Database Users

Need phone suggestions for Verizon.

Hello all,
I dropped my work cell, and jacked it up bad.
Good thing though, is I am eligible for an upgrade and the datacom ladies told me I can get any of the Verizon Android phones or an iPhone 4S.
I need some suggestions for new phones pretty quickly as I need to let my Director know by this Friday.
I love Android so I think the iPhone is out of the question. I have an HTC EVO for my personal phone. I am looking at the Motorola Droid Razr MAXX and the Galaxy Nexus.
Price doesn't really matter, as the company allows up to $300 for phone replacement every 2 years, so they would both be "free" to me.
I would like to be able to root the phone so I can tether. There is pretty good LTE 4G coverage in my area as well. What are some pros and cons to them? What phones do you suggest (Im open to other models as well).?

galaxy nezus!

Galaxy Nexus has the full support of Google which means the best versions of Android. The nexus will be VERY easy to root and custom MOD to your hearts desire. It is the developer phone of choice because of the Nexus Line. Incredible screen, really big, really clear and detailed.
The Droid RAZR MAXX has the best bettery of life of almost any phone on the market and it probably has the best hardware too. Kevlar backing, metal frame. Motorola has gotten better in terms of software, Motoblur isn't quite so crappy. Motorola phones are harder to root and custom mod but they aren't impossible. The screen is smaller and less clear then the Nexus but Coming from and HTC EVO it is an improvement.
Recommendation for a WORK phone, i would recommend the RAZR MAXX. Its battery life is incredible. You have no worries about a dead battery halfway through the day

In fact,Motoblur is very good.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say Rezound, it has a lot going for it. It's a global device! Plus if you are already used to sense, and like it, you will know your way around it. Plus, it's unlockable through HTC dev. Super easy process. Then you only have to flash recovery, su binary, then download superuser and you are rooted.
Nexus is no longer going to be supported by Google as the issues with CDMA have become too much of a hassle.
Sent from my PC36100 using xda premium

Thanks for the suggestions so far. I didnt even think about the Rezound.
I do like the high resolutions of the Nexus and the Rezound, but the battery life on the Razr Maxx is tempting.
For me I want to be able to root it, and have a good looking display, and a phone that is going to be smooth with ICS. I also need a phone that will be fairly durable, as it will see alot of use at the office as well as in the datacenter. Since I only get an upgrade from work every 2 years, I would like one that will "be around" for a while. My personal EVO has been a damn good phone and I would love to use one like it for work.
Whats the deal with Google and CDMA phones? I havent heard that.

I say the Razr Maxx if you want durability. Otherwise the Rezound is great all around.
Sent from my ADR6425LVW

BooDaddy said:
Whats the deal with Google and CDMA phones? I havent heard that.
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Nothing...they are very much still supported.

TheDroidURLookinFor said:
Nothing...they are very much still supported.
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Not quite, Google is no longer directly supporting CDMA phones with full AOSP support.
Sent from my ADR6425LVW

So if we were to compare the resolutions alone, is there a huge difference in the Razr's lower resolution screens?

Rezound will be getting ICS as soon as HTC released Ville so probably a few months
Sent from my PC36100 using xda premium

I would say Moto Razr Maxx. Has awesome batter life its super sexy and will more that positively get ICS.

BooDaddy said:
Thanks for the suggestions so far. I didnt even think about the Rezound.
I do like the high resolutions of the Nexus and the Rezound, but the battery life on the Razr Maxx is tempting.
For me I want to be able to root it, and have a good looking display, and a phone that is going to be smooth with ICS. I also need a phone that will be fairly durable, as it will see alot of use at the office as well as in the datacenter. Since I only get an upgrade from work every 2 years, I would like one that will "be around" for a while. My personal EVO has been a damn good phone and I would love to use one like it for work.
Whats the deal with Google and CDMA phones? I havent heard that.
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Click to collapse
Durability and battery life has to be the RAZR MAXX, it is built solid.
As for Google. It still supports CDMA devices but not directly through the Android Open Source Project. CDMA requires closed sourced sign apk's for the carriers in order to get data working. Google doesn't like that. Verizon leveraged that into bloating its version of the Nexus. Google STILL supports it, just not through AOSP

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BooDaddy said:
So if we were to compare the resolutions alone, is there a huge difference in the Razr's lower resolution screens?
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I've never used the Razr yet...but i've used just about all of motorola phones, pre-android and android...and although they're getting better...they're never as good their competitors... get the SGNEXUS!!!

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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Click to collapse
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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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.
VZW-S3 on CM10 via tapatalk

I feel like at&t doesn't actually want me to upgrade.

Lg Optimus G - Locked bootloader
Htc One X+ - Locked bootloader.
Galaxy note II - Out of my price/size range regardless of bootloader.
Xperia TL- Locked bootloader
Galaxy S3 - may grab but, not really thrilled about it like I would have been a few months back.
Nexus 4 - not paying 400$+ for 16 gb of memory and lack of LTE.
I really don't feel like I'm being *that* picky with what I want... Dev Support, better battery life than my captivate, a nice (preferably ips) screen. Either 32 gigs of memory or expandable storage.. and ideally LTE.
Anyone else out there feel kinda like they don't have any "real" options for their next device? I'm stuck on a family plan at the moment and feel like at&t is trolling me to be quite honest.

I feel the same here. I'm not upgrading anytime soon at all. My s2 should last me until I find a good fit for me.
Sent from my SII(i777) SuperNexus 4.1.2 10/17/12 build

Shawn said:
I feel the same here. I'm not upgrading anytime soon at all. My s2 should last me until I find a good fit for me.
Sent from my SII(i777) SuperNexus 4.1.2 10/17/12 build
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It's a real shame too. There are a lot of nice phones being locked down for no real clear cut reason.
I mean I understand that they will sell regardless of whether or not I buy any given phone.. but, it just seems like a waste of their time/energy to lock up a phone when all it does is discourage users from upgrading.

Snow_fox said:
.. but, it just seems like a waste of their time/energy to lock up a phone when all it does is discourage users from upgrading.
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People like us are not the norm. Probably an iOS fart app has more downloads than the xda android app. The people who are being discouraged essentially don't exist to them.

post-mortem said:
People like us are not the norm. Probably an iOS fart app has more downloads than the xda android app. The people who are being discouraged essentially don't exist to them.
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Click to collapse
While you are probably right on both accounts... I do think it's incredibly sad on all accounts.
They
A. spend money to lock down the bootloader. Even if it's not a lot it's still money.
B. Loose out on customers like me and you and the few who refuse to buy anything that won't get ROM updates for 2 years.
It's spending money to lose money for no real good reason. And while you're right, we don't exist to them in a lot of ways.. they still look for every possible way to get in our pocket and want every dime we have.

Snow_fox said:
While you are probably right on both accounts... I do think it's incredibly sad on all accounts.
They
A. spend money to lock down the bootloader. Even if it's not a lot it's still money.
B. Loose out on customers like me and you and the few who refuse to buy anything that won't get ROM updates for 2 years.
It's spending money to lose money for no real good reason. And while you're right, we don't exist to them in a lot of ways.. they still look for every possible way to get in our pocket and want every dime we have.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A. is not necessarily true, because I'm pretty sure they hand out free phones to people who come in with their Android device "that just happened to shut off on them one day." Locking the bootloader cuts down on these numbers and saves them money in the long run.
Either way, AT&T has pretty much super phones from every major Android manufacterer, so you might want to take advantage of that. Also, the Galaxy S3 is a few months old - so what? Why is that impacting your decision on getting it? If I may, #firstworldproblems. I say go for it with incredible development support since that really appears to be the most open.
Sent from my DROID2 using xda premium

Also not upgrading anytime soon, but for another reason. As it turns out, I went through 3 devices from sept 2011 thru 0ct 2012.
But yes, nothing coming out appeals to me. I fear the new nexus will be too massive for me, and I don't want any mfg/carrier controlled device.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

gagdude said:
A. is not necessarily true, because I'm pretty sure they hand out free phones to people who come in with their Android device "that just happened to shut off on them one day." Locking the bootloader cuts down on these numbers and saves them money in the long run.
Either way, AT&T has pretty much super phones from every major Android manufacterer, so you might want to take advantage of that. Also, the Galaxy S3 is a few months old - so what? Why is that impacting your decision on getting it? If I may, #firstworldproblems. I say go for it with incredible development support since that really appears to be the most open.
Sent from my DROID2 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are a number of phones out there that are incredibly hard to brick past the point of repair.
"Average Joe" is going to be scared off by the possibility of a voided warranty and having to do anything requiring any level of technical skill. I don't really think locking down the bootloader saves them nearly as much money as they would like to believe. People are either going to be scared off and not mess with it, or they are going to be angry at you for not fully supporting your phone in any way shape or form.
You also say AT&T has super phones from every major manufacturer, yet the only one you listed with an unlocked bootloader/ample dev support is the S3.. I hardly think that qualifies as a serious or decent selection of "super phones" to pick from. Unless you mean "they have a bunch of phones that will be dropped in terms of support after 6 months."
And you can #firstworldproblem all day long. You're on the internet. The fact that we are even discussing this on the internet means it's a pretty high chance of being a first world issue. Being completely blunt, if you were to argue it's not even a problem I wouldn't really disagree because, quite frankly it's a luxury device and not a lack of water needed for survival.
On the flip side, if you are going to choose to discuss an issue, why not keep it relevant? Even if it is non-existent in scale as far as problems go, we can still discuss whatever we want last I checked.

jordanishere said:
Also not upgrading anytime soon, but for another reason. As it turns out, I went through 3 devices from sept 2011 thru 0ct 2012.
But yes, nothing coming out appeals to me. I fear the new nexus will be too massive for me, and I don't want any mfg/carrier controlled device.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's my understanding the new nexus will be about the same size as the Gnex or AFAIK it is.
I don't care if it has carrier branding, I just want the ability to install the latest version of Cyanogen until I'm eligible for a new device.

Snow_fox said:
There are a number of phones out there that are incredibly hard to brick past the point of repair.
"Average Joe" is going to be scared off by the possibility of a voided warranty and having to do anything requiring any level of technical skill. I don't really think locking down the bootloader saves them nearly as much money as they would like to believe. People are either going to be scared off and not mess with it, or they are going to be angry at you for not fully supporting your phone in any way shape or form.
You also say AT&T has super phones from every major manufacturer, yet the only one you listed with an unlocked bootloader/ample dev support is the S3.. I hardly think that qualifies as a serious or decent selection of "super phones" to pick from. Unless you mean "they have a bunch of phones that will be dropped in terms of support after 6 months."
And you can #firstworldproblem all day long. You're on the internet. The fact that we are even discussing this on the internet means it's a pretty high chance of being a first world issue. Being completely blunt, if you were to argue it's not even a problem I wouldn't really disagree because, quite frankly it's a luxury device and not a lack of water needed for survival.
On the flip side, if you are going to choose to discuss an issue, why not keep it relevant? Even if it is non-existent in scale as far as problems go, we can still discuss whatever we want last I checked.
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Click to collapse
Dude.. please. Chillax. I'm not arguing with you, simply stating my thoughts. No need to get aggrivated
I'm letting you discuss... when did I say you couldn't.....? I have my $.02 too, though.
By the way, when I said #firstworldproblems it was meant as a joke, not as an insult. I have them too, you know
Sent from my DROID2 using xda premium

gagdude said:
Dude.. please. Chillax. I'm not arguing with you, simply stating my thoughts. No need to get aggrivated
I'm letting you discuss... when did I say you couldn't.....? I have my $.02 too, though.
By the way, when I said #firstworldproblems it was meant as a joke, not as an insult. I have them too, you know
Sent from my DROID2 using xda premium
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Click to collapse
I am not aggro'd just discussing for the most part.
I more went off on a tanget and never reigned in the train of thought.

Snow_fox said:
I am not aggro'd just discussing for the most part.
I more went off on a tanget and never reigned in the train of thought.
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Click to collapse
Sorry mate, it just seemed like you got angry at me.
Sent from my DROID2 using xda premium

gagdude said:
Sorry mate, it just seemed like you got angry at me.
Sent from my DROID2 using xda premium
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Oh no, I just have adhd tendencies like rambling.
At any rate, I am really hoping LG decides to throw out some way to unlock the bootloader. I'd really love to have a quad core device with an IPS display this time around.
I don't have anything against the SAMOLED displays but, I would personally prefer a sharper image to a more saturated image.

AT&T Atrix 4g user here...having a tough time deciding what to upgrade to as well. I've toyed with the idea of the One X and the SGS3 but neither excites me too much. Optimus G is very temping from a hardware perspective, but LG's lack of update support and a locked bootloader are a real put off. Will probably just end up grabbing an sgs3 because it will have the most rom support of any at&t phone.
I would prefer a nexus...but I just can't afford to spend $350+ on a phone.

My family plan on AT&T is breaking up. I've decided to go T mobile prepaid with the new Nexus, my dad, getting a job at US Cellular, will get a free plan there along with a $200 discount (he chose the S2) and my mom is sticking with AT&T for the iphone 5
Well good riddance, I had no service in various parts of school and at the local mall
Sent from my DROID2 using xda premium

jhotmann said:
AT&T Atrix 4g user here...having a tough time deciding what to upgrade to as well. I've toyed with the idea of the One X and the SGS3 but neither excites me too much. Optimus G is very temping from a hardware perspective, but LG's lack of update support and a locked bootloader are a real put off. Will probably just end up grabbing an sgs3 because it will have the most rom support of any at&t phone.
I would prefer a nexus...but I just can't afford to spend $350+ on a phone.
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I would wait for a little while at least and see if the Optimus G gets an unlocked bootloader.. it would be godmode then. But, I have to wait till Dec 1st anyway.
gagdude said:
My family plan on AT&T is breaking up. I've decided to go T mobile prepaid with the new Nexus, my dad, getting a job at US Cellular, will get a free plan there along with a $200 discount (he chose the S2) and my mom is sticking with AT&T for the iphone 5
Well good riddance, I had no service in various parts of school and at the local mall
Sent from my DROID2 using xda premium
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Not entirely a bad thing.. Tmo has great selection of phones and AFAIK is a little more open with bootloaders and stuff.

I'm only getting the Nexus 4 because my current phone is pretty beaten and battered by now. (not to mention 2 years old)

.

thining about getting the M

i have been eyeing the s3 for a while but have steered away from it due to build quality, and sheer size of the device.
i really like the smaller size of this phone, especially after seeing my girl with it for so long, and how convenient it has been for her. it seems to preform well even stock, as she is very timid towards rooting and romming.
my first question : would you guys suggest this phone?
i currently have a droid x2, and it has been interesting to say the least . i am looking for something dependable (which i know most motorola's are, even the dx2 was) as well as something that can perform. how is performance in your eyes?
one more thing, there is a successful method for unlocking the bootloader in the retail edition from what i have read..... is this the case? if so, do you guys see development for this device growing in the future? or does it seem to be dying down.?
thanks in advance, it seems like a pretty trusty little phone from what ive read.

Lorenzo VonMatterhorn said:
i have been eyeing the s3 for a while but have steered away from it due to build quality, and sheer size of the device.
i really like the smaller size of this phone, especially after seeing my girl with it for so long, and how convenient it has been for her. it seems to preform well even stock, as she is very timid towards rooting and romming.
my first question : would you guys suggest this phone?
i currently have a droid x2, and it has been interesting to say the least . i am looking for something dependable (which i know most motorola's are, even the dx2 was) as well as something that can perform. how is performance in your eyes?
one more thing, there is a successful method for unlocking the bootloader in the retail edition from what i have read..... is this the case? if so, do you guys see development for this device growing in the future? or does it seem to be dying down.?
thanks in advance, it seems like a pretty trusty little phone from what ive read.
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Click to collapse
yes you can unlock the bootloader, and development has been growing on this phone sense the unlock. i like my m it preforms well and the battery life is great.

Definitely recommended. Best android phone I've had yet
Sent from my XT907 using xda premium

Agreed, the RAZR M ticks all my boxes. Has been an amazing phone love it.
Performance wise, its great. And there is a kernel to get it to 1998 MHz if you root. Development has just kept growing really as stated before.

ShadowRAZR said:
Agreed, the RAZR M ticks all my boxes. Has been an amazing phone love it.
Performance wise, its great. And there is a kernel to get it to 1998 MHz if you root. Development has just kept growing really as stated before.
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I still love the phone even if it were stock (which its not) and I ALWAYS long for an upgrade 6 months after getting a phone.I have NO desire to replace it. The size is perfect, build quality outstanding, battery life great, performance good, it has almost the latest OS which for an android phone that's not a nexus is about as good as it gets. The one reservation I had about it and all Motorola phones was the locked bootloader but with that cracked and AOSP CM10.1 (4.2.2) I'm in love!. I just bought my wife a Titanium (Best Buy only) M in like new (no evidence of use) condition with case and sd card off eBay for $250 and honestly I want hers too lol. Got mine in the same condition in white off of eBay as well but for $350 which then was a great price for a like new M.
The one drawback is the smallish partion for apps on the internal SD card and as far as I can tell no easy or reliable apps to SD (I did it with one app which one day borked, wiped and destroyed my micro sd). This kind of kills this phone if your a mega gamer (mulitple games with 500+mb data will quickly wipe out internal space).

there is a bootloader unlock on this now. which makes it even more exciting, and maybe will produce that much more development.
i think it is an all around great phone from all of the research ive done. i just want to make sure the same X2 experience doesnt happen again. lol
another HUGE thing is that this phone is not huge. just when you thought phones would turn into tablets, the razr M comes along. hopefully it starts a trend in making them small again.
thanks for all the responses guys, i will be joioning the ranks in about two weeks. :good:

Lorenzo VonMatterhorn said:
there is a bootloader unlock on this now. which makes it even more exciting, and maybe will produce that much more development.
i think it is an all around great phone from all of the research ive done. i just want to make sure the same X2 experience doesnt happen again. lol
another HUGE thing is that this phone is not huge. just when you thought phones would turn into tablets, the razr M comes along. hopefully it starts a trend in making them small again.
thanks for all the responses guys, i will be joioning the ranks in about two weeks. :good:
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keep in mind that most development is CDMA (VZW) based, but there are "fixes" to make them work on GSM carriers.

jco23 said:
keep in mind that most development is CDMA (VZW) based, but there are "fixes" to make them work on GSM carriers.
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yeah i am vzw. as much as it pains me to say it.

Definitely recommend the M. The battery life for me has been great. I do keep bluetooth and GPS off all the time, but my wife keeps both on and her phone will still go a couple days without charge. i used mine throughout the day, and as well as as a hotspot while storm chasing and it will easily go the whole day for me.

Selectel Wireless
Anyone using this phone on PagePlus, Straight Talk, or Selectel Wireless? I am thinking of ditching my S3 and USCC. Nothing but problems with reception.

This is a midrange device. I cannot recommend it. The only reason I got this is because my nexus shattered when I dropped it. I hate the keyboards lag on this phone, and pretty much lag all around. But I like that it is splashproof...
Other than that, low res screen, no tv-out, weird storage, etc.... good phone for my wife, but she's rockin s4....won't trade
Sent from my XT907 using xda app-developers app

HonkyTonker said:
Anyone using this phone on PagePlus, Straight Talk, or Selectel Wireless? I am thinking of ditching my S3 and USCC. Nothing but problems with reception.
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i use it on net 10(att simcard), but i know there is a thread about flashing this to page plus you have to stay on ics for it to work if i remember correctly

Upgraded from HD to G3 - on to newer pastures

Well, it's been fun. The RAZR HD, unlocked bootloader, has been a joy. But, it was time to move on. Not only do I give up my unlocked phone, I also had to give up my unlimited data. But, with Verizon, unlimited data customers can get the 6gb max plan for $30/month, and I never really went over 6 gb but maybe once or twice in the last 2+ years that I had unlimited 4g data.
So, now I'm off to the land of LG with my LG3, which is kind of ironic as an LG Vortex was my first smartphone, so in some respects, I've come full circle.
My lineage of phones was LG Vortex (free on Thanksgiving day but BOY was it slow - it was a budget Android), Droid X2, Droid RAZR MAXX HD, Droid RAZR HD and now the LG G3.
With the XT926 unlocked (for most), this is still a good phone to have and with the recent Lollipop CM12 releases, you know the dev community is hard at work for this phone still, so enjoy. The LG G3 (for the US) doesn't have an official LP yet, but CM12 has been released for it.
Ciao and I'll probably drop in from time to time to still lend assistance for those that are having issues.

Have fun with the phone. I've enjoyed my M8 since I've had it. Hopefully, we'll still see you around here from time to time.
Sent from my HTC6525LVW using Tapatalk

Same here. I had an upgrade available the week of Thanksgiving so I dropped my MAXX HD for the $1 deal on the Galaxy S5. I will say the S5 is lightning fast compared to the MAXX.

newmanx4 said:
Same here. I had an upgrade available the week of Thanksgiving so I dropped my MAXX HD for the $1 deal on the Galaxy S5. I will say the S5 is lightning fast compared to the MAXX.
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Any word on a BL unlock yet? Had one for a couple months. Even with root, I couldn't make TW bearable enough to use anymore. Sold it and tried the turbo for 14 days but wasnt a fan of the ballistic nylon. This phone might be lacking in processor and ram but its still one of my favorite phones.

No word on an unlocked bootloader yet. There are several online petitions to try and get it. One can only hope.
I personally think we will see more and more locked bootloaders on Verizon phones so they can push the developer editions. More money in Big Red's pockets.

Good luck with the new device bud. I remember you from the DX2 days.
I'm stuck wishing the Turbo was unlockable, or the Nexus 6 was smaller, so I'm sticking with ye olde Vanquish for now.

Weird how everyone (or so it seems) is jumping ship lately.

CWGSM3VO said:
Weird how everyone (or so it seems) is jumping ship lately.
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Click to collapse
I still have my Razr M, but I sacrificed my unlocked HD for my M8. I just wanted a flagship device, that's why I stepped up.
Sent from my HTC6525LVW using Tapatalk

three west said:
Good luck with the new device bud. I remember you from the DX2 days.
I'm stuck wishing the Turbo was unlockable, or the Nexus 6 was smaller, so I'm sticking with ye olde Vanquish for now.
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Click to collapse
It's hard to forget that face. Lol. Good luck sir, enjoy!

iBolski said:
Well, it's been fun. The RAZR HD, unlocked bootloader, has been a joy. But, it was time to move on. Not only do I give up my unlocked phone, I also had to give up my unlimited data. But, with Verizon, unlimited data customers can get the 6gb max plan for $30/month, and I never really went over 6 gb but maybe once or twice in the last 2+ years that I had unlimited 4g data.
So, now I'm off to the land of LG with my LG3, which is kind of ironic as an LG Vortex was my first smartphone, so in some respects, I've come full circle.
My lineage of phones was LG Vortex (free on Thanksgiving day but BOY was it slow - it was a budget Android), Droid X2, Droid RAZR MAXX HD, Droid RAZR HD and now the LG G3.
With the XT926 unlocked (for most), this is still a good phone to have and with the recent Lollipop CM12 releases, you know the dev community is hard at work for this phone still, so enjoy. The LG G3 (for the US) doesn't have an official LP yet, but CM12 has been released for it.
Ciao and I'll probably drop in from time to time to still lend assistance for those that are having issues.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
'Sup bro.
Funny how I have been thinking of making the same exact jump recently. How do you like the phone?
Just to clarify, the LG is still on 4.4.x, is rootable, and is unlockable? I've learned that I cannot live without my Xposed Framework mods, thus need those three requirements in any phone I decide to go with (well, at least root and 4.4.x, the unlocking is a nice added bonus to flash custom ROMs from time to time). Turbo - out. Nexus 6 - out. G3 seems to be the only logical option, other than the M8 possibly, but I just can't get over the nasty casing on the M8...
I'll be spending the 600 bones full price to keep my unlimited data. Using over 20GB a month every month I'll make back the cost in no time, lol.
...looks like I'll be seeing you soon over in the LG forums now.

RikRong said:
Have fun with the phone. I've enjoyed my M8 since I've had it. Hopefully, we'll still see you around here from time to time.
Sent from my HTC6525LVW using Tapatalk
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Click to collapse
Definitely. Still like to see how everyone else is doing and lend a helping hand where possible.
three west said:
Good luck with the new device bud. I remember you from the DX2 days.
I'm stuck wishing the Turbo was unlockable, or the Nexus 6 was smaller, so I'm sticking with ye olde Vanquish for now.
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Click to collapse
Oh, I remember those days. Remember Milton and the infamous "I have code to unlock the bootloader from a guy who knows a guy who knows a guy...". That went viral!
CWGSM3VO said:
Weird how everyone (or so it seems) is jumping ship lately.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's not like I wanted to, but it was time to move on. The HD, as great as it is with an unlocked bootloader, was getting long in the tooth. Plus, mine was beginning to act up.

LifeAsADroid said:
'Sup bro.
Funny how I have been thinking of making the same exact jump recently. How do you like the phone?
Just to clarify, the LG is still on 4.4.x, is rootable, and is unlockable? I've learned that I cannot live without my Xposed Framework mods, thus need those three requirements in any phone I decide to go with (well, at least root and 4.4.x, the unlocking is a nice added bonus to flash custom ROMs from time to time). Turbo - out. Nexus 6 - out. G3 seems to be the only logical option, other than the M8 possibly, but I just can't get over the nasty casing on the M8...
I'll be spending the 600 bones full price to keep my unlimited data. Using over 20GB a month every month I'll make back the cost in no time, lol.
...looks like I'll be seeing you soon over in the LG forums now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The phone for me is great. It's big, but it doesn't feel too big. My one gripe with it is it feels slippery due to the back. But, it feels lighter and so much thinner than the HD. Battery life is pretty good for me as well.
Yes, it's still on 4.4.2, but it has all the 4.4.4 security patches (like the HD). It is rootable up to version 10b. Beyond that, you have to downgrade it back to 10b, which you can do unlike the Razr HD. Once it's rooted via the Stump exploit, you can then get what is called a "bumped" version of TWRP which will then allow you to flash custom ROMs that are "bumped". Basically, it "fools" the phone into thinking what you are flashing is indeed official. So, we have CM11 (official), CM12 (unofficial), BlissPop and many other custom ROMs. But, I'm pretty much happy with this phone out of the box as it is, so I only root it so I can enable writing to the external SD card as well as use TiBu to backup and restore my apps, plus run Greenify just to eek out a little more battery life. But, battery life is definitely better than the RazrHD.
The difference in the screens between the HD and the G3 are night and day. I mean, we have a better pixel density than your 1080p HD TVs! Some may say you can't see the difference, but when I watch movies on my phone, wow. I can see the difference between what the Razr HD had and what this one has. Plus, the 5.5" screen is awesome.
I love the Knock feature, where you can set a "tap" pattern to unlock the phone, even when the screen is off. So, no need to turn on the screen first to unlock it. Just "knock" your pattern and then the screen comes on. Also, if you forget you pattern, fear not. When you set up the knock pattern, it will ask you for a PIN number as a fail safe measure, so if after 10 tries, you don't get the knock pattern correct, it will then ask for your PIN number. I haven't had it fail on me. I love it.
There's so much more, but I don't want to go into G3 love in the HD forums. Suffice it say, yes, I'm VERY happy with it. I might have to say this is the best Android phone I've had yet.
Just in case you have any questions, let me point you to this FAQ which has a lot of excellent information which is what I read and made sure that this phone was rootable and had custom ROMs:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/lg-g3/help/help-thread-lg-g3-question-t2947298
Also, there are two sets of forums for this phone. One is for the general G3 populace. There is another one specific to the Verizon model (VS985):
General G3: http://forum.xda-developers.com/lg-g3
Verizon G3: http://forum.xda-developers.com/lg-g3
Also, here is an excellent article that compares the G3 to the Samsung S5:
http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/galaxy-s5-vs-lg-g3/
See you over there if you get the G3.

iBolski said:
It's not like I wanted to, but it was time to move on. The HD, as great as it is with an unlocked bootloader, was getting long in the tooth. Plus, mine was beginning to act up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
On the plus side, you can now read your emails and surf faster. Is Bluetooth faster? I bet benchmarks are out of this world. Do Mp3s sound crisper?
Sorry, I was being sarcastic. Long in the tooth. For what? Acting up? Perhaps, or perhaps you dropped it one too many times to get that shiny new LG

CWGSM3VO said:
On the plus side, you can now read your emails and surf faster. Is Bluetooth faster? I bet benchmarks are out of this world. Do Mp3s sound crisper?
Sorry, I was being sarcastic. Long in the tooth. For what? Acting up? Perhaps, or perhaps you dropped it one too many times to get that shiny new LG
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nah, didn't drop it. It seemed like the radio was going bad. Kept losing signal. I replaced the SIM card and that seemed to help for a bit, but then it started acting up again. Since I use this as a personal plus on-call phone for work, I needed to get one that was reliable. Yes, the HD was reliable, until the radio went bad.

iBolski said:
Nah, didn't drop it. It seemed like the radio was going bad. Kept losing signal. I replaced the SIM card and that seemed to help for a bit, but then it started acting up again. Since I use this as a personal plus on-call phone for work, I needed to get one that was reliable. Yes, the HD was reliable, until the radio went bad.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I personally think Verizon ruined a perfectly good device and will continue to do so in the future. Glad you enjoy your new toy, I'm sure I would too except that my wife has clearly stated I need to stick with this one for quite some time On the plus side, I get her Xperia T to play with so it's not all bad for 'ol seedub...
EDIT: And the fact that it's Google-ish (the HD) means a good upgrade path future-wise. It's always been my argument when people ask me why I don't run with Samsung or the other guys. Personally, I think Samsung is garbage, I was on a tour of their factory while I was in Korea, it's all cool and stuff but they always feel cheap and knock-off to me. Was hoping Rogers would get a Turbo in, I'd switch to that but they only got the Moto G LTE and one other G-like model.

CWGSM3VO said:
I personally think Verizon ruined a perfectly good device and will continue to do so in the future. Glad you enjoy your new toy, I'm sure I would too except that my wife has clearly stated I need to stick with this one for quite some time On the plus side, I get her Xperia T to play with so it's not all bad for 'ol seedub...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's what my wife said when I got the HD, that I was never going to upgrade again. Well, once she couldn't text or call me when she needed something that was an "emergency", that changed her tune real quick!
I hated moving away from the HD (due to the unlocked bootloader) and having to lose my unlimited data plan, but once I found out about the 6gb plan, I decided that was fine. I rarely went over 6gb, so to me, it wasn't much of a loss and I got an excellent phone out of the deal for a great price. Still wish I would have upgrade during Thanksgiving/Black Friday when the red one was free. Oh well. I like black better any ways.

iBolski said:
That's what my wife said when I got the HD, that I was never going to upgrade again. Well, once she couldn't text or call me when she needed something that was an "emergency", that changed her tune real quick!
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Click to collapse
It fills me with hope to see how universal wives are. Lets me know that it's not just *me*

CWGSM3VO said:
It fills me with hope to see how universal wives are. Lets me know that it's not just *me*
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good thing they don't read these forums then. You and I would be in some deep crap! :highfive:

iBolski said:
Good thing they don't read these forums then. You and I would be in some deep crap! :highfive:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am sending anonymous emails to all wives on the planet at this moment. LOL
...second thought, I'll give you both a pass due to your more than helpful post above about the G3, links, etc.
---------- Post added at 02:21 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:17 PM ----------
CWGSM3VO said:
...or perhaps you dropped it one too many times to get that shiny new LG
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Click to collapse
I'm about to "accidentally" drop mine out the closed window across the room just to get ANY different phone, lol. "They" really ruined a good thing with these HDs. Should have put more effort into the KK build, not just threw something together as a PR gag ("look, we updated an old model phone. We have great customer service. Blah blah blah.").

im waiting for the nexus 6 to come to Verizon then i getting it but i will be keeping my hd for playing