I'm more partial to Samsung devices lately, but I'd personally probably go with a Droid Razor Maxx if it's a work device. Battery life is unparalelled, it's fast, sleak, and has a nice form factor. The only downside IMO is the screen, compared to some of the others out there right now.
http://reviews.cnet.com/best-android-phones/When are you looking to get the device? I ask because Samsung has a device unveiling scheduled for May 3. The rumor mills are churning with speculation as to what will be unveiled, when it will be made available, etc. At this point, it could be anything, and might not be worth waiting for. But I figured I'd at least mention it.
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unfortunately i'm limited to the models listed and for some reason they never seem to have any samsung models or I'd definitely go for those. reviews i read slammed the razr's screen so i'm leaning toward the bionic. im ok with the reduced battery life since i have chargers at home and at work. still... maxx's extended battery life would be great for work travel. thanks for the input!
Posted from wireless.rivals.com
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If that's the case, then I'll rank the ones you listed, taking into account age of the devices (From initial launch), specs (most use Tegra 2 processors, which are outdated), form factor, etc.
Really, there are only 3 phones I would consider out of that list. The rest are really too old from a technical standpoint to justify buying at this point in their service life.
1. Motorola Razr Maxx (Jan 2012) - Newer 1.2 GHz TI OMAP4430 dual-core processor
2. Droid Bionic (Sept 2011) - 1.0 Ghz Tegra 2 dual-core processor (over 18 months old processor)
3. Droid 4 (Jan 2012) - Same specs as Razr but with sliding keyboard and 4" screen)
OthersMotorola Razr (Nov 2011) - Same as Maxx but smaller battery
Incredible 2 (May 2011)
Droid X2 (March 2011)
Droid Charge (Jan 2011)
Droid 3 (July 2011)
You may find this site helpful. It's great for getting and comparing specs.
http://www.phonearena.com/phones#/phones/carrier/Verizon/flt/8,17I also like
PhoneScoop.com |
I just requested the Razr Maxx due to the extended battery life and faster processor. Hopefully I can get it today. I'm upgrading from the original droid so this will be worlds better than what I have.
Thanks again!
Oh and the Bionic supposedly has the TI OMAP4430 CPU instead of the Tegra 2 so it was supposed to be pretty nice.
4/20 1:12 PM | IP: Logged |
Originally posted by Flie:
I just requested the Razr Maxx due to the extended battery life and faster processor. Hopefully I can get it today. I'm upgrading from the original droid so this will be worlds better than what I have.
Thanks again!
Oh and the Bionic supposedly has the TI OMAP4430 CPU instead of the Tegra 2 so it was supposed to be pretty nice.
That's right, it was the Atrix that was the Tegra 2. Those were mirror phones, but the Bionic got pushed back 5 months and Motorola changed the processor. All the sites I was doing a quick comparison with just listed it as Dual Core, no specs. If that's the case, processor is a push, then. although the Razr and Maxx are clocked at 1.2 Ghz vs 1.0 Ghz (but you could change that easily with rooting ... if you were so inclined).
Another point I'd make, which I neglected to mention earlier, is the Razr is going to get Ice Cream Sandwich (very soon) and future updates as well. The Bionic is, in tech terms, older and will take longer to get updates (if at all).
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Saw this YouTube series of videos making the rounds on the Android forums. For those unfamiliar with Android and iOS, this might help show a few things you may be unfamiliar with. It may also teach some Android users a thing or two.
http://youtu.be/NMiY1kSTHZw |
I've got the RAZR Maxx and I am pretty happy with it. IMO the screen is great butI am upgraded from a 3 year old BB storm. I've dropped it once with no issues.
A few things I need to learn, like how to reduce the number of clicks to get to my bookmarks (4). When I put them on one of the home screen, it takes up all the screen.
One thing I liked about the BB Storm, if you touched anywhere on the screen it would "power up". With BB and Iphone, you need to touch a specific button, and on the RAZR it's hard to tell which side is top and which is bottom.
The major downside to the RAZR is the camera quality. Works great outside but inside pics tend to be dark. Then again maybe I need to tweak some more.
Still, I would buy it again. The battery does lost a long time although Angry Birds will run it down in a few hours when played non stop.
4/22 10:38 PM | IP: Logged |
Originally posted by dmm5157:
Saw this YouTube series of videos making the rounds on the Android forums. For those unfamiliar with Android and iOS, this might help show a few things you may be unfamiliar with. It may also teach some Android users a thing or two.http://youtu.be/NMiY1kSTHZw
That's a good video. Android looks a lot better at version 4 than it did when I bought my iPhone 4 and everything was still 2.3 I believe.
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Originally posted by NoleCC:
Android looks a lot better at version 4 than it did when I bought my iPhone 4 and everything was still 2.3 I believe.
I agree ICS (Android 4.0+) is a big step in the right direction for Android. The more devices that get on it, the better it will be for Android and Android users. A lot of compatibility issues go away and it works great on both my phone and tablet alike.
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Originally posted by dmm5157:
Originally posted by NoleCC:Android looks a lot better at version 4 than it did when I bought my iPhone 4 and everything was still 2.3 I believe. I agree ICS (Android 4.0+) is a big step in the right direction for Android. The more devices that get on it, the better it will be for Android and Android users. A lot of compatibility issues go away and it works great on both my phone and tablet alike.
I suspect iOS 6 will have a good amount of changes for the better in an Android fan's eyes, but we'll see.
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Originally posted by NoleCC:
Originally posted by dmm5157: Originally posted by NoleCC:Android looks a lot better at version 4 than it did when I bought my iPhone 4 and everything was still 2.3 I believe. I agree ICS (Android 4.0+) is a big step in the right direction for Android. The more devices that get on it, the better it will be for Android and Android users. A lot of compatibility issues go away and it works great on both my phone and tablet alike. I suspect iOS 6 will have a good amount of changes for the better in an Android fan's eyes, but we'll see.
I'd agree. I think iOS 5 borrowed heavily from a few things Android does very well (access camera/notifications from lock screen, pull down notification bar) and subsequently the end experience is much better. There are still things that I cannot stand about the way iOS works (no back button, unable to toggle individual settings without leaving current app and going into the settings app), so I doubt I'll ever fully embrace iOS. I actually like WP's interface better than iOS in many cases. Lack of apps and customization are its biggest downfalls for me.
I was going to bite the bullet and jailbreak my iPod touch last weekend, only to find out that since I updated to iOS 5.1 I cannot until it's been exploited. There's no way for me to roll back right now, so I'm stuck with stock 5.1 for now.
After getting my GS2, I really only use my iPod for music and occassionally to use Swing Reader when I'm on the driving range (only because I have made a stand that works with my iPod). The screen seems so small, and the apps feel cramped by comparison.
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Screen size is a funny thing. I'm good up to about a 4" screen, but after that it seems comical to me. This is coming from a guy with large hands, but not sausage fingers, so a smaller screen doesn't bother me too much. WP has an interesting interface, I agree. I'll be surprised if it totally takes off though, since they're so far behind Android and iOS at this point.
4/24 4:53 PM | IP: Logged |
Originally posted by dmm5157:
Originally posted by Bartdog:I bought three of the $4 micro usb cables for my Samsung and they worked great for charging, but would not do data transfer. Haven't tried them for data transfer on the Lumia yet.
Desi:
They work fine on my phone, although I rarely transfer files using a cable these days.
These guys have 5 foot microusb cables for $1.99
http://www.meritline.com/usb-a-to-micro-usb-male-male-cable---p-40558.aspx?hq_e=el
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Originally posted by Bartdog:
These guys have 5 foot microusb cables for $1.99 http://www.meritline.com/usb-a-to-micro-usb-male-male-cable---p-40558.aspx?hq_e=el
Yep, I haven't had issues with microUSB cords. They tend to be pretty standard across the board.
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I'm having one little problem with my Galaxy Nexus, and it's battery life. It was okay at first, but it seems to be getting worse. It doesn't even last a whole work day. My phone shows the Android OS is taking up 33% of my battery, and my screen is taking up 30%.
4/27 8:43 AM | IP: Logged |
How long is your screen on during that time? I think the phone will only last about 4 hours with the screen on, regardless of what you're doing.
There could be a rogue app that's eating battery as well. The biggest problem makers are games like Draw Something, Words with Friends, and network games in general.
Facebook is also notorious for that.
I'd check to see if apps you use often are set to SYNC automatically (especially the FB app).
Do you have a work e-mail syncing to your phone as well? If so, make sure it's set up correctly and only sync the last week or two of e-mail, not all. If you select all, it will try to download all the e-mails on your network from your mailbox.
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I briefly thought that could have been it, but you've convinced me. I did sync my work email recently. I just changed it from all to two weeks, so I'll see if it makes a difference. Thanks!
4/27 12:59 PM | IP: Logged |
Originally posted by TexasGooner:
I briefly thought that could have been it, but you've convinced me. I did sync my work email recently. I just changed it from all to two weeks, so I'll see if it makes a difference. Thanks!
I hope that's it. I was switching back and forth between ROM's a month or two ago and had that happen. I missed the box where it asks how far back to sync e-mail. By default it's set to ALL with Ice Cream Sandwich. I think it used to be defaulted to 1 week or 2 weeks before. Anyways, my battery life went down the toilet and turns out my phone wasn't sleeping because it was trying to update all my e-mail.
I made that fix, and sure enough battery life went back to normal.
Funny how little things like that can affect your device.
My boss had that happen with his iPhone. His battery life had been terrible and he isn't a techie guy. His wife looked at his iPhone and turned out he had a 10MB e-mail stuck in his outbox and it had been trying to send it for days. Deleted that one e-mail and battery life was back to normal.
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Originally posted by dmm5157:
Originally posted by TexasGooner:I briefly thought that could have been it, but you've convinced me. I did sync my work email recently. I just changed it from all to two weeks, so I'll see if it makes a difference. Thanks!
dmm said:
I hope that's it. I was switching back and forth between ROM's a month or two ago and had that happen. I missed the box where it asks how far back to sync e-mail. By default it's set to ALL with Ice Cream Sandwich. I think it used to be defaulted to 1 week or 2 weeks before. Anyways, my battery life went down the toilet and turns out my phone wasn't sleeping because it was trying to update all my e-mail.I made that fix, and sure enough battery life went back to normal.Funny how little things like that can affect your device.My boss had that happen with his iPhone. His battery life had been terrible and he isn't a techie guy. His wife looked at his iPhone and turned out he had a 10MB e-mail stuck in his outbox and it had been trying to send it for days. Deleted that one e-mail and battery life was back to normal.
YIKES can't believe it defaults to ALL. That's crazy.
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So... I'm sure this will disappoint Desi... but I bit the bullet and ordered a new iPad. Now if it would just hurry up and get here from China I'd have some more thoughts about it.
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I took my work email off completely last night. My phone has been off the charger for 5 hours today, and I've only used it for about 10 minutes and it's at 50%. It says the Android OS is using 60% of the battery. How can this be?
4/30 3:08 PM | IP: Logged |
Originally posted by TexasGooner:
I took my work email off completely last night. My phone has been off the charger for 5 hours today, and I've only used it for about 10 minutes and it's at 50%. It says the Android OS is using 60% of the battery. How can this be?
There is a rogue app keeping your phone from sleeping. Download the app BetterBatteryStats and CPU Spy. CPUSpy will tell you right away how much time you phone is spending in each of your processor steps: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bvalosek.cpuspy&hl=en.
BetterBatteryStats costs about $3 (to support the developer), or you can download it free from XDA or from here: http://apk-apps.blogspot.com/2012/03/betterbatterystats-v1700-xda-apk-app.html (download links below the changelog post).
Once you download BBS, open it and it should give you a summary of how long your phone has been in each state (awake, screen on, wifi on, etc). Then you can go into each individual state. The ones you want to check are:
1. PARTIAL WAKELOCK
2. Kernel Wakelocks
3. Other
4. Alarms
You can select these from the top drop-down box.
Check them in that order. If you have any big items with over 10 minutes or so in PARTIAL WAKE LOCK, that will tell you what the culprit is.
It isn't always so cut and dry but sometimes there is a single app acting up. Last week I SyncMyPix was acting up on me. Every time Facebook changes their app it breaks SyncMyPix from being able to log in and download your contact pics from Facebook. I didn't realize it until I checked BBS and saw SyncMyPix basically wasn't letting my phone sleep at all. that just happened on Saturday.
If you need more help with this offline, e-mail me (user name @ gmail).
This post was edited on 4/30 3:40 PM by dmm5157
4/30 3:38 PM | IP: Logged |
I Don't have to feck with any of that to get good battery life out my iPhone :p
Posted from Rivals Mobile
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Originally posted by TennNole17:
I Don't have to feck with any of that to get good battery life out my iPhone :p
Well, it is made to be used by children.
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I got my razr maxx and it's awesome. Great battery life and a good looking/functioning device. Very happy with it overall.
With that said, my girlfriend is going to get the iphone 4s and I wanted to get some input on Sprint vs Verizon vs AT&T in Tallahassee.
I'm on Verizon with my work phone and I have no complaints but for personal plans, their monthly plans are the most expensive and they cap the data at 2 GB for the cheapest data plan.
Sprint has unlimited data and is between AT&T and Verizon in price, AT&T is the cheapest if you stay under the 3 GB cap, Verizon is the most expensive with a 2 GB cap.
I've read a few reviews that say Sprint's Tallahassee coverage sucks and that's where her phone will be used the most. AT&T is supposed to be the fastest network on the iphone 4s. I get good coverage pretty much everywhere I go with Verizon.
On paper, sprint seems to be the best but I don't want her getting zero or one signal bars in town or have a lot of dropped calls.
Thoughts?
This post was edited on 5/3 10:08 AM by Flie
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Nevermind on AT&T being the cheapest. I missed that their plan doen't include texting which is another $20/month. It would be nice if they just gave you everything in one package with one price. As if people buy smartphones for voice only....
Verizon and AT&T are the same price per month with data caps, sprint is $10 less per month but unlimited data.
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If you're getting an iPhone and you want the most out of your device, AT&T is really the only choice. You get faster Data and Voice + Data simultaneously. Verizon and Sprint are CDMA and do not support data+voice simultaneously via 3G (That's where LTE is going to help level the field).
I would avoid Sprint in Tallahassee. It's not worth saving the $10. Service isn't terrible all the time, but there are definitely dead zones. Call coverage is decent, but their 3G data speeds are pitiful. The savings difference used to be a lot bigger and was worth it. I switched over to AT&T to join up with my sister's family plan. Saves us $60 a month, our coverage is better, and our data is about 10-15 times faster than Sprint. The family plans is really where you can save some money.
Verizon's data speed on 3G isn't too bad, but still is 5-10 times slower than AT&T's enhanced 3G service.
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Not sure if she'd ever talk and surf at the same time. She's a pretty basic user, hence her being drawn to the iphone.
Plus she just got an ipad for graduation so she wanted to keep with the familiar interface.
With AT&T and Verizon being the same price and AT&T having a 1 GB higher data cap I'm thinking AT&T is the best option for her. I have no clue how much data I use every month since my work plan is pretty much unlimited everything so hopefully it's not terribly easy to hit a 3 GB limit per month.
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Originally posted by Flie:
Not sure if she'd ever talk and surf at the same time. She's a pretty basic user, hence her being drawn to the iphone. Plus she just got an ipad for graduation so she wanted to keep with the familiar interface. With AT&T and Verizon being the same price and AT&T having a 1 GB higher data cap I'm thinking AT&T is the best option for her. I have no clue how much data I use every month since my work plan is pretty much unlimited everything so hopefully it's not terribly easy to hit a 3 GB limit per month.
I rarely talk on the phone so simultaneous data+voice isn't a big deal for me. As for my wife, she uses it for work (Accessing e-mail while on conference calls) and quite a bit when she's talking to friends and family. It's a handy feature to have and you don't realize how handy it is until you need it.
You should be fine with a 3GB limit. Use wifi as much as possible and limit streaming media (movies, music), as that is one of the easiest ways to rack up your data usage.
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BTW, Samsung unveiled the new Galaxy S3 just a few minutes ago.
Brief highlights:
- 4.8" HD Super AMOLED display
- 1.4 GHz Exynos Quad Core Processor
- HSPA+ to start (LTE will likely have an Snapdragon S4 processor)
- 8.6mm Thick
- 1GB RAM
Here's a first look.
http://www.androidcentral.com/samsung-galaxy-s-iii-hands
Endgaget also has tons of coverage, including the tech behind the new display HD Super AMOLED Display.
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What's your take on the S3 vs HTC one series?
Posted from wireless.rivals.com
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Originally posted by nygaflmd-nole:
What's your take on the S3 vs HTC one series?Posted from wireless.rivals.com
It's a toss up, really. The battery is bigger on the S3, but I think I like the HTC One X/Evo 4G LTE better. Looks better, and has a better screen.
Here's a comparison from Android Central:
http://www.androidcentral.com/samsung-galaxy-s-iii-versus-htc-one-xThis post was edited on 5/3 9:04 PM by dmm5157
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Nice spec review:
Link: S3 vs HTC One vs Iphone 4S
5/4 8:12 AM | IP: Logged |
Originally posted by dmm5157:
BTW, Samsung unveiled the new Galaxy S3 just a few minutes ago. Brief highlights:4.8" HD Super AMOLED display1.4 GHz Exynos Quad Core ProcessorHSPA+ to start (LTE will likely have an Snapdragon S4 processor)8.6mm Thick1GB RAMHere's a first look.http://www.androidcentral.com/samsung-galaxy-s-iii-handsEndgaget also has tons of coverage, including the tech behind the new display HD Super AMOLED Display.
That thing is comically big to me. It's pretty no doubt, but that screen is huge. I might as well just carry around a tablet at that point. |
Originally posted by NoleCC:
Originally posted by dmm5157: BTW, Samsung unveiled the new Galaxy S3 just a few minutes ago. Brief highlights:4.8" HD Super AMOLED display1.4 GHz Exynos Quad Core ProcessorHSPA+ to start (LTE will likely have an Snapdragon S4 processor)8.6mm Thick1GB RAMHere's a first look.http://www.androidcentral.com/samsung-galaxy-s-iii-handsEndgaget also has tons of coverage, including the tech behind the new display HD Super AMOLED Display. That thing is comically big to me. It's pretty no doubt, but that screen is huge. I might as well just carry around a tablet at that point.
I'm interested in comparing one with my GS2. I don't think the S2 is all that big. I haven't heard any gripes yet about the phone being too big. Seems to have a nice curved back that makes it easy to handle.
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HTC EVO 4G LTE vs HTC ONE X vs Samsung GS3?
EVO 4g LTE looks pretty good on paper. Expandable memory and HD voice when it rolls out.
Posted from wireless.rivals.com
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Originally posted by nygaflmd-nole:
HTC EVO 4G LTE vs HTC ONE X vs Samsung GS3?EVO 4g LTE looks pretty good on paper. Expandable memory and HD voice when it rolls out.Posted from wireless.rivals.com
Tough call. The new Evo looks really nice. Won't really be able to say for sure until the Evo 4G LTE comes out and gets some user reviews.
They are all very close, it mostly comes down to personal taste.
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A little off topic but bears mentioning. Someone one in the LR (I think it was here anyway) recommended Foxfi (Free Hotspot) for Android. Whoever that was, Thanks!
5/8 4:48 PM | IP: Logged |
I desperately need a new phone (still using the original Droid). Was waiting to see what the Samsung S3 would bring. Nice phone but since the quality of the camera doesn't really matter to me, I cannot see the big deal between it and the Galaxy Nexus. Plus Galaxy Nexus is pure Android. I can get the Galaxy Nexus for $150 versus $300 for an S3 (when it hits). That $150 difference would go a long ways toward any ETF if something earth shattering comes along in the next 18 months.
I get know there are specification differences between the phones, but I cannot find one that I think that will produce more than a marginal advantage.
Is my logic flawed?
Thanks for sharing all your insights on this board.
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Originally posted by RPMNole:
I desperately need a new phone (still using the original Droid). Was waiting to see what the Samsung S3 would bring. Nice phone but since the quality of the camera doesn't really matter to me, I cannot see the big deal between it and the Galaxy Nexus. Plus Galaxy Nexus is pure Android. I can get the Galaxy Nexus for $150 versus $300 for an S3 (when it hits). That $150 difference would go a long ways toward any ETF if something earth shattering comes along in the next 18 months.I get know there are specification differences between the phones, but I cannot find one that I think that will produce more than a marginal advantage.Is my logic flawed?Thanks for sharing all your insights on this board.
The screen is the big improvement with the S3 vs the Nexus. The processor is not as big of an improvement as I, and many others, were hoping for but it's still an improvement.
The new S3 is supposed to have a bigger battery as well, which has been a complaint amongst some with the Nexus.
Overall, they're both pretty good. If you enjoy the display on the Nexus, you probably won't notice the improvements on the S3. I'll be sticking with my S2 likely through out the rest of my contract and skipping this generation of devices. Nothing against them, but they aren't that much of an improvement.
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Despite their better plan prices do you see the uncertain date and availability of Sprints 4GLTE network as a reason to go with Verizon or AT&T? Or is it worth it to be patient with Sprint? This is assuming coming off contract in June 2012 and being a free agent.
Posted from wireless.rivals.com
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If you are wanting LTE for Sprint and don't live in a major city, you may be waiting a year or more for LTE.
You should do a little search as to if your city is on Sprint's LTE roll out plan.
5/13 12:45 PM | IP: Logged |
Anyone know anything/used a Motorola Photon? Looking to use for basic calling/texting, surfing the web and whatever apps are good. Compared to an Iphone 4s how is it? I have an upgrade so its going to be 30 bucks compared to the 199 for the iphone.
5/20 2:31 PM | IP: Logged |
Originally posted by LikeaG5:
Anyone know anything/used a Motorola Photon? Looking to use for basic calling/texting, surfing the web and whatever apps are good. Compared to an Iphone 4s how is it? I have an upgrade so its going to be 30 bucks compared to the 199 for the iphone.
Not great, by comparison to what's out there right now. I'm not sure I'd want to get stuck with it for 2 more years, especially with the increased cost of early termination fees.
The phone is passable for what you are looking to do, but it does have its shortcomings. The screen doesn't look great when compared to the other newer devices out there right now. The processor is also starting to show its age as well (Tegra 2 is over 18 months old).
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Thanks, dmm5157.
5/20 8:53 PM | IP: Logged |
5/28 3:15 PM | IP: Logged |
I poked around on Cydia after breaking the Wife's iPhone 4S. Did I expect anything less from Apple than a bland rooted store and overpriced apps?
5/30 8:24 AM | IP: Logged |
Originally posted by Phinhead:
I poked around on Cydia after breaking the Wife's iPhone 4S. Did I expect anything less from Apple than a bland rooted store and overpriced apps?
Jailbroke my iPod this past weekend. Cydia was a complete disappointment.
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$30 for streaming Wifi? LMAO
5/30 9:24 AM | IP: Logged |
Update on the RAZR Maxx. Overall I am happy with the phone now that I have learned to use it. However the camera sucks. It works well in consistent lighting, but frequently the pictures have dark subjects and bright backgrounds. Ditto for the video. I think I will test some apps to fix this.
This post was edited on 6/6 6:56 PM by surfnole
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