Anything better than the Strat?

[kelton]

I recently broke my stratosphere after owning it for four months or so.

So, now I'm going to have to buy a phone on my own.

The Strat is a dated phone in terms of internal hardware, but I'm having trouble finding a "cool! new phone!" that has it's features.

*physical keyboard
*extended battery (never a battery issue even with hard use all day)

With all the phones that seem to be coming out monthly, none share these features??? unbelievable.

So, I'm thinking I'm going to have to buy the same phone again.

That's ok, I guess,.... but was hoping that this broken phone would at least allow me to re-look at the cool, new phones that have arrived over the past few months.

Even the phones with no keyboard are uninteresting. They are either have a fixed battery or ... with the Nexus.... crazy bad speakerphone and other known issues.

In the mean time, I'm using my blackberry 9650.... which is, frankly, faster in the way it allows me to handle emails and texts (and with one hand)...and the audio is better at the earpiece and speakerphone. It is also way more durable and small.

Otherwise, it lacks in all other areas.

I'd be willing to try a pure, glass slab phone if it was a clear winner, but not looking forward to it. I create documents with my phone, and it is easier to format and move around with cursor keys.

 

[chase2hoop]

The Droid 4 is 4G, Has a QWERTY keyboard, and is supposed to be updated to ICS I think.

 

[BergerKing]

I was locked into the keyboard mentality, myself. Many of the virtual keyboards I tried weren't satisfactory, especially on iPhone.

However, a 4+ inch screen and haptic feedback have completely changed my tone. Don't shy away from giving it a try, I'm not as fast yet, but I'm getting there.

 

[kelton]

The glass keyboard is problematic in that it takes an additional notch of focus to operate.... but most of all, it necessarily takes up screen real estate.

This makes it difficult to format things.

It is rather odd that the Stratosphere (considered "old tech" even when it first appeared) is still the only one that fits my criteria.

Not buggy, not slow at all, great keyboard, great screen, can buy extended battery and it lasts!, ....

oh well. I might have to consider buying the darn thing again! (boring, eh?)

 

[kelton]

It looks like I'll be re-buying a stratosphere for $80 tomorrow from a Craigslist person.

Unbelievable, I can buy any android I want... but can't find a single one that fit's my criteria beyond the Strat.

oh well... hope this thing is as solid as the one I (physically) broke.

 

[MagePhalin]

I'm going through a very similar situation with having had the microphone go out on my Stratosphere and like you I just can't seem to come up with a phone that compares with the offerings of the Strat. If you find something please keep us posted, thanks and good luck!

 

[ZachA]

Isn't the Strat 2 coming out soon why don't you get that.

Sent from my Droid Incredible 2 using Android Central Forums

 

[acejavelin]

Stratosphere 2 should be out within a month (it is thought to be one of Verizon's Black Friday surprise deals right now since the AAFES stores have gotten display dummies for that day already), although after the Stratosphere's track record I would be very hesitant to recommend it... The Droid 4 is a pretty solid phone with a physical keyboard though.