[Merged] Motorola DROID / A855 Android Smartphone

[SqB]

I have a friend with one of these and she always ends up hanging up on me during our conversations because her face is pressing one of the buttons. I told her that maybe one day a phone would be able to detect when it's near your face and keep that from happening.

 

[Flhusky]

Well guys, I gave it a shot. I had a Droid for about a week - and I'm sending it back.

Why did I go Droid? Why would somebody who has become something of a Apple evangelist go Android?

Well, a couple things:

1. Sounds like it was a service issue not a phone issue. I'd say you were a 'lucky' 1%`r.

2. Agree, phone contracts over all are silly, but they help swallow the $600+ smart phone pill.

3. It depends on where you are, I've never had issues w/AT&T or VzW. They both work were I am, when I need it.

Why did I punt on the Droid?

1. User experience is still choppy/crappy.
That is subjective, I've found it to be =/> iPhone

1b I have to search for podcasts and enter the URLs manually?
Slave to iTunes? There are other methods out there, RSS?

1c And than pay for a decent app? C'mon. That's horrible.
You have got to be kidding? Decent app? cost? yeah like some of the decent apps on the iPhone don't cost...

2. MMS messages would not show up on other's phones 80% of the time.
That is a carrier issue, not phone.

2a And that's if my Messenger App wasn't force closing on me. Frequently.
I'd say you were a 'lucky' 1%`r. I've only read this was an issue for former iPhone users(switchers) But seriously yeah the stock SMS app sucks, most people jump to Chomp or Handcent

3. Apps apps apps. More of them, better quality, updated more frequently.
OK, this is a dead horse. Lets look back at the Android market in 4 more years and see

4. Just don't see the refinement.
What refinements were you looking for?

4a Especially since I'm paying iPhone money to Verizon for the service. If I'm paying for a Acura, please don't give me a Chevy.
Please explain? Just about any smart phone service on the big 3 will cost you $80. Exception is VzW does offer truly 'unlimited' data on the phone, yes you can use 10 gigs and no they don't hammer you with overages.

The android phones basically appeal to geeks who enjoy tinkering. They don't care whether a UI is streamlined or consistent as long as they can do things like customize widgets or change the color of the notification light. To them, an app store that actually holds apps to a high standard of design is blasphemous.

I like a choice in what my UI experience is. If i want vanilla I chose iPhone. Strawberry I get a moto droid, Kiwi passion fruit? HTC Phone
The OS is the same across the android platform, just how you interact with it CAN BE different. The UI experience is the same across the manufacturers phone* eg HTC has the Sense UI.

Yeah, those evil android people and their ability to change their phones to make them work like they want them.. /cough cough jail brake

The android market is open like a bazaar, yeah there are some crap apps in there much like the iPhone app store. Much like the iPhone App store they get flagged and committed on/out and life goes on.

 

[icyfire]

I like a choice in what my UI experience is. If i want vanilla I chose iPhone. Strawberry I get a moto droid, Kiwi passion fruit? HTC Phone
The OS is the same across the android platform, just how you interact with it CAN BE different. The UI experience is the same across the manufacturers phone* eg HTC has the Sense UI.

Yeah, those evil android people and their ability to change their phones to make them work like they want them.. /cough cough jail brake

The android market is open like a bazaar, yeah there are some crap apps in there much like the iPhone app store. Much like the iPhone App store they get flagged and committed on/out and life goes on.

There are some people who just want a UI that works well and they DON'T want to bother customizing it. It's kind of like when I buy a car, I want the car manufacturer to decide the best placement of the pedals, wheel, and stereo. I don't want to deal with it. I think that reflects the vast majority of the population. They don't want to customize the OS, they just want something that works well from the get go. Believe it or not, most people are not really interested in tinkering with their phone beyond the bare essentials of changing the ringtone or wallpaper.

Now I have absolutely no problem with Android and their decision to allow users to change the UI. That's perfectly fine. But for a stock user, the UI should be excellent and I feel that Android falls short in this regard. It's a bit clunky and the menus are sluggish and jerky. It took until Android 2.2 before they finally implemented a shortcut to the phone and browser at the bottom of the home screen (sense ui did have a shortcut to the phone early on but this was not on the stock UI). Why in God's name manufacturers continue to use those crappy touch sensitive buttons for back and home is beyond me. And the lack of consistent hardware is going to bite android in the back in the near future. When you have phones like the moto backflip tarnishing the Android name, it is going to affect the real phones like the Evo.

Is the iPhone UI perfect? Absolutely not. The big missing features are the notifications on the lock screen and an easier way to read messages and notifications from anywhere in the OS (which Android does very well with the top menu bar window). But the rest of the UI works well and is the reason why Apple continues to sell tons of iPhones and why people like my mom who had never used a computer or cell phone until her late 40s could pick up an iPhone and know how to use it without any instruction from me!

My main beef with Android apps is the absolute lack of consistency in terms of UI and operation. It seems like every developer decides to implement their idea of a UI and unfortunately, a good portion of these UI designs are crap. To a geek, the UI does not matter, heck they would probably be fine if we all went back to command line. But for an average user, the UI matters very much not just because it looks pretty, but because it's easier to know how to use the app (again, for people like my mom). I think we can all agree that Apple has perfected this art and not a single other company comes close.

 

[6-0 Prolene]

I think this makes a statement--Wanted to switch to Droid, vetoed by my wife.

So I've been pretty perturbed about the whole mess of my meaningless iPhone 4 "reservation" that reserved nothing but the right to stand in a stupidly long line, along with the horrible performance that plagues my 3G after the iOS 4 "upgrade." So much so, in fact, that I was looking at switching to Verizon/Droid.

I mentioned this to my not-so-tech-savvy wife who has come to actually enjoy her iPhone, and I was shot down remarkably quickly. She's the last person to worry about the style/cool factor of her phone (she was using an old Motorola StarTAC before I bought her first iPhone ) but cited the simplicity/ease of use of the iPhone.

So I don't know why I bring this up, other than to maybe temper my anger at Apple a bit and to share the realization that the iPhone is a pretty awesome product in the grand scheme of things.

 

[asleep]

Put some pants on, man ... who's in charge over there???

 

[6-0 Prolene]

Put some pants on, man ... who's in charge over there???

You're clearly not married.

Besides, if I ignored her I'd be left paying $50 a month for a messaging/data plan that would go all but unused. Just choosing my battles, I suppose.

 

[dmelgar]

Have you actually tried an android phone? They have their weaknesses but also have areas where they beat the Iphone. Usability is worse but not necessarily by much.
The Droid is old news by the way.

The Incredible is currently the best phone on Verizon. The Droid X was just announced last week. Both very fast extremely capable contenders. Verizon coverage is great.

Don't pass them up out of ignorance. Try them first.

 

[Eddyisgreat]

I wonder what Google could pump out if they spent one product cycle not focusing on trying to kill the iPhone.

Best way to destroy the competition is to deny that such exists.

 

[wirelessmacuser]

So I've been pretty perturbed about the whole mess of my meaningless iPhone 4 "reservation" that reserved nothing but the right to stand in a stupidly long line, along with the horrible performance that plagues my 3G after the iOS 4 "upgrade." So much so, in fact, that I was looking at switching to Verizon/Droid.

I mentioned this to my not-so-tech-savvy wife who has come to actually enjoy her iPhone, and I was shot down remarkably quickly. She's the last person to worry about the style/cool factor of her phone (she was using an old Motorola StarTAC before I bought her first iPhone ) but cited the simplicity/ease of use of the iPhone.

So I don't know why I bring this up, other than to maybe temper my anger at Apple a bit and to share the realization that the iPhone is a pretty awesome product in the grand scheme of things.

It's highly likely that like many, she simply does not realize how easy Droids are to use. The graphical UI is not much different than an iPhone. I had a Droid, and now I'm using a HTC desire until the Droid X is released shortly. The Droid X features Swype, a terrifically fast way to type on a touch screen keyboard.

http://www.swypeinc.com/

While I really like the my iPhone 4, and will continue to use it, I have a a few active lines with AT&T, and Verizon. This affords me the fun of using a variety of smartphones. I've found the Android OS has great widgets, and all kinds of things one can do with them. In August, Samsung will be releasing the Captivate via AT&T, an Android smartphone with the Swype input method. So if you don't wish to switch to sprint, the Captivate will be the way to go. Here it is compared to an iPhone 4

http://www.gsmarena.com/compare.php3?idPhone1=3408&idPhone2=3275

 

[MassiveAttack]

Have you actually tried an android phone? They have their weaknesses but also have areas where they beat the Iphone. Usability is worse but not necessarily by much.
The Droid is old news by the way.

The Incredible is currently the best phone on Verizon. The Droid X was just announced last week. Both very fast extremely capable contenders. Verizon coverage is great.

Don't pass them up out of ignorance. Try them first.

I made a home made micro sim adapter for my nexus one and its my main device. The novelty of my new iPhone 4 wore off fast. I'm really trying hard to like it but I keep getting drawn back to my android phone. The iPhone 4 is an excellent device and I don't regret shelling out $300 but it's still not up to par with other android super phones. The camera us excellent so is the battery life but the poor implemintation of it' mutitasking is turning me off.

 

[wirelessmacuser]

I wonder what Google could pump out if they spent one product cycle not focusing on trying to kill the iPhone.

The second half of this year will reveal some very excellent Android based Smartphones. This is why Apple rushed the iPhone to market. Jobs could feel Android breathing down his neck and knew that timing was everything.

It's pretty impressive that Android is poised to challenge Apple after less that half the time in the cellular space. Competition is wonderful.

Yes I really like my iPhone 4, and yet my Android phones are a lot more customizable. Apples, refusal to allow widgets, is just one example of the narrow walled garden that keeps Apples user penned in.

 

[sparkomatic]

My i4 is my primary phone but I do have a Nexus One on AT&T that I use as a "home" line.

I have to say that the Android OS is pretty good and there are some things that I'd like to see brought over to the iOS. BUT, I just cannot get used to typing on the Nexus One. I much prefer typing on the iOS. Plus, I do think the iOS is more refined. I'm sure the Android OS will catch up though.

 

[XLR8]

Ever heard of Darwin?

Yeah so basically what he was saying was that there are some people who are smart enough to order something and have it delivered to their door step.

You see all the people standing in line? Those are all the people who are going to die when the **** hits the fan and the world comes to an end. In fact, they'll probably be bitching about their battery life.

 

[That70sGAdawg]

Ever heard of Darwin?

Yeah so basically what he was saying was that there are some people who are smart enough to order something and have it delivered to their door step.

You see all the people standing in line? Those are all the people who are going to die when the **** hits the fan and the world comes to an end. In fact, they'll probably be bitching about their battery life.

Maybe they couldn't pre-order because they were busy WORKING to support the coming "welfare state" in the US for the slackers that can sit on their computer trying all day to buy a phone!

 

[cocky jeremy]

Put some pants on, man ... who's in charge over there???

That's what i was thinking. Man, take em out of her purse and put em where they belong.

 

[macfan881]

Maybe they couldn't pre-order because they were busy WORKING to support the coming "welfare state" in the US for the slackers that can sit on their computer trying all day to buy a phone!

Some one needs to chill down a notch not everyone who pre orderd there iPhone is on welfare

 

[That70sGAdawg]

Some one needs to chill down a notch not everyone who pre orderd there iPhone is on welfare

AND not everyone that didn't pre-order is an idiot, as the person above wrote.. "Maybe" ,is not an absolute statement.

 

[JayDude132]

I've played around with my friends' androids before and compared to my iP4 i honestly thought they were lacking. I like the iPhone WAY better than the android phones. The androids just arent up to par imho.

 

[6-0 Prolene]

Ever heard of Darwin?

Yeah so basically what he was saying was that there are some people who are smart enough to order something and have it delivered to their door step.

You see all the people standing in line? Those are all the people who are going to die when the **** hits the fan and the world comes to an end. In fact, they'll probably be bitching about their battery life.

I live in DC. Right now I'm spending 3 months working at the Cleveland Clinic. Apple will only ship an iPhone to the service address listed on the AT&T account. Being 400 miles from home makes it a little tricky to wait for the fedex man.

Remember what a useless weakling I am when your aorta ruptures one night.

 

[danpass]

Happy wife, happy life

 

[robotkiller]

So I've been pretty perturbed about the whole mess of my meaningless iPhone 4 "reservation" that reserved nothing but the right to stand in a stupidly long line, along with the horrible performance that plagues my 3G after the iOS 4 "upgrade." So much so, in fact, that I was looking at switching to Verizon/Droid.

I mentioned this to my not-so-tech-savvy wife who has come to actually enjoy her iPhone, and I was shot down remarkably quickly. She's the last person to worry about the style/cool factor of her phone (she was using an old Motorola StarTAC before I bought her first iPhone ) but cited the simplicity/ease of use of the iPhone.

So I don't know why I bring this up, other than to maybe temper my anger at Apple a bit and to share the realization that the iPhone is a pretty awesome product in the grand scheme of things.

I had a Droid before this one. It sucked. Honestly.

 

[6-0 Prolene]

I had a Droid before this one. It sucked. Honestly.

Yeah, I've played with them in the store and have used a couple that my friends own, and while I don't think it "sucked" I don't think it's as user-friendly a phone for a non-gadget geek/computer savvy type.

 

[robotkiller]

Yeah, I've played with them in the store and have used a couple that my friends own, and while I don't think it "sucked" I don't think it's as user-friendly a phone for a non-gadget geek/computer savvy type.

I'm fairly tech savvy - I had rooted the phone and tried several different iterations of Android, including Froyo. The phone is laggy and the Android UI is clunky and relatively unreliable. The proximity sensor was terrible and the phone would be slow to awake with phone calls. The apps are subpar and the whole experience is just inferior to the iPhone. Until Froyo (which hasn't been officially released for Droid), the browser was definitely worse. On top of everything else, my Droid had very real problems holding on to a 3G signal - it would constantly fall back to 1x (which is a well known problem with the phone). The funny thing is that this got very little publicity.

The iPhone4 is simply a better phone, no question about it.

 

[MeTHoD-X]

The Droid Incredible is a great phone on verizon. Im personally staying with the iPhone but don't let your wife dictate what kind of phone you use man. Get what YOU want.

 

[raremage]

Yeah, I've played with them in the store and have used a couple that my friends own, and while I don't think it "sucked" I don't think it's as user-friendly a phone for a non-gadget geek/computer savvy type.

Long term user of both a Droid and then a Nexus One. Both are capable phones, but they suffer from an unpolished UI and a disconnected feel among the core PDA applications. Plus Android suffers from way more bugs than iOS, despite what people might like to think.

Don't get me wrong, they are passable and generally usable, but I don't consider them to be superior. The Incredible is virtually identical to the N1. The Droid X, which releases around 15 July, has (IMHO) taken a huge step in the wrong direction from an ergonomics perspective. Larger screen on the X may be of interest to some, but to me it's just something bulkier to carry around with me.