Is the atrix worth it?

[Satkins]

Although I have never owned an android device for more than 1 month, I simply prefer the android platform over the iPhone. I want a phone that I love and that lasts me more than a year (2 years would be ideal). I understand that all technology eventually becomes outdated--and I feel that in some cases, some android phones get outdated pretty fast. The reason the atrix caught my eye is because of the dual core processor, 4g (eventually) data speeds, and the fact that the atrix has already received multiple updates. I have only heard good things about motorolas customer service.

However, I still am not sure If this phone is worth spending close to $500. I could buy through someone other than att, but I'm worried something will be damaged with it. I really want the atrix. I spent a good 30 minutes in the att store playing around with it to see if I liked it. I absolutely fell in love with it, But is it worth spending $500? Should I buy it off of amazon for $375-$400 instead? I am just nervous buying the phone through someone else could mean that if there are any hardware problems, I couldn't simply exchange it for another one. I would love to hear anybody's feedback!!

 

[Copernikus]

I have had my Atrix since Feb. This is my first Android device so I don't have really anything to compare to. With that said I absolutely love it. I compared many phones and read a great many reviews. I finally settled on the Atrix because I figured that with the duel core and the Tegra support, large capacity storage (with SD card) that it would still be a viable phone for a good while. They are doing a decent job with updates (next update is due out very soon). At this point there may be some better phones but I do not regret my decision.
As far as where to get sorry no help there I got mine from the ATT store.

 

[dalvik]

i think amazon is probably one of the best places to get the Atrix. but directly from amazon store though not a used one from someone else.... their return policy is always been good and the phone will have a one year warranty barring physical and liquid damage. I love my Atrix and i got it for $ 200 from ATT back in March when it was just released... I'd call amazon and confirm all their terms of return policy and warranty before getting the phone from them. good luck!
btw. you can always sell your phone on ebay after a couple of months and still get good money for it. I sold my year and a half old bb 9700 for $195 and that pretty much covered the price for the new Atrix

 

[Satkins]

i think amazon is probably one of the best places to get the Atrix. but directly from amazon store though not a used one from someone else.... their return policy is always been good and the phone will have a one year warranty barring physical and liquid damage. I love my Atrix and i got it for $ 200 from ATT back in March when it was just released... I'd call amazon and confirm all their terms of return policy and warranty before getting the phone from them. good luck!
btw. you can always sell your phone on ebay after a couple of months and still get good money for it. I sold my year and a half old bb 9700 for $195 and that pretty much covered the price for the new Atrix

I would definitely get it from amazon. However, I am hesitant to sell my iPhone. I want my atrix to last me
2 years (if at all possible) but what if it doesn't? I don't want to be left without anything if something does happen. Maybe I should just take a chance haha?

 

[jcdrepair]

I play with quite a few phones on a regular basis (I fix them for people) and the Atrix is one of my favorites. The speed is great, the onscreen keyboard is fantastic, it's a good sized screen without being too big (like the Evo), and all around a very nice device. If I was on AT&T, that's the phone I would buy right now (I don't have AT&T because it gets lousy reception where I live and their plans costs too much in my opinion).

Question: Assuming you are not under contract currently and you plan to use the phone for two years, why not just sign a two year contract with AT&T and get the phone for $99 (that's what it looks like the base cost is for an Atrix with a 2-year contract). You have 30 days to change your mind and return it if you don't like it and get a full refund and cancel the contract.

If you do end up liking it, your iPhone should be worth at least a couple hundred bucks and maybe a lot more (you can check Ebay to see what most people are selling them for).

 

[Kage_]

I started out on the Nexus One ATT version and now have the Atrix. The physical size of the phones is about the same, but the Atrix make better use of the size. Over all I like the phone. It's responsive, has plenty of storage, and I really like the finger print scanner. One maybe two swipes and my phone is unlocked instead of drawing the pattern. The build of the phone seems to be pretty good. I haven't had any of the issues that others have reported, like the phone getting really warm. Battery life is average, light days I'm around 50% at the end of the day, heavy days I'm squeaking at 20%, but this is w/o any charge time in the middle.

I purchased mine straight from ATT over the phone. I got the phone for $100 minus a $50 credit for some reason or another making my out of pocket $50.

I'm the same as you I wanted a phone that would last around the two year range. Sadly my N1 would still be in use if it weren't for the power button design issue that almost every N1 has and HTC refuses to fix w/o me sending it to them and paying for it.

 

[Jim Ahrman]

I've had my Atrix since mid March, i'm happy with it. My dad was going to get one, but ran out, so he went with the Infuse. As for being worth it..it's all based on user experience. I'm happy with the Atrix, it's not to big but big enough. It looks good, I think the screen looks sharper on the Infuse, but the Atrix screen isn't bad at all. Just depends on what your using it for, i'm not a huge gamer by any means, have 2 or 3 games..birds and a couple of things like that..but i use more for gps/navigation/travel..and any other..usefulness i can get out of it.
I thought about jumping to verizon, but stayed with att, since I've had luck with reception and performance from here. I at least have hpsa here... it will be years before i see any lte 4g out where i live. I have a sprint laptop card and performance is getting worse instead of better, so just decided to stick with what i've had luck with.

 

[Satkins]

Question: Assuming you are not under contract currently and you plan to use the phone for two years, why not just sign a two year contract with AT&T and get the phone for $99 (that's what it looks like the base cost is for an Atrix with a 2-year contract). You have 30 days to change your mind and return it if you don't like it and get a full refund and cancel the contract.

If you do end up liking it, your iPhone should be worth at least a couple hundred bucks and maybe a lot more (you can check Ebay to see what most people are selling them for).

I loved the atrix for all of the reasons you listed!
Okay so for Christmas of this year, I wanted an android. The best one out was the captivate. It literally took months for me to convince my iPhone die hard fan mom to get it for me for Christmas. When I got my captivate, I loved everything about android. However, when I would take my captivate off of the charger, it would automatically be down to 80% and be down to 60% in just 30 minutes. When I told my mom, she said a lot of "I told you sos" and then took me to the att store for the iPhone 4.

I wish the atrix would have been out when I got my new phone. I had to get a new phone for Christmas because my other one had broken. I really don't like my iPhone at all. And our family's account is available for one upgrade. However, I do not want to ask for an upgrade as I got this phone a little more than 6 months ago. I have a really nice summer job so I have made a lot of money and am able to buy the atrix at it's full price. I'm just trying to see if it is worth spending that much money (with tax, it's going to be about $490 from AT&T). I dont want to buy something for that much that can't last me two Years. I hope that makes sense!

Edit: if I ordered Online, I could get my atrix without tax; so it would be $450.

 

[dalvik]

actually none of my smartphones lasted me for two years. i was selling them as soon as my contract was due to an upgrade (which happens every year) and getting a new phone that was hot at the moment. I'll do the same with the Atrix by the time of my next upgrade, with the release of new quad core Kal-El processors coupled with the Ice Cream Sandwich or whetevr the new iteration of android will be at that time, Atrix will be obsolete already. I might even sell my Atrix before the upgrade date if something really serious will come up

 

[Satkins]

actually none of my smartphones lasted me for two years. i was selling them as soon as my contract was due to an upgrade (which happens every year) and getting a new phone that was hot at the moment. I'll do the same with the Atrix by the time of my next upgrade, with the release of new quad core Kal-El processors coupled with the Ice Cream Sandwich or whetevr the new iteration of android will be at that time, Atrix will be obsolete already. I might even sell my Atrix before the upgrade date if something really serious will come up

How do you have a yearly contract?
Anyways, I understand that all technology gets outdated eventually. I just really dislike iPhone--like I knew I would--and would love an android device. The atrix Is the perfect screen size and everything. And with android, how do you get bored with your phone? I am just looking to find out whether or not the atrix is going to be a reliable, working device in two years time. If anyone believes the atrix cannot last two years, I would love to hear why you think so.

 

[dalvik]

How do you have a yearly contract?
Anyways, I understand that all technology gets outdated eventually. I just really dislike iPhone--like I knew I would--and would love an android device. The atrix Is the perfect screen size and everything. And with android, how do you get bored with your phone? I am just looking to find out whether or not the atrix is going to be a reliable, working device in two years time. If anyone believes the atrix cannot last two years, I would love to hear why you think so.

I have a family plan of 4 lines, and one line is a smartphone (mine) so apparently if you have a family plan you're eligible for upgrades every year. (i think it also depends on what features you have for each line like sms, data plan insurance etc. and if you change that, your upgrade eligibility date shifts thats what the ATT rep told me) Now, about Atrix lasting for two years.... If you are a techie/gadget enthusiast like me, than none of the phones (or any other tech gadgets) will last 2 years for you, there is something new comes out every six months, and like i said in my previous post, the Nvidia tegra 2 dual core processor will be obsolete when the quadcore Tegra 3 comes out, which should happen by the end of this or beginning of the next year. the same with any other platfor iOS WP7 or what have you. by saying "obsolete" i mean that my year old Atrix won't be able to run latest games that require new chips, also the utilization of multicore processing will be better implemented with Ice cream sandwich which again, my Atrix may or may not see. On the other hand, if you are not much into gadgets and want just a normal functional phone, than yes, the Atrix will most likely last you for two years and maybe even more. Actually any high end phone that you will chose today will last you for two years....

 

[Satkins]

That definitely answers my questions. Thank you! I am not really that into gaming when it comes to my phone. I will game a little, but I am a big texter/caller.
I guess my question now is that If the atrix does not ever see ice cream sandwich, do you think it will start to lag/become useless? It is already so snappy not even running gingerbread yet. I honestly don't understand how phones can get that much better (quad processor?? Sounds intense!).

 

[dalvik]

That definitely answers my questions. Thank you! I am not really that into gaming when it comes to my phone. I will game a little, but I am a big texter/caller.
I guess my question now is that If the atrix does not ever see ice cream sandwich, do you think it will start to lag/become useless? It is already so snappy not even running gingerbread yet. I honestly don't understand how phones can get that much better (quad processor?? Sounds intense!).

LOL actually texing and calling are the LASt things i had in mind when i got my Atrix, because Atrix has an NVIDIA processor, its main aim is entertainment mostly gaming (as to be honest, tegra 2 isnt that good with HD video playback) I do a lot of web browsing on this phone and when it comes to flash video playback at 720p and higher, the phone simply can't take it. while lets say on galaxy s II the same HD flash videos play smoothly no lag at all. When there is a lot of flash content on the page Atrix lags too. not too much but its still noticeable...... So it really depends on what you are looking to do on your phone. If you have such minimal demands as texting and calling than i think even in 3 years your phone will be fine even with its curret OS froyo

 

[Satkins]

The reason I am wary of the SG2 is because of my bad experience with the captivate, samsung is known to be extremely slow with updates, and I really dislike touchwiz (but I know it can be changed). Also, I think the screen size of the atrix is perfect for me. I hated how big the screen on the infuse was. The atrix was literally perfect. I will be doing a lot of web browsing, facebook, ect. but I would definitely say texting is the most important to me. As Long as the battery lasts a full day for me (I don't Mind charging every night) and there is no lag overtime, I feel like I will be completely satisfied. I am sort of surprised the phone is selling for $99 (with 2 year contract). I feel it should be worth more.

 

[dalvik]

The reason I am wary of the SG2 is because of my bad experience with the captivate, samsung is known to be extremely slow with updates, and I really dislike touchwiz (but I know it can be changed). Also, I think the screen size of the atrix is perfect for me. I hated how big the screen on the infuse was. The atrix was literally perfect. I will be doing a lot of web browsing, facebook, ect. but I would definitely say texting is the most important to me. As Long as the battery lasts a full day for me (I don't Mind charging every night) and there is no lag overtime, I feel like I will be completely satisfied. I am sort of surprised the phone is selling for $99 (with 2 year contract). I feel it should be worth more.

battery life on this thing is really good actually. it usually lasts me for good 19 hours on a single charge with moderate use... and as a former blackberry user this is something I really like about this phone. I did purchase a spare battery just in case and so far had to use it only three times since march... with facebook set to update on a background, battery life will decrease of course but it really varies depending on everyday usage scenario. I looked at the Samsung Infuse in the store and played with it. but I found qHD display to be actually a lot crisper, easier to read and somewhat brighter than SuperAmoled+ So I think I won't be getting galaxy S II when it comes to US, and just like you mentioned, people do complain about Samsung being really slow with updates..... so far the Atrix is the perfect phone for me.... I think you should go for it. the phone has a one year warranty so you won't need an ATT equipment insurance...

 

[Satkins]

battery life on this thing is really good actually. it usually lasts me for good 19 hours on a single charge with moderate use... and as a former blackberry user this is something I really like about this phone. I did purchase a spare battery just in case and so far had to use it only three times since march... with facebook set to update on a background, battery life will decrease of course but it really varies depending on everyday usage scenario. I looked at the Samsung Infuse in the store and played with it. but I found qHD display to be actually a lot crisper, easier to read and somewhat brighter than SuperAmoled+ So I think I won't be getting galaxy S II when it comes to US, and just like you mentioned, people do complain about Samsung being really slow with updates..... so far the Atrix is the perfect phone for me.... I think you should go for it. the phone has a one year warranty so you won't need an ATT equipment insurance...

So do you suggest I get it from an AT&T store (as opposed to a like new one from amazon)? If I got it from the store it would cost me around $490. If I ordered online, it would be $449.99. The one I was looking at from amazon was under used but the seller said that he used the phone for 2 weeks and was now just trying to sell it (some of the stickers were still on the phone). He still had the box, wrapping, and everything. I think that one was $400.

 

[dalvik]

So do you suggest I get it from an AT&T store (as opposed to a like new one from amazon)? If I got it from the store it would cost me around $490. If I ordered online, it would be $449.99. The one I was looking at from amazon was under used but the seller said that he used the phone for 2 weeks and was now just trying to sell it (some of the stickers were still on the phone). He still had the box, wrapping, and everything. I think that one was $400.

you know, maybe it's just me. but I don't like buying used electronics..... if the difference between used and new online is just fifty bucks I say get the new one... if you don't have to pay tax for the one for $449 then this is probably the best deal you can get for a brand new Atrix..... but again its solely my opinion...

Edit:
in case you decide to purchase a used one, then it would be a good idea to contact motorola about transferable warranty first. I was selling my archos tablet on ebay last year and got a question from the bidder about warranty and it appears that with Archos tablets warranty is not transferable... So I'd definetely call moto prior purchasing a used device.....

 

[stockh#AC]

I do a lot of web browsing on this phone and when it comes to flash video playback at 720p and higher, the phone simply can't take it. while lets say on galaxy s II the same HD flash videos play smoothly no lag at all. When there is a lot of flash content on the page Atrix lags too. not too much but its still noticeable......

I plan on buying an Atrix and this comment caught my attention. I would have thought the dual core processor would handle browsing and flash much easier than a single core. Do you have first hand knowledge the galaxy s II being smoother or just assuming from what you read? Is it possible that motoblur could be dragging down the browsing performance?

any info is greatly appreciated.

 

[dalvik]

I plan on buying an Atrix and this comment caught my attention. I would have thought the dual core processor would handle browsing and flash much easier than a single core. Do you have first hand knowledge the galaxy s II being smoother or just assuming from what you read? Is it possible that motoblur could be dragging down the browsing performance?

any info is greatly appreciated.

here: YouTube - ‪Samsung Galaxy S II Flash in browser performance test‬‏
see how smoothly it plays on GSII. I have no hand experience with GSII of course, but you can find plenty of videos with this device. This is something that you won't see on the Atrix. Exynos chipset handles embedded flash much better than tegra 2 the Atrix plays 480p embedded videos just fine. but anything above that - it lags.
btw SGSII has a dual core 1.2 ghz

 

[attweco]

....The one I was looking at from amazon was under used but the seller said that he used the phone for 2 weeks and was now just trying to sell it (some of the stickers were still on the phone). He still had the box, wrapping, and everything. I think that one was $400.

BIG mistake to buy an Atrix, used, sight unseen, over the internet.

Atrix has been known to have hardware defects, and buyers of second-hand units have been denied warranty service. If the original owner is ditching his defective or damaged Atrix, you get caught holding the bag.

IMO, the peace-of-mind which a new purchase brings is worth the added price.

BTW, if you buy the phone from a brick-and-mortar store, you will pay your state's sales tax. If you buy a new Atrix from Amazon, you won't pay that, as they have been working very hard to avoid having to collect tax from their customers. If you buy online from ATT, you also will be charged your state's sales tax.

Finally, there have been recent posts, right here on this forum, about Atrix deals that are way better than the ones you are considering. Check this thread out:

http://forum.androidcentral.com/t-atrix/75412-atrix-price-now-free-0-01-a.html