Adding a new line to account. Which phone should I get? - Droid 2 General

I will soon be adding a third line to my Verizon account. I currently own a Droid 2(which is great). My fiancee owns an LG Ally and we're not overly impressed. The plan is to give my fiancee my D2, give her daughter the Ally, and I will be getting a new phone. My question is, which Verizon phone should I get? I'm new to smartphones overall, but learning quickly. I've had my D2 for nearly a month and have Rooted, OCed, and tried various ROMs. It's become an obsession of sorts. I'd like something that is supported by a large community but more importantly is a great device. What are some opinions on the best handsets Verizon has to offer?

ender4212 said:
I will soon be adding a third line to my Verizon account. I currently own a Droid 2(which is great). My fiancee owns an LG Ally and we're not overly impressed. The plan is to give my fiancee my D2, give her daughter the Ally, and I will be getting a new phone. My question is, which Verizon phone should I get? I'm new to smartphones overall, but learning quickly. I've had my D2 for nearly a month and have Rooted, OCed, and tried various ROMs. It's become an obsession of sorts. I'd like something that is supported by a large community but more importantly is a great device. What are some opinions on the best handsets Verizon has to offer?
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The D2 was the first android phone I got and for the most part I really like it. Everything runs smooth the slide out keyboard is pretty good the only problem is the Bootloader is locked which turns a lot of dev's away. I would probably stick with my D2 just because of its fast processor and one of the only slide out keyboard phones on the market but when looking into the ROMs and such you may want to go with a different phone that can get different kernels.

I would go for a droid x. Essentially the same hardware as the d2 (besides a slighty newer processor version). It also has a larger screen and better camera.
True that with the efuse in motorola's phones has the bootloader is locked down tight and makes things difficult. However there are a couple of extremely good roms such as fission and squidly, and overclocking is possible.
IF you want different kernels and such, perhaps go with a droid incredible.
Sent from my Motorola Droid 2 with Fission 2.4.1

Related

Second thoughts after ordering Droid X

I've been visiting xda forums as a windows mobile user for years. I just ordered a Droid X last week but now I'm thinking about canceling it and ordering the Fascinate (which I didn't find out about until after ordering).
I think the Droid X fits my needs better at this time but I'm worried that Motorola's efforts against ROM developers will doom the phone. Looking at the visitor counts across xda forums did nothing to help my perception. I know that sounds crazy but ROM updates made my Windows Mobile phones much easier to use, more reliable and greatly extended my use of the phones. An example would be how internet connection sharing became effortless instead of almost impossible.
My roommate has one of the other flavors of the Galaxy S (which is what the Facinate is), and I honestly like the Droid X a bit better. You're basically worried about nothing at all, man. Motorola's efforts have basically proven to be fruitless. The Droid X got rooted like a week after it came out, and we're very close to having a "Vanilla" AOSP 2.2 ROM. At this point we have Recovery and root and Froyo. What more do you really need?
Xda isn't as popular when it comes to Android phones. I am a former Windows user myself. There are other forums that are more popular when it comes to Android, such as androidforums.com and droidxforums.com
Honestly I had the captivate (same thing but for att) but I wasnt a huge fan of the phone. It feels kind of cheap compared to the x. Also, it scratched easier. That, and it is noticeably slower (for me at least). The only thing I did like was the screen. The amoled is gorgeous.
Sent from my DROIDX using XDA App
Thanks for responses. I agree the Captivate seems less well built. The reason I went with the Droid X is my hope to avoid some of the problems I've had with HTC phones the last 6 years. I was fine until I broke something, after that I was in Assurion hell with refurbs that all had issues.
It's reassuring to know that there will be ROMs. As long as there is at least one it should future proof the phone.
The GPS issue with the Galaxy S phones does not seem to be resolved whereas the Droid X is apparently one of the best GPS phones ever.
The more colorful screen and faster 3D performance doesn't mean that much to me given the Droid X's performance out of the box.
I only burned ROMs on my HTC phones to solve major problems caused by carrier bloatware, pointless restrictions and failure to update. I guess the issue I'm worried about is Motorola/Verizon failing to update to a new version of Android sometime in the next 2 years.
dsteinschneider said:
I guess the issue I'm worried about is Motorola/Verizon failing to update to a new version of Android sometime in the next 2 years.
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Well that should be the least of your worries when discussing the X or any future Moto devices running Android. I also know for certain they are already working on Andorid 3.0 for certain devices already. Part of the problem the mfgs and carriers are having is that Google keeps pushing Android out so quickly they can't keep up with updating all current devices to the new OS's let alone work on and designing new devices with the most current OS. I mean think about Google has had 3 major updates (2.0,2.1, currently 2.2) to Android in less then a yrs time, and they are working on the 4th (3.0) already. It's no wonder the carriers and mfgs can't keep everything up to date for all devices.
Anywhoo as mentioned already with the X having Root access, and custom ROMS in the works personally I wouldn't be to concerned at all.
Thanks for the supportive posts, because the Android modification world is new to me it wasn't clear to me that ROM developers were working with the Droid X. I read all the posts in the developer section here and understand that people are already running alternative ROMs.
I went over to the GPS threads regarding the Samsung and that was enough to convince me to stay with the Droid X. I'm careful when picking out new phones as I try to stay with them for 2 years.
Anyway, my Droid X (ordered on the 22rd) is on its way.
dsteinschneider said:
Thanks for the supportive posts, because the Android modification world is new to me it wasn't clear to me that ROM developers were working with the Droid X. I read all the posts in the developer section here and understand that people are already running alternative ROMs.
I went over to the GPS threads regarding the Samsung and that was enough to convince me to stay with the Droid X. I'm careful when picking out new phones as I try to stay with them for 2 years.
Anyway, my Droid X (ordered on the 22rd) is on its way.
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Good to hear and welcome to the Android community, hopefully you will enjoy the fun moving forward. I'm running a fully modified ROM myself already also and it is much nicer then the ROM that was sent out on the device that is for sure.
I've gotta say give you credit tho. To keep a device for 2 yrs is a long time this day and age. I'm lucky to make is 6 months and I'm on to something new as I'm bored of the old device by then. I've enjoy the Droid long enough and currently using the X for now, just waiting for the D2 to show up so I have something else to mess with and swap back and forth between. Once it shows I guess it will be time to let the Droid go as it had a good run in my book. Peace
Making it 2 years on the same device takes discipline and with my latest phone it may have been counter productive. The Touch Pro's screen is 2.7 inch and the only browsing I did on it was Opera Mini with bookmarked sites that happen to display well on the tiny screen. If you go out 2 years they usually have stopped production so the refurbs are old themselves. The last few Assurion Touch Pro refurbs all developed an oily patch on the screen after a few months. Good riddance to the Touch Pro although it was a big improvement over the XV6700. Verizon has lowered the impetus for holding on for 2 years now that the every 2 is only $50. I think the TP was the last phone I'll keep that long.
i can tell you from experience, sometimes my vibrant's GPS doesn't work AT ALL and i really do miss the camera flash that i have on my droid x....not so much for the camera but i use it all the time as a flashlight, really handy feature. of course that will be a moot point with the fascinate as it will have the led flash.....it's a tough choice, i do like both phones though i rarely use my vibrant, mainly because i have NO tmobile 3g where i now live.
I've now had the DX for 4 days. Absolutely love it. I installed both Logmein Ignition and Xtralogic Remote Desktop. Today a customer needed help, no need to pull out my netbook and tether, just went right to her desktop and fixed the problem right on the DX. I rooted and renamed the crapware apps to .bak, installed what I think will be most of the apps I'll be using. This phone took me 1/10th the time it took to get a Windows Mobile phone to do what I needed. One thing I'm appreciating is the better build quality of the Motorola vs the HTC's I've been using the past 6 years. So far there really is nothing negative for me about the phone. That's a first after years of tussling with Windows Mobile and Treos.
Good to hear that you are enjoying your X with no issues.
I got a Fascinate on launch day last Thursday, but I am planning to return it tomorrow and order an X. I will reactivate my Droid 1 while I wait for the X. I will miss the 4" SAMOLED screen on the Fascinate for sure, but I'm sure I will like the X too.
I had similar thoughts when I ordered my X but all doubts were whipped away once it got here, Im not even rooted yet and I already love this phone my only complaints have been how short the freaking charging cable is. also I've been less than impressed with the camera but I think that can be tweaked.
Sent from my DROIDX using XDA App

Is there any reason to use the DX over the DINC?

I have both. I love my Incredible, I like this phone except that I want new ROMs for it (Vanilla!) and to be able to upgrade the kernel, etc
Is this ever going to be possible on this phone? I've heard the rumors that it's not ever really going to take off in development.
Hardware wise, this phone is perfect, IMO. But not being able to dink with it like I do my DINC is a MAJOR drawback. I hate blur (sense is by far the best OEM UI - the samsung one is the worst by a longshot), but can live with some aspects of it. Let me use an ASOP rom, for the love of god!
I'm used to SkyRaider, Virtuous, Cyanogen, etc as options but this one has "Froyo and Deodexed" as the only real option. Perhaps when the official 2.2 is out? I just don't want to waste my time with it if I'm going to just never be able to customize it the way I want.
If you have a inc wait for the next gen large moto phone to come out. I love this phone but unless u have a eris or a d1 I wouldnt say its worth almost 600 bucks to get, especially when u allready have a inc in hand.
Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk
Please post this in General section...this section is for development only.
Thread moved to General.
I'm sorta in a similar boat. I got an incredible a few weeks back and although I like the device, I have my issues. I initiated an exchange yesterday and just waiting on the x to arrive.
You seem to be attached to custom roms which the incredible is a safer bet with. The X doesn't have much yet and you'd be gambling on them arriving. And if you're not getting an upgrade cost then I doubt it makes sense. The X isn't a huge upgrade imo.
johantheolive said:
I'm sorta in a similar boat. I got an incredible a few weeks back and although I like the device, I have my issues. I initiated an exchange yesterday and just waiting on the x to arrive.
You seem to be attached to custom roms which the incredible is a safer bet with. The X doesn't have much yet and you'd be gambling on them arriving. And if you're not getting an upgrade cost then I doubt it makes sense. The X isn't a huge upgrade imo.
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Cost isn't a factor, I just really want something I can force to do my bidding. Im not switching phones, I can obtain any phone I like (literally the only perk of my job), but I don't want to switch all my crap over to this phone if there will be non-existent dev support for it
With the droid x rooted, and ota froyo just around the corner, you can lighten it enough to do just what you want. The platform is useable enough without having to dink with it too much. A vanilla rom is bound to show up, with as quick as the community is moving these days. A locked bootloader is rather inconsequential anymore.

Supid question for fascinate users..

Hey sorry to post this up but I needed a opinion. My friend wants a new andfoid phone on verizon. Ehats the best choice for him... I told him get a droid x cause the fascinate has slow updates...
Input is appreciated!!
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA App
Wait for dual core phones to hit verizon.
If he's new to android and wants a stock phone with google that works fairly well,i say get the dx. If he wants to get into rooting and likes a slighty smaller phone that is faster get the fascinate.
I had both and even with the gps problems i still would choose the fascinate.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA App
BigBonkers said:
Hey sorry to post this up but I needed a opinion. My friend wants a new andfoid phone on verizon. Ehats the best choice for him... I told him get a droid x cause the fascinate has slow updates...
Input is appreciated!!
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA App
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That's a pretty crappy reason to suggest a device.
I got the Fascinate because IMO, the screen is superior, and I like the overall look/feel of the device better than the X.
Froyo is just gravy when it lands.
There's no way for us to know what's best for him.
I had an x. The fascinate is smoother, better screen but feels cheap. Forget about real modding for a few years till froyo comes out.
X is awaiting gingerbread while were still awaiting Froyo!
- posted via the fascinating phone Verizon forgot about already.
Thanks guys i appreciate the input!! Think ill tell hgim to hold off for another month or two.
I feel like we'll have Froyo by the end of the year, and if the news about Samsung devices getting Gingerbread first holds true, we'd have that before The Droid X gets the update.
The changelog for dj05 said its an update before next years Froyo release so a month at least would be a good call
- posted via the fascinating phone Verizon forgot about already.
Honestly, I'd base it largely on device size preference, because fanboy-ism aside the Droid Incredible (3.7" screen), the Fascinate (4") and the Droid X (4.3") are all excellent devices with similar specs. And each have their own advantages and disadvantages.
The Incredible has a subpar GPU but uses the near-universally acclaimed Sense UI.
The Fascinate gets bloated with Bing and TouchWiz and Samsung isn't the best at updating software but it has (overall) the best hardware specs.
The Droid X also comes bloated with the less-than-ideal Motoblur UI, plus the phone itself is shaped a bit oddly for most peoples' pockets.
But quirks aside, chances are someone new to Android would be perfectly happy with any of the three devices.
Or, of course, you can wait for new devices. It certainly looks like Tegra 2 (dual core) devices will dramatically outperform anything on the market today. But, and this is a big but, you may be stuck waiting until mid-2011 when Verizon starts rolling out LTE phones. It's hard to say at this point whether or not they'll put out more high-end 3G Android phones when LTE's on the horizon. Logically they'd want super-high-end launch devices for a super-high-end network, and there are only so many phones that they can release. That's not to say we definitely couldn't see a dual-core 3G device all of a sudden, but it seems increasingly unlikely.
joe3681 said:
The changelog for dj05 said its an update before next years Froyo release so a month at least would be a good call
- posted via the fascinating phone Verizon forgot about already.
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Latest word is that DJ05 was scrapped due to to many issues. Also, the best way to pick a phone would be to find a store and go in and play around with the devices you're looking at. I didn't like the physical buttons on the front of the DX, and the hump at the back was odd when holding the phone.
Sent from my Voodoo Fascinate
I get a phone, use it heavily for a day or two. If it annoys me more than I like it, I keep it. If not it goes back. The fascinate annoys me but its the lesser of all evils.
- posted via the fascinating phone Verizon forgot about already.
joe3681 said:
I get a phone, use it heavily for a day or two. If it annoys me more than I like it, I keep it. If not it goes back. The fascinate annoys me but its the lesser of all evils.
- posted via the fascinating phone Verizon forgot about already.
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If you don't plan on unrooting it, the samsung fascinate is a piece of crap...
However, if you do, samsung's phone is probably the most flexible. But it's not necessarily a good thing for everyone. So for regular users, I don't recommend the fascinate for purple enjoy don't plan on unrooting or froyo.
I would argue the opposite, that the Fascinate would be perfect for mainstream users. Most people -- especially those new to Android -- won't notice (and therefore, be bothered by) the non-standard stuff that we power users hate (like Bing).
Even TouchWiz is good for most people -- while it isn't as polished as Sense, it definitely is simpler than stock Android. So, those same things that we love to hate -- like how TouchWiz just so happens to closely resemble iOS -- are actually pros for less technically-inclined folks.
I think CNet's review put it well:
It is certainly always good to have variety, but we also think the Fascinate is well suited for the consumer who is just getting into Android and smartphones. Samsung's custom TouchWiz interface offers an easy-to-understand presentation of menus that makes the transition from feature phone to smartphone a little easier. By the same token, we know TouchWiz isn't going to appeal to everyone, particularly Android purists and business users who might want something a little more polished and less bubbly, and for them, we'd recommend the Motorola Droid X or the HTC Droid Incredible. Still, if it's more a general all-purpose smartphone you're after, the Samsung Fascinate is a fun one to use.
Read more: http://reviews.cnet.com/smartphones...rizon/4505-6452_7-34129372.html#ixzz184PC4V93
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Lots of people really like Touchwiz. My mom thinks it's the best thing since sliced bread, although even she hates Bing.
As for what I'd recommend... the Droid X is a nice phone, but I didn't like it. It's lumpy, ugly, feels funny in my hand... and let's not forget that it's slower than the Incredible or Fascinate.
I like the Incredible... a lot. But in the end I went with the Fascinate... nicer screen won the day for me. Also Swype is GODLIKE.

(Q) droid x or ....?

I'm with Verizon. Currently have the iPhone. Its garbage and wanting the droid x. I was just wondering what is the best phone with Verizon right now?
I'm in my 14 day trial so I'm debating on what phone I want.
I would suggest droidX if you are ok with touch keyboard, or droid 2, if you prefer physical keyboard. If you wait a couple of months, the droid X2 is due in the second quarter. I personally use droid x and it keeps me quiet merry. Large screen, great camera, fast enough and on and on...
qGa said:
I'm with Verizon. Currently have the iPhone. Its garbage and wanting the droid x. I was just wondering what is the best phone with Verizon right now?
I'm in my 14 day trial so I'm debating on what phone I want.
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The X is a great phone! It offers a bunch of great customization and a great team of developers that work on it. If you want to be able to TRULY run a custom ROM (custom kernel such as Cyanogen Mod) then the X may not be the phone for you at this time. Devs are still working on unlocking/bypassing the bootloader.
HTC generally makes some good unlocked phones as well. Not to dissuade you from the X, as I personally have one and love it.
1+ on both reviews. Coming from the Eris and 2 weeks now, very pleased. Haven't felt the need to root. (Waiting for cyanogen)
Just discovered its car dock/multimedia dock as another nice feature.
Good luck.
Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk
Having had all the iPhones, which I dumped after trying out Android last year... and having/tried/using MANY others I have not been happier with my X... It has the screen I want, built like a tank even with all that glass, speed is great, battery life is VERY impressive (Added the OEM EB), and it is just a solid device inside and out.
Yes, the "modding" is limited and I really thought I was going to miss that because I enjoy testing, creating, etc.... but it really hasn't bother me, my only need for it was to add functionality that I couldn't get, but thanks to Bootstrap and multiple tweaks and mods, I am perfectly happy.
My opinion... You won't regret the switch.
Yup its an excellent phone. With 4g coming around, there will be many more choices with better features. Theyll also come with a bigger price tag and more expensive plans. For now the x is plenty for me.
After having had both Droid X and 2... go with the X. You wont be disappointed!
Sent from my DROIDX using XDA App
The Droid X I don't think will disappoint. I like mine a lot. If you are shopping for phones you might want the Fascinate as well.
maybe wait a little while and go with the thunderbolt? im done with motorola because i want to make sure that the bootloader wont be locked beyond what is necessary anymore.

Need your thoughts & opinions...

A little background first. VZW is my only option due to my line being a corporate line. Roughly a year and a half ago, I got fed up with the crappy phone choices (only blackberry at the time), so I just started buying my own and calling the 3rd party service that runs our wireless operations and telling them "I just got a new phone, could you please do an ESN swap?". That has always worked. Recently, the phone choices have gotten much better and include a variety of BB, Android and iOS devices now. Over the last few years I've gone from DINC (personal device I had since it first came out) to blackberry to DINC2 to iPhone4 to currently the Razr M. Now with SIM cards it's super easy for me to use whatever device I prefer.
Here's my current "dilemma". I have a retail Razr M (which I picked up shortly after release). Definitely loving this phone and couldn't be more happy to be back on Android after a brief hiatus to iOS. Had to give it try. Big believer in "you can't bash something without trying it". But damn iOS gets boring fast. Ha! I was excited about the M due to it's smaller footprint AND high end internals. The only thing I don't like is the locked bootloader. I was quite the crack flasher with my DINC and DINC2. The locked bootloader has led me to have interest in the S3. But I've always had an aversion to large screen phones. I like to be able operate my phone one handed. So now I have a brand new S3 sitting on my desk and I'm unsure what to do with it. I'm really enjoying my M and Jelly Bean is (almost officially) here. But I'm very interested in some CM10 or AOKP. I definitely prefer the AOSP stuff.
So the question is, do I continue my "don't bash it without trying it" theory and move over to the S3 for some AOSP love??? Or stick with the M and live with whatever fate that lies ahead?? I can only keep one. Will sell the other.
(sorry for the novel)
hokieputter said:
A little background first. VZW is my only option due to my line being a corporate line. Roughly a year and a half ago, I got fed up with the crappy phone choices (only blackberry at the time), so I just started buying my own and calling the 3rd party service that runs our wireless operations and telling them "I just got a new phone, could you please do an ESN swap?". That has always worked. Recently, the phone choices have gotten much better and include a variety of BB, Android and iOS devices now. Over the last few years I've gone from DINC (personal device I had since it first came out) to blackberry to DINC2 to iPhone4 to currently the Razr M. Now with SIM cards it's super easy for me to use whatever device I prefer.
Here's my current "dilemma". I have a retail Razr M (which I picked up shortly after release). Definitely loving this phone and couldn't be more happy to be back on Android after a brief hiatus to iOS. Had to give it try. Big believer in "you can't bash something without trying it". But damn iOS gets boring fast. Ha! I was excited about the M due to it's smaller footprint AND high end internals. The only thing I don't like is the locked bootloader. I was quite the crack flasher with my DINC and DINC2. The locked bootloader has led me to have interest in the S3. But I've always had an aversion to large screen phones. I like to be able operate my phone one handed. So now I have a brand new S3 sitting on my desk and I'm unsure what to do with it. I'm really enjoying my M and Jelly Bean is (almost officially) here. But I'm very interested in some CM10 or AOKP. I definitely prefer the AOSP stuff.
So the question is, do I continue my "don't bash it without trying it" theory and move over to the S3 for some AOSP love??? Or stick with the M and live with whatever fate that lies ahead?? I can only keep one. Will sell the other.
(sorry for the novel)
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I'd say stick with the phone you like better. Yesterday I was analyzing what I'm missing without root (I'm on team EOS 3.0 on my Xoom) and I couldn't really come up with much. One of the biggest pluses: WiFi tethering, now can be done with any app on verizon because of that lawsuit. Other than that, TiBu is a loss, and maybe some OCing and performance but I mean I loaded up the phone and its still buttery smooth with good battery. Definitely the interface modding and some fun bells and whistles are missing without custom rom but it doesn't really add up to much.
The s3 is gigantic and more expensive. I'm happy with my choice.
Sent from my Xoom using xda app-developers app
Unfortunately, the two phones you've chosen represent opposite ends of the "experience spectrum" - so personal preference is going to play a big part. The only real thing the S3 has over the M that's not subjective is a better camera, and 2gb of ram vs. 1. The rest will depend on your preferences. Yes, the S3 will have more dev support. But the M won't be without it, either - root should be closer, though not guaranteed, based on a comment by P3 last night - but obviously rooting and romming are not always correlated.
Dyelon said:
I'd say stick with the phone you like better. Yesterday I was analyzing what I'm missing without root (I'm on team EOS 3.0 on my Xoom) and I couldn't really come up with much. One of the biggest pluses: WiFi tethering, now can be done with any app on verizon because of that lawsuit. Other than that, TiBu is a loss, and maybe some OCing and performance but I mean I loaded up the phone and its still buttery smooth with good battery. Definitely the interface modding and some fun bells and whistles are missing without custom rom but it doesn't really add up to much.
The s3 is gigantic and more expensive. I'm happy with my choice.
Sent from my Xoom using xda app-developers app
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I agree the S3 is gigantic. I also was trying to come up with things I miss by not having root and couldn't really come up with much that seemed overly important. All were smaller bells and whistles type things. Blur on this phone is very minimal, which I like and is a big plus (for me). I'm really enjoying the M. And love the size. I too am having a smooth experience with pretty solid battery life. No issues whatsoever thus far. Best bet is to probably stick with the M. I got a good deal on the S3 and should have no trouble getting back what I paid, maybe more.
Plus, I've been wanting a Nexus 7...
jntdroid said:
Unfortunately, the two phones you've chosen represent opposite ends of the "experience spectrum" - so personal preference is going to play a big part. The only real thing the S3 has over the M that's not subjective is a better camera, and 2gb of ram vs. 1. The rest will depend on your preferences. Yes, the S3 will have more dev support. But the M won't be without it, either - root should be closer, though not guaranteed, based on a comment by P3 last night - but obviously rooting and romming are not always correlated.
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Yes, they are definitely very different experiences. My preference has always been for smaller, easily pocketable phones. Which exactly describes the M. I don't need/want a tablet in my pocket.
I agree about the camera, but overall the M hasn't really let me down. Sure it would be nice to have a better camera, but it's not a deal breaker for me. You just have to know the limitations that you're working with. And the extra ram would be nice too. But not sure either are worth giving up the form factor that I prefer.
And I have been following the dev support of the M closely as well. I saw the comments by P3 and his team. They are very promising. And definitely helping to influence my ultimate decision. Honestly, I don't really need (or want) to be able to flash billions of roms. Just looking for a (close to) stock experience that is snappy, fully functional and bug free. Which is what I've got right now with the M. Still running the stock ICS, have not updated to the JB leak.
(I think I'm confirming my gut feelings / answering my own questions as this thread moves along... Thanks for the dialogue)
The simplest choice would seem to be ordering a Developer Edition RAZR M. If you really like the M but want the ability to fiddle, that's your route. There are already recovery and root images available for it and I think the devs will be supporting it for a while especially since the RAZR HD and HD MAXX are also running the same internals.
As for the SGSIII - Verizon is the only carrier that doesn't sell it with an unlocked bootloader so technically you'd need to buy the developer edition of that to get what you want anyway.
Neither the RAZR M nor the SGSIII Dev Editions are available via Verizon subsidized contracts.
Personally I think Sammy missed the boat. If the SGSIII Mini did what the RAZR did (same internals with smaller screen) they might have won me over, but they really skimped on the thing. What a shame.
Just my $.02.
I'm a runner and a cyclist, so the smaller the better which is why I loved my Atrix 4G (which is now running JB). The RAZR M is a narrower phone with a bigger screen. It's great to simply stow and go.
Well, now that the M has root, I think your decision is a lot easier. I would say that seeing CM9 and/or 10 is a likely bet. However, the problem now is that anything after that may not run optimally, since the bootloader is still locked and we won't be able to run a kernel optimized for the newest version. That's the problem with my Pro. Somebody ported CM9 and an AOKP ICS ROM for it, and while it does run, it's not as good as it could be. We're still stuck on the Gingerbread kernel.
freak4dell said:
Well, now that the M has root, I think your decision is a lot easier. I would say that seeing CM9 and/or 10 is a likely bet. However, the problem now is that anything after that may not run optimally, since the bootloader is still locked and we won't be able to run a kernel optimized for the newest version. That's the problem with my Pro. Somebody ported CM9 and an AOKP ICS ROM for it, and while it does run, it's not as good as it could be. We're still stuck on the Gingerbread kernel.
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I'm really hoping we can bust the M open over the next year or so =/
Sent from my XT907 using xda app-developers app
mk1151 said:
The simplest choice would seem to be ordering a Developer Edition RAZR M. If you really like the M but want the ability to fiddle, that's your route. There are already recovery and root images available for it and I think the devs will be supporting it for a while especially since the RAZR HD and HD MAXX are also running the same internals.
As for the SGSIII - Verizon is the only carrier that doesn't sell it with an unlocked bootloader so technically you'd need to buy the developer edition of that to get what you want anyway.
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Verizon's bootloader can be unlocked with a single app from the play store. Super easy. The development on the S3 phone has been amazing thus far - currently on Liquid Smooth. I'm also considering switching to a smaller phone however and the M seems to be the only phone that's small with power. Following rooting and modding very closely on this phone before making the switch as I have gotten used to all the aokp+CM10 mods in the many S3 roms I've flashed.
You make an excellent point about the Razr HD and HD Maxx, I hope that helps this phone in the mod scene.
aznguyen316 said:
Verizon's bootloader can be unlocked with a single app from the play store. Super easy.
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That's why I said "technically"
But I do agree it is easier on the SGSIII. Part of that is that HTC and Samsung have not taken the time to build system safeguards into their products the way Motorola has.
Browser vendors take pride in the headaches they cause to hackers trying to find vulnerabilities. Handset manufacturers, IMO, should be thinking the same way. With all the personal data on your phone, do you really want to be able to unlock it and obtain root from an app in the Play Store?
This is one of the reasons I like Motorola devices, despite the very limited flexibility.
mk1151 said:
The simplest choice would seem to be ordering a Developer Edition RAZR M. If you really like the M but want the ability to fiddle, that's your route. There are already recovery and root images available for it and I think the devs will be supporting it for a while especially since the RAZR HD and HD MAXX are also running the same internals.
As for the SGSIII - Verizon is the only carrier that doesn't sell it with an unlocked bootloader so technically you'd need to buy the developer edition of that to get what you want anyway.
Neither the RAZR M nor the SGSIII Dev Editions are available via Verizon subsidized contracts.
Personally I think Sammy missed the boat. If the SGSIII Mini did what the RAZR did (same internals with smaller screen) they might have won me over, but they really skimped on the thing. What a shame.
Just my $.02.
I'm a runner and a cyclist, so the smaller the better which is why I loved my Atrix 4G (which is now running JB). The RAZR M is a narrower phone with a bigger screen. It's great to simply stow and go.
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The M is my first ever Motorola device. It's also my first device running ICS or JB (there were a few of us on here that had issues running ICS on our DINC2s). Spent a little time messing around installing the JB leak and flashing back to stock just to get used to using the stock recovery, fastboot etc. With wifi tether now working on the stock ROM and the ability to disable bloatware in ICS/JB, combined with the very minimal Blur skin, I don't really see the need to root this device right away. Plus, you really can't do everything you'd want to do without an unlockable bootloader. So I agree, the Developer Edition is the way to go if you want to ultimately fiddle with things at some point down the road. May have to pick one up at some point.
Couldn't agree more on Sammy missing the boat. The SG3 Mini would have won me over too if they hadn't watered it down. Maybe we'll see a slightly improved device ending up on VZW? I presume it will eventually come to VZW. Does that SoC they're using even support LTE? Who knows. Maybe wishful thinking. I love the M anyway. But it's always nice to have more options to consider.
mk1151 said:
With all the personal data on your phone, do you really want to be able to unlock it and obtain root from an app in the Play Store?
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Good point. I don't..
I've definitely made my decision (which was realistically already made, just need to confirm). Let me know if you know anyone looking for a brand new blue SG3.
hokieputter said:
Good point. I don't..
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Well plenty of people have done it. Check the forums over there. There are other applications that can do it for u on your own pc if u wanted too. Just saying it's available now. Plus doesn't rooting your phone technically make it a little less secure anyway? That's what blizzards authenticator has lead me to believe Haha. But the point was a locked bootloader isn't end of the line.
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