Charge vs Fascinate: Is it worth it?

[cordoni]

Hey guys. I am currently using a Voodoo Community Rom Samsung Fascinate. I love the phone, but have been eying the Charge. Now I do not have 4G yet in my area, but likely will within the next 6 months or so, and the main city I travel to on weekends does.

Here is my question, from you all that had both the Fascinate and the Charge, is it worth the upgrade? How much performance difference would I see? When it is all said and done, I would be shelling out $450 for the phone, case, and screen protector, if I sell my Fascinate. Just want some opinions. Thanks.

 

[whitenessj]

my reasoning is simple> there is ALWAYS a newer device out there.. i mean "wait for the s2 and then what debate how the Bionic's specs will ship?? Wait for the new Droid 3 that was just announced w/o LTe??" it will go forever. If your eligible and you see a new phone . go get it and worst case Ebay is a loverly place

 

[davey11]

cordoni,

I am in the same boat as you. I currently have a fasc and seeing as how it is so mature in its development life, it will be tough moving to a phone with so little dev time. My fascinate is just so modded and hacked and with the plethora of themes it is such a pleasure to use.
As far as performance, I doubt you will see much improvement, but it will have a slightly better screen.
I too, am not currently in a 4g area, but with all the talk about vz to move into tiered data plans, I would like to get a 4g device to lock in my unlimited plan.
With the recent rooting of ed2 and chatting to imnuts on irc, there will definitely be some goodies coming down the pike soon.
So with all that, I will be getting my charge Wednesday, after fulfilling my early discount termination fee contract from wirefly. After the SGSII comes out, I will drop SC and get that. What can I say, I am a phone freak and you gotta pay to play.

In the end, is it worth it? Only you can answer that.

 

[imnuts]

The biggest reason to get a Charge over the Fascinate is just for unlimited LTE. The device is better IMO, but unless you want to lock in unlimited LTE now, it would just be a waste for most users.

 

[saillling4life]

Although the specs for the Charge aren't very impressive, from what I've seen and heard in day-to-day use the device is very quick. I don't live in a 4g area (coming late this year, early next), and am considering this greatly. If I where you I would go ahead and get the Charge.

 

[cordoni]

Thanks guys. Still thinking, so keep the opinions coming. I would be especially interested in hearing your views, davey11, when you get yours this week.

Sent from my SCH-I500 using Tapatalk

 

[rescueswimmer]

My mom has a fascinate and after playing with them side by side there. Is no comparison with the super amoled yes they specs r close but if your running a custom rom may want to keep your ear to the pavement for the end of the unlimited data plant


Sent from my SCH-I510 using Tapatalk

 

[czm2000]

Although the specs for the Charge aren't very impressive, from what I've seen and heard in day-to-day use the device is very quick. I don't live in a 4g area (coming late this year, early next), and am considering this greatly. If I where you I would go ahead and get the Charge.

It's actually surprisingly quick. I don't know why cause according to the specs it shouldn't be. But for me its faster than my Incredible, Fascinate, or Droid X were. Not by a ton, but definitely noticeable. I'm not sure why. I just know I've had the phone for almost a month now and that's nore than long enough for the honey moon to be over. And my experience hasn't changed.

Sent from my SCH-I510 using Tapatalk

 

[TrendyProfessional1]

Although the specs for the Charge aren't very impressive, from what I've seen and heard in day-to-day use the device is very quick. I don't live in a 4g area (coming late this year, early next), and am considering this greatly. If I where you I would go ahead and get the Charge.

I agree this device is very responsive, it loads web pages pretty quick. Even when not in LTE
coverage. It is a very good phone. I will definitely be waiting for the SGS2. On another note
since VZ hasn't released their new phones Motorolas. I went into an AT&T stor to see what the
Charge screen was like compared to the Atrix. I have to say, it is brilliant. Also compared it to a Fascinate. Beats the screen not by much. But it does, and u know that is saying something.
I am liking this phone

 

[rescueswimmer]

I agree dont get all wrapped up in the quadrant scores. Etc. In real world use it is pretty quick i am very very impressed with the charge.


Sent from my SCH-I510 using Tapatalk

 

[cordoni]

Thanks to all of you for your responses. I think for now, I will wait it out. Thanks again.

Sent from my SCH-I500 using Tapatalk

 

[mrblahblah]

One reason to update is the unlimited data plan that is available right now, in which the future Verizon will definitely remove.

 

[Kamar234]

Well I think I can really help you. I have both the charge and the fascinate sitting next to me right now. I broke my Fascinate's screen two days ago, and rather pay my deductible of 100, I decided to pay 200 upgrade to a family plan, get the charge and lock in unlimited 4g. I spoke to the rep that I purchased the phone from and confirmed with verizon wireless that while I would be grandfathered into an unlimited 3g plan, 3g and 4g are in fact coded differently in their systems, even though they are the same price, and are seen as different enough where you would have to get the new tiered plan. That was all I needed to hear. I have a fascinate running on gingerbread and the froyo on the charge, and the charge is noticeably quicker to do most things. Both phones are connected to the same wifi connection too. The charge is a superior phone. One interesting thing is the new yellowish tint on the screen, with the charge. Kind of like the Nexus S. Well, I hope that this info helps you. Lock in that 4g unlimited, you'll be sorry you didn't!

 

[NickA]

Lock in that 4g unlimited, you'll be sorry you didn't!

I have a Fascinate, so if I have a current contract with unlimited, it will be grandfathered in to the unlimited data. But are you saying because it's not 4g that when it's time for me to upgrade, and I select a 4g phone, the 4g won't be unlimited?

 

[MrBigFeathers]

I have a Fascinate, so if I have a current contract with unlimited, it will be grandfathered in to the unlimited data. But are you saying because it's not 4g that when it's time for me to upgrade, and I select a 4g phone, the 4g won't be unlimited?

That's right. You are locked in for unlimited 3G data. If you switch to a 4G phone it is essentially a different plan. The one downside I see is those of us waiting for the Galaxy S2 we don't know for sure if it's going to be 3G or LTE. So you might actually be screwed going to the Charge now and if the Galaxy S2 is 3G it would be a plan switch to go from the Charge.

 

[NickA]

So then if I get the Charge now, I'm locked into the 4G unlimited plan. But I only have 3G in my area right now, so what then? But the city I travel to almost daily has 4G. I think they are grouping 3G and 4G, other wise how would they bill you? They can't bill you tiered when you are using 3G, and unlimited when using 4G/

 

[MrBigFeathers]

So then if I get the Charge now, I'm locked into the 4G unlimited plan. But I only have 3G in my area right now, so what then? But the city I travel to almost daily has 4G. I think they are grouping 3G and 4G, other wise how would they bill you? They can't bill you tiered when you are using 3G, and unlimited when using 4G/

Well 4G uses a SIM card where 3G does not. We have a corporate verizon account and one of our users went from a blackberry to a Thunderbolt to an iPhone. Each switch required a call to verizon to move them from 3G plan to 4G back to 3G. We couldn't just change the ESN via the website like I can between my Incredible and Fascinate. So I don't know what to make of that. It seems they view it as a plan change. Maybe they will let you switch between 4G and 3G after the tiered plans hit but knowing Verizon I'm sure they will use that opportunity to gouge their customers.

 

[TrendyProfessional1]

Even though I have the Charge I would try and hold out for the SGS2, I have a couple of upgrades left this year and the SGSII variant for VZ will be my next one

 

[TrendyProfessional1]

The Charge does have DDR2 ram

 

[jkeene81]

I came over to the Charge from a Fascinate running the Community ROM too, here are my feelings. First belive it or not the screen is much nicer on the Charge, the camera takes way better photos so if you snap alot of pics like me its a big plus, running Voodoo on this phone is still alot faster seemingly then my overclocked Voodoo Fascinate, Im in a 3G area so with no 4G to drain my battery the Charge gets better battery life then my Fascinate ever did, not to mention the GPS always works! Even if you get tired of it there is always ebay or Swappa.com!