DROID BIONIC Jelly Bean Update

[Ry]

Exciting times.

This is probably the last hurrah for those three OMAP phones, right? Guys - we had a good run.

 

[gwhizkids]

I have no expectations for anything beyond 4.1. Would love to be surprised, but really don't expect it.

 

[SamuriHL]

Exciting times.

This is probably the last hurrah for those three OMAP phones, right? Guys - we had a good run.

Oh yea, the OMAP4 phones are done after this. We'll not see 4.2. Start looking forward to the X phone after this.

 

[Lefty Drummer]

Oh yea, the OMAP4 phones are done after this. We'll not see 4.2. Start looking forward to the X phone after this.

I know it's probably wishful thinking, but hoping somehow the X isn't another $300 phone even with upgrade discount. My Bionic upgrade (I'm sure like many) hits in May, will be anxious to see when the X is available after that.
Thanks as always for the info Sam.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Android Central Forums

 

[SamuriHL]

I have some speculation on price. I'm told that it'll be around 450 unsubsidized when it's launched but put this firmly in the rumor only category. Would be nice though. As such it should be cheaper subsidized, but, I will stress again that I don't feel people should consider buying subsidized phones. It may SEEM cheaper up front but it has a much higher cost than you can imagine over the long term.

 

[King Howie]

Can't wait for Google I/O to see what's coming

 

[zachthebomb13]

I have some speculation on price. I'm told that it'll be around 450 unsubsidized when it's launched but put this firmly in the rumor only category. Would be nice though. As such it should be cheaper subsidized, but, I will stress again that I don't feel people should consider buying subsidized phones. It may SEEM cheaper up front but it has a much higher cost than you can imagine over the long term.

Is there any way of bringing your monthly cost down if you buy an unsubsidized phone? Without leaving Verizon? Just wondering, thanks.

 

[SamuriHL]

Is there any way of bringing your monthly cost down if you buy an unsubsidized phone? Without leaving Verizon? Just wondering, thanks.

Wouldn't that be nice. VZW doesn't care if you subsidize it with them or not. All subsidizing with them does is lock you into a 2 year contract and gives you a nice healthy dose of ETF should you decide to break contract. Non-subsidizing doesn't give you any of that crap. You wanna break contract? Have at it.

 

[zachthebomb13]

Wouldn't that be nice. VZW doesn't care if you subsidize it with them or not. All subsidizing with them does is lock you into a 2 year contract and gives you a nice healthy dose of ETF should you decide to break contract. Non-subsidizing doesn't give you any of that crap. You wanna break contract? Have at it.

So, if I plan on being on Verizon for over two years, then I really get no benefit, except for telling them that they don't own me?

 

[SamuriHL]

That remains to be seen. One thing I can guarantee you....if you buy any phone through VZW, they will not willingly allow you to unlock the bootloader. If you buy it unsubsidized, that may not be true.

 

[roadpizza73]

I still occasionally have strange pipedreams about this device getting the bootloader unlocked, and then I wake up in a cold sweat.

Nibble by byte, weaning from google

 

[SamuriHL]

If you mean the OMAP4 devices, then no. Never going to happen. The OMAP4 devices are all EOL now. EOL for Bionic is in a couple weeks. Punit said we're getting JB pushed even if it's after EOL (which it will be). We can be thankful for that. But seriously, we need to be better consumers and buy devices unlocked if we expect things like custom roms and root access. We buy these locked devices and then complain that the roms don't work right and we have to :GASP: wait for someone to find a root exploit when the device gets updated! Being first (cough RAZR) is not a benefit. You notice that for ICS we already had root? That wasn't by accident. We may get lucky again in that a JB exploit has been found that should work for us but until we get the build we won't know for sure. Now, contrast that to an unlockable device....custom recovery, flash a root binary, done. Custom kernels? No problem...once you get custom recovery you're golden and can take full control over your device.

 

[snowwy66]

i don't think even the free phones can be bought supsidized for $450. that's pretty cheap. unless it's a dumb phone. if they still exist.

the note 2 i want goes for $800.

 

[zachthebomb13]

i don't think even the free phones can be bought supsidized for $450. that's pretty cheap. unless it's a dumb phone. if they still exist.

the note 2 i want goes for $800.

Nexus 4 was $250 unsubsidized i thought.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2

 

[snowwy66]

Nexus 4 was $250 unsubsidized i thought.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2

i'm seeing those for $219. RECERTIFIED.

the droid 4 is $500.

and looking at V's websight. looks like the brand new samsung note2 isn't even available anymore. WTF.
7 DROID PHONES. htc and moto brands. nothing samsung whatsoever.

and to think all there reps say all phones are carried 2 years. even though the bionic was only sold 12 months.

 

[SamuriHL]

Droid is a branding so you won't see any samsung droid phones. If we're lucky we won't see any more moto droid phones either. That droid label is one of the things that gives vzw so much control. As for pricing go look at developer phones. Why would you look on vzw's website to find unsubsidized phone prices? All you'll get there is their retail prices which isn't the same thing. We're talking about buying from a non vzw source such as the play store.

Sent from my Xoom using Tapatalk HD

 

[SamuriHL]

https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...phones?playredirect=true&hl=en&token=Z7ClUQes

See my point now?

Sent from my Xoom using Tapatalk HD

 

[bigv5150]

Pretty impressive specs for 300.00 which most subsidized phones cost. Plus no locked bootloader no endless waiting for updates. I may really go this route I am curious about the x phone and want to see what moto Google come up with. But if I'm not blown away it's bye bye moto.

 

[Ry]

Droid is a branding so you won't see any samsung droid phones. If we're lucky we won't see any more moto droid phones either. That droid label is one of the things that gives vzw so much control. As for pricing go look at developer phones. Why would you look on vzw's website to find unsubsidized phone prices? All you'll get there is their retail prices which isn't the same thing. We're talking about buying from a non vzw source such as the play store.

Sent from my Xoom using Tapatalk HD

After the Samsung DROID Charge.

The full-retail price is the unsubsidized price though.

 

[Ry]

Pretty impressive specs for 300.00 which most subsidized phones cost. Plus no locked bootloader no endless waiting for updates. I may really go this route I am curious about the x phone and want to see what moto Google come up with. But if I'm not blown away it's bye bye moto.

At $300, I'd bet someone is subsidizing the cost of the phone (probably Google). The Play Store is a bit misleading. There has to be some sort of subsidization going on, but in the case of the Play Store, it's not a carrier.