Launching Soon?

[p08757]

Engadget Article -- Accessories showing up in Best Buy already?

Droid Bionic and HTC Merge hit Best Buy website, accessories galore -- Engadget

When? When? When?

 

[radgatt]

I hope it launches soon. I'm due for an upgrade in march and would be perfect if this were true. I hope it is!

 

[p08757]

One thing we do know is; it will probably launch between next week, and the end of the year. I hope its closer to the latter rather than the former.

 

[VideoEngineerAJS]

We actually have our company Verizon rep at the office today to take questions and without me even asking he said the Thunderbolt release date is scheduled for the 24th.

He also said that they were wanting to have the Bionic and the Thunderbolt release at around the same time but it is actually the Bionic that has been pushed back because of issues. So they are thinking at least May, maybe June.

 

[corymcnutt]

We actually have our company Verizon rep at the office today to take questions and without me even asking he said the Thunderbolt release date is scheduled for the 24th.

He also said that they were wanting to have the Bionic and the Thunderbolt release at around the same time but it is actually the Bionic that has been pushed back because of issues. So they are thinking at least May, maybe June.

That makes sense; from day one, I read it would be out in June, end of 2Q. There have been many rumours and speculation it would release earlier, but nothing concrete, certainly not from Moto or Verizon.

 

[FluxTZ]

I don't understand why the Bionic takes so much longer when its almost exactly the same phone as the Atrix. Bigger screen and less memory seems to be the only major difference though I'm sure I'm forgetting others off the top of my head.

 

[VideoEngineerAJS]

I don't understand why the Bionic takes so much longer when its almost exactly the same phone as the Atrix. Bigger screen and less memory seems to be the only major difference though I'm sure I'm forgetting others off the top of my head.

Well the Atrix isn't an LTE phone. That being the case and AT&T knowing that they were going to lose their iPhone exclusivity, I'm sure the Atrix was probably in development before the Bionic and even if they were in simultaneous development, having to deal with both LTE and CDMA antennas could easily tack on a couple of months.

 

[Hand_O_Death]

I really hope that this is not true. If the Bionic is going to take that long to be released, I may go with the Thunderbolt.

 

[grn4frk]

That makes sense; from day one, I read it would be out in June, end of 2Q. There have been many rumours and speculation it would release earlier, but nothing concrete, certainly not from Moto or Verizon.

ahh well hopefully it might be pulled ahead instead of pushed back further.

 

[DJBeanPole]

I'm expecting a later release date than originally stated. Not being in LTE I'm not that worried. I'd just like a new phone.

 

[edoublediz]

ahh well hopefully it might be pulled ahead instead of pushed back further.

LOL, thats funny!!!!! how long have you been on VZW?

 

[ChuckG73]

If the Bionic comes out in June and NVidia announced that quad core phones will be out next December.....will people wait or buy the Bionic. I have been holding on to my upgrade since August and waiting for this phone.....If I have to wait until June I will probably hold out another 6 months.

 

[corymcnutt]

If the Bionic comes out in June and NVidia announced that quad core phones will be out next December.....will people wait or buy the Bionic. I have been holding on to my upgrade since August and waiting for this phone.....If I have to wait until June I will probably hold out another 6 months.

Why wait? In another 6 months there will be even more "improvements." It's a phone for heavensake, how many cores do you need to make it function properly? If you have to have the latest and greatest, you'll never buy anything as you keep waiting for next "thing", and still be using a very obsolete phone while you wait.

 

[darkrisen]

Since this is going to be my first android based device I have been forcing myself to wait for this for a couple of reasons. I am a gamer and after seeing the footage of the optimus 2x I am convinced that dual core will be really good for that. Also being a computer nerd for a very long time I know that the more cores you have the better applications will run. I realize that not all software will be written to utilize both cores in the beginning but that doesn't matter since it will still be the same speed as every other phone out there since they are all 1 gigahertz atm anyway.

The only problem I have is that im still using a storm 2 ( was duped twice and had a storm 1 and was told that the storm 2 would fix all my issues but by the time I found out it didnt it was too late to return it. ) I am getting really really impatient because I hate my device but I know that if I let myself buy a phone right now I will be kicking my own behind for not waiting. What is bothering me the most is that pretty much all of the phones from CES are either here or will be here within a couple of weeks except for the bionic. Even the atrix which is pretty much the same phone minus the LTE radio and the extra ram. Everyone keeps saying what they are reading from all of the sites about x issues and LTE radio issues etc but I just dont buy that. Even the Xoom or whatever is almost out and its a tablet.

Im starting to think about buying a droid x online somewhere for cheap to tide me over but finding a decent price for a working one that wont take away my last upgrade/NE2 is hard to find.

 

[corymcnutt]

I too have a Storm2, although I like mine and have had no trouble with it, and I am waiting for the Bionic, also my first Android. My NE2 is up in June so hopefully it will be out a month and we can get some good reviews. I know I will miss some things about my BB, but I am assured by the Droidians that I will be able to do what I want on the Droid. That HTC TB also looks nice, but I think the Bionic will be worth the wait. I also hope that VZW has the LTE system working hand-in-hand with it's new phones.

 

[grn4frk]

LOL, thats funny!!!!! how long have you been on VZW?

Since 2004 and yeah i know... it's a hilarious thought haha

 

[still_smoking]

does this have the snapdragon processor? it is listed as a perk in the specs for the HTC thunderbolt, but not for this one. i like motorola devices but heard that netflix streaming will be on the snapdragon devices first. just wondering. thanks for any help.

 

[Preach2k]

does this have the snapdragon processor? it is listed as a perk in the specs for the HTC thunderbolt, but not for this one. i like motorola devices but heard that netflix streaming will be on the snapdragon devices first. just wondering. thanks for any help.

No it does not have a Snap Dragon Processor..

 

[The_Engine]

does this have the snapdragon processor? it is listed as a perk in the specs for the HTC thunderbolt, but not for this one. i like motorola devices but heard that netflix streaming will be on the snapdragon devices first. just wondering. thanks for any help.

Its a nvidia Tegra 2. Dual core chip.

Not sure why netflix would come on a snapdragon before anything else. I could see a certain version of android, or LTE devices. Maybe a specific deal with a manufacturer like htc. Just do see a cpu specific app making sense.

 

[swimrage]

Because Netflix worked with Qualcomm to bake the DRM coding into the MSM series Snapdragon chips rather than relay on a software solution. I have to assume it is more secure that way and helps Netflix satisfy the protection agreements it has with the Studios.
Also why Apple got Netflix first, one chip manufacturer for multiply devices. I assume once Tegra2 has a little more gravity (more phones with it and more people talking about it as a selling point) Netflix will target them for a partnership as well. My hope is they might be next in line.