I'm really itching for a new phone. I love my droid 2 to death, but the only reason i bought it last august was because the droid x's backorder was a month long wait and i couldn't wait that long, so i settled for the droid2. There's not a single thing i don't like about my phone really. It's speed is just fine for me and i've never had any defects or anything with it so far.
if your phone is fine, why bother this forum? Probably an apple fanboy. I can always smell them coming in here posing as android users leaving negative reviews. Smells like...apple sauce
But...i've always wanted a phone with a big ass screen. In the beginning i forced myself to justify my purchase by using the keyboard more. And while it's good to type on, i barely ever use it anymore.
My main uses for a new phone (thunderbolt) would be the same as i use it now. Apps/games, web browsing and taking quick pics every now and then. My phone is buttery smooth with launcher pro and as it is today, i don't have any issues with apps not loading or lag.
I'm trying to figure out if the main issues i always hear about with the thunderbolt would even be a big deal to me:
Battery life: Battery life is crap on my droid 2 and i always have to carry a spare battery/car charger, so that's something i'm used to. If it really sucked that bad on the bolt, i'd just do what i've been doing and that's fine with me
Same as the d2. Almost to a freaking T. Bad but not so bad you're questioning if you got a bad unit. When i learned what apps push data and how to manage my shit, i got great battery life. Still bought a spare to keep on hand
Recessed power button: Is this common? I've heard about this quite a bit the past week. I wouldn't want to get a phone and have this same exact thing happen
It's a defect. It's about as common as any other defect. It's like asking if overheating is common or if your phone gets iffy reception. Everything is on a case by case basis. On mine? Nope. Just fine. Powerbutton does suck though
4g: i don't even know if i'm in a 4g area. I'm in Tacoma, washington
Oh look, you're not! But you're close. But you're not. Literally a couple blocks away from your house is some of that blazing fast 4g speed you've been looking for. Want highspeed 4g? Walk 2 blocks to the bus stop with graffiti all over it, sit down and play with your phone. There are some shady people in that area, so keep an eye out. Bad people like 4g phones as much as good people
Screen resolution: I know it's not qhd, but how does the screen look in comparison to other phones? Some users in the droid x forums said the bolt's screen is dimmer and washed out. Do you find this to be true?
Yes it's dimmer. In the way my plasma tv has better blacks than my 2500lumens hd projector. It's dimmer with better color saturation and sharpness, so you're getting a real good picture here. Don't worry about amoled. Looks good, but the droid charge is the next phone to have it and maaaaan is that a pile of cow dung
Single core: I know alot of people are making a big deal about dual cores, but are phones even making use of them yet? Wouldn't the single core snapdragon still be better than the one in my droid 2? Have you guys experienced lag?
The single core vs dual is an interesting issue and it turns out, most app developers are catering to the mass market. Mass market doesn't have dual core and dual won't reach a sizable market penetration for quite awhile. There's apps like the ones in tegra zone that are built better for dual core phones, but for most apps on the market/games? You're golden. Phone runs like a charm. My droid 2 got a 1300 in quadrant while my bolt got an 1850, so the processor speed is there and will be good until my next phone in a year when things catch up
Build quality: I'm spoiled by my droid 2. I've dropped it more times than i can count and not a single scratch. How do the materials feel on the bolt? Is it more plasticy, rubbery, metal?
Rubbery plastic quality. All those things don't seem like they'd go together, especially plastic and quality, but it feels great. Dropped my bolt and the battery cover didn't even pop itself off. Build quality is good
Video chat: could i video chat from my phone to someone with skype on their computer?
Yahoo'd from phone to PC. Worked like a charm, even on a 3g connection. If i would've had this when i was younger, man...things with my girlfriend would've gotten a little more...you know. Interesting. Thats a g rated way to put it
Is there any single feature i should hold out for?
Nope. The things people knock it for didn't even matter to me
-no hdmi: don't care. Am i really gonna sit there and watch movies on my tv, or upload them to my laptop which is ALSO connected to my tv and watch it like that?
-single core: runs great for tasks most people care about. Single vs dual doesn't matter right now. And you can overclock this thing to 1.9ghz. Yeah. That's like setting a campfire in your hand, but people have safely clocked it to 1.4 and gotten good results. Thats a good enough bump
-low screen resolution: people these days man. Our perceptions of "good" change so much over time it's crazy. Just a year ago this screen would've been top notch, now these consumers trip over themselves stressing themselves out over a spec sheet. The screen is freaking beautiful.
I have another upgrade coming next april, so i'd only have this phone for a year before jumping on whatever's newer. So if dualcores and all that aren't made useful until say later in the year, that's not a big deal to me. As long as i can run my basic apps like angry birds, i'm fine.
I'm gonna check out the phone in store tomorrow morning. Just wanted to get some opinions to think about while i'm holding it in my hands
