Verizon Motorola Droid Turbo 95% of what I was hoping for, not ready to be my daily driver

[nteeman]

Re: 95% of what I was hoping for, not ready to be my daily driver

I must admit i am thoroughly frustrated! Over the summer I was looking to replace my HTC Rezound (great phone in its day but its day has passed) and was checking out the Moto X (orig). The sales rep advised me to wait for the new Moto X that was coming so I did. The Moto X 2014 is a nice phone but I found the battery capacity and memory options (no sd card slot) very discouraging. So then I waited for the Turbo Droid. OK, the specs are great but as noted in many threads here, there are several issues with this phone.
As I do not have an upgrade available so I will have to pay full price. Even the $100 trade in is not applicable(I tried).
So I went to a Verizon store and tried the phone. Yes the call volume is very low. Applied the remove voice privacy fix and it did improve but still not great. I really wanted this phone but now I can't seem to get myself to buy it. I tried the GalaxyS5, HTC M8 and Remix, Sony Z3 and well - I did not fall in love with any of them. Now what? The Note 4 and coming Nexus 6 are too big for my taste.
I really need a new phone but nothing appeals to me. Any suggestions?
I was thinking of maybe getting a refurbished GS5 to hold me until my next upgrade 6/2016? Open to any suggestions.

 

[xweb10]

Re: 95% of what I was hoping for, not ready to be my daily driver

Yeah, I know, Q10, go ahead.

Why not a Z30?

 

[CharlieL3]

Re: 95% of what I was hoping for, not ready to be my daily driver

I have had no problems with the call volume, and I have both Voice Privacy and the Sound Settings enabled. I also wear hearing aids, and I have no problem with the phone volume when either wearing the hearing aids or not wearing them.

 

[billbrobaggins]

Re: 95% of what I was hoping for, not ready to be my daily driver

I find it odd that the call volume is an issue for anyone, maybe book an appointment with an ENT doc

I don't even have the volume at 100%

Am I missing something? I feel left out :-(

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[heyeaglefn]

Re: 95% of what I was hoping for, not ready to be my daily driver

I find it odd that the call volume is an issue for anyone, maybe book an appointment with an ENT doc

I don't even have the volume at 100%

Am I missing something? I feel left out :-(

Posted via the Android Central App

You must have a defective phone because call volume is significantly lower on this phone for my wife and my phone compared to Moto X and Droid Maxx.

You can tell that it is only coming out the right speaker, which is a clear defect.

 

[nteeman]

Re: 95% of what I was hoping for, not ready to be my daily driver

Well as I tried the DT in the store and compared with other phones (HTC M8, GS5, Sony Z3) and there was a considerable difference in the phone call volume between all those phones and the DT. The others had volume to spare while the DT had the setting fixed and turned up to the max volume and was barely usable. If it is my hearing then why did the other phones sound so much better?

 

[anon(5630457)]

Your sidestepping here now. If a person paid full price be it edge or full outright or stuck to a 2 year contract why should somebody live with a phone they think is not good. I like this phone but the tinny sound and bad camera is why I am returning it because I don't want to deal with a bad camera for about 20 months

I don't know what phone you're using but the camera on the Turbo isn't bad at all.

Posted via the blazing fast Motorola Droid Turbo (64 GB).

 

[heyeaglefn]

Re: 95% of what I was hoping for, not ready to be my daily driver

Well as I tried the DT in the store and compared with other phones (HTC M8, GS5, Sony Z3) and there was a considerable difference in the phone call volume between all those phones and the DT. The others had volume to spare while the DT had the setting fixed and turned up to the max volume and was barely usable. If it is my hearing then why did the other phones sound so much better?

It's not your hearing, it is a defect. It works fine if you put your ear only up to the right speaker, but that is an awkward angle for most people to hold the phone at.

 

[markymark]

Re: 95% of what I was hoping for, not ready to be my daily driver

I must admit i am thoroughly frustrated! Over the summer I was looking to replace my HTC Rezound (great phone in its day but its day has passed) and was checking out the Moto X (orig). The sales rep advised me to wait for the new Moto X that was coming so I did. The Moto X 2014 is a nice phone but I found the battery capacity and memory options (no sd card slot) very discouraging. So then I waited for the Turbo Droid. OK, the specs are great but as noted in many threads here, there are several issues with this phone.
As I do not have an upgrade available so I will have to pay full price. Even the $100 trade in is not applicable(I tried).
So I went to a Verizon store and tried the phone. Yes the call volume is very low. Applied the remove voice privacy fix and it did improve but still not great. I really wanted this phone but now I can't seem to get myself to buy it. I tried the GalaxyS5, HTC M8 and Remix, Sony Z3 and well - I did not fall in love with any of them. Now what? The Note 4 and coming Nexus 6 are too big for my taste.
I really need a new phone but nothing appeals to me. Any suggestions?
I was thinking of maybe getting a refurbished GS5 to hold me until my next upgrade 6/2016? Open to any suggestions.

I'm in the same boat, contact is up in a couple weeks, was all set to get the Turbo until some of these reports started coming in. I am leaning towards HTC M8. Also looking at the Remix. Just curious, what did you not like about the M8? The only negative I see is the size of the phone is a little big relative to screen size. The front speakers take up a good amount of space, plus the bezel could be smaller. Other than that I can't find any negatives with the M8. To me, it has many pluses over the Turbo...much better sound, sd card slot, ir blaster, supports voice & data. Plus it has the old fashioned LED notification which I prefer over the Moto active notifications. Don't need my phone screen pulsing on and off all the time. Also it's not as heavy as the Turbo. On the minus side obviously the M8 has a smaller battery. But from what I have read it will easily get you through a day. Plus if you are buying the phone outright, the M8 is cheaper I believe.

 

[nteeman]

Re: 95% of what I was hoping for, not ready to be my daily driver

I'm in the same boat, contact is up in a couple weeks, was all set to get the Turbo until some of these reports started coming in. I am leaning towards HTC M8. Also looking at the Remix. Just curious, what did you not like about the M8? The only negative I see is the size of the phone is a little big relative to screen size. The front speakers take up a good amount of space, plus the bezel could be smaller. Other than that I can't find any negatives with the M8. To me, it has many pluses over the Turbo...much better sound, sd card slot, ir blaster, supports voice & data. Plus it has the old fashioned LED notification which I prefer over the Moto active notifications. Don't need my phone screen pulsing on and off all the time. Also it's not as heavy as the Turbo. On the minus side obviously the M8 has a smaller battery. But from what I have read it will easily get you through a day. Plus if you are buying the phone outright, the M8 is cheaper I believe.

I agree with everything you say and I may end up with the M8 or Remix - the only negative besides the size of the non-replaceable battery is the fact that it will probably be upgraded to a M9 this spring and I would hate to pay $600 now for a phone that will be discounted in a few months when the M9 comes out. Maybe a used (Certified) M8 would satisfy me. I don't know - I rather have a new phone. For now I think I will just wait. Maybe come Thanksgiving/Christmas Verizoin will have a deal I can live with for one of these phones.

 

[MA2GA28]

Re: 95% of what I was hoping for, not ready to be my daily driver

The sound being low, as well as the use of the right ear speaker only, are things that can be fixed with a OTA system update (a previous phone I own suffered from the same volume issue, which was improved with an update). Personally, I agree that it isn't AS loud as it could be, but the level it is at now isn't unacceptable. Also, the only way you'd notice the right speaker issue is if you had your ear over the left speaker, which is a more awkward position IMO. Even in the center, the sound isn't that bad.

Camera, that's a matter of opinion. Obviously an iPhone will have a better camera, and maybe even a Samsung (though the Turbo camera seems to be more on-par with the Samsung cameras). As you are coming from using both phones, per your signature, that is probably why you don't like the Turbo's camera.

 

[nteeman]

Re: 95% of what I was hoping for, not ready to be my daily driver

The sound being low, as well as the use of the right ear speaker only, are things that can be fixed with a OTA system update (a previous phone I own suffered from the same volume issue, which was improved with an update). Personally, I agree that it isn't AS loud as it could be, but the level it is at now isn't unacceptable. Also, the only way you'd notice the right speaker issue is if you had your ear over the left speaker, which is a more awkward position IMO. Even in the center, the sound isn't that bad.

Camera, that's a matter of opinion. Obviously an iPhone will have a better camera, and maybe even a Samsung (though the Turbo camera seems to be more on-par with the Samsung cameras). As you are coming from using both phones, per your signature, that is probably why you don't like the Turbo's camera.

I must admit the sales reps in the store I was in were not very helpful - they did not care if I bought a phone or not (VZW store in Manhattan). I do plan to check the DT more in one of the stores out where I live and give the DT another chance. The specs are great I just fear getting a $600 lemon. I can be convinced. We will see.
Thanks all for your remarks.

 

[wolf_walker]

Re: 95% of what I was hoping for, not ready to be my daily driver

Volume isn't bad on mine fwiw. It has a fuller sound calling myself vi my HD voip line at work compared to the GS4.
I don't have cell access on the GS4 anymore or I'd put a dB meter on it and see.
People here different frequencies at different levels, for example I have a big drop in sensitivity in my right ear
at around 1Khz, using headphones I'll often hear certain vocals off to one side a bit, but everything else is equal so I can't just turn the balance control to
center the vocals, it takes more involved per-channel EQ use to get things sounding "normal".
So volume is highly dependant and subjective. But I can say with moderate surety as a sometimes-audiophile that is more
aware of the faults in his hearing than most that it isn't objectionably low on my DT.
Everyone should get a hearing test every few years, just to know if they are hearing something truly odd or if it's an effect of
deficient hearing ability.

I wouldn't be surprised if the voice speaker and the regular speaker are one in the same either, low volume on digital
devices, within reason, is almost always software. If they get enough complaints they might bump it up, or if we get root
access there are ways to increase it ones own self as well. None of that helps right now if you can't hear the thing of course but
it's there.

 

[Masheen]

Re: 95% of what I was hoping for, not ready to be my daily driver

I really think it's in the way we hold the phone. I too have found that I needed to shift the top of the phone a bit to get get the speaker to lineup with my ear canal. Honestly, I've had to do this with just about every phone I've ever owned.

 

[BigCTM]

Re: 95% of what I was hoping for, not ready to be my daily driver

I have the M8 and it has this exact same issue and it drives me crazy. I have to put my ear right next to the speaker to hear the other person and even then it's not that loud.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[heyeaglefn]

Re: 95% of what I was hoping for, not ready to be my daily driver

I really think it's in the way we hold the phone. I too have found that I needed to shift the top of the phone a bit to get get the speaker to lineup with my ear canal. Honestly, I've had to do this with just about every phone I've ever owned.

You don't have to do it with the Maxx.

 

[Closingracer]

Re: 95% of what I was hoping for, not ready to be my daily driver

I don't know what phone you're using but the camera on the Turbo isn't bad at all.

Posted via the blazing fast Motorola Droid Turbo (64 GB).

I was using the droid turbo.... Motorola is known to had pretty bad cameras and the turbo follows...

 

[heyeaglefn]

Re: 95% of what I was hoping for, not ready to be my daily driver

The sound being low, as well as the use of the right ear speaker only, are things that can be fixed with a OTA system update (a previous phone I own suffered from the same volume issue, which was improved with an update). Personally, I agree that it isn't AS loud as it could be, but the level it is at now isn't unacceptable. Also, the only way you'd notice the right speaker issue is if you had your ear over the left speaker, which is a more awkward position IMO. Even in the center, the sound isn't that bad.

Camera, that's a matter of opinion. Obviously an iPhone will have a better camera, and maybe even a Samsung (though the Turbo camera seems to be more on-par with the Samsung cameras). As you are coming from using both phones, per your signature, that is probably why you don't like the Turbo's camera.

Doesn't how you have the phone depend on which ear you are using? Or are you suggesting it would be an awkward position no matter what ear you use?

 

[Liquidretro]

Re: 95% of what I was hoping for, not ready to be my daily driver

Interesting. I did the opposite of you. Note 4 to the turbo

Posted via the Android Central App

What made you dislike the Note 4? I am trying to decide between the N4 and Turbo and leaning on the Note 4 after reading around on the forums here.

 

[wolf_walker]

Re: 95% of what I was hoping for, not ready to be my daily driver

I really think it's in the way we hold the phone. I too have found that I needed to shift the top of the phone a bit to get get the speaker to lineup with my ear canal. Honestly, I've had to do this with just about every phone I've ever owned.

Certainly could be, all speakers, even tiny one's, radiate different frequencies in a slightly different pattern, and everyone's ear is physically different inside.
I moved mine around a bit and heard less difference than I have with some devices, but that's just one mans ear so to speak.