Trade Droid for Eris?

[noles200]

I posed this in the Droid forum and thought I'd post here to get the thoughts from those of you using the Eris. Love to hear your comments.

OK, so I've had the Droid for almost a month and my son is slowly convincing me to switch to the Eris, especially since it will most likely get 2.0/2.1 updated in the next few months.

Here's why:
Can still get Exchange Email
Better Keyboard
Apps work the same
I don't use the physical keyboard
Call/End buttons for ease of use (I made a call to my home today and exited out of the phone, couldn't get back in, VM picked up and I just couldn't hang up the thing - really annoyed me. Sure there is a simple way that maybe someone here can give me to hang up when exiting out of phone but a simple call end button is nice).
Pinch Zoom (used to that from iPod Touch)
Sense UI

Some more I didn't add so this isn't too long.

Of course, on the flip side I said to him:
Love Navigation - his answer - it's coming w/in a few months
Love the bigger screen - his answer - but you wanted something thinner and lighter so you have to go with smaller screen if that's more important
Like the screen resolution - his answer - dad, you're old so can you REALLY see a HUGE difference - that was pretty funny answer.
Will the exchange mail work as good - his answer - why wouldn't it.

Again, probably more but just don't want this to be too long.

So, is it worth it to save $100? Is anyone else feeling the same way?

BTW, what is the processor on the Eris? It can't be as fast as the Droid, right?

Thanks for weighing in all.

Now we are an Apple family and I can say that if Google keeps things up I don't think I'd every lust for an iPhone again.

[JonKyu]

First of all, I'd like to ask why your son is so adamant in trying to switch you to a Eris? There has to be a reason... Does he want the BOGO (buy one get one free) deal with the Eris, because I've read reports that you can still take advantage of this offer with the droid. Buy a droid get an Eris free. lol I'm a son too and I try to get things... lol

My responses are below your bold-ed points (Just as a disclaimer I am a droid owner so I might be biased but I tried hard to keep it even lol):

I posed this in the Droid forum and thought I'd post here to get the thoughts from those of you using the Eris. Love to hear your comments.

OK, so I've had the Droid for almost a month and my son is slowly convincing me to switch to the Eris, especially since it will most likely get 2.0/2.1 updated in the next few months.

Here's why:
Can still get Exchange Email
-True

Better Keyboard
-from reviews, it seems like the virtual keyboard is better on the Eris

Apps work the same
-not necessarily, the processor on the droid is much faster. Providing a smoother overall experience. I've read reviewers saying how slow the eris felt after using the droid.

I don't use the physical keyboard
-Valid point, but if you one day "just happened to want to" then your out of luck with the Eris lol.

Call/End buttons for ease of use (I made a call to my home today and exited out of the phone, couldn't get back in, VM picked up and I just couldn't hang up the thing - really annoyed me. Sure there is a simple way that maybe someone here can give me to hang up when exiting out of phone but a simple call end button is nice).
-Not really sure if I'm understanding your situation here. If you exit out of the phone app while in a call there should be a little phone icon in your notification bar, just tap that to get back in. Or alternately you could press and hold the home button bringing up your most recently used apps and access it there then press "End". I haven't had any problems with phone calls lol. I don't think it's a deal breaker.

Pinch Zoom (used to that from iPod Touch)
-I know I felt the same way too at first, but I think now I've realized Pinch to Zoom is nice as a UI experience but in the real world I think double taping gets the job done. Also the Dolphin browser has added pinch to zoom, its a little buggy/not as smooth as I would like but its an option. Also firefox is coming out with their mobile browser also. It may have pinch to zoom in it.

Sense UI
-Can't argue there, the UI experience is nice but it does use a lot of memory and resources. Memory/resource hog + slower processor= lag. There are some nice apps in the market to really customize your droid. I have and it's been really fun. It's not as nice experience but I think it gets the job done visually speaking.

Some more I didn't add so this isn't too long.

Of course, on the flip side I said to him:
Love Navigation - his answer - it's coming w/in a few months
-True

Love the bigger screen - his answer - but you wanted something thinner and lighter so you have to go with smaller screen if that's more important
-I've look at the specs, the ERis may be lighter but thickness wise it's not that much thinner the droid is 4.56-by-2.36-by-0.54 inches when closed and weighs 6 oz., the eris 4.45-by-2.19-by-0.51 inches and weighs 4.23 oz. Yes, it's thinner but not by much, the curved edges do make it seem thinner and has a nice feel, but for a device that has a smaller screen and no keyboard I think it could be even smaller than it is. I think it's bigger than it needs to be.

Like the screen resolution - his answer - dad, you're old so can you REALLY see a HUGE difference - that was pretty funny answer.
-Lol, well if your "old" you'll need the bigger screen to see better!!! the droids screen is really crisp!

Will the exchange mail work as good - his answer - why wouldn't it.

Again, probably more but just don't want this to be too long.

So, is it worth it to save $100? Is anyone else feeling the same way?
-For me it's not, the droid is worth the extra $100 for it's bigger screen and faster processor. You may not use the keyboard but hey atleast you get the option to if you happen to change your mind later. Droid is one of the thinnest phone that has a physical keyboard. I used to hate it but I love it now.

BTW, what is the processor on the Eris? It can't be as fast as the Droid, right?
- The droid's processor is definitely faster, it's actually a different architecture than the Eris.

Thanks for weighing in all.

Now we are an Apple family and I can say that if Google keeps things up I don't think I'd every lust for an iPhone again.
-Me too, this android business is really makes me not want an iPhone. I love my droid but I still love apple though lol

Eris= Nice HTC sense UI (but memory/resource intensive), better form factor, smaller screen, slower processor.

Droid= Stock android 2.0 UI (not as pretty but atleast it doesn't take any extra remory and resources and there are apps to make the experience better), blocky form factor but feels "solidly built", Bigger Crisp screen, faster processor.

I think the first thing to think about is if your really unsure maybe you should go have another look at the Eris, from reading your post it seems like Eris might be a better fit for you. But from my experience I tried the Eris and to me it just didn't feel right. It was cluttered kinda laggy. Then I tried the droid and knew it was the one for me. So definitely go back to the store, and see if you get that "this is the one for me" moment lol Of course (as a fellow droid user) it's also better to have more on the team!

Please do tell what you end up doing! There both great phones, so either way I don't think you'll make a bad decision lol.

[shademar]

Seems a matter of personal preference. What I love about the android OS is that someone right now is probably working up an app to solve whatever problems I may have (ahem, no speeddial and crappy music players...) I'm also loving the droid, so obviously I'm biased.

That being said, I think you and your son's preferences are pretty clear. Best case scenario? See if you can take advantage of the BOGO offer to get him an eris alongside your droid.

And yeah, from what I understand, droid has the faster processor.

[lowtech]

I did trade the Droid for the Eris. I found the Droid too large, both keyboards uncomfortable to use and overall I was not "feeling the love". I really like the Eris's size, design, functions and onscreen keyboard. I am happy to wait for the updates and 2.0, trusting that they will fix some signal weakness and battery life issues. I don't mind a slower processor. I'm glad I made the switch... got a refund for the difference too!

[noles200]

JonKyu thanks for your insight. Greatly appreciated. First off, I don't think 40 is old! My 15 year old might but I don't - LMAO - Ok, maybe it's a little old. Next, all your points are dead on. Just like anything else I've ever purchased, there is no one perfect device and I understand that. I also get that next month there will be something better (being an Apple guy I am all to familiar with this!) I guess I want a combination of the two. His reasons - hmmm, I think he's in HS, loves to debate and is pretty frugal (for his own reasons though - "Dad, you can save $100 and that's almost 2 new XBOX games for me." - ) Great kid.

Shade - I too love the fact that "there's an app for that" either out already or probably coming out soon to fix minor issues.

lowtech - nice to hear you switched and are enjoying the Eris. You said there is "signal weakness." I guess it's not too much of a concern for you but has it been bad? Dropped calls and such? I've got to say the signal on the Droid in my area has been stellar. Do you notice a difference with the slower processor? I guess that's my major concern. As I add apps and such, will this get bogged. Also, wonder what the software update will do with regards to the slower processor. One thing I know for sure, never going back to BB! Sorry RIM.


For those of you wondering, I called yesterday morning and have an Eris in the mail for him as part of the BOGO (no charge, no rebate, no nothing - great deal) so if you bought an Android phone prior to this weekend I can tell you for sure you can get the BOGO. It's a great Christmas present for any thinking about it as long as you can afford to pay the extra data plan every month (be sure to check and see if your company has an agreement with VZW. I get a 22% discount so the data plan is only $23.40/mo).

[lowtech]

"lowtech - nice to hear you switched and are enjoying the Eris. You said there is "signal weakness." I guess it's not too much of a concern for you but has it been bad? Dropped calls and such? I've got to say the signal on the Droid in my area has been stellar. Do you notice a difference with the slower processor? I guess that's my major concern. As I add apps and such, will this get bogged. Also, wonder what the software update will do with regards to the slower processor. One thing I know for sure, never going back to BB! Sorry RIM."

Yes, I have had some dropped calls, and difficulty calling out in some places. I am hoping this will be corrected by updates, new version, etc. It is not unusable, but is can be annoying. My Treo had no such issues, so I am spoiled... but I do love the Eris, so I am staying positive about the future of the phone.

[rcklss1]

I just switched to the ERIS from my DROID I purchased release day..... not one single regret....the DROID has a 550mhz processor vs 528 on the ERIS I have well over 50 apps, 683 songs and 5 full length movies..... I have very very minimal lag when running more then 6 apps at a time.... my emails, Facebook, and the HTC weather as well as weatherbug elite, callfilter, screeble, shakeit, advanced task manager on auto kill and lookout mobile security either running full time or updating at 15-30 mins between updates with no issues. My battery on average lasts a day and half. The keyboard Is a ton better. I do miss the flash on my camera, and can't wait for 2.0 and Google nav. But all in all. I like the design, size, and sense UI of the ERIS more... very happy with my decision.

[crazy650]

rcklss1 how did you put the movies on to your eris? what program you use to change the size or you just take it stright fromt he computer to the memery stick? what app you using to run the video? thanx

[Big Lou]

Either way you go, you can't go wrong. They are perhaps the 2 best Android phones, period.

Eris is definitely more user friendly with SenseUI and its soft keyboard is certainly better. But there's no doubting the performance increase on the Droid, and for some the physical keyboard is a must. The droid also has a much better screen, considering size, resolution, and quality.

If you simply prefer the Eris experience, then why not? I actually talked my girlfriend and mother into getting an Eris because I feel the bare-bones experience of the Droid would be overwhelming for them. They love their Eris', and I must admit, they are great pieces of hardware. Having said that, I would not want to replace my Droid for one.

[noles200]

OK, I made the switch to the ERIS. I've had it two full days now.

Some observations:

Overall a little more lag than the Droid (but nothing that is terrible and very easy to live with since I came from BB).
The battery life on this is really inferior to the Droid. rcklss1, I don't know how you're getting 36 hours out of your battery. I can't even get 10 to 12 hours out of it. I am working on "training" the battery and have now discharged twice. I'm hoping it helps but this is a real downer. Could be enough to go back.....unless I can find a cheap battery somewhere.
SenseUI is as good as it gets. Blows the Droid away. I also have GDE and like Sense better.
Screen resolution is perfectly acceptable. No question the Droid is sweet but this is just fine.
Haven't missed the flash on the camera at all because I don't use the camera that much.
Exchange email is actually cooler on this. I love how you can have the widget that just lets you flick up or down to get quick looks at emails without opening them.
Love the size and weight of this. Big issue for me was the weight of the Droid. The Eris is so light. Can't even tell it's in my shirt pocket. Also feels good in hand.
Keyboard is much better. Pinch to zoom is great.

I could add a few more. Overall it has more pros than the Droid but the biggest con so far is the battery. Such a big con that I may have to switch back. I noticed that the update that's being pushed to our phones over the next few days mentions nothing about improving battery. This could be such a big con that I may, reluctantly, revert back to Droid. I know many will say just give it a charge during the day when you can but I am not in one location long enough to do that and the phone is a critical part of my business.

Thanks to all who gave your thoughts on this phone. Hopefully you'll give your thoughts on how to get more life out of the battery. I know many that I worked with that had the Moto Q years ago and the battery on that really blew but at least they sold a larger battery with longer life. I hope that happens with the Eris. Until then any tips you have to improve battery life would be wonderful.