I just went to buy a placeholder thunderbolt until the charge was released but the guy pulled a charge out and sold it to me. I will post pics and a review soon. In the mean time I have to call verizon because they messed up my port.
The boot animation is awesome btw
Sorry about the bad photo, the atrixs cameras not so good.
Last edited by moondrius; May 3rd, 2011 at 05:13 PM.
Reason: Pics
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Nice. Please post your experience on call quality/signal reception and web browsing. Some reviewers seemed to have experienced clucky scrolling on web pages with javascript on.
Nice. Please post your experience on call quality/signal reception and web browsing. Some reviewers seemed to have experienced clucky scrolling on web pages with javascript on.
My call quality has been good so far. I will give updates as I use it but its great so far.
I just called one Best Buy (the closer one 25 min away) and they said they were told to tell customers the Droid Charge is delayed till the end of the summer. I got real mad then calmed myself down and called the next closest one (40 minutes away). He checked and said he's got 12 left and to come on down. So I'm off. With a little bit of luck I will be returning with my new Droid Charge!
Well I got it! Woo hoo! The bad news is they couldn't activate it. I got there and his manager greeted me and apologized and said they weren't supposed to sell them yet and the guy on the phone didn't know that. But he said since I drove all the way he would sell it to me, but I would need to wait until Verizon took the hold off activations in order to activate it. So I said okay. It still works on wifi and I can get it all setup so when they do go live (hopefully this Thursday) a quick call and I'll be all set.
Well I got it! Woo hoo! The bad news is they couldn't activate it. I got there and his manager greeted me and apologized and said they weren't supposed to sell them yet and the guy on the phone didn't know that. But he said since I drove all the way he would sell it to me, but I would need to wait until Verizon took the hold off activations in order to activate it. So I said okay. It still works on wifi and I can get it all setup so when they do go live (hopefully this Thursday) a quick call and I'll be all set.
Thats really odd, I would try to get a sim card from verizon because my best buy activated mine.
Seems very hit-and-miss. You need to go to a Verizon store with more chill employees. The really uptight ones (most of them) will just scream at you for reading stuff on the internet about their horribly slow releases of phones. If you can get a SIM card though, you should be set. Obviously, there's no "hooks" on the activation.
If you ask me, I think Verizon's just being a bunch of assholes and wants to wait for the stupid white iPhone 4 craze to die down before releasing this already-tested and ready-to-launch phone so they don't steal Apple's show. After all, Apple is insecure and needs all the attention.
One question: Did you guys pay $300 on-contract for this?
__________________
Current phone: Droid Charge @ 1200MHz. ROM jumping, waiting for CM to arrive!
Quote:
Originally Posted by UBRocked
Just put your phone in airplane mode and tell him you loaded an iPhone 4 simulator on your Droid.
Son of a gun! I just powered on and I now have a 4G data signal (I didn't before it kept saying trying to activate). I'm now at a screen that says setting up.
I'm a little nervous. I have a 4G LTE icon up top now but it's just sitting there with a spinning icon and says "Please wait while your phone is being activated". I didn't have the 4G icon when I first turned the phone on and hadn't gone through the online activation yet so I think I'm half way there. I just hope it takes. My Thunderbolt took over 5 minutes to register with the network so I won't panic yet ;-)
Yeah no problem. I almost got one ordered through the verizon retain team as I ported out to att earlier in the month. They were unable to do it so I went to buy the thunderbolt and they actually had the charge. I did not believe them at first lol.
I was just on a long phone call and the call quality is great. Its just as good if not better then the thunderbolt or the x. The screen is also beautiful. No complaints so far.
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Also you can disable 4g under settings unlike the thunderbolt. Its amazing if you are out of coverage so you have reliable data. Its under wireless and network>mobile netwoks>System selection.
This phone is great. The screen is the thing thats really wowing me. The look and the curves on the back are nice and easy to hold. No complaints here.
The battery life is looking good, I am 13 hours in and almost dead with and hour and a half of talk time and 2 hours with the screen on. That was just my first charge cycle so it might improve from that.
Also you can disable 4g under settings unlike the thunderbolt. Its amazing if you are out of coverage so you have reliable data. Its under wireless and network>mobile netwoks>System selection.
This phone is great. The screen is the thing thats really wowing me. The look and the curves on the back are nice and easy to hold. No complaints here.
That's very good. It's definitely advantage over Tbolt that didn't come with 4G setting. Maybe you can make shortcut icon to that setting on screen. I look forward to seeing its screen once it goes on sale officially.
That's very good. It's definitely advantage over Tbolt that didn't come with 4G setting. Maybe you can make shortcut icon to that setting on screen. I look forward to seeing its screen once it goes on sale officially.
As of right now its only through that menu. Its not too big of a deal because it only takes a few seconds to do.
The battery life is looking good, I am 13 hours in and almost dead with and hour and a half of talk time and 2 hours with the screen on. That was just my first charge cycle so it might improve from that.
That actually doesn't sound all that great. Not to different from what I'm getting on a Thunderbolt. Although I'm not in a 4G area yet. I used the phone a good bit today, had Skype logged in all day, checked a bunch of email, surfing, RSS feeds, some video, some flash. Unplugged at 8am, 15% warning just went off and its 11pm, so thats ~15 hours.
That actually doesn't sound all that great. Not to different from what I'm getting on a Thunderbolt. Although I'm not in a 4G area yet. I used the phone a good bit today, had Skype logged in all day, checked a bunch of email, surfing, RSS feeds, some video, some flash. Unplugged at 8am, 15% warning just went off and its 11pm, so thats ~15 hours.
That was on the first charge with no calibration. Yesterday my phone was at 30% after 1 day and 5 hours after moderate use. Much better than my Thunderbolt.
This is true. After a few calls yesterday afternoon I found a Best Buy that would sell me a Charge. The rep. advised me to wait to fully activate it until VZW worked out a few LTE issues and that I should wait for VZW to fully release the Charge for sale. Next question: how long do I hold out? I am still using my Dinc1 but really want to unleashe the Charge.
Don't wait, there is nothing wrong with this phone. If you can buy it now go ahead.
Even just a minor improvement in processing speed (a la Infuse) would likely have me lining up to get one, as the camera shots I've seen with it are simply stunning. The new 8MP camera Samsung is putting out handily beats images from the iPhone 4. The HDMI is likely going to rock. We know SuperAMOLED Plus absolutely rocks.
But I would still have the processor I have now with no speed improvements whatsoever. I just can't justify shelling out hundreds for zero improvement in processing power.
But for those that are new to android, or users that the Galaxy S hardware would likely be fast enough for the foreseeable future, then this phone certainly makes sense. Easily the best camera you can get on a cellphone available in this country right now.
I live in a 4g area and no complaints, its actually just as good or better than my Thunderbolt was. Performance wise Touchwiz is a bit laggy on the home screen but other launchers I have used run smoothly. In app performance is great.
It would have been nice to have a dual core processor but I needed a phone now. After using an Atrix for just under a month I realized lte speeds are way more important to me then having a dual core processor. The Charge is still a powerful device. I have used quite a few Android devices and as of right now this is the one to have. Sure it could have been better but until an lte galaxy s 2 hits Verizon this will be the way to go.
HDMI out is awesome on this phone. Its not like the evo or the x where it requires hacks to get mirroring. It supports it out of the box. You can play youtube videos, play media hub content, you can even play games on your tv from the Charge. Its not just your videos and photos. You can do it all. I played Angry Birds on my 46 inch tv.
Battery has been amazing, the last cycle lasted me just over 2 days. My Thunderbolt sometimes would last 4 hours or over a day. The Charge has not done this and has been pretty consistent with battery life.
I had my doubts about this device. I was planning on switching back to a Thunderbolt if I was not happy with the Charge but it met my expectations and blew me away. My girlfriend who just switched to Verizon from an Evo wanted to buy a Charge but could only buy the Thunderbolt because the best buy I bought it from stopped selling them. Every times she sees my pull out my phone she gets all upset lol.
HDMI out is awesome on this phone. Its not like the evo or the x where it requires hacks to get mirroring. It supports it out of the box. You can play youtube videos, play media hub content, you can even play games on your tv from the Charge. Its not just your videos and photos. You can do it all. I played Angry Birds on my 46 inch tv.
There's something wrong with me...this statement just pushed me just a little bit more towards getting this phone...hahahaha...
I think its just the fact the HDMI out works so well.
Right now, the lack of HDMI and the silly sunken in power button on the Thunderbolt have caused me to wait, and I'm really glad it did. Because now I think I'm sold on the Charge...but I'll wait until the price drops..I'm in no rush. Or maybe the LG Revolution comes out and beats them both? I do really like the physical buttons on the Charge though..
I live in a 4g area and no complaints, its actually just as good or better than my Thunderbolt was. Performance wise Touchwiz is a bit laggy on the home screen but other launchers I have used run smoothly. In app performance is great.
It would have been nice to have a dual core processor but I needed a phone now. After using an Atrix for just under a month I realized lte speeds are way more important to me then having a dual core processor. The Charge is still a powerful device. I have used quite a few Android devices and as of right now this is the one to have. Sure it could have been better but until an lte galaxy s 2 hits Verizon this will be the way to go.
HDMI out is awesome on this phone. Its not like the evo or the x where it requires hacks to get mirroring. It supports it out of the box. You can play youtube videos, play media hub content, you can even play games on your tv from the Charge. Its not just your videos and photos. You can do it all. I played Angry Birds on my 46 inch tv.
Battery has been amazing, the last cycle lasted me just over 2 days. My Thunderbolt sometimes would last 4 hours or over a day. The Charge has not done this and has been pretty consistent with battery life.
I had my doubts about this device. I was planning on switching back to a Thunderbolt if I was not happy with the Charge but it met my expectations and blew me away. My girlfriend who just switched to Verizon from an Evo wanted to buy a Charge but could only buy the Thunderbolt because the best buy I bought it from stopped selling them. Every times she sees my pull out my phone she gets all upset lol.
Thanks for your feedback as early user. Seems like Charge works well for you. Overall it looks like good 4G phone with great screen, camera and HDMI. Single core 1Ghz Hummingbird is only con for me.
How stable is the 4G reception on Charge? I saw some reports that it toggles back and forth between 3G and 4G often. Also somewhat clunky scrolling on web browsing concerns me a bit though it can be fixed by plug in setting. Have you tried other browsers like Dolphin or Xscope?
There's something wrong with me...this statement just pushed me just a little bit more towards getting this phone...hahahaha...
I think its just the fact the HDMI out works so well.
Right now, the lack of HDMI and the silly sunken in power button on the Thunderbolt have caused me to wait, and I'm really glad it did. Because now I think I'm sold on the Charge...but I'll wait until the price drops..I'm in no rush. Or maybe the LG Revolution comes out and beats them both? I do really like the physical buttons on the Charge though..
LG's other current high end phones are supposed to support proper mirroring. I'm excited to see how the Revolution performs as well. I just hope they make a last minute decision to ditch Bing. Won't hold my breath though.
Glad the Charge has impressive HDMI. Other than the CPU, it really is a great phone.
Photos I have seen taken on the Charge are astounding. That's the nicest camera you can get on a smartphone right now.
4g works well for me, just as well as my old Thunderbolt. I have owned lg phones in the past and I don't think I could ever consider one again. Although I said the same thing after my Samsung Glyde lol.
I'd love to say "honestly, at this point, just wait for the Galaxy S2. It was already released in Europe so we should be getting it in a month or two". But knowing Verizon, we're going to get it in a year.
The damn company just doesn't get it. We want to see the phone, or at least hear about when you are going to release it. Don't leave your customers flailing around in the dark.
To be honest we will be lucky if Verizon releases an lte gs2 this year. I don't think it will happen.
Verizon will get SGSII some time later this year. But I agree that it probably won't have LTE. It's blazing fast phone with excellent display, camera though.
My dilemma is whether to go with dual core 3G, 3.5G like HSPA+ or single core 4G LTE phone. I'm leaning to the camp that 4G speed is more useful than dual core processor now.
Verizon will get SGSII some time later this year. But I agree that it probably won't have LTE. It's blazing fast phone with excellent display, camera though.
My dilemma is whether to go with dual core 3G, 3.5G like HSPA+ or single core 4G LTE phone. I'm leaning to the camp that 4G speed is more useful than dual core processor now.
Not if you can get HSPA+. Up to 14 megs. LTE is regularly 20, which isn't a whole lot faster, and if you remove all throttling and hit those ridiculous 50 meg speeds folks are posting, you might as well just plug your phone in, because you can kiss that battery life goodbye. Unless you're a frequent tetherer, I don't see LTE's top end speeds as being a practical tradeoff for the bulk it adds to the device and the hit your battery life takes. Even though T-Mo and AT&T technically only get ya 3.5G speeds, and not true 4G, it's still double or triple what we get on 3G, and does not take much of a toll on device form factor or battery life.
Then again, with Verizon's network, you do still get the best national coverage map, period. Even if T-Mo and AT&T combine they won't have the coverage of verizon. That's still the main reason I keep them. Their coverage in Wyoming is excellent. I even get service in Yellowstone Park in some places. We travel through there several times a year to visit family, etc., so that has to factor in.
If Verizon gets the SGSII, and it doesn't have LTE, but they don't take anything else away from it, I will own that phone happily. LTE is the least of my worries.... Won't get it anywhere near where I live for at least a year.
But of course some of you need that LTE, and will tether a lot with it. I can certainly understand that!
Yes, the HSPA+ speed is decent enough where it works on AT&T-mobile network. But their coverage is nowhere near Verizon's. If their coverage is close, I would happily switch to them to get better phones sooner.
Basically I am facing dilemma on choosing fast 3G phone or slow 4G phone. Phones like CDMA SGSII, DX2 belong to the former category and Charge, Tbolt, Revolution belong to the later category. I'm leaning to the later category. It's like using 1.6Ghz PC on fast broadband internet vs using 3Ghz PC on dial-up connection. To me it makes more sense to choose one from Charge, Revolution than dual core beasts without true 4G speed.
Yes, the HSPA+ speed is decent enough where it works on AT&T-mobile network. But their coverage is nowhere near Verizon's. If their coverage is close, I would happily switch to them to get better phones sooner.
Basically I am facing dilemma on choosing fast 3G phone or slow 4G phone. Phones like CDMA SGSII, DX2 belong to the former category and Charge, Tbolt, Revolution belong to the later category. I'm leaning to the later category. It's like using 1.6Ghz PC on fast broadband internet vs using 3Ghz PC on dial-up connection. To me it makes more sense to choose one from Charge, Revolution than dual core beasts without true 4G speed.
I disagree. Wireless N (which new top tier smartphones have) is capable of up to 300mb/s, even better than LTE. I'd much rather have a phone that can display flash content super smooth, game like a champ, and be responsive for EVERYTHING, not just mobile broadband. I check email and surf the web on my phone a lot. I am seldom wanting for more than 3G. Solid 3G provides a great web browsing experience, even viewing photos and getting emails.
If you get a 4G phone, you are getting stellar mobile broadband, but at the sacrifice of performance on everything else, including potential performance on an even faster wifi network - and those abound these days. I still use my phone for a LOT of actual work, that doesn't just require the internet, and I want EVERYTHING on my phone to fly superfast.
Of course, like I said, everyone needs to fit their own needs with their device, not mine. But if the SGSII lacks LTE (which I have heard from at least one source that Samsung has been able to somehow engineer it into that phenomenal slim form factor - 2nd gen LTE, I would assume...) I will STILL get it, assuming it doesn't lack any of its other big features. 3G must feel lacking for you, and I understand. In addition, the TB and Charge are not slow phones, although the Charge has also been reported to lag in web browsing tests, and overall simply not be as smooth as it could be ... lot of good 4G does on a processor that can't smoothly and deftly handle the data.
I wish there was a clear winner. I'm hoping the SGSII is going to be that clear winner.
Want to know my current conspiracy theory as to what really happened to the Bionic??
Here is my speculation:
Verizon gets the Bionic, and at first it impresses. AT&T releases the Atrix first, even though Moto announced the Atrix and the Bionic in a similar time frame. The Atrix is overall well-received, but things universally complained about are unexplainable laggy moments and a crappy screen and a crappy camera - ALL of which were slated to be found on the Bionic, as it shared the screen tech (as far as I know), shared the camera, shared the CPU, AND had half the RAM, albeit the 512 on the Bionic is a bit faster binned stuff.
What things were UNIVERSALLY praised on the Atrix?
1. Form factor
2. Battery life
3. Fingerprint reader
4. Docking options (aside from the stupid extra fee...)
How many of THOSE things are on the Bionic? ONE. The battery should still be good, although tests peg the LTE+Tegra 2 combo as being noticeably battery hungry, and possibly hotter running than HSPA+ tech currently available on GSM phones.
And if the report I heard about the SGSII hitting Verizon is true, WHY WHY WHY would they release a Bionic? It has virtually NOTHING the Atrix does right, and EVERYTHING the Atrix does wrong (minus at&t ... hehehe).
The Bionic simply need not exist, in my opinion. Verizon needs something Bionic-like, but they need it to be RIGHT. The Bionic is a phone straight out of failtopia, and Verizon will be VASTLY more successful throwing their weight back in Samsung's camp for a full out blitz on releasing an LTE SGSII.
I'm hoping that my theory is correct, and that Verizon/Samsung are going to really team up to give consumers what they want, and what many in Europe are calling THE PHONE of all smartphones. Verizon really needs to get that secret sauce over here. The iPhone is a silly plaything when compared to the SGSII.
The lags in browsing was only reported before official release and the feedbacks from real users here indicates it's not that bad. If it's real bug in stock browser, the firmware fix should come soon. I don't like disabling javascript or plug in to fix it but don't mind using other browsers like dolphin, xscope.
I like your theory on Bionic thing. Officially they only said that it's delayed to enhance the features to better complete with phones like SGSII, Sensation. So who knows? Bionic might resurrect with Tegra3. But right now SGSII looks like the phone ruling the android based on early users reports. Samsung seems to have put together everything they can into this super-phone and I applaud their efforts on it.
What worries me though is that Berizon is likely to cripple this great phone as they did to Fascinate. Last year Verizon and Samsung relation was not exactly smooth as Motorola, HTC phones were not crippled like that and iPhone was not even factor at that time. Hopefully Verizon/Samsung tied up their relation better this year and Verizon would offer Samsung's flagship phone in its full glory without dumbing down. If your theory is right, that's pretty high possibility. Let's keep the finger crossed.
The Samsung Droid Charge was the 2nd phone released in a lineup of 4G LTE enabled smartphones for Verizon's network.
It comes with a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Plus screen (no more Pentile Matrix), physical buttons just beneath the screen, 8MP rea... Read More
Check your Bests Buys, I have my charge
