Bionic's still coming, is defintely new hardware - XT875

[Castor Troy]

So what is the GSII?

Galaxy S 2.....stellar piece of equipment. It will be the best handset to hit Verizon in 2011 I believe.

 

[shobuddy]

Galaxy S 2.....stellar piece of equipment. It will be the best handset to hit Verizon in 2011 I believe.

Whaa? And this is a 4G phone?

 

[DolfanCole]

Whaa? And this is a 4G phone?

No. It's a 3G phone. And based on the troubles Verizon is having with 4G phones, that may be a feature.

 

[Preach2k]

Whaa? And this is a 4G phone?

No only 3g.. We do not know what the Bionic will be until a leak. There has be a lot of Speculations but one thing we do know it is not the the one from CES. It is a bump ram. It was said that it will be the Targa. We will have to wait and see. The GS2 would be a great phone if it was LTE. But as of right now it is only 3G. Again we will have to wait for a announcement from Verizon that they are going to release it at all. Verizon has always been the last to get the Galaxy phones. So since Verizon have not announced it yet. The GS2 will not be released until 4thQ of this year or 1stQ of next.. It will be a surprise if it comes earlier. Also they would have to change the size of the GS2 to fit a LTE radio in it. If the GS2 was 4G I would probably get it myself.

 

[shobuddy]

The GS2 would be a great phone if it was LTE.

Thats pretty much how I feel. Although, if the Bionic reviews turn out to be disappointing, I'm going w/an iphone.

 

[Castor Troy]

Whaa? And this is a 4G phone?

Verdict is still out on that. Hopefully no though. LTE is problematic. I won't be purchasing any LTE handset this year. 2 years is a long time to be stuck with a device that will have issues through it's enire life (2 years)

Mid to late 2012 I will revisit LTE handsets for now I will pass.

Sent from my Droid

 

[anon(49997)]

Galaxy S 2.....stellar piece of equipment. It will be the best handset to hit Verizon in 2011 I believe.

I agree it looks good but what about their reputation with getting software updates problem. With Samsung you rarely get an update and they are known for bad Bluetooth stacks = Froyo delays, RFS file system, bad bluetooth stacks.....

Then there is the Verizon neutering. Interesting though. I like what I see I just wish I could feel both or one of them.

 

[Preach2k]

I agree it looks good but what about their reputation with getting software updates problem. With Samsung you rarely get an update and they are known for bad Bluetooth stacks = Froyo delays, RFS file system, bad bluetooth stacks.....

Then there is the Verizon neutering. Interesting though. I like what I see I just wish I could feel both or one of them.

The updates might not be an Issue anymore.Google announces a team that will create guidelines for device updates
Google announces a team that will create guidelines for device updates | Android Central

 

[Preach2k]

Verdict is still out on that. Hopefully no though. LTE is problematic. I won't be purchasing any LTE handset this year. 2 years is a long time to be stuck with a device that will have issues through it's enire life (2 years)

Mid to late 2012 I will revisit LTE handsets for now I will pass.

Sent from my Droid

So you mean to tell me that you think that the LTE issue will last for 2 years? We already know that it is not the devices because all the LTE phones out now are having the problem. So what is wrong with buying the Devices. It is Verizon LTE that is having a problem.

 

[blasianguy27]

UGH.....as much as i tell myself to quit checking these forums, i still do it several times a day! I cant stand this, waiting for something that was supposed to be "The End of Waiting...." yea right. I know sometimes devices/networks have issues, but this is becoming ridiculous. I figure i will give myself to the end of this month....if there isn't any good information out by then......then i might just have to explore other options.

 

[Castor Troy]

So you mean to tell me that you think that the LTE issue will last for 2 years? We already know that it is not the devices because all the LTE phones out now are having the problem. So what is wrong with buying the Devices. It is Verizon LTE that is having a problem.

I believe it's a combination of both Preach. Verizon can work on the network and upgrade it etc etc. With a handset however you are stuck with the equipment that it came with. Battery drain, connectivity issues will remain. Naturally the radios and tech will evolve in handsets and better handsets will be released but thats another year off at least..

This is all new tech on both ends (Verizon/Manufacturers) and unfortunately you can't mail in your phone and have them swap out the new radios as things evolve. You are stuck with "old" tech on an evolving network.

This is a huge problem I beleive. It's not just Verizon's network that is at fault it's the equipment/phones as well. Motorola is the best in the biz with radios but I don't think they will get a great product off this year. It will have the same ailments as HTC's and Samsungs.

The 2 people that I know who bought TB's have returned them. They are tired of the LTE problems and battery drain (non root) I'm done being an early adopter, I had enough of that nonsense with RIM. I want equipemtn that works...period. I don't want to have to switch this off then pull that out, then flip that switch to get things to work. Nope, LTE isn't worth the aggravation at this time. I'll pass. WiFi and 3G is plenty good for me until the equipment is up to par.

 

[brpost]

I believe it's a combination of both Preach. Verizon can work on the network and upgrade it etc etc. With a handset however you are stuck with the equipment that it came with. Battery drain, connectivity issues will remain. Naturally the radios and tech will evolve in handsets and better handsets will be released but thats another year off at least..

This is all new tech on both ends (Verizon/Manufacturers) and unfortunately you can't mail in your phone and have them swap out the new radios as things evolve. You are stuck with "old" tech on an evolving network.

This is a huge problem I beleive. It's not just Verizon's network that is at fault it's the equipment/phones as well. Motorola is the best in the biz with radios but I don't think they will get a great product off this year. It will have the same ailments as HTC's and Samsungs.

The 2 people that I know who bought TB's have returned them. They are tired of the LTE problems and battery drain (non root) I'm done being an early adopter, I had enough of that nonsense with RIM. I want equipemtn that works...period. I don't want to have to switch this off then pull that out, then flip that switch to get things to work. Nope, LTE isn't worth the aggravation at this time. I'll pass. WiFi and 3G is plenty good for me until the equipment is up to par.

This is the most lucid and logical statement I've seen here in quite a while. Well done, sir.

 

[ckstou]

Forgive the noobish question, but why would Samsung release a single core LTE phone (Charge) and then follow up with a dual core phone with incredible specs that is only 3G (GSII)? Doesn't seem to make much sense to me?

 

[Raptor007]

I'm beginning to think the DX2 will fit the bill for this year, then upgrade to 4G next year when better hardware comes out. I know I could get something in 4G LTE to avoid losing the unlimited data, but what is the benefit if you are throwing money down the drain on a $600 retain phone when next year a more refined $600 phone will arrive (maybe).

I don't know, its tough to say.

 

[BigDFSU]

I agree in waiting for the reviews of the Bionic when it is released. But being in contract for 2 years with another 3G phone. I do not want to do that. I will purchase another DX not under contract and wait out the LTE problem. Then purchase an LTE phone. Or if the Bionic/Targa is working well and and there is just an LTE issue I can just use it in 3G. Look at it this way they can not start Tiering this Summer if LTE is not working right?

For me, a major deciding factor is going to be whether I get this new job or not. If I do and I end up getting the SII then I can sell it next year, make back a chunk of change, and then buy a new phone.

I think CK is nailing it right now, it's looking like there is still a lot to be worked out with the phones and LTE. I have serious doubts about the Bionic now, I think that they might fix some things and improve upon the original design, but have a bad feeling that they are still going to have some major issues. Sure I want to take advantage of LTE, especially since I'm most likely moving to a major city if I do get the job. At the same time, I find 3G speeds work well enough for my needs. I'm not going to be streaming or downloading a crap ton of things to my phone, which is where LTE makes life better. Really the major thing I like about LTE ability is eventually having the ability to talk and use data at the same time, but it isn't something I have to do all the time.

At the end of the day, like I've said before, this is a phone and way for me to browse the internet and access emails. I hate my Storm, not because it can't do those things, but because it has a lot of bugs that ruin the experience and it doesn't let me access flash sites. When I use Opera Mini, I'm fine with the speeds at which pages load on 3G, I don't need instantaneous loading. I rather purchase a 3G phone that has completely amazing specs, then take an LTE phone that has some great specs, but glaring issues such as battery life.

Plus from what I have seen, great phones can be sold for quite a lot of money if you take care of them so I won't lose too much money in the end. I miss out on unlimited LTE, but I think people make a bigger deal out of it than they should. Some people probably do use a ton of data. I've looked at what I do, I have a boring ass job now with plenty of free time. Even constantly using the internet and streaming a few things every so often, I still don't come close to a gig. This new job will leave me with far less free time until I get home, at which point I'll have wifi and all my other electronics. Could care less about using data on my phone then.

I'm getting ahead of myself however. Maybe the Bionic will surprise us all and have mostly minor issues that can be ignored for the most part. In no way am I saying I'm definitely not going to buy a Bionic. All I'm saying is I'm not going to be a day 1 buyer now, I'm going to wait for full reviews and see what people say on the forums first. If I don't like what I hear then I'm just going to review my options at that point. Right now the SII sounds amazing and it sounds like they want to come to a lot of carriers. If that comes out by end of summer or early fall then I think it is an option for me if the Bionic isn't. Later than that and I might wait to see what is coming out in 2012, but honestly if I'm waiting that long then Verizon has truly dropped the ball.

 

[anon(49997)]

Well Gents,
I'm going in on point. I'm going to have a Bionic if materializes. If it runs smoothly for 13 of the 14 trial period days I'll keep it. I hope I can depend on your support in suggested test routines.
Perhaps a reply here with some of the paces you would put it through.
Other than 4G type speeds the darned thing better have loud enough ring tones. Heh!

 

[Preach2k]

For me, a major deciding factor is going to be whether I get this new job or not. If I do and I end up getting the SII then I can sell it next year, make back a chunk of change, and then buy a new phone.

I think CK is nailing it right now, it's looking like there is still a lot to be worked out with the phones and LTE. I have serious doubts about the Bionic now, I think that they might fix some things and improve upon the original design, but have a bad feeling that they are still going to have some major issues. Sure I want to take advantage of LTE, especially since I'm most likely moving to a major city if I do get the job. At the same time, I find 3G speeds work well enough for my needs. I'm not going to be streaming or downloading a crap ton of things to my phone, which is where LTE makes life better. Really the major thing I like about LTE ability is eventually having the ability to talk and use data at the same time, but it isn't something I have to do all the time.

At the end of the day, like I've said before, this is a phone and way for me to browse the internet and access emails. I hate my Storm, not because it can't do those things, but because it has a lot of bugs that ruin the experience and it doesn't let me access flash sites. When I use Opera Mini, I'm fine with the speeds at which pages load on 3G, I don't need instantaneous loading. I rather purchase a 3G phone that has completely amazing specs, then take an LTE phone that has some great specs, but glaring issues such as battery life.

Plus from what I have seen, great phones can be sold for quite a lot of money if you take care of them so I won't lose too much money in the end. I miss out on unlimited LTE, but I think people make a bigger deal out of it than they should. Some people probably do use a ton of data. I've looked at what I do, I have a boring ass job now with plenty of free time. Even constantly using the internet and streaming a few things every so often, I still don't come close to a gig. This new job will leave me with far less free time until I get home, at which point I'll have wifi and all my other electronics. Could care less about using data on my phone then.

I'm getting ahead of myself however. Maybe the Bionic will surprise us all and have mostly minor issues that can be ignored for the most part. In no way am I saying I'm definitely not going to buy a Bionic. All I'm saying is I'm not going to be a day 1 buyer now, I'm going to wait for full reviews and see what people say on the forums first. If I don't like what I hear then I'm just going to review my options at that point. Right now the SII sounds amazing and it sounds like they want to come to a lot of carriers. If that comes out by end of summer or early fall then I think it is an option for me if the Bionic isn't. Later than that and I might wait to see what is coming out in 2012, but honestly if I'm waiting that long then Verizon has truly dropped the ball.

There are a lot of speculations going around about the Bionic/Targa. Nothing has been released about it yet. We just need to wait until it is released and then make a decision. We are all jumping to conclusions in my opinion. Although I think there is some truth to what CK is saying. I do not think it is as bad as every one think...I believe when the phone actually gets release. The Bionic will be picked over the GS2. 1st because it will be released first. 2nd Because it will be LTE. I really think it will be a better phone that's if they do not add The web top dock.. I heard that the 4G hotspots are having the problems also...

 

[BigDFSU]

There are a lot of speculations going around about the Bionic/Targa. Nothing has been released about it yet. We just need to wait until it is released and then make a decision. We are all jumping to conclusions in my opinion. Although I think there is some truth to what CK is saying. I do not think it is as bad as every one think...I believe when the phone actually gets release. The Bionic will be picked over the GS2. 1st because it will be released first. 2nd Because it will be LTE. I really think it will be a better phone that's if they do not add The web top dock.. I heard that the 4G hotspots are having the problems also...

I agree, there is a lot of speculation. Like I said though, I'm hoping that the Bionic will surprise us all and work fine. I am worried about the webtop dock as well. It would be really great if someone could clear up how it works and impacts RAM. There is a lot of disagreement on that issue.

I'm just going with the ideal of hope for the best and plan for the worst. I've been burned a few times when it comes to Verizon and phone selections, I've learned it is best to have back-up plans in case the phone I've been waiting on ends up not being as great as I thought. Bionic is still the phone I want the most, but if it has major flaws like the first two LTE phones, then SII jumps into the top spot.

 

[Oxn]

godddddddddddddd, so much 4g debate.

If you dont trust 4G just yet then just take out the 4G chip. Sheesssssshhhhhhh.

Why do you keep arguing about getting 3G or 4G phones?

 

[BigDFSU]

godddddddddddddd, so much 4g debate.

If you dont trust 4G just yet then just take out the 4G chip. Sheesssssshhhhhhh.

Why do you keep arguing about getting 3G or 4G phones?

I think most of us want 4G phones. It's just what is the price you are paying to get that feature right now? At the same time, while there aren't many options right now for 4G phones, there are still some nice ones coming out that are 3G. So people are going to debate what is worth having until the apparent 4G issues are resolved and a phone is released that doesn't have glaring issues. Here's hoping that the Bionic is that phone.

Besides,what else are we going to talk about in the Bionic area right now? Not like Motorola has given us any other information to go on since learning the original form of the Bionic was basically scrapped for an "upgraded" version.