Buying first smartphone, question about new models

[Thorax3]

Hello everyone,

I plan on purchasing a smart phone soon but I have a question, wondering if I should hold off on my purchase and wait or not.

I don't know much about smart phones, so I am not sure if there are new models continuously being released like other phones. I know most phones receive updated models every so often.

I currently plan on getting either a Droid Incredible or a Droid X. I checked the release dates and saw that the Incredible released in April, and the X release in June or July. Should I expect new expect new models to be released for each of these phones any time soon? I haven't read anything online about a new model.

The reason I'm asking this is because I am not sure if I should wait it out until a new model of one of these phones is released/spend a little than I would with a regular 2 year contract and get a 1 year contract.

Thanks in Advance!

P.s. I could not find a thread pertaining to this issue so I apologize if this is a repeat topic.

 

[hoing]

Htc thunderbolt looks badass, check the out

 

[Thorax3]

I read up on that a little, but saw that it was 4G. I'm assuming a 4G plan would cost more. If that's so, I don't think that would be a possibility then.

 

[mwhartman]

Well that is the million dollar question. There are many excellent phones currently available. The biggest debate seems to be dual core processors. What are your primary needs with a smartphone?

Do you plan on rooting or are you ok with a stock device?

Mike

 

[Thorax3]

Well that is the million dollar question. There are many excellent phones currently available. The biggest debate seems to be dual core processors. What are your primary needs with a smartphone?

Do you plan on rooting or are you ok with a stock device?

Mike

I plan on leaving my phone stock. Primarily, I would like to play games, use facebook, and browse the web on my phone.

Are new models coming out soon that would be better for what I want to do on my phone, or should I just buy a phone now?

 

[mwhartman]

Well that is the million dollar question. There are many excellent phones currently available. The biggest debate seems to be dual core processors. What are your primary needs with a smartphone?

Do you plan on rooting or are you ok with a stock device?

Mike

I plan on leaving my phone stock. Primarily, I would like to play games, use facebook, and browse the web on my phone.

Are new models coming out soon that would be better for what I want to do on my phone, or should I just buy a phone now?

That seems to be unclear. The TB was rumored to be released 2/14. The Bionic won't be released until later this year as will the Atrix.

Mike

 

[Thorax3]

Well that is the million dollar question. There are many excellent phones currently available. The biggest debate seems to be dual core processors. What are your primary needs with a smartphone?

Do you plan on rooting or are you ok with a stock device?

Mike

I plan on leaving my phone stock. Primarily, I would like to play games, use facebook, and browse the web on my phone.

Are new models coming out soon that would be better for what I want to do on my phone, or should I just buy a phone now?

That seems to be unclear. The TB was rumored to be released 2/14. The Bionic won't be released until later this year as will the Atrix.

Mike

Alright, sounds good, thanks. Looks like I'll go ahead and get a phone now, probably with a one year contract, so I'll have to option to get one of the newer phones that will come out later this year.

 

[mwhartman]

Here are a few links that my help:

HTC Thunderbolt Forum

Thunderbolt vs Evo Comparison (WireFly Vid)

http://www.droidforums.net/forum/htc-thunderbolt/121390-thunderbolt-vs-bionic.html

Hope they help. Let us know what you decide.

Mike

 

[Thorax3]

Here are a few links that my help:

HTC Thunderbolt Forum

Thunderbolt vs Evo Comparison (WireFly Vid)

http://www.droidforums.net/forum/htc-thunderbolt/121390-thunderbolt-vs-bionic.html

Hope they help. Let us know what you decide.

Mike

Thanks for the links. I used those links and other sources to cross reference and compare the Incredible and the X to the Thunderbolt. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems like the Droid X is much faster than the Incredible.

My only concern with the X is that its size could make it uncomfortable or awkward to hold, and possibly wouldn't fit in one's pocket too well. The screen size definitely seems like a plus. Can anyone comment on the size and comfort issue? It seems like the benefits of the larger screen would outweigh the cons of the cumbersome size.

Battery-wise I have some questions as well. I read many threads on multiple forums complaining about the Incredible's battery. People talked about how the X has a longer lasting battery. I've read posts on here and other forums listing things that you can do to improve your battery life, such as making sure to turn off the GPS after using a GPS application. After making these adjustments, does the X still have a longer lasting battery? And does the X have these problems as well, where I would just have to follow the posted suggestions to fix the issue.

It seems to me like the Droid X is still able to compete with the newer Thunderbolt, and it's cheaper as well. I think I'll be staying away from the Thunderbolt for now. But I'll probably get a one year contract so that I'm free to upgrade sooner than if I signed a 2 year contract.

Thanks for all of your help, it's much appreciated.

 

[mwhartman]

I'm not the best source but if I had to purchase a phone today I would purchase the X. I it is a very solid device.

 

[brando56894]

The Incredible and the X are equally as fast since they both have a 1GHz processor (the Inc has the snapdragon while the X has the OMAP 3630 IIRC) and equivalent amounts of ram.

AFAIK the reason why the Inc has a worse battery life than the X is (mostly) because of the screen. The Inc has an AMOLED screen while I think the X just has an LCD screen, hence the Inc will give a better looking picture.

 

[Thorax3]

I'm not the best source but if I had to purchase a phone today I would purchase the X. I it is a very solid device.

Thanks, I think I'm leaning towards the X.

The Incredible and the X are equally as fast since they both have a 1GHz processor (the Inc has the snapdragon while the X has the OMAP 3630 IIRC) and equivalent amounts of ram.

AFAIK the reason why the Inc has a worse battery life than the X is (mostly) because of the screen. The Inc has an AMOLED screen while I think the X just has an LCD screen, hence the Inc will give a better looking picture.

Did some research and found that HTC switched the Incredible's screen from AMOLED to SLCD in September. Not sure how that changes the battery usage. I've heard people (including you) say the AMOLED used more battery than the LCD and others say the opposite.

 

[kodiak799]

There's a lot of good options with different screen sizes, even the IPhone, and even the Droid Pro or D2 with a physical keyboard.

Check 'em out and see what feels right. But they're all 6-8 months old. Personally I'd go with the Thunderbolt. All indications are that data prices aren't changing for LTE, although you can get some of the Droids mentioned cheaper on a 2-yr plan.