Phone upgrade

[sweat90lx]

I just upgraded. my Rezound will be here tomorrow. the D4 was $149 and Rezound $169. after playing with the phones at the store, my only other choice would have been Razr Maxx but I didnt want to spend that much.
the D4 screen wasnt that great and not having an external battery. Its really up to what you want and how much you are willing to spend

 

[jjlittle1]

Go to slickdeals.net do a search for razr. Youll find a link for 25% off your purchase at letstalk.com. Got my droid razr for 135 on upgrade from my og droid. You cant beat that deal anywhere or choose any other phone, maxx is 189 on this deal.

Sent from my SCH-I800 using DroidForums

 

[jrracinfan]

Really wish I had $150 to swallow on a phone, it would go towards a Rezound in a heartbeat.

EDIT:
What's the odds of the LG Spectrum getting root & ICS?

 

[mamawm]

the spectrum is scheduled to get ics, but i don't know how far down the road that is. and while it does not have a huge developer following, there are some people out there trying to gain root, and they will succeed.

 

[JeffDenver]

My 2 years with the OG is coming up soon, question being; What to upgrade to? Not switching to a 4g plan and may not be able to afford a Nexus or Rezound. Droid Incredible 2? I got spoiled with all the roms to choose from....

The bad news is that you have no choice. All the new phones are 4G.

The good news is that 4G is free on Verizon. They dont charge extra for it like other carriers do. My bill on my Rezound is exactly the same as it was on my Droid 1.

Of the new phones, the only ones worth getting (IMO) are the Galaxy Nexus, Rezound, Razr Maxx, and LG Spectrum.

Galaxy Nexus - It is Vanilla Android, has a 720p display (AMOLED). It has no SD slot. It is the only phone with embedded NFC hardware. It is by far the easiest to root. It is 4.65", so it is big.
The things I like about it: It has a curved glass display which resists fingerprints which is cool. I do like AMOLED. NFC is something I'd want if I had a choice, though it isnt a deal killer. Vanilla Android is always desirable.
Things I dont like about it: No SD slot was a deal killer for me. I dont like that it lacks hardware buttons (all nav buttons are software-only). It has had lots of reception issues, though they are not universal.

HTC Rezound - It has a 720p display with the best pixel density of any phone (including the iPhone). It has both SD and a removable battery. It comes with an expensive set of earbuds for free (they retail for over $100 and people are buying them on eBay). It is 4.3". While it will never be as easy to root and mod as the nexus, it is the only other phone to allow unlocking....HTC will let you unlock your phone via their website.
The things I like about it: I love the display (that Pixel density rules). It has the best camera out of all these phones, and one of the best on any phone period right now. It has an SD slot and 64-gig SD cards have been confirmed to work with it (so you could have up to 80 gigs of storage). I personally love the earbuds and I do think they sound better than the cheaper ones I had before. I love that HTC allows me to unlock it if I want. The Rezound has very good 4G reception and GPS...IMo the best out of these phones.
Things I dont like about it: It is the thickest and heaviest of these phones, though it is thinner and lighter than your Droid 1. The buttons are too flush to the case IMO. It is polluted with Sense UI (though I just use GoLauncher anyway). No NFC.

LG Spectrum - This is best described as "Rezound lite" IMO....it's specs are comparable to the Rezound in almost every way. But it has less storage, a worse camera, and a better display. It is 4.5" (so the pixel density isnt quite as good as the Rezound, though it is still way above par).
The things I like about it: It has arguably the best display of any phone right now. While the Camera isnt as good as the Rezound, it is still above par IMO. It does have both SD and a removable battery. The display uses Gorilla Glass.
Things I dont like about it: It is LG. It is polluted with LG's hideous UI. It only has 4 gigs of internal storage. The phone does feel cheap and is kinda ugly. No NFC.

Moto Razr - This is the only non-720p phone. It's big draw is it's name, and it's thinness and durability. It has no removable battery, but the battery life on the Maxx variant is outstanding. I believe it is 4.5", though the case makes it seem larger.
The things I like about it: It is the thinnest and lightest of these phones and maybe of any smartphone right now. The display uses gorilla glass and the back is Kevlar...you pretty much shouldnt need a case for it. It has (probably) the most powerful CPU of the phones listed here, although not by a huge margin. 64-gig SD cards have been confirmed to work on this as well.
Things I dont like about it: Non removable battery. It is polluted with Motoblur UI. While the qHD screen is actually very nice, this is 2012, and 720p should be a requirement for any high end smartphone IMO. Moto are Nazis when it comes to rooting...expect them to throw many roadbloacks in your way. No NFC.

My recommendation: Rezound > Nexus > Spectrum > Razr Maxx

I would not get hung up on ICS...all of these phones will be getting it shortly.

 

[JeffDenver]

Really wish I had $150 to swallow on a phone, it would go towards a Rezound in a heartbeat.

EDIT: What's the odds of the LG Spectrum getting root & ICS?

ICS? Almost a certainty IMO. I would be shocked if it did not get ICS before summer.

Root? Very likely IMO.

 

[JeffDenver]

Thank you



Ok through Amazon's Wireless store, I can go up to $50. Here's what it narrows down to:
http://img.techpowerup.org/120212/Capture034.jpg

Looking at the Free DInc2 there.

Droid 3 on Wirefly is free and includes a hardware bundle
http://img.techpowerup.org/120212/Capture035.jpg
Bionic on Wirefly is $50
http://img.techpowerup.org/120212/Capture037.jpg

Like I said, although I would LOVE to have the Rezound($159 on Amazon/$179 on Wirefly), I know I probably won't be able to afford it when the time comes in a few weeks. Out of those depicted Which ones would you go for? If the price drops quite uncontrollably on the Rezound I will definitely go that route I guess. Really REALLY liking the Droid 3 bundle right now.

Out of those, I would get the Bionic if you held a gun to my head. Bionic > Dinc2 > Droid 3.

The real answer though: wait a month till the Rezound falls below $100 and get that instead. The worst of the current Tier 1 phones is much better than any of the phones in your quote. I think it would be worth the wait. It is NOT worth settling with one of those phones just to save $50 IMO.

(Keep in mind that people are buying those Rezound earbuds on eBay...last I saw they were going for $66 bare minimum...if you dont want them yourself you could sell them to defray the cost of the phone)

 

[jrracinfan]

K so at this point then its either Spectrum or Dinc2 and if I got the money Rezound will be my first choice with Spectrum second and if I can't round up any change Dinc2. Thanks Mr. Denver.

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[mamawm]

While I do agree with Jeff that the prices on everything will probably drop after mwc, I disagree with him on one thing. He doesn't like the bionic at all, I on the other hand love it. Mine has been rock solid since I got it and it was my choice over both the resound and nexus. You really need to get into a Verizon and handle each phone and then decide whick way to go.

Sent from my A100 using DroidForums

 

[JeffDenver]

K so at this point then its either Spectrum or Dinc2 and if I got the money Rezound will be my first choice with Spectrum second and if I can't round up any change Dinc2. Thanks Mr. Denver.

No contest...take the Spectrum over the DINC2. There is nothing that the DINC2 does better than the Spectrum.

If it was me I would wait and get the Rezound. But between those two choices, the Spectrum is clearly better.

 

[JeffDenver]

While I do agree with Jeff that the prices on everything will probably drop after mwc, I disagree with him on one thing. He doesn't like the bionic at all

That isnt true. I have recommended the Bionic several times. I just dont think it competes with the current tier1 phones. There isnt really anything it does that they dont do as well or better.

 

[mamawm]

That isnt true. I have recommended the Bionic several times. I just dont think it competes with the current tier1 phones. There isnt really anything it does that they dont do as well or better.

ok, that makes sense. but since he is clearly operating on a very tight budget
, the bionic needs to be considered close, if not at, the top of his list.

 

[JeffDenver]

ok, that makes sense. but since he is clearly operating on a very tight budget
, the bionic needs to be considered close, if not at, the top of his list.

IMO, it is not worth skimping on a device you will be using heavily for the next 18 to 24 months. It is not worth it just to save $50 or even $100.

It might be different for people with deep pockets who can upgrade every 6 months. Or for people on family plans where they get access to a new upgrade every 6 months because they have 4 or 6 phones on their account. For me, I will have this phone for the full length of my contract (I had my Droid 1 a full 20 months). So this is NOT something I want to compromise on. I wont get a chance to upgrade again for a long long time unless I want to pay retail.

It sounds like the OP is in the same boat. For that reason, I think it is a mistake not to get the BEST phone possible with your upgrade. I would advise the OP against getting a cheaper phone for the next 2 years just to save $50 immediately.

 

[mamawm]

IMO, it is not worth skimping on a device you will be using heavily for the next 18 to 24 months. It is not worth it just to save $50 or even $100.

It might be different for people with deep pockets who can upgrade every 6 months. Or for people on family plans where they get access to a new upgrade every 6 months because they have 4 or 6 phones on their account. For me, I will have this phone for the full length of my contract (I had my Droid 1 a full 20 months). So this is NOT something I want to compromise on. I wont get a chance to upgrade again for a long long time unless I want to pay retail.

It sounds like the OP is in the same boat. For that reason, I think it is a mistake not to get the BEST phone possible with your upgrade. I would advise the OP against getting a cheaper phone for the next 2 years just to save $50 immediately.

i agree with that completely and i will be living with this bionic for the next 2 years too. i just think the bionic is as good as the resound, especially since that last update, and there's just not that much difference in the bionic and razr to justify the price difference, at least for me. i certainly think it should be considered above the inc2 and d3 even though they are both really good phones.

 

[JeffDenver]

i agree with that completely and i will be living with this bionic for the next 2 years too. i just think the bionic is as good as the resound, especially since that last update

Here is why I think it is not:

- Rezound has a true 720p screen with the best pixel density of any phone (and this is really the main reason I think it is better)
- The Rezound can be legitimately unlocked through HTC's website...HTC will not be throwing root roadblocks in my way
- The Rezound has one of the best cameras on any phone right now (including the front camera)
- The Rezound comes with expensive earbuds for free, which can be sold even if you dont want them
- 64 Gig SD cards have been confirmed to work on the Rezound...I dont know if that is true for the Bionic

I cant think of anything the bionic does better than the Rezound. I think the Rezound even beats it in benchmarks. The only reason to get a Bionic over a Rezound at all IMO is because it is cheaper.