Droid 2 or Droid 2 Global?

[K20turbo]

good job, get the white, it's so sexy. I like the color very much because it's not the vague white that everyone uses i.e. plain white iphone. The white is more of a pearl white and if you know cars then pearl is the coating in the paint that sorta makes it look better.
for 35 bucks its a no brainer

 

[samwifi]

I have both D2 and D2G and only notice one main difference for use in the US, the D2 seems to get better battery life. Keep in mind this is only a subjective observation since usage of phone and apps vary day to day and therefore phone to phone. My wife and I travel overseas and GSM is a part of our lives too so the Global feature of the D2G does provide us a benefit. The balance of functionality between phones seems identical. If my experience is correct and you are not leaving the US often, I would much rather have a longer battery life over a possible future OS enhancement like 2.3 to 2.3.1. My two cents...

Sorry, but I have to disagree - the D2G is HUGELY better then the D2 except for a slight difference in battery. The keyboard on the D2G is massively better! No one talks about this, but for a former blackberry user, keyboard is important when typing out long emails (at least for me). Also, there is a HUGE difference in performance! screens are snappy... programs come up quickly... no delays... now keep in mind I'm techy and kinda picky as well.... I think that verizon and others are keeping these major differences under wraps, otherwise there would be large numbers of D2's floating back to their warehouse. Seriously, if you can... return the D2 and go with the D2G....

 

[random190user44]

I thought the keyboards on the D2 and d2g were identical?

Sent from my DROID2 using DroidForums App

 

[samwifi]

I thought the keyboards on the D2 and d2g were identical?

Sent from my DROID2 using DroidForums App

Right - and thats what Amazon Wireless and EVEN Motorola told me.... But I called a rep at the local Verizon store and she told me that they look the same, and technically the same basic idea with the bubbled keys (not the movable keys that depress...) but that they are more responsive. She said it was subtle. I went down there to try because I had a D2 within the 30 days and there is a HUGE difference. The keys while having the same design, are FAR more responsive - meaning they click easily and bounce back quickly. much easier to type and know that each key you depress will actually type. I got my replacement a couple of days ago and i'm very very happy. I know the battery life may not be the best, and I'll probly have to buy another battery, but i'm looking for everyday functionality - something fast - and that has an "ease of use" quality. Which makes the keyboard all important to me... I wonder if Motorola changed keyboard manufacturers, and the new OEM just did a better job... who knows...

 

[Benton]

You raise a valid point...are there different keyboard suppliers and did the D2 get different versions (plural)? Is it possible the D2 I've got is a later version than the one you had and actually has the same keyboard as my D2G? I do not notice a difference and since we just started discussing this I did a couple of side by side loading and texting tests, can't tell them apart really.

Comparisons between individuals that have different apps, uses, etc and now maybe even different version(s) of phone make it even more difficult to validate. What may be a "huge" difference for one user may be nonexistent for another, there are many uncontrolled variables. Out of this we may end up with a new thread comparing versions of D2, D2G and onward...hmmm.

 

[samwifi]

that's a good point. We bought our D2's at the beginning of December when Amazon Wireless had the penny sale on Droid's. Could be the penny sale was based on an older version. The strange this is that the test D2 phone that we tried at the local Verizon, before buying the D2 from Amazon, had the same sort of non-responsive feel to the Keyboard. Here again, they could have a different rev as you mention. I understand this kind of thing being in the OEM sales business. Depending on the customer the OEM may or may not share rev changes to their BOM (bill-of-materials). Especially to consumers, typically there will be no part number or spec changes if a compatible part is swapped into the build (this happens all the time... But, obviously, I can't speak for Motorola). So, who knows... and like you said it depends on usage etc... and like I said before I'm picky and techy... I just wanted to make it clear to those on the fence like I was...

 

[exzacklyright]

So basically i'm in the process of trying to decide between these phones. I know the d2g is has both cdma and gsm networks but what really does that mean? Does that mean you can avoid roaming charges when outside of the U.S.? Is the battery life really THAT noticeable? I don't travel outside the U.S. often but I might be going to england / brazil this next year. On the verizon website the D2G is 70 dollars more to buy initially. Any help?