I'm guessing you were underwhelmed by Apple's announcements (or lack of iPhone 5 announcement) yesterday? (I didn't read too much about it, but I know you were biding your time).
I can't say that I was underwhelmed at all. There are only a few things I don't like about the iPhone and iOS:
- the glass back. I know several people who have shattered theirs. Since the 4S still has that back, that was one strike against it
- iOS Mail's handling of Gmail. No easy "report as spam" (or, vice versa - mark something that was in SPAM as not SPAM), no easy way to label messages, no official Gmail push client (the exchange support offered by Google does not trash messages when you delete them, but instead archives them, with no way to change that behavior). I do a lot of gmail triage on my phone, so this is pretty big for me.
- no way to archive SMS and MMS messages to Gmail, using a method similar to the excellent SMS Backup+ app, or add calendar entries for phone calls to your calendar, using an app like CallTrack (or at least that I know of). The fact that I can do this on Android is incredibly useful to me.
Frankly, I've had the ability to do voice control/use voice actions on Android for a year or so now, but the number of times that I have done so? A few times at first, just to test it. I find it just weird to think about talking to my phone in public. So, Siri, which looks like fantastic technology, just doesn't sway me, either.
The iPhone 4S with iOS5 will be an excellent phone, and I almost decided to go that way, but just decided to stay Android this time around. I just couldn't wait until a possible iPhone 5 with a standard, durable chassis, and I really needed a phone with a good radio that I could count on to perform well on calls (unlike the Eris, and it seems that almost all of the HTC phones have had this problem with weak radios.) I also decided that I wanted a phone that was as feature-modern as possible - dual core, lots of RAM - so, for me, that left the Droid X2, the Droid 3, and the Bionic. I played around with all three today and just liked the Bionic best. (4G does not sway me at all, and, in fact, I have it turned off.) I'm also hoping (though not necessarily counting on) the fact that Google's (hopefully allowed) purchase of Motorola Mobility will mean that the bootloader will be unlocked and more aggressive rooting may occur as time goes on. (For now, though, I am staying stock as long as possible.)
I do want to say, though, that the tech at the VZW store completely bungled setting this phone up today. I told him that I wanted to do it myself, he insisted on doing it himself, and wasted an hour of my time. 3G never turned on, so he stopped the initial setup, after I entered my Google account credentials, and attached to the WiFi hotspot at the Starbucks next door (!!!). I waited 45 minutes to see that the phone never connected to 3G, waited for the guy to finally fix it, then went home to factory reset and start the whole thing over again.
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Yeah, I don't think I'll let a customer service rep touch my next phone as far as setup goes (unless they're going to give me the keys to unlock the bootloader ).
Still really curious about what device eu1 might get next...I asked him quite a while ago and he indicated he was in no hurry. I'm guessing it might be until after November when his 2 years runs out (and even then, he might hang on to the Eris until the right device for him comes out (or already exists)).
It is SO WEIRD to not be running with root. No Titanium backup; no cache cleaner; no root explorer; tons of stupid apps I do not want on my phone.
Yeah, I did that with my Droid X when I first got it... I waited a little while before rooting it, but I had to have my root fix .
The D3 GB root method works fine for the Bionic (don't know if you've been following that stuff or not). I applied it manually via adb to my DX a week or so back after the newest .605 update scragged our root. So, you can easily root and you know you'll be careful in making scary changes to your phone. There is also a new whole phone restore (FXZ for the Bionic vs. the .SBF for the Droid X), so you can always recover from a soft-bricking. Seems like hardbricking is becoming pretty rare these days.
I'm sure you'll provide a sane, calm, and wizened hand over at the Bionic threads .
Device(s): Verizon Galaxy Nexus (AOKP), Asus Transformer (Rooted Stock)
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Good luck with the Bionic. I also will not be letting a verizon employee set up my phone. I don't even think they could with two-step authentication. I want the box unopened so I can enjoy opening it myself. How are those LTE speeds treating you?
Good luck with the Bionic. I also will not be letting a verizon employee set up my phone. I don't even think they could with two-step authentication. I want the box unopened so I can enjoy opening it myself. How are those LTE speeds treating you?
No LTE around here, and I even have it switched to CDMA only. I'll be driving to an LTE area tomorrow afternoon so I'll see how it looks. But I'll probably stick with 3G for a while.
Device(s): A Condemned Droid Eris -Yep, Gingerbread on an Eris.
EOL'd my ass...
Oh, and a Droid Razr Maxx too
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Still using the Eris here, and my gf is as well. Although, the HTC Vigor, the Motorola Droid HD (Razr?), and the Samsung Galaxy Nexus Prime (whichever combination they finally choose) has my attention. The gf is already eyeing up the HTC Rhyme because that little light-up charm thing actually seems to work on girls. Little Twiki (yes, I named it) may finally face retirement now.
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I'm rocking the Eris still, but counting down the seconds until I can upgrade on November 16th (I'm hoping the Prime/Razr/Vigor will all be out so I can hold each in my hand and make my choice)
I love this little Eris and it's done me well for my first Droid phone.....but it's time to go big.
I'm still using an Eris. I just handed my first Eris down to our youngest to use as a music/wifi device, and am learning my way around a rooted Eris I was given last week by an associate.
I can upgrade in January, and am eying the Vigor/Rezound. I'm hoping the consumer review are position. I like the idea of higher-end audio capabilities.
Finally retired my old Eris last week, though I may keep it around as a wi-fi device. After a lot of looking at Verizon's new and upcoming Android phones, and some thinking about Android in general, I decided to move over to iOS ... and so far I'm pretty happy with the decision.
Definitely not giving up on Android completely, though -- I still have the tablet, for one thing -- so I'll still lurk here occasionally. And I have no regrets about the Eris, at all ... it was a great little phone, and I had lots of fun tinkering with it.
And this place was a fine resource, as well -- especially during those early months, when it seems like everyone here was new to Android and all excited about it, and learning their way around. Good times!
I've been using mine stock from April 2010 until 2.1 went OTA. Then I went root. So far I've loved Sense, and used XTRsense 5.0.1 until I started having problems with Google Navigation (screen orientation problems) and I filled my little 8-gig card. Then I swapped in my old formatted card and am playing around with 2.3 ROMs (currently GingerTazz, though I might go back to GSB). But anyway, I'll be playing with this thing for a while. Then I'm going back to a Motorola. I'm thinking Bionic because I HATE the fact that the RAZR has a sealed battery. NOPENOPENOPENOPENOPE won't do it. Bionic or maybe MAYBE Rezound. Maybe. Even after I get the new one, I may keep the old Eris for stuff like MyTracks and GPS Status, as an in-car videocamera, and general picture taking. It's my only GPS device so I may as well take advantage of it. BTW any way to use Google Maps offline?
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Premium turn-by-turn GPS navigation app.
Sygic is a voice guided GPS navigation app. It's packed with TomTom maps and a robust set of navigation features. Both app and maps are updated for free.Maps are stored on the phone for offline use."
As somebody who had a Bionic for a couple of weeks, I suggest holding off on the Bionic until it gets its first OTA update. There is a real problem with data dropping off randomly even when you are in an area with strong signal. There is supposed to be a radio update in the OTA that will fix this.
I'd also suggest waiting on the Rezound to be out for a week or two to see if users report issues.
I picked up an Incredible 2 at the beginning of August. It was the closest thing I could find to the Eris. LTE didn't interest me (particularly taking battery life into account), and all the new phones are HUGE.
The Inc2 is like a perfected Eris. Plenty of room for apps, no lags or bugs. I love it.
My Eris is now used mainly for streaming my iTunes library to my living room stereo (via Audiogalaxy).
I guess that makes me "old school" (or is that "old fool" ?)
I will agree that if you are shelling out $70/mo to Big Red, that's $1680 over a 2-yr contract period, and that makes the coin for a new replacement handset every two years not a dominant factor in the "TCO".
But, hey; a penny saved is a penny earned - I'm a couple hundred bux ahead of you guys with shiny new phones . (Excepting everybody on PagePlus or Cricket, that is.)
eu1
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I guess that makes me "old school" (or is that "old fool" ?)
I will agree that if you are shelling out $70/mo to Big Red, that's $1680 over a 2-yr contract period, and that makes the coin for a new replacement handset every two years not a dominant factor in the "TCO".
But, hey; a penny saved is a penny earned - I'm a couple hundred bux ahead of you guys with shiny new phones . (Excepting everybody on PagePlus or Cricket, that is.)
eu1
Yay!! Our fearless leader is still with us! I'm not alone.
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My poor little Eris is still sitting in a charger on my desk, patiently waiting to accompany me on my day. I feel like it's staring at me with hurt feelings when I leave the house without it ...
I love my little Eris. A couple of months back I became eligible for an upgrade and went shopping. I was disappointed in the choices. The newer android phones are faster and bigger. But bigger is NOT a good thing. I like the small size. I'll keep waiting for a new phone to come out that offers a decent functionality upgrade in the same nice small package. Still waiting.....
Still on the Eris, my wife is on a Samsung Alias 2. Come December I'm probably moving to an LG Revolution and she's probably going to a Samsung Stratosphere.
She's always been a tiny bit jealous of my phone with all the free games. She said she hasn't had a Verizon phone with free games since she had Snake on her Nokia back in college!
Since I haven't been on in Oooooh so long, thought I'd chime-in.
Still using my eris and eligible for an up-grade, just not impressed with what's out there, as mentioned by others,.. the size of the newer phones.
2 months before I was due for the upgrade someone dropped something on the screen (no-one has admitted to it) I replaced the digitizer and LCD and really it was like getting a new TV, that much clearer so I'll hang on to it for awhile and put-up with the slowness of it.
For now anyway
I'm still rocking out with an Eris, which was actually my first Android phone. Held on to it for years now, and was due for an upgrade in January...of 2011. Planned on getting the Thunderbolt, but by the time that botched release was finally complete, the Bionic looked great and the fruit company was supposed to release the phone to end all phones. By the time both of those launches failed, the Nexus was on my radar and with my Eris still functioning acceptably, I saw no reason to jump on anything just to get a new phone. The Razr and Rezound never even tempted me, and after playing with both, that didn't change. So now, I just need it to hold on until the Nexus release, whenever that may be.
I'm no longer using the Eris. It was my first smart phone so I'll always have a soft spot in my heart for the HTC Eris but about a month ago I went with the iPhone 4S.
I'm not the kind of guy who gets religious about brands and platforms so it was easy to put the iPhone on my list of choices.
I'm pretty impressed with the iPhone - especially battery life. I usually take it off the charger around 6AM and run it until 11PM and based on the way I use the iPhone, it usually has between 50% and 70% of the battery left. Pretty darn good.
The biggest missing piece for me is Google's free turn-by-turn navigation. It's not available on the iPhone. Other brands are but there is a cost. I haven't tried any of them.
I also wish Swype were an option on the iPhone.
The nicest thing is the consistency and polish of the UI. Another positive is that it isn't pre-loaded with crapware.
Surprisingly the phone part is really good. For some reason I find its operation to be way better than it was on the Eris running 2.1. Why, I'm not exactly sure. It just seems more dependable, intuitive, and less laggy.
As for the glass back, I'd rather it was coated metal. The iPhone on it's own is like a wet bar of soap. A case is an absolute must. Don't even leave the store without a case. I've got a cheap Belkin that covers the sides and the back that takes care of the problem.
The thing is heavy compared to the Eris. I suppose it would be nice if it were lighter but I can't imagine that its weight will ever be a problem for me.
The screen is beautiful. Everything about it is superior to the Eris. Colors, resolution, and contrast are better and scrolling is much smoother. The only way they could make it better would be if the screen went full width of the case. BTW, I took a look at some of the Android offerings and while the physical size of those handsets allow for some really nice screens, I wasn't going to be able to carry them in my pocket and I don't want to start carrying a man-purse so they were a no go.
The iPhone lacks 4G so that was a concern but I hear 3G is easier on the battery and since I have wireless both at home and at work I'm using WiFi most of the time anyway.
Gmail if configured as Exchange is okay. You can read and write emails but the advanced handling just isn't there. Maybe Apple will fix this someday.
The camera is really nice. I hardly ever used the camera on my old Eris. In fact, I've already taken more pictures with the iPhone in a month than I did in 2 years with the Eris. Why? Because the camera produces better quality photos but also because the operation is more intuitive.
I guess the bottom line for me is that I have no regrets. The iPhone fits my needs pretty well. There's room for improvement but if you're like me and not emotionally tied to Android you should give the iPhone a look.
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Still using my Eris, though it's showing it's age. I will have to re-up in May but I may leave behind smartphones and the data price tag for a serviceable phone/text only and cheaper phone bill.
I have been using Swype ever since I got my Eris, but the latest update to the Beta has serious issues--maybe it's just the age of my phone, but I have gone back to the native keyboard until I can figure out what's wrong...and that makes my Eris a little bit less desireable, I can tell you.
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Eris is gone when the Galaxy Nexus gets released. Then I'll have that for 2 years until quad core phones get the kinks worked out. It's nice making things work for a long time without needing to upgrade every month like I used to. Had to spend hours on craigslist every day...
I was using my Eris still until I was able to upgrade to the Galaxy Nexus. My Eris is still in perfect condition and I'm trying to decide what to do with it. In any case, I'm still holding on to it.
I'm still running my bone Stock Eris and will be till at least Feb when I am eligible for an up grade...not sure what I'll get next seriously thinking of Dumping Verizon in search of a cheaper plan. I so wish Verizon would offer a cheaper plan with less minutes. Right now for two phones we have the 700 minute plan (smallest one they offer) and between my wife & I we only use 95 min a month, verizon to verizon are free so we harldy use any minutes....
Nexus is in the mail and suppose to be delivered today. My trusty Eris has only but a few hours left.......... It has served me well these past two years and I will be a little sad to see it go. I will keep it around to serve as my mp3 player at the gym.
Device(s): LG Lucid - new
Droid Eris-sadly retired
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Very Late to the party....*longer post* sorry
wow Im not alone!
I have had my Eris for over 2 years now. Its my only phone and yes amazingly the only smart phone I have had. I thought it was kind of pointless to get one and I didnt want to spend the $$$ ..Im not a tech, and I dont game.
I just found these forums today looking for answers. I so wish I had found you all sooner!! My little Eris has begun to have issues, I have found out it suffers from the Silent Bug and it lags, and dosent dial or text quickly more often than not these days.
I love the size of this phone and it has end/send BUTTONS that are not on a screen. Wow I sound so old saying that...
Is there anything I can do to keep this phone alive?
I dont know what rooting is and/or if it would help anyway. Like I said Im so not the tech type. I am positive I dont know half of the things this phone does and sad, I didnt get a dummies guide with it.
If there is no hope what phone would be a good replacement? I have vzw and I am way past time for my upgrade....
Device(s): Rooted Eris used by my daughters.
DInc 2, given to my wife.
Droid Razr M, soon to be rooted
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I upgraded from my eris to an incredible 2, the eris was incredibly easy to root and if you root your problems will be a thing of the past. I suggest you upgrade to the incredible 2, close to the same size and a much better phone all around, Right now I am sure you can find the phone for free if you sign up for another two years with Verizon. I got mine for a penny from Best Buy mobile since they price matched Amazon wireless
wow Im not alone!
I have had my Eris for over 2 years now. Its my only phone and yes amazingly the only smart phone I have had. I thought it was kind of pointless to get one and I didnt want to spend the $$$ ..Im not a tech, and I dont game.
I just found these forums today looking for answers. I so wish I had found you all sooner!! My little Eris has begun to have issues, I have found out it suffers from the Silent Bug and it lags, and dosent dial or text quickly more often than not these days.
I love the size of this phone and it has end/send BUTTONS that are not on a screen. Wow I sound so old saying that...
Is there anything I can do to keep this phone alive?
I dont know what rooting is and/or if it would help anyway. Like I said Im so not the tech type. I am positive I dont know half of the things this phone does and sad, I didnt get a dummies guide with it.
If there is no hope what phone would be a good replacement? I have vzw and I am way past time for my upgrade....
Rooting the Eris is definitely easy -- there are very straightforward instructions available online -- and it's very satisfying, too. If you to that, and then install one of XTR's ROMS, you'll notice a huge improvement in your Eris. Almost like getting a whole new phone!
I picked up the Galaxy Nexus on launch but I keep my Eris around the house as I'm in the middle of turning it into a universal remote. The battery lasts around 4 days now with how it used.
It just feels so tiny in my hand now, it's hilarious.
I picked up the Galaxy Nexus on launch but I keep my Eris around the house as I'm in the middle of turning it into a universal remote. The battery lasts around 4 days now with how it used.
It just feels so tiny in my hand now, it's hilarious.
That's an interesting idea. I use mine mainly as a recorder (TapeMachine).
Device(s): ADR6200, ADR6350, ADR6425... and back to ADR6350.
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Just how much of a pain is it to re-activate the Eris?
I have been using it as an mp3/robot chicken player at the gym, and have been having the urge to run it as my phone again.
I am VERY happy with my DInc2, as many have stated it is like it is a "perfected Eris", but I miss the little guy still.
I just want to use it for a couple weeks or so, then go back to my DInc2.
Is it as easy as it should be? Call vz and BAM, switched?
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Device(s): ADR6200, ADR6350, ADR6425... and back to ADR6350.
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Wait-
What do you mean by "still on your account"?
I upgraded to the DInc2 through VZ, but I can't find my Eris on my VZwireless account site.
How would it still be on my account if it isn't activated?
Wait-
What do you mean by "still on your account"?
I upgraded to the DInc2 through VZ, but I can't find my Eris on my VZwireless account site.
How would it still be on my account if it isn't activated?
If that phone was once activated on your account, and never activated on an account since then, it should become your active phone with a *228 option 1. One thing to think of is that the Eris cannot be a hotspot on VZW, so if you have that service activated for the DInc2, it should automatically deactivate. I'm not 100% sure about that, but something to watch for, if you have it.
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I love my little Eris. A couple of months back I became eligible for an upgrade and went shopping. I was disappointed in the choices. The newer android phones are faster and bigger. But bigger is NOT a good thing. I like the small size. I'll keep waiting for a new phone to come out that offers a decent functionality upgrade in the same nice small package. Still waiting.....
Same here. I finally rooted my Eris last night, and I'm falling in love with it all over again!
I needed to get some files off my Eris so I activated it and emailed them to myself. I was surprised that the Eris still feels snappy. I don't miss the small screen and memory. My Incredible 2 is a satisfactory replacement. I looked at a Rezound and it is the same width but a quarter inch taller.
Mine is still my everyday phone. I really want the Nexus, but I'm hoping for a price drop. Maybe after my vacation.
"Come to the dark side! (we have cookies! )" .
Seriously, if you get the GNex and need help rooting, hit me up...its pretty straight-forward (and if you do plan on rooting, you'll want to unlock your bootloader first thing so you don't have to lose any "SD card" data/setup).
Cheers!
-SA
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The HTC Droid Eris launched for Verizon Wireless on November 6th in part as the carrier's first Android Phone. However it was overshadowed by the other member of the inaugural Verizon Droid duo - the Motorola Droid. The Droid Eris might look fa... Read More
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).
instead of a retort.
. (Excepting everybody on PagePlus or Cricket, that is.)
