Need Some Help

[dkclemons]

I currently have a Blackberry Curve 8330 and I'm not happy. I've tried everything and it still freaks out on me weekly and it usually takes 15 minutes for me to fix whatever the problem was. I have been wanting a new phone for a while now and I'm about to get an upgrade, so I'm trying to decide on a phone.

After about two weeks of me trying my hardest to figure out what Droid phone I want, I realized that I don't even know what the heck most of the reviews are talking about. My current Blackberry was my first phone and I am not an incredibly technical person, so I have decided to ask for some help.

I have been looking at the Droid X or a Droid Incredible 2. The Incredible feels more solid, which I like, but I don't understand the comparisons I've read. I know I want a Droid phone, but beyond that I'm not sure.

I'm with Verizon and here's what I'm wanting.
-I would like a good camera. I am a police officer and sometimes I take pictures for evidence on my cell phone if it's something I need to get quickly.
-Long battery life. Again, I'm a police officer and I work 12 hour shifts. I hate having my Blackberry give me low battery warnings 5 hours into my shift with little usage.
-Touch Screen. I've never had a touch screen phone and I would like to try it out.
-Fun. I'm not a crazy app person, but I want a phone that's good for internet and for other fun things like youtube.

I would like HD video capabilities too, but it isn't a deal breaker.Thanks in advance for the help.

 

[sitlet]

-I would like a good camera. I am a police officer and sometimes I take pictures for evidence on my cell phone if it's something I need to get quickly.

Both phones have the same camera.

-Long battery life. Again, I'm a police officer and I work 12 hour shifts. I hate having my Blackberry give me low battery warnings 5 hours into my shift with little usage.

With any smartphone, you lose a ton of battery life compared to other phones. Comparing these two phones, the Droid X with the bigger screen will use more battery, as it has more screen to light up.

-Touch Screen. I've never had a touch screen phone and I would like to try it out.

Both have a touch screen.

-Fun. I'm not a crazy app person, but I want a phone that's good for internet and for other fun things like youtube.

Both phones will run exactly the same apps.

I would like HD video capabilities too,

Both phones shoot 720p video.

 

[novox77]

If you don't use your phone much for apps, surfing, etc, you can have very, very good battery life if you turn off your data radios when you know you don't need them. Data radios are: 3G, GPS, 4G (if the phone supports it), and bluetooth. I recommend having the phone connected to a wifi hotspot at work and home if available.

For your purposes, either Droid X or Inc 2 are great choices. I prefer larger touchscreens. I feel that it's easier to type (fewer typos), and videos, games, etc are larger and more pleasant.

You may want to invest in a heavier duty case for screen protection and against accidental drops because of your line of work (unless you're stuck behind the desk a lot).

Yeah, Android can get really technical, but it can be really simple to use if you stick with the standard stuff: surf, youtube, email, music, movies, etc.

 

[dkclemons]

Both phones have the same camera.



With any smartphone, you lose a ton of battery life compared to other phones. Comparing these two phones, the Droid X with the bigger screen will use more battery, as it has more screen to light up.



Both have a touch screen.



Both phones will run exactly the same apps.



Both phones shoot 720p video.

Sorry, I wasn't clear on that. I was asking about any Droid phone, not just the two. Those are just the only ones I've considered. Fortunately, I'm not that technically challenged. : )

Any other options?

 

[ninja_reject]

Aww. You are cute. Ok, first off, all android phones have touch screens, and none have awesome batteries. Ok, from what you listed, the HTC incredible has the worst battery life. The Droid 2 has the best, and also a physical keyboard.. The Droid X has the HD recording.

But have you seen the Casio g'zone commando? It is a serious man's man android. Rugged, sexy, built to withstand rain, dust, salt water fog, all that, and has tons of features for outdoorsy people. It is brand new, so I don't know a lot else about it. But the battery looks decent, and it has a 5 megapixel camera and video recording. It kinda snuck up on me, usually I know about all the new phones!

 

[dkclemons]

Aww. You are cute. Ok, first off, all android phones have touch screens, and none have awesome batteries. Ok, from what you listed, the HTC incredible has the worst battery life. The Droid 2 has the best, and also a physical keyboard.. The Droid X has the HD recording.

But have you seen the Casio g'zone commando? It is a serious man's man android. Rugged, sexy, built to withstand rain, dust, salt water fog, all that, and has tons of features for outdoorsy people. It is brand new, so I don't know a lot else about it. But the battery looks decent, and it has a 5 megapixel camera and video recording. It kinda snuck up on me, usually I know about all the new phones!

Thanks. I like the look of the Casio but I'm having trouble finding reviews on it. The extra protection might be nice to since I'm always afraid of damaging my cell phones.

 

[ninja_reject]

Me too, I guess because it is so new. It also has tons of extra security, I don't know if that is important. I think there will be more reviews in a couple days. Reviewers take that long to test phones out.

 

[thedosbox]

If you want longer battery life, go with a smaller screen and turn the brightness down.

 

[dkclemons]

Any other advice? I've been reading through what phones get the best battery life and it seems like the Droid X is very good. It also has everything I need on it, but I just don't really care for the way it feels. Maybe I'll get used to it, but I'm not sure. Any other phones I'm missing that may be a better alternative?

 

[Dark Jedi]

You cant use a car charger in your patrol car or are you a beat cop? My cousin is a cop and he always uses a car charger for his phones. If anything if your car even has a laptop in it with a USB port you can charge the phone.

Maybe look at the iPhone4? Just putting it out there.

 

[sonofaresiii]

I love the Droid X. Battery life has never been a huge problem for me, I just tweaked some of the settings and I'm good to go-- unless I'm using it heavily, it always lasts me from the time I wake up to the time I go to bed, and can probably survive a good 24+ hours if I needed it to.
You can always get an extended battery, which will also change the way it feels (a little thicker and might feel better while holding it). I've got a basic rubber case around mine, which also makes it "feel" better to me.

 

[cds0699]

Another option you can have is to look and see what extended batteries are available for each of the phones. If there's an extended battery available, that should do the trick. If there's not an extended battery available, you could always get a second OEM battery to keep in your car as a backup in case your main battery goes dead.

Droid X and Incredible 2 are both very nice phones, and I think either one would serve you well. There also is dedicated forums for both phones on Android forums, so you can take a read through there and read what people that own the phones have to say.

Droid X: Motorola Droid X - Android Forums

Incredible 2: HTC Incredible 2 - Android Forums

 

[dkclemons]

You cant use a car charger in your patrol car or are you a beat cop? My cousin is a cop and he always uses a car charger for his phones. If anything if your car even has a laptop in it with a USB port you can charge the phone.

Maybe look at the iPhone4? Just putting it out there.

The car charger is the only way I make it through a day with my Blackberry. I just hate that I have to charge the stupid thing three or four hours into a shift when I have everything set on low and it on "Standby" mode half the time. I locked my keys in my patrol car the other day during a traffic stop and my phone was yelling at me the whole time about low battery while I was trying to get some help. Also, our radios suck so I end up using my cell to call dispatch a lot. I can't have the freakin phone dying when I'm dealing with someone that may have a warrant.

I thought about the iPhone4 but I don't know too much about smartphones. I just keep hearing "ANDROID" all the time and I've liked the feel of it from the little I've played with it.

I love the Droid X. Battery life has never been a huge problem for me, I just tweaked some of the settings and I'm good to go-- unless I'm using it heavily, it always lasts me from the time I wake up to the time I go to bed, and can probably survive a good 24+ hours if I needed it to.
You can always get an extended battery, which will also change the way it feels (a little thicker and might feel better while holding it). I've got a basic rubber case around mine, which also makes it "feel" better to me.

I didn't think about that. I was hoping they had one of those "OtterCases" for it and those do add a little weight and add really good protection from what I've heard. I think it just feels too light for the size to me so maybe the case will help out.

Another option you can have is to look and see what extended batteries are available for each of the phones. If there's an extended battery available, that should do the trick. If there's not an extended battery available, you could always get a second OEM battery to keep in your car as a backup in case your main battery goes dead.

Droid X and Incredible 2 are both very nice phones, and I think either one would serve you well. There also is dedicated forums for both phones on Android forums, so you can take a read through there and read what people that own the phones have to say.

Droid X: Motorola Droid X - Android Forums

Incredible 2: HTC Incredible 2 - Android Forums

I'll definitely check that out. My upgrade is May 6th, so I still have a little time and I may have to save a little bit to buy it.

Can all Android phones watch Youtube videos? That's one thing I've always hated about the Blackberry.

 

[cds0699]

I'll definitely check that out. My upgrade is May 6th, so I still have a little time and I may have to save a little bit to buy it.

Can all Android phones watch Youtube videos? That's one thing I've always hated about the Blackberry.

I believe all Android phones can watch youtube, I've never come across one that couldn't. I am very happy with the Android OS, its what I recommend to my family and friends every time.

 

[sonofaresiii]

The car charger is the only way I make it through a day with my Blackberry. I just hate that I have to charge the stupid thing three or four hours into a shift when I have everything set on low and it on "Standby" mode half the time. I locked my keys in my patrol car the other day during a traffic stop and my phone was yelling at me the whole time about low battery while I was trying to get some help. Also, our radios suck so I end up using my cell to call dispatch a lot. I can't have the freakin phone dying when I'm dealing with someone that may have a warrant.

I thought about the iPhone4 but I don't know too much about smartphones. I just keep hearing "ANDROID" all the time and I've liked the feel of it from the little I've played with it.



I didn't think about that. I was hoping they had one of those "OtterCases" for it and those do add a little weight and add really good protection from what I've heard. I think it just feels too light for the size to me so maybe the case will help out.





I'll definitely check that out. My upgrade is May 6th, so I still have a little time and I may have to save a little bit to buy it.

Can all Android phones watch Youtube videos? That's one thing I've always hated about the Blackberry.

If you've got till May 6th, and don't mind spending a little extra $, you may want to just wait a little while and see what everyone says about the new phones coming out (the TBolt's out now, the Charge is days away, the Bionic is... sometime soon I think? And then the Droid 3 and Droid X2 are just around the corner). I swear by my Droid X, I love it and think it's amazing... but if you're just now upgrading, the newer stuff may be worth looking into (you'll be spending around $100-$200 more than a DX or Droid 2 or whatever... wasn't worth it for me, might be for you).

But yeah, I came from a blackberry as well... that was just not a very good phone(s), any way you slice it.