BB Tour user needs help deciding on Droid or N1

[sirthanh#AC]

Hey guys! I'm a Blackberry Tour and I would like to hop on this Android bandwagon. .. but! I have one problem... Droid or N1.... I know this question has been answered a lot but I just need general questions to be answered. Not something complex or anything. I've read the whole forums to try to learn my best bout both the Droid and N1.

What type of user am I?--- Social Bug, always SMS'ing, AIM/Live Messenger, everything! Always on the web, viewing news, gadgets, forums everything. I treat my smartphone as my mini-mini-mini laptop! Tethers my phone to my Macbook occasionally. Apps? Somewhat, but wants the phone not to lag too much by multi-tasking with just a few applications. (IE: SMSing, Aim, Internet Browser) If I can get those three going all at once with no lag. Then I'm good to go.

Other minor questions:

----How bad is the physical keyboard on the droid? I had the LG Versa before and even though the keyboard was quite flat but more spaced. It was hard to use as first but at the end, I consider it to be my favorite keyboard of any phone. (out of BB Curve, Samsung Rogue, and BB Tour).. So I'm thinking I would get used to typing on the Droid and maybeee one day type without looking at the keyboard as I did with my Versa.

----Would you say the onscreen keyboard for both N1 and Droid are similar in speed and function?

----I like the AMOLED screen for the N1 because I have a zuneHD and know how awesome it is. But is the Droid not that far off from the N1 in screen brightness and contrast?

----I like a solid phone and I'm guessing the Droid wins that round. But I love to keep my phone looking like I JUST bought it.... all the time. Would it be easy to replace the housing for the Droid? Has anyone tried it? Are there good cases for the phone that is slim but will not fall of if we drop the phone? Something like Epik Case, hard rubber case.

----Speed. I heard the Droid was really fast from all the reviews and I've played with it in store a couple of times. But I was wondering if it's still fast under real world conditions. Installing apps, running multiple programs, browsing, etc... is the phone flawless as people say? Or would the N1 outpace this baby like nothing?

----Let's say you had the choice to pick right now which phone to get. Even if you have a droid already. Which would it be?


Haha, Thanks for bearing through my long post! ANY help would be appreciated!!!

edit: Added few more questions.

 

[that1bb]

If I could, I would get the N1 in a heartbeat. I chose the Droid over the Eris because of its speed and screen resolution, and being that my early upgrade option was only for the Droid or storm 2, it made my decision that much easier. I very rarely use the physical keyboard. I can type much faster with the on screen one. My wife always uses the physical keyboard. It is all a matter of preference.
The N1 will definitely give you a much better selection of solid cases than the Droid will. I am still waiting (and wishing) that someone will develop a case that encloses the entire phone like an otterbox. I have a seidio case on my droid and love it. They are a little pricey, but very solid. I have dropped it already with no yard sale effect. It stayed in one piece without a scratch. I do love my Droid though, and am so glad I made the switch. The screen is very nice. The N1's screen should be even better and use less power than the Droid.
As a daily user, the Droid smokes the storm. You can't beat the customization and usefulness of the many Widgets available for android. The Droid handles everything I throw at it with no prob.
One big thing about the Droid that I have found is it gets much better reception than my blackberries did. I am not so sure how it will be for the N1. You can't really go wrong either way. I hope this helps, and welcome to the exciting new world of android.

 

[Adiliyo]

how is the networks coverage in your location? unless you're talking about the n1 on verizon and are going to wait, see how both networks compare in your area.

if network coverage is equal, go to the store and try the keyboard. personally it's nice to have a hard keyboard, but i almost never use it, so i would trade the keyboard for some thinness and lightness.

i have a feeling the screen quality in normal use will be comparable, with the possible advantage going to the droid as it will be harder to washout the screen in sunlight.

from what most people who have handled both devices are saying the speed (right now) is roughly equal in usage, however the n1 will probably be a little more future proof as it seems most handset makers are kind of skipping over the chipset in the droid in favor of the snapdragon, so there might be more optimization for it in the long run.

my droid is running quite fast and i don't see any real lag, however having double the ram on the n1 is kind of nice..more is always better right?

as far as construction, the droid is by far the most robust phone i've handled in a while, but that will come at a cost, the phone is heavier than most, not a big deal (to me) but something to keep in mind.

for me, as much as i like my droid, my inner geek will probably force me to get the n1 on verizon once it comes out just because it's new. but you really can't go wrong either way, just weight the experiences they both offer and see which one resonates with you more.

 

[simp_10]

I have and love the Droid. That being said I am jealous of the Speech to Text anywhere capabilities the N1 has. You can hit the speaker button on the keyboard and speak an entire email, sms, search, tweet, etc. I watched a youtube video, sorry no llink, and it was working flawless. This somewhat reduces the need for a true hardware keyboard.

Also cannot forget the great coverage of Verizon vs. Tmo....unless you can wait unitl the N1 is available with Verizon.

 

[sirthanh#AC]

Thanks for info guys!
@that1bb: Thanks! I'm sure I will enjoy the android platform as soon as I pick the right one!
@Adiliyo: T-Mobile has no coverage inside my own room. Lol. So I would wait 'til spring to get the N1 if I went that route.

Lemme try to compile all this..

1. Keyboard is useful but not really needed because you'll end up using the onscreen software keyboard.
---- I like physical keyboards because of my large clumsy fingers. But willing to drop the keyboard if the onscreen is on par with that of iPod and iPhone. And since both the N1 and Droid does not have multitouch screens (like the iphone). Does the screen have a hard time keeping pace with your inputs like an iPhone? I can ram through the keyboard on an iPhone and it would still keep up pace because of the multitouch. Possible to root MT into the keyboard? And Swpe is very promising if it allows me to text with one hand. **not trying to make this an android versus iphone thread. lol**


2. Droid can hold its own with speed but N1 is more future proof. Somewhat like how the iPhone only needs to upgrade once a year and still be just as good as most other phones. But I think I upgrade phones way too much anyways so I don't mind.
---- Would it be smart to buy the Droid on eBay for around $400 and sell it later if I decide to like the N1? Probably sell the Droid for around $200 and use that money towards my annual upgrade coming up in May to get the N1 and not lose money. Hmm...

3. I like the Droid solid heavy build over the N1. It keeps the phone feeling steady in my hands. Or else I would not even notice if I dropped the phone out of my pocket. And I drop stuff easily Lol. Droid got this plus from me!

4. Can't go wrong either way. Now I'm leaning more towards the Droid now, and maybe the N1 in the future if it still catches my interest.

edit: Didn't want to double post.

Towards the above post:
i forgottt bout that feature. Droid does not have this speech to text feature? I think it's a 2.0.1 feature or N1 only for the moment?

 

[jlgraham]

I have and love the Droid. That being said I am jealous of the Speech to Text anywhere capabilities the N1 has. You can hit the speaker button on the keyboard and speak an entire email, sms, search, tweet, etc. I watched a youtube video, sorry no llink, and it was working flawless. This somewhat reduces the need for a true hardware keyboard.

Also cannot forget the great coverage of Verizon vs. Tmo....unless you can wait unitl the N1 is available with Verizon.

This feature is part of Android 2.1, so when the Droid is updated we will get that too. =]

Here's what you should look at:

The features (Software, apps, etc) for the Droid and the N1 will be basically the same. And all the features of Android 2.1 will soon be on the Droid.

The form factor: Do you prefer the physical keyboard or can you live with touch screen only? If you can live with just the screen, you might as well shed that extra weight.

Network: Unless your going to wait for the N1 on Verizon, you should see which carrier has better coverage in your area. Verizon's coverage is brilliant, T-mobile not so much. But it does depend on where you live, and T-Mobile just upgraded their 3G network and is in the process of updating it further (21MBPS!).

Summary: Want a real keyboard? Droid
Don't need real keyboard? Might as well get the Nexus, unless T-Mo cant hack it where you live. Same stuff, thinner faster package.

 

[Adiliyo]

the non multitouch keyboard keeps up with me for the most part. but i'm also no super mega fast texter.

the droid will be fine for at least a year, you shouldn't notice any issues with the hardware not keeping pace with the software. i think we'll see a bigger jump in cell phone hardware performance once tegra2 phones start rolling out.

 

[simp_10]

This feature is part of Android 2.1, so when the Droid is updated we will get that too. =]

That is good news! I thought I read...on one of the hundreds of articles...that it was specific to the HTC device. Thanks for the correction.

 

[Integrals]

I have and love the Droid. That being said I am jealous of the Speech to Text anywhere capabilities the N1 has. You can hit the speaker button on the keyboard and speak an entire email, sms, search, tweet, etc. I watched a youtube video, sorry no llink, and it was working flawless. This somewhat reduces the need for a true hardware keyboard.

Also cannot forget the great coverage of Verizon vs. Tmo....unless you can wait unitl the N1 is available with Verizon.

The speak to txt is the same on the droid (software wise), there are apps to enable it for everything...no real new features the N1 has over the droid

 

[simp_10]

The speak to txt is the same on the droid (software wise), there are apps to enable it for everything...no real new features the N1 has over the droid

Can you elaborate on which apps will enable it in 2.0.1?

 

[Fatasaurus]

i agree with @Adiliyo. It basically comes down to what form factor you want and how many homescreens u want. Those are basically the only the differences between the 2 phones. Oh and the N1 has a better cam, but in return the Droid has the better LOOKING screen. The N1 has the better hardware but the Droid makes better use of its hardware. So its a toss up. They both have a lot of potential for upgrading the OS and both will offer u the best Android experience available.

 

[sirthanh#AC]

I just went ahead and bought a Droid on eBay for $416 shipped. I think it's a great deal because it came with a Seidio Innocase Surface and a Verizon Leather Case. Should be expecting it on Tues or Weds!

 

[CrackberryMike]

Hey guys! I'm a Blackberry Tour and I would like to hop on this Android bandwagon. .. but! I have one problem... Droid or N1.... I know this question has been answered a lot but I just need general questions to be answered. Not something complex or anything. I've read the whole forums to try to learn my best bout both the Droid and N1.

What type of user am I?--- Social Bug, always SMS'ing, AIM/Live Messenger, everything! Always on the web, viewing news, gadgets, forums everything. I treat my smartphone as my mini-mini-mini laptop! Tethers my phone to my Macbook occasionally. Apps? Somewhat, but wants the phone not to lag too much by multi-tasking with just a few applications. (IE: SMSing, Aim, Internet Browser) If I can get those three going all at once with no lag. Then I'm good to go.

Other minor questions:

----How bad is the physical keyboard on the droid? I had the LG Versa before and even though the keyboard was quite flat but more spaced. It was hard to use as first but at the end, I consider it to be my favorite keyboard of any phone. (out of BB Curve, Samsung Rogue, and BB Tour).. So I'm thinking I would get used to typing on the Droid and maybeee one day type without looking at the keyboard as I did with my Versa.

----Would you say the onscreen keyboard for both N1 and Droid are similar in speed and function?

----I like the AMOLED screen for the N1 because I have a zuneHD and know how awesome it is. But is the Droid not that far off from the N1 in screen brightness and contrast?

----I like a solid phone and I'm guessing the Droid wins that round. But I love to keep my phone looking like I JUST bought it.... all the time. Would it be easy to replace the housing for the Droid? Has anyone tried it? Are there good cases for the phone that is slim but will not fall of if we drop the phone? Something like Epik Case, hard rubber case.

----Speed. I heard the Droid was really fast from all the reviews and I've played with it in store a couple of times. But I was wondering if it's still fast under real world conditions. Installing apps, running multiple programs, browsing, etc... is the phone flawless as people say? Or would the N1 outpace this baby like nothing?

----Let's say you had the choice to pick right now which phone to get. Even if you have a droid already. Which would it be?


Haha, Thanks for bearing through my long post! ANY help would be appreciated!!!

edit: Added few more questions.

How bad is the physical keyboard on the droid? Would you say the onscreen keyboard for both N1 and Droid are similar in speed and function? You need to try it and make this decision for yourself. I myself came form the Tour and almost never use the KB because I'm a beast with the on-screen kb.

I like the AMOLED screen for the N1 because I have a zuneHD and know how awesome it is. But is the Droid not that far off from the N1 in screen brightness and contrast? again...personal preference.

I like a solid phone and I'm guessing the Droid wins that round. I would agree with your original assessment but you may ultimately believe the N1 seems sturdier due to no moving parts (sans trackball) My case is not thin; it is more for protection.

-Speed. Seemingly under the same conditions, with a faster and an updated OS the N1 would be faster.

Let's say you had the choice to pick right now. I have the Droid right now, so I would have no reason to jump on the N1. If I didn't already have one I would pick the N1 merely due to the faster processor, and the OLED screen if it is an improvement. Of course if you want a physical kb...