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Just got the Eris today, should I exchange it for the Motorola Droid?

androidnewb

Newbie
Nov 26, 2009
21
0
So I just got the Eris today. I have some concerns about it and I'm not sure if sending it back and getting a Motorola Droid would help me at all...


Is Eris definitely getting the Android 2.0 update? and if so when? I'd like to have 2.0 and that is something making me think about exchanging it for the droid.

Also some problems I've experienced that are making me reconsider the Droid:

Poor battery life - I charged it to full and I've put moderate use into it for about 6 hours and it's at 25% charge now. This is pretty disappointing.. is this a hardware issue or software? I'd like a smartphone to last a little longer.
:(
Lag when switching between landscape and portrait mode - will there be a fix for this? When I switch between the portrait and sidways/landscape orientation it takes sometimes up to 5 seconds to change. Sometimes I have to shake it around to get it to change. It doens't help that a lot of the things don't work in landscape mode...
The lag when switching between these modes when texting and browsing is driving me crazy!:mad:

Calendar bug (minor issue) - the calendar thinks that all US holidays are a day before what they actually are... the widget told me that Thanksgiving was all day on the 25th...:thinking:


Will getting a Droid cure some of my ills or should I try and wait out my 30 day return period to see if any fixes come out?
 
i would say try it out wait for a few days. I was the same way with my Eris. There are tweaks you can do to inprove your battery life. I got mine on the 19 of november so if a uypdate is coming on 12/11/09 then i still have a few days before my 30 day trial is up. I came from the 9550 Storm 2 and thats what i would go back to.

Firstly, I'm a long time BB user, switching from the Bold, and so far I'm extremely happy w/the Eris. I'm getting ~36hrs of battery life with moderate phone use. The form factor on this device is, in my opinion, far superior to the Droid. I can put the eris in my pocket and not even know it's there. Hopefully, the forthcoming SW release will only improve on an already funtionality rich smartphone.

BTW, in regards to the return date, I spoke w/customer service and the return date is extended if you purchased during the "holiday" extended return window....I think it started 11/13. I purchased on the 16th and I believe my return window expires on 1/12
 
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Firstly, I'm a long time BB user, switching from the Bold, and so far I'm extremely happy w/the Eris. I'm getting ~36hrs of battery life with moderate phone use. The form factor on this device is, in my opinion, far superior to the Droid. I can put the eris in my pocket and not even know it's there. Hopefully, the forthcoming SW release will only improve on an already functionality rich smartphone.

BTW, in regards to the return date, I spoke w/customer service and the return date is extended if you purchased during the "holiday" extended return window....I think it started 11/13. I purchased on the 16th and I believe my return window expires on 1/12

Huntsvegas

I too picked up the Eris on 11/16 and am interested in the (extended) return window. How can I make sure of this ? Is there any documentation or verification to show this. Would love to have the extra time to see how the updates take to the phone. I will then be making a decision to "Fish or cut bait" with the Eris at that point.

I love the phone so far (except for the lag). It has offered some nice compelling touches that even the iphone can't do. It's size, mutitasking and personalization are really what draws me to this phone (much more than the Moto Droid). I am pretty picky when it comes to phones (use them for both personal and business) and the Sense UI absolutely make this device exceptional !

p.s. --- Waiting to see how the Market Place does also with Apps. Hope Android doesn't stall out with Apps as with other platforms !!!
 
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I have had the Eris since the 7th and like it very much, but am also considering returning it for the Droid mainly for the increased and higher resolution screen and faster processor. I pretty much hate the two piece design of the Droid, however.

With a few tweaks mentioned on this forum and time, your battery life will improve. Mine was horrible the first few days. I disabled Bluetooth and the 'always-on mobile network' (with no detrimental) effects and battery life is acceptable for me. I really don't care if I need to charge every night.

I've done two things to decrease the 'lag' of the device. I disabled SenseUI and am using the stock Android home screen. I don't need seven home screens, don't care about all the HTC widgets and prefer the simplicity of not having Sense running.

My biggest gripe about the Eris was the speed (or lack thereof) of rendering pages in the default browser. Simple pages load fast, but pages with lots of JavaScript take forever. I didn't want (and still don't), but the iPhone 3GS royally smokes the Eris in page loading.

I have made web browsing on the Eris dramatically better by installing the Dolphin browser. Not only to pages load faster, going from portrait to landscape is dramatically faster. Having tabs is a huge plus as well.

I have over a week to decide to return it for a Droid or reactivate my old LG flip and wait for the Passion or whatever comes next. I've gotten so addicted to having a portable Linux computer in my pocket, that going back to the LG will be hard.
 
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To the OP, only you can really determine if you need to change phones. If you are having problems that you cannot overcome with tweaks or apps then you may want to. The battery will improve greatly over time, it has been shown that it really does need some conditioning in order to functions efficiently. The Eris will get an upgrade to 2.0, but there is no real set in stone time from HTC as to when it will be released. Is there a specific function that you need from 2.0? If so, then the Droid may be your best option right now. If you just want the latest and greatest, keep in mind that the changes from 1.5 to 2.0 are not that easy to spot when Sense UI is put in the mix. Some of the upgrades that come with 2.0 are things that the Sense UI already have. If Google Nav is what you want, there are other free alternatives in the market while you wait. As far as the lag and calendar problems go, I have not seen this. The lag may be due to too many apps or too many apps running in the background. You may want to check your available memory to see if it is the problem. With the calendar you may want to double check your Google calendar and the setting for the phone to make sure that they are correct. Also keep in mind that 3rd party apps can and do affect the entire OS, because of the type of integration that Android has. Any new stuff added to the phone may be affecting your performance and possibly your calendar. I would double check everything and if you can't find the culprit, try exchanging the phone under the warranty.

Everyone also has to keep in mind that many of the problems/complaints found on this forum stem from very high expectations that people place on their devices. These are not true computers. They do have limitations and those limitations can cause problems for some. I see and hear people constantly making comparisons between one phone and the iPhone, but in reality even the iPhone is not the iPhone that everyone thinks it is. Commercials and reviewers show the phone as being almost perfect and with very few limitations. In reality, the iPhone can lag and run slow, it can also crash. In the end, no device is perfect or suited for everyone. You have to determine what your true needs are in a smartphone and go from there.
 
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The main thing is the battery life, lag and Nav for me in 2.0

The lag when switching between portrait and landscape was there from the minute I got it so I don't think it's apps running in the background. Do you think 2.0 would fix the rotation/accelerometer lag?

I'll try it out for a while to see if the battery gets better. How long are your Eris phones lasting? Mine dies in about 12 hours with moderate use. Any tips for extending the battery life?

What free GPS program can I use while I wait for 2.0?

I'll have to make my decision by the end of my 30 day return period which is late december. Do you think 2.0 will be out by then?

Thanks everyone you've been very helpful! Happy thanks giving!
 
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it says on my receipt "all purchases between november 15 and dec. 14 may be returned or exchanged through jan. 13 2010" This was from a verizon store. So we do have some extra time which is nice.

I really like the eris so far but I'm in pretty much the same situation. The screen and processing power of the droid are hard to get over but I do like the form of the eris. I'm also wondering if the droid would be a big improvement in battery life. Another major difference is the lack of physical send and end buttons on the droid which might be a deal breaker for me.

nav4all is one of the free gps nav apps
 
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I had the Eris for 10 days before I traded it in for the Motorola Droid. The worst battery life I've ever seen in a portable device of any kind. It would literally drop a notch on the battery within 15 minutes of being unplugged. I tried everything even keeping it in airplane mode when I was on the clock at work. Took forever to charge too. I had to constantly use Advanced Taskiller to keep it from lagging.

Motorola Droid is 100x better. No need for a taskiller great battery life. I just miss the clock/weather from the Eris's Sense UI (graphic interface). I also miss the trackball that would glow when I got messages. If Motorola could steal these things from HTC it would be Perfection.

The only thing I miss from my ipod is those itunes only podcasts that I can't get to sync for anything.
 
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I asked HTC support if we'd be getting 2.0 (Eclair) and this is what they had to say (note the all capital IF):

At this time we do not have any definate answer on IF and when an Eclair update will be release for the Eris. I apologize I do not have this information at hand to provide to you.

So it's not looking good. Thinking about taking mine back for a Droid too.
 
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I returned my Eris for a Droid yesterday...Here are some thoughts...

Battery : After proper conditioning, I was going a full day (14 hours or more) on my Eris. I also used Advanced App Manager rather than Task Killer, as I noted people on the forums said task killer was a battery drain. Can't comment on the Droid yet, as I havn't conditioned the battery yet.

UI : Ohhhh, how I already miss Sense UI. It's nothing drastic, just more elegant (to me). I know you can make the Droid "look" like Sense UI by using aHome or similar, and I may do this in the future.

Lag : Much, much better on the Droid. Screen orientation happens close to simultaneously with my hands turning it. Much quicker...

Overall Speed : Everything seems quicker on the Droid. I guess due to the newer/faster processor. I notice it on everything, but one surprising thing was how much faster apps download/install. On the Eris, I would be able to back out of the app screen, go to the download screen, and the app would usually still be downloading, then install. This wasn't super slow or painful, but on the Droid before I can't even get to the download screen, the app is downloaded AND installed. BTW, both of these test where on my home Wifi (Verizon Fios 25/25). Speedtest.net results (using the app) where about the same - Eris 8 MB/s down, 1 MB/s up. Droid 8.5 MB/s down, 1 MB/s up.

Hard Keyboard (Droid) : I don't love it, but it's not as bad as it's made out to be. I am getting better as time goes on.

Soft Keyboard : Much better than I was lead to believe on the Droid. People seemed to think the soft keyboard on the Eris was much better, but I find them about equal.

Other Thoughts : I love the weight on the Eris, and the styling. I love the screen, materials and "heft" of the Droid. I also am happy to have a flash for the camera (and a bright one at that!)

Overall, both phones are great. It really comes down to what is most important to the individual as others have said...
 
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I asked HTC support if we'd be getting 2.0 (Eclair) and this is what they had to say (note the all capital IF):

At this time we do not have any definate answer on IF and when an Eclair update will be release for the Eris. I apologize I do not have this information at hand to provide to you.

So it's not looking good. Thinking about taking mine back for a Droid too.

thought they already announced it was getting the update to 2.0 at least that has what has been posted here and on other sites.
 
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I have the same thoughts as the original poster. I originally like the Droid better but selected the Eris based on size (thought the Droid was too heavy).

The battery life is my biggest issue. I can only get about 12 hours on light use (with no wifi, BT or GPS use) per day. I would like to use my BT but I am afraid it will burn down the battery. My friend used his and barely got 8 hours of use. I have read all the threads concerning tips for extending battery use and have the screen brightness down low.

I actually like the Sense UI but find I only use one scene anyways. I have created several scenes but don't really use them anyways.

The browser and surfing the internet is much slower than the Droid. I didn't think this would be a big issue but since having the phone for the last three weeks, I notice the slowness. It is faster than my old curve but not as fast as I would like. Most of what I have read attributes this to the hardware.

Not having real time navigation is a huge negative. I have tried several of the free alternatives (there may be pay apps but I prefer not to have to pay for something that I can get for free) and did not like them at all. Found them to be not worth using. I know rumor is the Eris is getting 2.0, but no one can confirm this. I am also worried if it does get 2.0, how fast will navigation drain the battery.

Finally, having the older software and hardware is kind of a nagative for the Eris. There are some apps I was interested in but are not supported because the Eris is running 1.5. I know there are plenty of apps for the Eris but many devs are not making apps for the Eris because it has the older version of the OS. I wanted a phone with the latest software and hardware and the Eris does not have it - Droid does. I guess it is like buying a computer today with Windows XP ( I know this works for many people, but in my case this is not what I wanted in a phone).

I am glad to know I am not the only one who is having the same concerns about the Eris. It is a good phone but there is a reason why the Droid is $100 more and the flag ship for Verizon at the moment.
 
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Have the Eris, love it, will keep it.
Sure, it' not as fast, but I knew that going in. Apparently I'm one of those 'freaks' that is getting good (ok, decent) life out of the battery. I can can go a full day from 6am to 11pm without having a problem. I may be down to 10% when I plug it back in, but it's still working. (now mind you, I have chargers in my office and in the care in case I need them, but I've not had to use them). As for the slowness of the screen orientation change, I'm actually OK with a bit slower redraw. I got the Eris to replace a cell phone and an Ipod touch that I used to carry. The Ipod's redraw was so quick that it annoyed me. It would change orientation at what seemed to be the slightest change in orientation, I kept finding myself saying 'stop that' when using the Ipod. I've head the HTC designed in the slowness intentionally - maybe true, maybe hype - who knows.

As for the battery, it seems to me that the last 15% of the battery lasts MUCH longer than the first 15%. I wonder if there isn't something sneaky going on there to make us remember to plug in our phones - with the offshoot of that being that we're getting annoyed because the battery is 'almost dead'...
 
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2.0 update will be coming. Just a matter of time.

I think the Droid is too bulky, and would be better off without the keyboard. Everyone I know personally that owns one never uses it.

I wish Eris had a flash. That's the only feature I miss.

I live in NYC and don't drive, so i have no need for google nav. Google maps works great for me.

Eris > Droid.

It's sexier, Sense UI ftw, and did i mention sexy/slim/barely noticible in my pocket?
 
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