Eris: first impressions

[LarryMcJ]

This morning I went to my local VZW store fully intending to walk out with a Morotola Droid, but it only took about five minutes playing with both phones to convince me that Droid Eris would be replacing my BlackBerry.

First, it simply feels perfect in my hand, where the Droid was larger, boxier, and in general simply didn't feel "right". Sense UI blows the UI of Droid away...period, and since I knew that eventually Eris would be getting the 2.0 upgrade, I quickly made my decision for it over the Droid. To me, it feels, and actually looks, like a slightly smaller version of the iPhone, but because it's a it narrower, it's easier to hold.

After 10 years of BlackBerries I have to learn the Android OS, but for a geek it's starting out quite easily. There are just a few "issues" that I hope are me and not the hardware/software.

1. I have seen a movie online showing pinch and squeeze for Eris...but I sure can't find out how to enable it.

2. Font size for the browser shows fully configurable, but mine won't change the pages I'm viewing...they're stuck on size SUPER TINY.

3. Everything I do is in the Google Cloud, so Gmail is very important to me. But...Gmail's font size is also VERY tiny and it can't be changed at all. I don't know if 2.0 will allow this, but I sure hope so because I have to put on drugstore reading glasses to read my email.

4. Contacts. There are some major problems here (for me anyway). I have 291 Google Contacts in Gmail and when they imported to Eris there is a duplicate for every contact. I've tried some of the tricks I read to eliminate duplicate contacts for the HTC Hero (Sprint) but the menu system isn't quite the same so they won't work. If anyone knows how to fixe this I'd really like to know. Also, instead of importing only my contacts, Eris imported all my suggested contacts as well (those email addresses you email probably once that Gmail always wants to add to your address book). This is also annoying, but am hoping a fix is out there for this.

5. Talking for over a minute or two the phone gets quite warm if you touch it to your cheek, where it usually rests during a call. It's not a deal-breaker at all, just another minor nit.

6. Build quality. Have you ever held an iPhone? I think this is equal...probably a little better because the entire shell has a rubberized finish so you won't drop it...unlike the shiny finish on the iPhone that looks terrible with all the fingerprints.

7. Plastic Holster. VZW has a beautiful plastic holster for this that has the build quality of a Seidio. The phone slides into a thin protective shell (except for the phone front) and that slides into the belt holster which has a swivel clip that is the best I've ever seen. You can simply remove the phone from the holster and pocket it if you want without having to change between cases.

8. I better add at least something about the virtual keyboard. I'm 6'4", 200#, and have large hands. This keyboard is almost identical to the iPhone keyboard and I actually like it a lot. I did not like the Moto Droid keyboard...it was very difficult to use my thumbs on, but that's probably from have a BB all these years.

I'm sure there is more...but I really love this phone...a LOT more than the Moto Droid. I think they may have thought this would appeal more to the female demographic, but I think it's a far superior phone.

 

[goathog02]

How is the battery life?

 

[LarryMcJ]

How is the battery life?

I don't know...I just got it this morning and it's not even fully charged yet, so we'll see. It's not a small battery, so it might be decent.

 

[johnclayton]

8. I better add at least something about the virtual keyboard. I'm 6'4", 200#, and have large hands. This keyboard is almost identical to the iPhone keyboard and I actually like it a lot. I did not like the Moto Droid keyboard...it was very difficult to use my thumbs on, but that's probably from have a BB all these years.

I came away with about the same impressions, also as a BlackBerry user. One thing I found in the Eris's keyboard settings...Compact Qwerty mode (aka SureType)!

At this point I'm pretty sure the Moto Droid isn't for me. I'll be watching for the Passion and/or Android 2.0 for the Eris.

 

[droidnut]

THE ERIS IS SWEEEEETTTT! That about says it all for me. I just came from vzw and played w both of them. The Droid is not bad either by any means but the Eris is awesome thru and thru. I just couldn't get used to the Droid's keyboard. I tried. The eris's keyboard was absolutely fantastic! My wife and i both were typing away almost error free. Not bad for a first time typing trial.
I'm sold on the Droid Eris....and my wife is, too!

 

[Scott]

Well written outline of your impressions.

I played with both phones while I was fetching my Droid today, and I too was impressed. However, my decision was a business one: I need 2.0 and I need WVGA, because we have to update our app.

I'm curious: I've now heard two reports of applications that aren't in the market for the Eris. One is ours (in my signature below), and I don't recall the other. Can you see our app there?

I wonder what could be the problem.

 

[LarryMcJ]

Well written outline of your impressions.

I played with both phones while I was fetching my Droid today, and I too was impressed. However, my decision was a business one: I need 2.0 and I need WVGA, because we have to update our app.

I'm curious: I've now heard two reports of applications that aren't in the market for the Eris. One is ours (in my signature below), and I don't recall the other. Can you see our app there?

I wonder what could be the problem.

I don't see PhoneMyPC in the Android Market using my Eris.

 

[Fynx]

First day owning it, loved it. Went to a bar with some friends, had a few beers, then pulled out Eris and let them play teeter. The night head in the right direction after that

 

[goathog02]

...... night head in the right direction after that

You invite any of them back to your place to see your Tweeter?

 

[Fynx]

really, I was talking about the jovial times of drinking and playing teeter and you had to go there. But to no avail, no I did not invite them home with me.

 

[neoncp]

loving mine so far

 

[Doit2it]

Thanks for the 1st impressions. Looks like the HTC Droid Eris is gonna be the diamond in the rough, the unloved stepchild that makes it big. Verizon spent millions on promoting the Droid and nothing on the Eris. I've read MANY people walking into Verizon to by the Droid and leaving with the Eris. HTC has been making android phones longer than anyone else. TMobile's G1, the 1st US android phone is a HTC. It's GREAT to see their quality with a quality carrier.

 

[LarryMcJ]

Agree with you...all their zillions in advertising went to the Droid itself, not the HTC. HTC (IMHO) just builds phones...the Eris feels like the evolution of a phone that's been around for awhile (which it has) and the Motorola Droid feels sort of like a beta phone.

FWIW, I have two friends who have the Motorola Droid and they both have to reboot their phones several times a day because they get hung up.

 

[doublestack]

Just returned my Moto Droid for the following reasons:

1. Camera auto focus did not work
2. Not ergonomic
3. Keyboard (although I am sure I would have gotten used to it)
4. Plain generic Android. 2.0 is sweet, but email font size just killed me. Spare parts did not fix the problem
5. Voice sound quality. A lot of folks have reported their sound quality is excellent. Mine had somewhat of a electronic sound. May have been the area, but not willing to take the chance.

Initially, I was planning on exchanging it for another Moto Droid; but after playing with the Eris, I decided to make the switch.

Eris Pros:

1. HTC Sense UI is great. No lag
2. Email app is so much better for IMAP, etc. Font size option is there. A must have.
3. Voice quality is excellent. Better than the Moto Droid in the same area.
4. More ergonomic. I have big hands but it still feels great. Moto Droid was a little uncomfortable to hold.
5. Did I mention the Sense UI??? Awesome.
6. Auto weather update is nice. I travel a lot so this is a nice feature.
7. 7 home screens.
8. Pinch zoom in browser.

Moto Droid Pros:

1. Physical keyboard (for those of you who are patient).
2. Screen size. The 3.7 inch screen is huge compared to the Eris.
3. Processor
4. Android 2.0 (Rumor has it the Eris will be upgraded shortly).
5. Display quality. Although, compared to the Hero, the Eris is sharper.
6. Micro USB (only need to bring one charger with me; MiFi, phone use same)
7. Extended contact fields thanks to 2.0. Bdays, anniversaries.
8. 16 gig of memory.

Eris Cons:

1. Mini USB. requires me to bring yet another charger with me when I travel.
2. Screen real estate (extra home screens may help)

I just feel more comfortable using the Eris. It just feels right.

Thanks for reading.

 

[LarryMcJ]

Just returned my Moto Droid for the following reasons:

1. Camera auto focus did not work
2. Not ergonomic
3. Keyboard (although I am sure I would have gotten used to it)
4. Plain generic Android. 2.0 is sweet, but email font size just killed me. Spare parts did not fix the problem
5. Voice sound quality. A lot of folks have reported their sound quality is excellent. Mine had somewhat of a electronic sound. May have been the area, but not willing to take the chance.

Initially, I was planning on exchanging it for another Moto Droid; but after playing with the Eris, I decided to make the switch.

Eris Pros:

1. HTC Sense UI is great. No lag
2. Email app is so much better for IMAP, etc. Font size option is there. A must have.
3. Voice quality is excellent. Better than the Moto Droid in the same area.
4. More ergonomic. I have big hands but it still feels great. Moto Droid was a little uncomfortable to hold.
5. Did I mention the Sense UI??? Awesome.
6. Auto weather update is nice. I travel a lot so this is a nice feature.
7. 7 home screens.
8. Pinch zoom in browser.

Moto Droid Pros:

1. Physical keyboard (for those of you who are patient).
2. Screen size. The 3.7 inch screen is huge compared to the Eris.
3. Processor
4. Android 2.0 (Rumor has it the Eris will be upgraded shortly).
5. Display quality. Although, compared to the Hero, the Eris is sharper.
6. Micro USB (only need to bring one charger with me; MiFi, phone use same)
7. Extended contact fields thanks to 2.0. Bdays, anniversaries.
8. 16 gig of memory.

Eris Cons:

1. Mini USB. requires me to bring yet another charger with me when I travel.
2. Screen real estate (extra home screens may help)

I just feel more comfortable using the Eris. It just feels right.

Thanks for reading.

I started this thread and I couldn't agree more...you've called out some things I hadn't yet noticed when I first came home with Eris. The only things that still bug me are (1) can't get pinch-zoom to work and (2) font size for the native Gmail app (problem for all Android phones, not just Eris. But enough people are whining about this that maybe it will one day be fixed. For now I've just setup an IMAP account for my Gmail and use the regular Mail app. It also has a new mail badge on the screen icon and some other advantages, and I can take care of the labels, stars, etc. when I'm in my desktop Gmail.

 

[neoncp]

2. Screen real estate (extra home screens may help)

have you tried using folders? my main pages only have 3 icons plus a folder

 

[LarryMcJ]

have you tried using folders? my main pages only have 3 icons plus a folder

Huh? The Eris comes default with eight app shortcut icons on the home page (because of the large clock and weather icon) and room for up to 16 app shortcuts on each of the other six pages.

 

[Needsdecaf]

Eris Cons:

1. Mini USB. requires me to bring yet another charger with me when I travel..

Not sure the difference between Mini and Micro, but I am using the same USB charger that I used on my BB Curve 8830. I know that the plug on the cable included with the Eris is different, but I used the one from my BB (mini, micro, dunno?) and it charges AND transfers just fine.

 

[doublestack]

Not sure the difference between Mini and Micro, but I am using the same USB charger that I used on my BB Curve 8830. I know that the plug on the cable included with the Eris is different, but I used the one from my BB (mini, micro, dunno?) and it charges AND transfers just fine.

The newer Blackberry devices use the micro (I have the Storm2); the previous gen units utilized the mini. For me, it is only a minor inconvenience to carry both types.

 

[doublestack]

have you tried using folders? my main pages only have 3 icons plus a folder

I was just referring to the actual size for scrolling long messages, contacts, viewing media, etc.

Folders rock. Thanks.

 

[Needsdecaf]

The newer Blackberry devices use the micro (I have the Storm2); the previous gen units utilized the mini. For me, it is only a minor inconvenience to carry both types.

Well a mini works in the Eris. It looks different than the plug that came with the eris (trapezoidal vs. the Eris' one that's a squared off trapezoid on one side).

 

[doublestack]

Anyone else notice the following:

FlightStats is not listed in the Android Market while using the Eris. It was purchased on the Cliq, re-downloaded on my Droid. But after I exchanged the Droid for the Eris, it is not visible.

Documents to Go: Cannot download my paid license. License was paid for using the Droid....same as above. Only free main app available on the Android Market. Cannot upgrade. Even if I wanted to re-purchase, the store will not show the appropriate screen(s).

Emails have been sent to both developers.

Another interesting issue I just discovered:

When I opened and saved a vcard in my exchange account (Eris), the contact was not visible; not even after doing a search. I had to save it on my blackberry so it would sync to my Eris. Strange because it showed a confirmation message saying it was saved on the Eris.

I am planning on calling HTC Monday. I fear VZW tech support will know less than the deer feeding on my front lawn.

EDIT: Just realized a lot of my contact's birthdays and anniversaries via exchange active sync are off 24 hours. Strange

Anyone with info please comment. Thanks.

 

[jeffyo]

Pinch zoom in and out worked right away for me.

Love this
Phone

Try going into the browser settings. Menu...settings
And play with. The settings.

 

[jhut]

FlightStats is not listed in the Android Market while using the Eris.

Same here. I've had this problem with three other apps, although Slacker seems to be showing up now. Try finding eBuddy or PhoneMyPC. They are also MIA.

 

[doublestack]

Same here. I've had this problem with three other apps, although Slacker seems to be showing up now. Try finding eBuddy or PhoneMyPC. They are also MIA.

The folks at FlightStats said it is a VZW / Google Market issue. No compatibility issues with the app according to them.

They took a wait and see approach. Said they will watch the blogs / forums, etc. Personally, I would rather them send a letter or direct contact Google to fix the problem. They have my money and don't seem to have a sense of urgency.