WAITING: DroidX or Facinate (Verison Galaxy S)

[jenncard]

Hi all,
I'm waiting to see how this current round of "battle of the latest and greatest" plays out before upgrading. I've been on a DroidX for over 2 years and hate much about it - but I'll admit that I've thought about but have never been able to invest the time or energy in rooting. Now, I've recently come into possession of a gently used Samsung Galaxy S (i-500).

Questions: IYHO, what are the pros and cons of switching to the Galaxy S (Facinate?) for the next few months? If I were to switch, can/should I take the time to root the Galaxy S *before* I contact Verizon to switch the number? Undoubtedly, more questions to come, but that is a good starting point!

FWIW:
1) I know that the Facinate has far less internal storage than DroidX, but I don't think that will pose a problem based on what I currently have on the DroidX (I'm using < 2gb internal storage)
2) I don't need/use HDMI out of the DroidX
3) I'll be sticking with BigRed on a shared plan, so I'm not looking to switch carriers or for a permanent off-contract situation, only long enough to make the jump to current tech! I was sad to lose my unlimited data, but my sister tanked that for all of us when she leapt on the new iPhone (which she now regrets!)

In advance, thanks for your help and advice!

 

[Frisco]

Welcome to the forums, Jenncard.

Well, I guess I'd be dishonest by omission if I did now ask why you're considering such old Android devices, rather than heading to Verizon and handling some of the new stuff.

I had the Fascinate for quite a while, rooted then unrooted then rooted again and installed ROMs then unrooted.. had a great time and learned a lot. Then one day I saw an X2, then.... well, you get the idea; the newer devices have more than just storage, they have big fast CPUs and graphics management and features that leave the Fascinate and X in the dust.

Meanwhile, you ask about certain specific choices, so:

Handle and feel and operate the X and Fascinate as to button and other tactile preferences. They are different in that regard, with fans on both sides. I'd just consider either one a device to use while I made up my mind on the Note 2 or the S4 or... you get the idea.

 

[ouch1976]

I had an X and my brother in law has a Fascinate. I loved my phone and he hated his.

But as Frisco said, you're really deciding between the lesser of two evils. They are both pretty antiquated and will give a sub-optimal Android experience. You're probably up for an upgrade, so go into the store and get yourself a new DNA, RAZR HD, or S3. It'll be like night and day.

 

[jenncard]

Actually, I'm surprised and thankful that anyone even looked at and responded to this post!

I am at a point right now where I need to get a device and hang on to it for a loooong time (obviously!) - I'm a grad student, so even the time to sleep is a gift right now. From what I understand in the press, it seems like the next few months are bringing a host of new "the next best thing" so I'm reluctant to take my upgrade for last year's "best thing" (e.g. S3). I know that in the tech cycle there will ALWAYS be a newer, more awesome thing just around the corner... I just would like to jump on the train at its most current level of awesomeness!

From the brief amount of energy I've spent on the new round of phones I'd thought that the S4 would be just the thing, but now it seems like that isn't as thrilling as anticipated? Then I've read a little bit of the Moto X-phone?

Honestly, I just don't want to get a phone that is an ancient beast in 1.5 years... Any more advice that either of you - or any other kind soul - would like to provide would be most appreciated!

 

[ouch1976]

It's a never ending dilemma...buy what's available now or wait...as you stated, waiting can go on forever because the technology is always improving and 2 years in tech space is a lifetime. So I think you have to assume that anything you buy right now is gonna be marginally obsolete in 2 years. It seems that smartphones are maturing a little bit, so perhaps an S4 or HTC ONE will still be relevant in 2.5-3 years, but I wouldn't count on these phones to power the future apps of 2015 and 2016.

All that being said, I think you really can't go wrong with either the S4 or HTC ONE. And while I think the S3 is an awesome phone, I agree with you that you shouldn't buy it now if you plan on holding it for another 2-3 years. Finally, there's not enough concrete information on the X Phone for me to make any recommendations on that phone.

Again, I hope this helps.

 

[jhawkkw]

Hardware gets surpassed quite quickly in this industry, and there's no way to avoid it. Many devices always fall victim to carrier/oem delays in the US and thus devices fall behind software wise on top of hardware wise. There's nothing you can do as a consumer about the hardware once you buy it. You can ensure having the latest software by using a GSM Nexus device though. Judging by the two phones you have listed, it looks like you have Verizon and they're a CDMA carrier. Ultimately you have to pick a device and just go with it. If you keep waiting for the next big thing, you'll always be waiting and not own anything as a result.

 

[breadnatty08]

Honestly, I'd take a look at a used Galaxy Nexus. The CDMA versions will run you a bit higher than the Gsm but it's a phone that can hold you over for quite some time.

 

[jenncard]

I am on VZW and, due to shared plan, will be staying on VZW.

A few other thoughts
- Last I'd read, seemed like the HTC ONE wasn't going to Verizon - but this morning's google seems to suggest otherwise. True?

- One of my biggest issues with the DroidX has been it's function as a phone, sometimes taking over 1 min for a call to connect. I'm sure that at least some (most?!) of that is software/firmware related and the age of the phone relative to the apps running on it being designed for current models. I've seen suggestions that the Samsung phones have a reputation for being not great phones... Does this accusation have any merit or, IYHO, do I have a bad sampling of user experiences?

Thanks!

 

[jhawkkw]

CDMA Samsung phones have a long history of having bad radios that result in having weaker signal than say Motorola. If you leave in a high population/good signal area you'll be fine, but they struggle in rural weak signal areas.