Coming to Android Need Advice

**ray142#ac** · 07-02-2012, 08:21 PM

I'm a Verizon Costumer for a long time and I'm ready for an upgrade. All of my previous to present smartphones have been Blackberry. I'm ready to make the switch to Android. I have never used android and I need some advice on what good smart android phones are in the market that you guys recommend. Im looking at The Motorola Razr Maxx and The New Samsung Galaxy S3. Any feedback is appreciated. Thanks!

**anthonycr** · 07-02-2012, 08:23 PM

I don't have any specific phone advice but I know my friend just switched from blackberry to Android without any problems. She didn't even lose her contacts or anything. It was a seamless transition.

**ray142#ac** · 07-02-2012, 08:46 PM

Sounds like a smooth transition!

**mesocyclonic** · 07-02-2012, 08:47 PM

My advice is to go into a VZW store if possible (or Best Buy or any store with display units) and spend a little time with each phone if possible. One of the great things about Android is the diversity of hardware, and it's much easier to get a feel for what the various hardware differences mean by getting to use each device, even if only for a few minutes. I don't think you can go wrong with either phone, though.

**eshropshire** · 07-03-2012, 09:22 AM

Originally Posted by mesocyclonic

My advice is to go into a VZW store if possible (or Best Buy or any store with display units) and spend a little time with each phone if possible. One of the great things about Android is the diversity of hardware, and it's much easier to get a feel for what the various hardware differences mean by getting to use each device, even if only for a few minutes. I don't think you can go wrong with either phone, though.

This is good advice, but I would go to a Verizon store to check out the phones not Best Buy. Best Buy is not a bad place to buy a phone but stinks to check out a phone, all they have are dummy phones. At Verizon you can generally check out the phones and play with them a bit.

Last year when I switched from an iPhone to Android I was very happy that I tried several phones before buying. I thought for sure I would be the Razor, but after trying it out several times I just did not find it comfortable. Find the phone you like that suits you best. Some phones get a lot of hype, but hype is not a great way to choose a phone - choose one that will work for you.

**hdtechmachinist** · 07-03-2012, 07:36 PM

Purchase plenty of chargers. One for home, car, work and any other place you spend any significant time.
People will say put battery apps on it and cut this and that off. Well, I choose to use a devise as intended and what I pay for to the fullest so I keep a charging point everywhere.

Look at the SG3

**cae2685** · 07-03-2012, 08:08 PM

+1 on the chargers. The battery life (or lack thereof) will be shocking at first. Don't buy them from Verizon, though. Those are expensive! You can get perfectly good chargers on Amazon for only a few dollars. I replaced my fiancee's car charger with a Motorola-branded one for about $4 last fall.

If you don't already use it, create a Gmail account now. You'll need a Google account anyway, and (in my opinion) nothing in Android does email better than Gmail.

Also, my vote is for the Galaxy S3.

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2

**Unobtanium** · 07-05-2012, 04:41 AM

I sort of did the same thing last year - I had (and still have) a work Blackberry, but had only a personal feature phone from Verizon. I wanted to get to an LTE phone which meant Android. I'll echo the other comments are about the battery life and the need to get into a VZW store to actually get your hands on the phones.

Also, if you decide on a protective case or a screen protector, some of those screen covers will change the experience / feel a little bit (I use a Zagg and it has a little more drag than the glass screen or the built-in protector in a aftermarket case).

At the time I chose, there were three choices - Thunderbolt, Charge, and Revolution. Had the Casio Commando been an LTE phone, I would have picked it.

The other thing you may have to get used to is the capacitive (on-screen) keyboard. Long-press on a key on Android is different than a long-press on Blackberry (long-press on Android is the equivalent of "Alt" on BB). I thought I wanted a slider, but haven been fine without. Swapping back and forth is occasionally interesting.

In current phones, I would look at the Razr Maxx (even though I really like a removable battery), the Rezound, the SG III and the new Incredible 4G. My wife has an Incredible 2 and there's a lot about that phone I like compared to my Thunderbolt. I'm not upgrade eligible before next spring, and I may just pay full retail for whatever my next phone is anyway to keep unlimited data.

**olliegrl** · 07-05-2012, 05:31 AM

if you get the razr maxx you won't need the extra chargers. unless you're literally on it 24/7 you'll be fine. on my days off i'm on it heavily for email, texting, and social networking and at the end of the day i still have a good 30% left or more.

the GS3 is a beautiful phone, but i feel like the ICS looks better on the razr (if that's a point of interest for you).

i switched from yahoo to gmail and i haven't looked back. it's so secure and dependable.

you WILL notice a drain in battery life no matter what phone you pick. I had 4 BBs in my time and man, those things can last forever! hate to say it, but it's cause BB can't do half the things android can do and that just takes power. /shrug

good luck!

**Jude526** · 07-05-2012, 10:20 PM

I left the RIM world a long time ago. Love Android. I had the original incredible and now the thunderbolt for almost a year....love HTC and this phone. If I didn't have it I would have the Rezound. Read reviews. Play with the phones. Chet is a great site too.

Sent from my Thunderbolt using Tapatalk

**ray142#ac** · 07-10-2012, 07:25 PM

Thanks for all the replys and suggestions. If you have Verizon, you know how they are about returning phones = restocking fees. Thanks for all the feedback, The two smartphones i have my eyes on are the Razr Maxx and SGS3. One last question, HTC Sense, Motorola Blur or Samsung Touchwiz? Which is more friendly user?

**cae2685** · 07-10-2012, 07:59 PM

I've used all three. None of them, in my opinion, was UNfriendly. Blur was ugly, Sense was my favorite, and I'm getting to know TouchWiz right now. I really don't think there's a bad choice, especially because you can slap another launched over it and forget about it.

Sent from my Galaxy S3 via Tapatalk

**ray142#ac** · 07-10-2012, 09:50 PM

Thanks cae2685!

Ry · 07-11-2012, 12:01 AM

Originally Posted by ray142

Thanks for all the replys and suggestions. If you have Verizon, you know how they are about returning phones = restocking fees. Thanks for all the feedback, The two smartphones i have my eyes on are the Razr Maxx and SGS3. One last question, HTC Sense, Motorola Blur or Samsung Touchwiz? Which is more friendly user?

Motorola's ICS Blur is the best manufacturer experience, IMO. I don't think the RAZR and RAZR MAXX ship with it yet, but the OTA update is available.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Android Central Forums

**ray142#ac** · 07-11-2012, 08:27 PM

Thanks for the feedback. Coming from Blackberry for 5 years and making the switch to Android, I have a complicate decision. Motorola Droid Razr Maxx or Samsung GS3. Thanks all for the Feedback. I will take all them for in consideration.

**japetty** · 07-20-2012, 04:59 AM

I own both RAZR MAXX and Samsung SIII, both are very good phones. I like the RAZR MAXX just because of its battery life. Samsung has many features which the RAZR Maxx does not have which you may like and I like them as well but the battery life is one thing I just can't get past so far unless the SIII comes out with the extended battery to use.

**johnriii** · 07-20-2012, 08:46 AM

ditto on the battery life issue. make sure you have a charging point just about everywhere, unless you get the razr maxx. being that this will be your first android device, you will probably play with it, a lot, which will kill the battery on just about every smartphone out there. of course, I have the KING of battery killers, so I speak from experience. Car, home, work, wherever you can get away with a charger, do it.

**ray142#ac** · 07-22-2012, 04:14 PM

Thanks Japetty and johnrii. japetty since you have both the Razr Maxx and GS3, you think its a good idea if i get the GS3 with an extra battery? You say GS3 has more features?

**tperry** · 07-22-2012, 10:50 PM

Originally Posted by ray142

Thanks Japetty and johnrii. japetty since you have both the Razr Maxx and GS3, you think its a good idea if i get the GS3 with an extra battery? You say GS3 has more features?

One feature it does not have, and I miss is Smart Actions. I used it for several things, like making a night mode that silenced it except for VIP persons to starting the music player when I plugged into the auxiliary plug on my Goldwing.

Tapped from my Verizon locked bootloader S III