Phone choices for Feb-March 2012 on Verizon, what would you choose and why?

[Techsniffer]

I will be in the market for a new set of phones (for me and my girl) in Feb or March, we are on Verizon and in a 4g LTE market. We are both currently grandfathered in on our unlimited data plans and she is rocking an OG Moto Droid and I have an HTC Thundrbolt 4g.

I would like feedback and suggestions (no flaming or ignorance please) on the choice you would have me make and please justify your responses.

Here are some of the things I was thinking:
- I want to try to stay grandfatered into my unlimited plan so I was planning on buying the phones off contract (prices isnt an issue and I understand that some phones are $800 a pop) and just activating them on our accounts.. my question is will this work or will Verizon find some way to swindle me into their new tiered package?

- I want a NEW phone, not one thats at or near their End of Life, try to keep it about 2 months past at max.

- ICS is a huge plus and very tempting but I do not want to become blinded by ICS and ignore potentially better hardware, options or screen size/quality(I know pretty much any new phone will be pushed ICS within a few months if it doesnt ship with it)

- My initial thoughts were the Razr Maxx or Galaxy Nexus but if you guys can think of a reason I should wait a few more weeks towards March or look into different phones then let me know, I do know that they are talking Quad cores soon but honestly I think were in a situation where the hardware is outpacing the software at least for right now so Quad cores isnt big on my wishlist, however dual core is a requirement.

I think that's my list, I greatly appreciate any and all feedback and please dont turn this into a bickering match, but I do encourage intelligent well thought out debate with actual reasons.

 

[dezymond]

Well if you're due for a new contract you will still be grandfathered into an unlimited data plan, so you don't have to pay full retail price. There is no way for Verizon to swindle you into a tiered plan as long as you don't terminate your contract, to my knowledge at least.

- Razr, Rezound, Nexus, Razr Maxx, and the Droid 4 should all be available by the time you're due for an upgrade. Only one of these phones (Nexus) has ICS and the rest should be receiving ICS.
- I have a Nexus and am more than happy with my choice. I've had it since launch and I can honestly say it still puts a grin on my face when I pick it up from time to time. I mean I got the future in my hands now:hail:

- I'm not aware of any other phones coming out other than the Razr Maxx and the D4, but I haven't been keeping up with future releases like I usually do.

Honestly you both should get some hands on time with these devices as that would be the major factor in deciding. Once you get some hands on time, and you two have anymore questions we'll be glad to answer them for ya

 

[djsiva]

All of their current high-end phones are great choices. I personally have the Galaxy Nexus and love it, but the Rezound and Razr are real solid too.

 

[zomnomnombie]

RAZR/RAZR Maxx, Rezound, Nexus, Droid 4

They are all comparable and you really couldn't go wrong with any of them.

Sent from my R2 unit using DroidForums

 

[JeffDenver]

Of all the phones that will be out by then, there are only three I would consider:

HTC Rezound:
This is the one I ended up getting, and is still my recommendation.
Pros: Best camera, best display (True 720p, better-than-Retina-Display pixel density, best color reproduction), both SD expansion and removable battery, HTC allows you to unlock the bootloader, best 4G reception, best GPS, and includes expensive earbuds.
Cons: Buttons are too flush to the case, battery life could be better (with stock battery), Polluted with Sense UI.

Galaxy Nexus:
Pros: ICS and vanilla google experience and will always get updates first, 720p display (with AMOLED's deep blacks), NFC hardware built in, easy to root/unlock, and removable battery.
Cons: No hardware buttons (so part of your screen will be taken up with basic navigation controls, and/or controls will not always be visible), No SD expansion (which means you basically have to buy the 32 gig version), has had some 4G reception issues, ICS-only means some apps that do not work with ICS cannot be used on this phone or do not function well. Worst camera of the three.

Droid Razr Maxx:
I would not get the old version, even if it is cheaper. Get this version (better battery and more storage).
Pros: Awesome battery life (best of any smartphone IMO), SD expansion, non-Pentile AMOLED display (deep blacks), wicked thin and light (even with the new battery), most durable case naked.
Cons: No removable battery, display is "only" qHD resolution, polluted with Motoblur UI.

That is how I see it. ICS itself is not a bonus since they will all get it eventually (GN just gets it immediately). There is nothing at all appealing to me about the Droid 4...the Droid 1 was the last good Droid from Motorola.

IMO, any of these phones would be great to have. The Razr is actually pretty cool now that they added the new battery. I did not knock the GN for the pentile display...I saw one in person at the Verizon store, and honestly, it looks awesome. The Pentile artifacts are there, but the resolution on it is SO damn high that you simply wont see them. The only way to see them is (literally) with a magnifying glass. I am jealous of the deep blacks on super AMOLED, but the pixel density of the Rezound is just too good to pass up.

So yeah, I'd say go with the Rezound still.

BONUS - Apparently, according to this thread, you can use 64 Gig SD cards on both the Razr and Rezound!! (I still have no idea why Google did not include an SD slot on the Galaxy Nexus...that seems asinine to me).

 

[Techsniffer]

Of all the phones that will be out by then, there are only three I would consider:

Looks like you can now add the HTC Rezound to the list of phones with the hidden global radios - http://www.droid-life.com/2012/01/26/htc-rezound-has-secret-global-radios-after-all/

Thats a good breakdown of the choices, thanks for the time.

I was hoping for a slightly more debate in this thread to be honest though.

I really wanted the Galaxy Nexus to be my next phone but the more I see from the Rezound the more I think I might be sticking with HTC for another year.
I think the last test will be having them in hand and screen quality and reaction times will be the biggest decider.

I still urge people to post their thoughts on all this, make this thread more informative for everyone, not just myself.

 

[JeffDenver]

I really wanted the Galaxy Nexus to be my next phone

Believe me, I did too. I didn't switch to the Rezound until the last minute. I was sure I was going to be buying the GN. There is a lot to like about the Galaxy nexus.

But I cant live without SD. That was a deal killer for me. Also, the phone was a little big IMO...even 4.3" is pushing it where size is concerned. The size of the new phones is getting out of hand.

but the more I see from the Rezound the more I think I might be sticking with HTC for another year. I think the last test will be having them in hand and screen quality and reaction times will be the biggest decider.

I have a preference for AMOLED myself (I really love those deep blacks). But the pixel density on the Rezound was too good to ignore.

 

[nadav64]

I have a galaxy Nexus and it's great but just remember that it's just a phone nothing more and nothing less.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using DroidForums

 

[JeffDenver]

I have a galaxy Nexus and it's great but just remember that it's just a phone nothing more and nothing less.

I disagree...it isnt just a phone anymore. Now it is an entertainment center and an online communications portal.

I use my phone for e-mail daily. I use it as a music player at the gym and occasionally in my car. I use it to make grocery lists. I occasionally watch videos on it. I use it as a rolodex for all my contacts. I read books on it. I get weather and news on it. I take pictures (and video) with it. I use it as an alarm clock. I use it to browse the internet every day.

Frankly, a 'phone" is the least of its functions now. I dont use the "phone" part of it every day. Sometimes not even every other day. But I use all that other stuff on it constantly. It is much more than a phone...it is basically the center of my life where convenience is concerned.

And for those of use who only upgrade every 20 months, this decision is a big deal. I will be stuck with this for that entire period. So I can appreciate how someone might be nervous committing to a new phone. If you pick one you end up not liking, it is an expensive mistake.

 

[Techsniffer]

I agree with Jeff on this one, I go several days a week without makes or recieveing phone calls but there isnt one day that passes that I'm not using my phone for at least 10 other activities.

As for the SD card, really I'd like to have the functionality but anymore I dont much care, I struggle to get my 16g SD card half full and now most phones come with 32g and might have an SD option for another 64g of SD card, I just have no need for that as 80% of what I do is stored in the cloud or I connect to access.

My music is on Google Music Beta and I listen to Pandora and the local radio station via their app, videos are streamed through Netflix or via my plex server running at home. If I found myself taking so many pictures or videos that I was filling 32g+ then I think its time I simply buy a nice camera or video recorder and have infinitely more options from using a specialized device for doing so. But with that said when I take video/pictures I do want them to be nice and clear and not out of focus and grainy.

And since you mentioned the cycle you follow for upgrades, I must say generally speaking I'm a yearly upgrader. The biggest reason I upgrade yearly is that despite how awesome and great phones are now, they turn to **** on day 366. I've had 4 Android phones/tablets since the Android craze started several years ago and every one of them worked like a dream until the warranty ran out, they they turned to ****. Batteries dead, headphone jacks not working, phone runs like crap, having to do monthly factory resets just to get basic functionality out of it and then that only works for a few days.

I would love to have a smartphone that worked for the entire 2 year upgrade cycle like the day I bought it, but thats a pipe dream and I'd sooner activate my 2001 flip phone before going to Apple products.

 

[t35rk]

I don't think I heard mention of the LG Spectrum, and that's not surprising considering its stone cold launch just one week ago.

You owe it to yourself to check it out with all the others. It's screen is the biggest and best, imo, out there. Good specs and due for ICS and a good price.

With LG you'd probably need to overlook a few flaws, but all the phones have them. The screen may be your deciding factor. It very well may be mine at my upgrade.

Sent from my ADR6300 using DroidForums

 

[Techsniffer]

I'd like to say that LG is in my running, but honestly its not. I've been burned by LG products in the past and to be honest I havent read anything positive about LG in a long while, not that everything I've read is bad, just a lot of neutral information but more importantly no one is raving about their products at all, which for me is cause of concern.

I will not ignore your suggestion and I will definatly look it over, I think I'm going to swing in a store tonight and start weighing my options, I wont make a purchase tonight but I want more visual information. My only wish is that the reps were there, they are horrible and pretty damn stupid about the phones they sell, I'd like to browse alone, not with someone hovering over me like I'm a child.

 

[t35rk]

I'd like to say that LG is in my running, but honestly its not. I've been burned by LG products in the past and to be honest I havent read anything positive about LG in a long while, not that everything I've read is bad, just a lot of neutral information but more importantly no one is raving about their products at all, which for me is cause of concern.

I will not ignore your suggestion and I will definatly look it over, I think I'm going to swing in a store tonight and start weighing my options, I wont make a purchase tonight but I want more visual information. My only wish is that the reps were there, they are horrible and pretty damn stupid about the phones they sell, I'd like to browse alone, not with someone hovering over me like I'm a child.

A rep will sell you their flavor of the day. Do not listen to their comparisons.

I've been burned by two defective LG Chocolates in the past but still I consider the Spectrum. It's like the airlines. If you never flew again with an airline that pissed you off, you'd soon be left with no choice but to drive.

Sent from my ADR6300 using DroidForums

 

[Techsniffer]

I never listen to the reps, I already know their dumb as a box of rocks and only trying to up their commission. Mainly commenting on how annoying they are, like flies in Africa.

But I will look over the Spectrum.

 

[JeffDenver]

As for the SD card, really I'd like to have the functionality but anymore I dont much care, I struggle to get my 16g SD card half full and now most phones come with 32g and might have an SD option for another 64g of SD card, I just have no need for that as 80% of what I do is stored in the cloud or I connect to access.

I dont trust the cloud anymore. Twice since I have had this phone, 4G has been out for a day or more (and 3G too). Add to that the fact that I dont get cell access everywhere (and certainly not 4G everywhere). And Wifi is a haphazard solution at best...at the gym I can get wifi, but it is password locked (like most wifi networks). So you usually have to jump through hoops to get passwords for them. I have tried using cloud based apps for music and it is just not the same...there are minor pauses and skips that you simply dont deal with on local media.

For these reasons, I have never been comfortable relying on the cloud for anything other than backup or short term transfer. I like having my 8 gigs of music sitting on my phone, and my 6 gigs of music videos and dozens of books all at my fingertips, network or no network. I DO like cloud storage mind you (I have the free 50 gig Box account =)...just not for daily use.

The Rezound could potentially have 80 gigs of space...that is a LOT of room to put my stuff. Being able to install a 64 gig SD card is a huge deal IMO. I wonder if older phones can do it as well. 64 gigs of space on a Droid 1?

If I found myself taking so many pictures or videos that I was filling 32g+ then I think its time I simply buy a nice camera or video recorder and have infinitely more options from using a specialized device for doing so. But with that said when I take video/pictures I do want them to be nice and clear and not out of focus and grainy.

The Rezound has an awesome camera though. The only thing it is lacking is optical zoom. The only cameras I have seen that are comparable are the Galaxy S2 and the iPhone 4S.

And since you mentioned the cycle you follow for upgrades, I must say generally speaking I'm a yearly upgrader. The biggest reason I upgrade yearly is that despite how awesome and great phones are now, they turn to **** on day 366. I've had 4 Android phones/tablets since the Android craze started several years ago and every one of them worked like a dream until the warranty ran out, they they turned to ****. Batteries dead, headphone jacks not working, phone runs like crap, having to do monthly factory resets just to get basic functionality out of it and then that only works for a few days.

I fulfilled my FULL contract to Verizon, heh heh. All 20 months. I had the Droid 1 (and only the Droid 1) that entire time.

Man, that thing was a beast. I had it overclocked to 1ghz, rooted, and ROMed almost the entire time. It still works. Case is scratched up, but the Gorilla Glass screen looks brand new...not a scratch on it. Gorilla Glass is awesome.