Why I'm Returning My Droid and Going Back to My Blackberry Curve

[Droidood]

Every complaint I've seen in this thread can be chalked up to unusual hardware defects or user error. Battery dead in the morning after zero use? Sorry, either you screwed something up or your phone is totally f'd up...

 

[pirahna]

Wow, some of you guys take your phones a little to seriously.

 

[s-one]

I just can't get over this.. it cracks me up. Curve over the Droid?!!? My Curve hit the curve the moment my Droid sat in the cockpit. Come on son! LOL!

 

[ManMythLegend]

Dumb people shouldnt be using Smartphones.

Your list is inexcusable
Should have looked like ....

Con-
-Battery life..HORRID ! is this common ? Maybe I need an exchange ?

Im a bit of a '**** can you guys suggest any tips/apps for
Ringer profiles , Quick dialing ?

As mentioned Im a **** so usually have to wear oven mitts as to not hurt myself. Any tips on keyboard usage ? What was your adjustment period ,Ive read EVERY KEYBOARD ON EVERY QWERTY PHONE EVER has one just wondering your experience.

 

[Dan_Droid]

Dumb people shouldnt be using Smartphones.

^^^ This. Unfortunately, that would eliminate 3/4 of Verizon's customer base.

 

[sublimnl]

How is searching 3rd party email a basic function?

I always find it curious when people assume their experiences in life are the universal experience. I've never wanted nor needed to search my email on my phone. Just because your last phone could do it, doesn't mean the next one should. That's what research before you buy is for. 10 minutes spent reading previews/reviews saves hours of headaches later. I don't buy anything electronic that's over 15 dollars without reading reviews anymore. But then again, I'm an adult.

once again a member of this forum chooses to respond immaturely to someone who is just pointing out a valid shortcoming on the Droid. You guys are really getting to be just as bad as the iphone guys.

this is the first phone with Exchange support that I have had that did not allow me to search my Exchange e-mail. I'm not asking for the ability to search messages on the server - just what's on the device. I don't think thats a lot to ask for. It hasn't affected me yet, but I know one day it will. I used to search on my Curve pretty regularly. When you get as many messages as I do in a day search is pretty essential on your handheld device at times.

just admit that it would be a great feature addition...admit that you can see how Exchange e-mail search would be useful. don't take it so personally that other people want and expect more out of technology than you do. There's no reason to insinuate that someone isn't an adult because they don't "research every purchase over $15"...especially when you have no clue whether they did or not.

I'm hanging in there with the Droid because despite its few shortcomings its still a beast and I know that the strong development community behind android will address the relatively small issues that affect me (lack of exchange search and traditional speed dial)

 

[Dan_Droid]

once again a member of this forum chooses to respond immaturely to someone who is just pointing out a valid shortcoming on the Droid. You guys are really getting to be just as bad as the iphone guys.

Actually, your reply seems much more immature than his did. It sounds like you're really angry about something that most people don't care about, but you feel like it should be everyone else's number one priority, and they should all be as angry as you, because you care about it. Maybe you should think about why talking about a cell phone makes you so angry?

 

[sublimnl]

Actually, your reply seems much more immature than his did. It sounds like you're really angry about something that most people don't care about, but you feel like it should be everyone else's number one priority, and they should all be as angry as you, because you care about it. Maybe you should think about why talking about a cell phone makes you so angry?

uhhh...ok? I'm not angry about it though. I'm disappointed that the features I want aren't there, but I'm not angry...just hopeful that they get fixed. and if it doesn't, then oh well, i will have to adapt if I want to continue with this device (which I intend to).

As far as most people not caring about exchange search...who are you trying to fool here? Being liberal with the numbers, let's say 40% of the people that buy this phone have an Exchange account and 50% of those people would like to be able to search messages. That's 20% of the user community that wants the same thing I do. I dont think those numbers are THAT far off...its not like I'm asking for some ambiguous feature that only a fraction of a percent would ever even contemplate. If you can't admit that there are plenty of people out there that would want this then you are just being irrational.

I'm shocked at how many people on this forum cannot seem to look at this device objectively and talk about its strengths and weaknesses in a mature and level-headed manner. There is SO much bashing of the OP on this thread...its unbelievable. I'm just trying to contribute some sense of sanity here...but I can see more and more that really isn't wanted in this forum. flaming anyone who has a problem with the device or decides to return it seems to be becoming the norm, which is a shame because all that will do is drive more people away. in the end that means less android users out there, leading to a smaller customer base for apps, which leads to decreased development efforts surrounding the android platform.

 

[Dan_Droid]

I'm shocked at how many people on this forum cannot seem to look at this device objectively and talk about its strengths and weaknesses in a mature and level-headed manner. There is SO much bashing of the OP on this thread...its unbelievable. I'm just trying to contribute some sense of sanity here...but I can see more and more that really isn't wanted in this forum. flaming anyone who has a problem with the device or decides to return it seems to be becoming the norm, which is a shame.

Ohhhhh OK. So it's OK for you to flame everyone in this thread for not agreeing with you, because if anyone disagrees with you they are just being immature/are fanboys/insane/idiots/etc.

And if there is a feature that you want in a phone, then it is the absolute most important feature ever and everyone in the world uses it, and anyone who disagrees with you is being immature/are fanboys/insane/idiots/etc.

Got it! Thanks for your contribution to the forums!

Maybe next time you should try researching a device before you buy it rather than whining and crying and being mad at everyone else because you failed to do your research.

 

[n9zez]

To each their own!

I too came from a BB Curve. However, I will not be returning. There are too many things that I like better on the Droid to outweigh the few things I appreciated on my Curve.

 

[shivers316]

Dumb people shouldnt be using Smartphones.

Your list is inexcusable
Should have looked like ....

Name calling isn't gonna be tolerated in this forum. Your conduct is inexcusable. Let's change it, shall we?

Also, let's get this thread back on track. Or, I can just close it. I prefer to not have to do that.

 

[sublimnl]

Ohhhhh OK. So it's OK for you to flame everyone in this thread for not agreeing with you, because if anyone disagrees with you they are just being immature/are fanboys/insane/idiots/etc.

And if there is a feature that you want in a phone, then it is the absolute most important feature ever and everyone in the world uses it, and anyone who disagrees with you is being immature/are fanboys/insane/idiots/etc.

Got it! Thanks for your contribution to the forums!

Maybe next time you should try researching a device before you buy it rather than whining and crying and being mad at everyone else because you failed to do your research.

1. The above post illustrates my point regarding the tone of this forum exactly.
2. I am not flaming anyone here.
3. I didn't call anyone an idiot or insane. In a nutshell what I am saying is that a lot of people here are blindly devoted to this device and attack anyone who thinks that it is has a few faults. Its irrational and yes, immature.
4. More than half of the businesses out there use Exchange for their backend e-mail system. I believe that as an Exchange user (and long-time administrator) that makes my take this this particular issue a valid one. I said 20% of the user population would probably like to have Exchange search. I did not make sweeping generalizations saying that EVERYONE uses it and that "my shit is more important than anyone else's" as you say I did.
5. I researched the hell out of this device and jumped in on launch day despite its shortcomings because overall it is MUCH better than any blackberry I have ever owned. HOWEVER, there are still some things that the blackberry does better and there is nothing wrong with me wanting and hoping for the software to improve so that it is more competitive with BB's in those few areas in which it falls short. What's wrong with that?
6. I still love my Droid -- I just want it to be even better than it already is! I'm on YOUR side man! I just am on the OP's side too because I know where he is coming from. Yes, I am on both sides...because really, there shouldn't be any sides at all. We're all just users here.

 

[Barbara]

I appreciate those that bring up what they perceive as faults and/or shortcomings. I probably spend as much battery checking my own phone for the problems as I do actually using it for it's functions. Some things I ignore because it just doesn't apply to me. I will continue to follow the threads of the "complaints" because I want the best experience I can get from the phone. I hope that those that do have complaints are also making them known to those who can do something to make a difference. But some of the complaints have brought solutions to some. I say keep it coming as long as it is legitimate and productive.

To be honest I'm more upset about the "the physical keyboard needs to be fixed" type of complaints because that isn't going to happen on my current phone so what's the point. Just my ten cents (inflation, you know).

 

[Dan_Droid]

Name calling isn't gonna be tolerated in this forum. Your conduct is inexcusable. Let's change it, shall we?

Also, let's get this thread back on track. Or, I can just close it. I prefer to not have to do that.

Oh please, come on. Do you think this forum is populated by a bunch of children and you are the only adult? The "Dumb people shouldn't be using Smartphones" thing was clever. It was obviously a generalization and wasn't intended as an insult against anyone in the thread directly.

Seriously, nothing in this thread has been out of order, and it has not turned into a foul-mouthed flame war. Sarcasm != Flaming. The first rule of being a forum moderator is to know when moderation is necessary, and when it ISN'T. You aren't the first person to moderate a forum, so please don't get your moderator panties in a bunch just yet

Oh and feel free to ban me for talking back at you. It will only prove my point

 

[Big T]

I switched from a BB 8830 that I used for 2 1/2 years. I don't miss it one bit. The droid is so much better that I will never go back to BB. I use TouchDown for my company exchange email and it does have a search feature. This phone does everything the 8830 does plus a whole lot more.

 

[EricJay]

Who cares about why you are returning the Droid. Tired of post like this one.

I care about why he's returning the Droid, and found the orig. post to be quite helpful. As a current BB user and potential Droid buyer, this is EXACTLY what I'm here for. I want to know what issues BB to Droid converts experience, and, I want to read constructive replies which help them learn their new device, and help me make a more informed decision.

Test drive the d...n phone before you buy it as you would a car. You knew what your sticking points were before you bought it.

I've spent several hours on separate trips to my local VZW store doing my best to "test drive the d...n phone before you buy it," but we all know that it's impossible to get a complete sense of what it will be like before purchasing it. I tried to set up my work email but was told that the demo phones don't have Exchange support and that I'd have to buy one to give it a try. Also, signal strength affects battery life, so it might be impossible to get a real sense of that without trying the device where I will actually use it.

OP sounds like a blackberry fanboy who has never even held a Droid.... Seriously, how ignorant can one person be?...Good riddance

I agree that some of the OP's complaints can likely be resolved by product education, but even so, what purpose did a reply like that serve? I'm not a "fanboy" of any product -- I'm just a fan of finding the best device for my needs, and it sounds like that's what the OP was interested in, too.

I've worked for a wireless manufacturer, a carrier, and have designed user interfaces... I've used WinMo, BB, Palm, and iPhone... I like to think I'm not ignorant. Yet, I still think two of the OP's concerns are legit product flaws worthy of discussion:

How is searching 3rd party email a basic function?

Don't you think we've reached a point where a consumer buying a smart phone with an OS built by search giant Google and advertised support for multiple e-mail account types can reasonably expect that they can search their messages on multiple account types?

Just put the phone on silent if it won't stay off while charging...

Yes, there are workarounds, but the fact is, the Droid won't charge while powered off. I often charge my handset while it's off... at work... around monitoring equipment that requires no 2-way radios or wireless phones be turned on nearby. As far as I know, Droid is the only device with this issue. Expecting behavior like every other device in the market doesn't make the OP some kind of idiot.

I was really looking forward to some constructive comments here, educating the OP, other readers, and myself... but I'm disappointed to see so many replies are at best insulting, and at worst, downright mean and nasty.

 

[Ace Ventura]

I got my Droid about two weeks ago, and while it's the coolest phone I've ever used, I think I am going to have to go back to my BB Curve. I'm a business user, and this phone isn't optimal for the kind of heavy-duty use I regularly put my Curve through. So here are the pro's and con's in my opinion:

PRO'S:
- Browsing is phenomenal
- Apps are great to have, even FB is cool on this
- Camera and video are awesome

CON'S:
- BATTERY LIFE IS ABYSMAL! My #1 complaint. Keep it plugged in at all times, or carry multiple spares
- All keyboards make it very prone to misspellings, and very frustrating
- Can't bring up a contact and dial as quickly as BB (important for me)
- No speed dial keys
- Lack of search feature for email
- Did I mention the horrid battery life?
- Ringer volume keeps changing when I don't want it to. Won't stay where I set it
- When you plug the phone in at night to charge it, it won't stay powered off, meaning you'll get all kinds of unwanted notifications and/or phone calls at all hours
- I don't konw if I've already mentioned it, but the battery life is just awful. I could count on my Curve staying alive through a full day of phone calls

In my opinion, a lot of things were overlooked in the user interface. I wanted to love this phone, but I just can't. It's making me regret that I switched every time it does something funky, or each time I have to plug it in after just a few hours of use.

I'll try to add to this after I think of more!

I returned my first Droid after a couple of hours of using it. Then, a day later, I had to have it again.

I got no major complaints about it

 

[Phases]

Dan_Droid and kof33:

Spoiler

Oh please, come on. Do you think this forum is populated by a bunch of children and you are the only adult? The "Dumb people shouldn't be using Smartphones" thing was clever. It was obviously a generalization and wasn't intended as an insult against anyone in the thread directly.

Seriously, nothing in this thread has been out of order, and it has not turned into a foul-mouthed flame war. Sarcasm != Flaming. The first rule of being a forum moderator is to know when moderation is necessary, and when it ISN'T. You aren't the first person to moderate a forum, so please don't get your moderator panties in a bunch just yet

Oh and feel free to ban me for talking back at you. It will only prove my point

You sir are incorrect. Read the original post again. Here, I will quote it for you:

Dumb people shouldnt be using Smartphones.

Your list is inexcusable
Should have looked like ....

Con-
-Battery life..HORRID ! is this common ? Maybe I need an exchange ?

Im a bit of a '**** can you guys suggest any tips/apps for
Ringer profiles , Quick dialing ?

As mentioned Im a **** so usually have to wear oven mitts as to not hurt myself. Any tips on keyboard usage ? What was your adjustment period ,Ive read EVERY KEYBOARD ON EVERY QWERTY PHONE EVER has one just wondering your experience.

...That was most certainly meant as an insult to the person they were "correcting". I assure you our senior mods know what they are doing and have been doing it here a long time.

In the future if you intend on correcting a moderator of a forum you need to ensure you're correct in what you say.

Spoiler

(Edit: Also, the whole "yeah ban me and prove my point" tactic doesn't work around here. Had Shivers seen this post before me he may very well *would* have banned you. Not just for this, but your other replies as well. I would have stood behind it.)

Both you and kof33 need to revisit the forum rules before continuing to post here. Particularly the part about respecting the members around you. Disagreeing is fine. Acting like this, is not.

If you have any feedback or really feel the urge to argue this.. with the user or with the mod (or myself).. please take it to PMs.

All: There are several of you being rather rude to this member. If you want to give them feedback that's fine but don't be an ass about it. Read the forum rules.

The remainder of this thread needs to stay - politely - on topic. Period.

 

[mdevine]

I don't understand the comments on lack of exchange email search. Maybe I am misunderstanding but it works fine for me. I use TouchDown email client and simply click the magnifying search button on the phone and it searchs email very quickly. Works great for me- very fast.

 

[quixand]

How is searching 3rd party email a basic function?

I always find it curious when people assume their experiences in life are the universal experience. I've never wanted nor needed to search my email on my phone. Just because your last phone could do it, doesn't mean the next one should. That's what research before you buy is for. 10 minutes spent reading previews/reviews saves hours of headaches later. I don't buy anything electronic that's over 15 dollars without reading reviews anymore. But then again, I'm an adult.

THANK YOU.

This is a GOOGLE phone. Not a WinMo phone.
The phone was intended to blend seamlessly with Google apps. Which it has succeeded on 110%

 

[quixand]

1. The above post illustrates my point regarding the tone of this forum exactly.
2. I am not flaming anyone here.
3. I didn't call anyone an idiot or insane. In a nutshell what I am saying is that a lot of people here are blindly devoted to this device and attack anyone who thinks that it is has a few faults. Its irrational and yes, immature.
4. More than half of the businesses out there use Exchange for their backend e-mail system. I believe that as an Exchange user (and long-time administrator) that makes my take this this particular issue a valid one. I said 20% of the user population would probably like to have Exchange search. I did not make sweeping generalizations saying that EVERYONE uses it and that "my shit is more important than anyone else's" as you say I did.
5. I researched the hell out of this device and jumped in on launch day despite its shortcomings because overall it is MUCH better than any blackberry I have ever owned. HOWEVER, there are still some things that the blackberry does better and there is nothing wrong with me wanting and hoping for the software to improve so that it is more competitive with BB's in those few areas in which it falls short. What's wrong with that?
6. I still love my Droid -- I just want it to be even better than it already is! I'm on YOUR side man! I just am on the OP's side too because I know where he is coming from. Yes, I am on both sides...because really, there shouldn't be any sides at all. We're all just users here.

No offense sublimnl, but your 50% "liberal guesstimate" of people running exchange with a Droid is...well...crazy.

If you are on a corporate Verizon plan, you AREN'T using your own phone.
Companies allow generally, two different models to their employees that actually NEED cellular phones for their position. One being a standard flip style ( or other ) non-smart phone, and one smart phone solution for heavy emailers etc.

And I can assure you, a company is NOT going to adopt a smartphone that is as complex as the Droid, or any Android based phone. They will stick to status quo. Standard WinMo, or Blackberry.

So there you have it. Google and Moto knew this going into it. Their target audience was tech geek males 18-35. Those of us who fall into that category know how to use smartphones, and most certainly DON'T use exchange for email.

 

[quixand]

Oh please, come on. Do you think this forum is populated by a bunch of children and you are the only adult? The "Dumb people shouldn't be using Smartphones" thing was clever. It was obviously a generalization and wasn't intended as an insult against anyone in the thread directly.

Seriously, nothing in this thread has been out of order, and it has not turned into a foul-mouthed flame war. Sarcasm != Flaming. The first rule of being a forum moderator is to know when moderation is necessary, and when it ISN'T. You aren't the first person to moderate a forum, so please don't get your moderator panties in a bunch just yet

Oh and feel free to ban me for talking back at you. It will only prove my point

Wow. Banned for hitting the proverbial nail on the head?

You sure did prove his point though.

[Edit: No, banned for his following response which you do not see as it has been removed - and failing to heed my warning about keeping this thread on topic and not flaming it further along - which you are now currently doing yourself. Come back in a week.

Again. Stay politely on topic, please. -Phases]

 

[djmeslie]

Well this thread is a bit everywhere, but im going to try and put in my 2 cents. I dont know about the original person..but i'am 21 and I LOVE THIS phone it does everything i want and i love finding new things for the phone to do, but when i got my phone my dad and mom got it also. My mom as she only does the basics with it has been getting used to and likes the browsing and lil games. My dad on the other hand ACTUALLY uses the phone as a phone. Not being mean here but most people say u can fix this and fix that, and yes i have my phone running for a day and a half, but it takes a bit of work to get it there and blah blah. My dad runs his own business large business and not in a lazy or "dumb" way doesn't have a wknd to learn how to use a phone and TRY to make it last a day since he is on the phone almost 24/7. He has gone back to his bb curve as he doesn't have to wry about the phone dying during the day or weather bug in the background. He loves the ideas of our phones and plays with ours at times, but when u just need a workhorse i have to admit that this is not the phone for that. Again 2 out of 3 in our family has the phone and he even loves it...just wasn't practical for him, even after me teachin him all the lil things he just wants a simpler phone, doesn't mean he's dumb or slow though, just were all different people. I liked the forum when it first started as there weren't people flamin on other people and i hope it goes back to that also! Thanks
Oh and ive learned A LOT from the good people here on the forum!!

 

[shadowdude777]

CON'S:
- BATTERY LIFE IS ABYSMAL! My #1 complaint. Keep it plugged in at all times, or carry multiple spares (Hit home button --> menu button --> settings --> about phone --> battery use. Find out what's using the majority of your battery [it's probably the display] and rectify it accordingly)
- All keyboards make it very prone to misspellings, and very frustrating (Wrong! I type faster on the landscape touchscreen keyboard than any phone's physical keyboard I've ever used. And you really should try the physical keyboard again. I tried it the first time I got the phone, called it a piece of crap, and slid it away. Now, I love it. Just get used to it, cause there IS a steep learning curve there)
- Can't bring up a contact and dial as quickly as BB (important for me) (Home --> phone --> contacts... is that so hard?)
- No speed dial keys (Make a folder on your home screen and put direct dial contacts in there.)
- Lack of search feature for email (If you mean Exchange, you should have researched Android's limited Exchange features before you bought this phone. That is entirely your fault.)
- Did I mention the horrid battery life? (See #1)
- Ringer volume keeps changing when I don't want it to. Won't stay where I set it (Download Locale from the Android market)
- When you plug the phone in at night to charge it, it won't stay powered off, meaning you'll get all kinds of unwanted notifications and/or phone calls at all hours (On the lock screen, slide the speaker icon from right to left...)
- I don't konw if I've already mentioned it, but the battery life is just awful. I could count on my Curve staying alive through a full day of phone calls (No, it really isn't).

This is not WinMo. This is not BlackBerry. This is an open-source, Linux-based distribution on a phone. Next you'll be telling me Linux sucks in comparison to Windows because "there's no desktop." Anyone who's used GNOME under Linux will tell you that it's miles ahead of the Windows shell. On an open-source device, it's common sense that you should look to third parties for the majority of your device's functionality. Google doesn't support Android as tightly as RIM does Blackberry's OS because they don't NEED to, because Google doesn't cripple their users' ability to do what they want with the phone.

 

[AndroidEd]

Guys, chill. If the guy wants to go back to his blackberry so be it. I like it when people prove the user he's wrong about stuff, but not in the way that leads to bashing him. We're a community, we should respect each other's points of view. He made up his mind, so who cares anyway? Just leave the guy alone. Nothing you'll do might change his mind.