- I haven't had problems with my speaker phone. If I have to, I will raise the volume all the way up, but most of the time, I don't have to.
- I also do not like the default UI. I use LauncherPro+ and it's so much better. There's a reason why so many EVO, Incredible, Droid X, and other owners use LauncherPro over their respective stock UIs. The customization is unbelievable.
- I don't know what a "pia" dialer is, so I can't help you there.
- I don't know what "foobar" is, so can't help you there either.

If you care at all about the camera, I believe that it's superior to EVO's... ESPECIALLY in video recording. The EVO can't compare with the Droid X there.
 
My biggest gripes are 1) camera completely blows in low light and the flash is not designed well (totally overexposes faces) but the HD video is a big plus, it does look really nice if you get enough light, 2) they didn't spend enough time on the Facebook/Gmail contact integration - FB contacts if linked to Gmail take precedence over Gmail or phone contacts, so you can't use your own picture, and shortcuts to contacts don't show a picture. 3) Yeah, the ringer volume is a little low, but not really an issue for me. I don't like ring volumes that wake the dead, and if you have a problem with the volume use a high pitched ringtone (like the stock Bell ring) instead of an MP3 and you'll hear it alright. The incall volume is not at all low for me, I have to turn it down to midway or so, otherwise it's too loud.

Not sure what's up with your browser, rotates fine for me...

Other than that, this is a great great phone, and so customizable. The only thing I liked about the Motorola UI was the quick tasks you can add to contacts, but they're too big and not compatible with home screen replacement). I hope someone will make a similar widget soon. Those quick tasks are handy.
 
I have owned almost every android device Verizon has and by far the Droid X is the best one. At first it seemed a little big but now it's perfect. I had the Incredible prior and the X blows it away. People complain about Motorolas Blur but in my opinion it is better than sense UI. The screen size itself is amazing plus typing is a breeze on the X. I would highly recommend the X over the EVO plus better network with verizon.
 
Well you cannot really go wrong with any of those phones. My question for you is would you get good service with all carriers? I think that should be the number one concern. You should check that out and if you get good service with all than you are very lucky and can pick any of those.
 
the browser thing is due to calibration of the compass, I believe

mine rotated fine, and after I calibrated the compass, it got worse to where I actually had to tilt it further over to make it rotate
 
you2 said:
I'm still debating on this phone (trying to pick between evo, droid x, vibrant/captivate).
--
Two things I've noticed when playing with the phone in the store when I rotate it with the browser; the screen does not rotate (i.e, move from vertical to horizontal). But if i rotate the phone prior to starting the browser then it rotates; but i have to exit and rotate back then restart to change from horizontal to vertical. The phone does rotate maybe it was slow because usually store models have everything downloaded on them.

The second thing is that max volume is very low for phone calls (I did try a second phone and it was much louder; though no where near as loud as the evo). This is not speaker phone but just volume if you put the phone next to the ear. The first one was not loud enough for usage outside; the second was. Agree volume isnt the best but it is loud enough hopefully motorola can increase it with an ota
--
The third thing is that the UI sucks (but I think that can be fixed by changing to launch pro). Agree but there are many alternatives to the stock home
--
Have you noticed any other issues with the phone? If so plesae list them so I can test for them in the store to see if they are issues to me.
--
For me buying this phone will be a bit of a hassle since I'm changing providers. Also does this phone have any real advantages over the EVO (from limited usage HTC sense seems a bit nicer; volume is louder on the EVO, sprint has ok service in my location); I think i like the form factor of the droid x a bit more but i'm not very enthusiastic about the buttons or dialer on the phone (I though the the hard buttons were a good idea but playing with the phone I find them a bit annoying; the dialer is just weird - this is the first phone i used that had a pia dialer (can it be replaced with a standard dialer?). You can change the dialer also. If you check the forums there is a thread about this
--
Anyways in summary the current negatives I've found so far are
soft max volume
browser won't rotate
buttons a bit awkward to use
default ui sucks
dialer is a pia
(read but not tested; wifi is foobar)
-
'cept for the first most of these are minor
-
pluses so far are
gorilla glass (big deal to me)
form factor (when compared to evo)
said to have better battery life (big deal to me) battery life is actually really good i had other smart phones and they would die on me within hours where with the X i can go all day with pretty heavy usage
-
There is alot that you can customize about the phone, changing the home and dialer, not to mention if it gets full root(is already partially rooted) you will be able to remove the UI for good
Click to expand...
 
I currently use the HTC Incredible. I recently received the X and used it for 2 days before sending it back due to a defective ear piece. In my brief time with the X there were a some things I noticed which I didn't like.

When using the browser, double tapping the screen, the window did not automatically resize. Annoying to say the least.

Unlocking the phone. I hate that side to side motion. It stutters, lags for a moment and then unlocks. Also, I kept squeezing the camera button when unlocking.

No charging light.

The 4 lower raised buttons, home, search, menu, back. Why are these buttons not in the same order on all android devices?

Regardless of what everyone else says, next to each other, both the Inc and the X were very close in signal reception. The X was at -77dBm, the Inc was at -79dBm. Both showed 2 bars.

Everything else seems ok with the phone. Hopefully the new one I ordered will arrive before the end of the year.
 
Well, on mine I've got this bug anyway and I think others do too on other forums. Any Facebook contact that is linked to a Gmail contact will not display a shortcut pic (using the Android shortcut, not the Moto widget). I think it's because the Android shortcut goes to your Google account for pics, not Facebook. I reported it on the Motorola forums and the moderator acknowledged it as a bug...
 
Just got back from a Verizon store in Lakewood CO. I was extrememly lucky. Took my X in for an exchange. They had a few in stock. The camera wasn't working like it should (dead pixels) & the earpiece made a buzzing sound. The X I have now is awesome. My only gripe I have is the damn speaker. Guess the low volume is normal with all the X's. If thats a hardware issue, how can they adjust the volume with an OTA? Is that even possible?
 
great phone but here are my current gripes:

1. wifi is sensitive to signal strength and router set-up.

2. its assinine not to have some type of sync to microsoft outlook. i know google wants you to use gmail and their calendar, but come on, you can't just disregard what 90% (made that number up) of people are using. even apple doesn't do that (anymore).

3. browser (and some other apps) don't go back to the location you previously were if you navigate away. quite an oversight, i think, for a company that wants in the browser game.

4. coming from a bb, the mail interface and customization (alerts, handling, etc) is clumsy at best. no unified inbox without an outside app, no way to change alerts for different accounts (unless i missed it).

5. the market seems to have some problems. i've got an app i tried to pay for hanging at 'authorizing purchase' for about a week now. not sure how to clear it out. i've factory reset my phone, tried clearing caches and the developer has refunded--all to no avail.
 
Vihzel said:
Oooooh silly youngsters and their vulgar acronyms! I'm getting too old and rickety! I remember going "WTH is SoL? Son of light?"
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speedbagger said:
great phone but here are my current gripes:

1. wifi is sensitive to signal strength and router set-up.

2. its assinine not to have some type of sync to microsoft outlook. i know google wants you to use gmail and their calendar, but come on, you can't just disregard what 90% (made that number up) of people are using. even apple doesn't do that (anymore).

3. browser (and some other apps) don't go back to the location you previously were if you navigate away. quite an oversight, i think, for a company that wants in the browser game.

4. coming from a bb, the mail interface and customization (alerts, handling, etc) is clumsy at best. no unified inbox without an outside app, no way to change alerts for different accounts (unless i missed it).

5. the market seems to have some problems. i've got an app i tried to pay for hanging at 'authorizing purchase' for about a week now. not sure how to clear it out. i've factory reset my phone,f lp tried clearing caches and the developer has refunded--all to no avail.
Click to expand...

My browser always returns to the page I was on. I think you have to go into settings and change it to not always open new windows.
 
redgtconv said:
My browser always returns to the page I was on. I think you have to go into settings and change it to not always open new windows.
Click to expand...

sorry, what i meant was if i've scrolled down on a page and navigate away, when i return i get sent back to the top of that page. the browser is not returning me to where i was on the previous page.

also noticed using youtube, once a loaded up video hits the end you get booted off that vid. meaning, to watch that video again, you have to load it up (again).
 
I don't get how anyone can make the argument that they 'shouldn't need an outside app'. Folks that's what the Market is for. If the default apps are not good enough, then download one that is. There are several email apps (touchdown being the best IMO) and several browsers (Dolphin HD I'd recommend) to choose from. That is one of the things that is so great about Android - you mold it to your liking.
 
I previously owned the Droid and I rooted, romed and whole deal. I got the X because I mostly do a lot of reading through apps and on the internet so the larger screen was a big plus for me not a drawback. Plus, in my opinion the huge size thing is overblown, it is still very much a phone.

What I noticed about the X was that the camera shutter can sometimes be difficult to activate and takes a little emphasis. Camera sucks in low light like everyone says but video quality is great and looks really good on the large screen.

The hardware buttons seemed cumbersome to me at first but I got used to them. If you think about it, the layout is actually better suited for a larger screen phone and I think that's why Moto used a different layout on the X. Think about it, going all the way to the left with such a large screen for such a simple task like "back" is what I call a pain.

The stuttering issues are all inherent of Android 2.1 and once 2.2 comes out this phone should FLY!

It is already very fast for normal UI functions, and for once I don't have turn off animations for good performance.

I'd say the most impressive parts about the X are the call quality and snappiness between hanging up and going to VM etc. Speaking of voice mail and other UI options, the X is amazing with Moto's added tweaks that are actually usable such as a built in visual voice mail app.

What I mean is that finally phones are starting to ship with abilities that some of the best apps provided such as power profiles and the ability to tweak peak times and data pulling methods. The DX is most competent in this area.

Add to that other niceties such as a unified inbox (coming with Android 2.2 anyways) and customizable widgets, and this phone blows away the competition. Not even to mention the DX battery life kills the Evo. All and all I'd say the DX is a very solid phone very worthy of switching carriers for. Note that there will be better, faster 2Ghz phones by the end of the year but if you need a phone now you need a phone now.
 
I know sprint works fine (that's what I have) and I've seen folks in the building with at&t and verizon so I'm pretty sure those works. Tmobile claims there is a tower near me. at&t is suppose to have the fastest 3g in boston. I played with another droid x today (as well as the vibrant and captivate). This one rotated fine; in call volume was ok. The screen was 'crooked' not sure how that happened but when I brought up settings it was not aligned vertically. The captivate did get my attention but I don't like how at&t customized it. Oh well I'll probably play with all the phones a couple of more times before making a decision. There are other little nibits such as tv out (something I would probably use but droid x is kind of limited here; not sure about the others; providers hacks (at&t no side load by default; droid x encrypted boot loaders; evo ???; vibrant ??? (it also has that weird lump in the back that feels awkward in my hand).

Wolfedude88 said:
Well you cannot really go wrong with any of those phones. My question for you is would you get good service with all carriers? I think that should be the number one concern. You should check that out and if you get good service with all than you are very lucky and can pick any of those.
Click to expand...
 
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