Which Droid Phone?

I think I'm finally over blackberry, I've loved it for years, but it's hard to ignore the usefulness of a Droid phone as a semi-laptop replacement. Does anyone use the Google Nexus? Or should I look at the Droid 4? Has to be Verizon (or flashable to Verizon). The Galaxy S III is calling my name as well, but $99 vs $250 is a pretty big jump.

Yes, I know the super Apple phone is being release tomorrow. No, I have no interest in IOS. But hope that it drops other prices down.

The S3 is 99 dollars on Amazon right now with new contract. I love my S3 now that the bootloader has been cracked on Verizon, plus it's guaranteed to get Jelly Bean.

The Nexus is also a good choice but remember the hardware in that is 9 months old now. My wife has the GNex. I really like it as well since I'm a huge fan of stock Android. Since it's a Nexus device it'll also get plenty of support for the updates for a long time. It'll also get Jelly Bean and beyond.

I'd personally stay away from the Droid4. The bootloader will never be unlocked on it (Motorolla is only unlocking new devices) and it doesn't have very good developer support. Plus the phone is pretty old so you'll be locked into a 2 year contract with a phone at the end of its life cycle.

The final option will be to wait until November. The rumors are that Google will be launching 5 Nexus devices through it's playstore. All will have stock Android and get plenty of support from developers. The downside is that you'll have to pay full price.

If you don't plan on rooting (like 97% of users), an unlockable bootloader is no big deal. Having said that, the only reason to get a Droid 4 IMO is if you have to have a physical keyboard, which might be a consideration for you coming from Blackberry.

I have an HTC Rezound and love it, but it's technology will soon be a year old like the Galaxy Nexus. FWIW, I had a GNex for a couple of weeks but returned it because of signal strength issues and the fact that the camera sucked.

And yeah, you probably want to avoid buying most of these phones directly from Verizon, you'll pay more for the same thing. Amazon is a good choice, I've also bought a couple from Wirefly, and there are others.

In reply to Tom_Spangler:

True about the rooting and new roms. I like to do all that in order to squeeze more life out of aging hardware. There's a new firmware package out for the GNex which fixes the radio issues. My wife really hasn't had the serious issues a lot of the forums seem to be describing with it though.

There's always Craigslist or Ebay as well. Some of the older phones like the Rezound can be had for 150 or less and the GNex can be had for 250. That won't lock you into a contract and if you have unlimited data you can keep it. I'd think that would be the way to go rather than pay full price for a new phone.

Edit: Pretty sure the Rezound also has the GSM antennas (not the 3g ones though) so if you're doing any world travel it'll at least make calls there.

Oh, rooting is a certainty for me. I can't let things just be.

S3 on Verizon for $99 seems like a no brainer. I love my S2, but I needed a phone about 4 months before the S3 was released.

I like my HTC One, but in excessive heat (100+ degrees) it tends to act up. Not uncommon in my work place.

I have a Droid Bionic and love it. If I get a keyboard, I could probably leave the laptop at home on trips.

I hate on-screen keyboards. That being said, I've had nothing but problems with every single Droid phone I've ever used. I hated my Apple iPhone, but at least the berkeleying thing worked.

I have no idea if it's offered through Verizon or at all anymore, but I'd just like to say my Motorola Blur is a total pile. Stay far, far away.

Last I checked the Droid 4 had the best hardware, of any phone.

I'd buy one if I could get Maemo on it, but I can't so I'm sticking to my old N900 with the best software of any phone.

I have an original Droid X and it has been great for the last 2 years. It helps greatly if you learn to use Swype for your on-screen keyboard as touch screen "one button one character" style keyboards w/o tactile feedback are marginal at best in any implementation. Swype is slick and makes that issue go away.

www.phonescoop.com
From there, try the phone finder tab and then compare side by side. This may help in comparing features in one to the other. Plenty of reviews too, so very indepth.
If I was to recommend off what VZ has out now, my choice would be Razor Maxx simply for the fact that it has a really big battery. On may Android phones, the battery life is really poor.

Im also a fan of http://www.gsmarena.com/ they break down most any phone in terms of its basic components. No BS, no biased info. Theres no user reviews or feedback either, if thats what youre looking for . Just the facts, ma'am.

JohnRW1621 wrote: www.phonescoop.com From there, try the phone finder tab and then compare side by side. This may help in comparing features in one to the other. Plenty of reviews too, so very indepth. If I was to recommend off what VZ has out now, my choice would be Razor Maxx simply for the fact that it has a really big battery. On may Android phones, the battery life is really poor.

The Maxx is the only RAZR I'd recommend, because you can't replace the batteries on any of them. My Rezound's battery life is OK, not spectacular, but if I know I'm going to be out for a long time, I bring my spare battery along just in case.

GameboyRMH wrote: Last I checked the Droid 4 had the best hardware, of any phone.

I guess if you don't count processor speed, screen resolution, memory, internal storage, or cameras as "hardware", that could be true. But other than that, the newest crop leaves it in the dust. ;-)

I did not realize the Maxx's battery could not be removed. It's always something.

In reply to Giant Purple Snorklewacker:

Not all droids have swype. Mine does not.

swipe can be installed on most phones with a little work...

I use slide-it and don't have many problems. It also usually makes me spell better.

donalson wrote: swipe can be installed on most phones with a little work...

I spend enough time modifying cars; I don't want to have to modify my phone, too!

I still use an original Galaxy S. Great phone.. If I wanted a new one, I would have to give up the physical keyboard or lose features.

You can replace the battery on the Bionic, and you can get a high capacity battery. It's really pretty awesome. I have the regular battery and it lasts just fine all day.

Sky_Render wrote:

donalson wrote: swipe can be installed on most phones with a little work...

I spend enough time modifying cars; I don't want to have to modify my phone, too!

It's just an app download.

You can replace the battery on a MAXX, but you need a small Torx screwdriver and some patience.