Razr KitKat issues

[maxairspeed]

I'd like to thank Verizon for destroying one of my most valuable tools...my Razr. KitKat has made my communication needs horrible; I guess that comes FREE with my paid account. Texting is highly valuable in my professisonal aviation position and I need a solution do this disfunctional texting program or a "restore" to Jelly Bean. I can care less about seeing people's faces during texting...I need information, not dumb *** faces!!!! Can someone give me a quality texting alternative, BlueTooth/cell operatoin alternative, Swype alternative and other fixes to my highly reliable phone...or am I screwed being forced to "buy" a non-motorola phone from Verizon or move to another carrier ? KitKat was an upgrade for a 16 year old, not 55 year old adult working in a serious profession. The "Black and White" scheme really SUCKS!.....how do I get rid of it? I though I was paying for a good product and good service. Anyone, please positively advise....thank you.

 

[Rukbat]

1) Try Textra SMS. The user interface is completely different so it takes getting used to (it looks like what a 16 year old would find "neato"), but it's a good texting app. So is GoSMS.

2) I don't swype (older fingers?), but SwiftKey Keyboard + Emoji (just ignore the long-press on the Enter key to get the emojis) is a pretty good keyboard.

3) If you're on Verizon (or go to AT&T) don't buy a Samsung. There's something going on there, but Samsung phones on AT&T and Verizon make Fort Knox look about as secure as an open field. You can root the phone, you can install apps, but if there's a ROM that would be better for your professional needs, forget it. The bootloader isn't locked, it's welded shut. (It's nice to be able to pop a $10 spare battery in when the one in the phone gets down near 40%, though. Keeps the batteries going a lot longer than you want to keep the phone. My 2003 Motorola flip phone is still on its original set of batteries. 50% and they get swapped. They also get swapped every month. I do the same thing with my Note 3. It's not the price, it's the idea that I don't have to worry about running out of battery. Unlimited voice, text AND power.)