Are you committed to the Bionic?

Good phone, still going thru growing pains with VZW. Once fixed, I believe it will suffice for the remainder of the 20 months. New phones always look better until you get them.

I really do like my Bionic. There are a few things I wish were different but overall it was a worthy replacement for my highly modified OG DrOID.

Add an unlocked bootloader plus a few devs doing their thing and this phone could approach perfection.

I'm quite happy with my Bionic, I upgraded to .901 and my 4G connection is pretty solid now. It's not perfect but I think a lot of these early 4G phones seem to have some issues. I certainly won't pay full price for a phone that's a marginal upgrade at best. My upgrade is in May of '13 and I probably won't be upgrading until then, I've got sick of changing phones too often and spending so much money.

Just found this forum. I have had my Motorola Droid Bionic since Oct, 2011. It is my 3rd one. The 1st one just locked up and would not open or turn on, on the 14th day. Best Buy techs. fooled with it for a few hours and then gave me a new one. The next one got really hot to the touch and would not hold a "hot spot" connection to my laptop for very long. Must have taken the battery out 3 dozen times or more to get it to stop telling me I had to "sign up" for what I am already paying $70 per mo extra for the 12 gig hotspot, above the reg. $125 mo. This third one ( I had insurance with verizon) also is getting hot sometime, occasionally just shuts off during a conversation, or the touch pad may not work for a few minutes, or it will call numbers I have not 'dialed' and sometimes just jump around in a crazy pattern from one thing to another. I am not sure what to do. I am not a technically proficient at all. Just the same when this phone works I love it! I might add that all 3 phones are not good a holding and internet connection for very long. I have been on the Verizon tech support many many times and have gone into the local Verizon store several times and even back to Best Buy where I originally go the phone. I use this phone a lot and have close to 500 phone numbers stored in it. Just don't like the lack of dependability that is has every day. Any simple, not so technical suggestions for an old guy?

I also had the over heating problem at one time and was able to tie it to the case that I had been using. Once I started using the phone naked, no more overheating. The case was the double layer incipio case from Verizon and should not have been the cause. But every time I put the case on the phone heated up. I always wondered if I had a defective battery. Now I had an extended battery and the case/holster combo and alls well with the world.

kyoun said:

Just found this forum. I have had my Motorola Droid Bionic since Oct, 2011. It is my 3rd one. The 1st one just locked up and would not open or turn on, on the 14th day. Best Buy techs. fooled with it for a few hours and then gave me a new one. The next one got really hot to the touch and would not hold a "hot spot" connection to my laptop for very long. Must have taken the battery out 3 dozen times or more to get it to stop telling me I had to "sign up" for what I am already paying $70 per mo extra for the 12 gig hotspot, above the reg. $125 mo. This third one ( I had insurance with verizon) also is getting hot sometime, occasionally just shuts off during a conversation, or the touch pad may not work for a few minutes, or it will call numbers I have not 'dialed' and sometimes just jump around in a crazy pattern from one thing to another. I am not sure what to do. I am not a technically proficient at all. Just the same when this phone works I love it! I might add that all 3 phones are not good a holding and internet connection for very long. I have been on the Verizon tech support many many times and have gone into the local Verizon store several times and even back to Best Buy where I originally go the phone. I use this phone a lot and have close to 500 phone numbers stored in it. Just don't like the lack of dependability that is has every day. Any simple, not so technical suggestions for an old guy?

Click to expand...

This sounds to me like multiple issues ...

The suggestion that you use it naked (no case and no screen protector) is a good one. They can be added later after everything is prov en out.

There was mention of MHS (Mobile Hot Spot). It will heat up with heavy MHS usage. You are supposed to have it plugged into a wall charger when using MHS. Is it?

you are supposed to use the charger and cable that came with your Bionic. Are you? There are a number of reported problems from third party chargers or cables. Many with simply great credentials.

I carry my Bionic in my shirt pocket with the screen facing in. If I perspire while exercising I noticed the screen would stop reacting to my touch. I finally concluded that the screen was damp and when it dried it then behaved correctly.

... Thom

Thom Little said:

This sounds to me like multiple issues ...

The suggestion that you use it naked (no case and no screen protector) is a good one. They can be added later after everything is prov en out.

There was mention of MHS (Mobile Hot Spot). It will heat up with heavy MHS usage. You are supposed to have it plugged into a wall charger when using MHS. Is it?

you are supposed to use the charger and cable that came with your Bionic. Are you? There are a number of reported problems from third party chargers or cables. Many with simply great credentials.

I carry my Bionic in my shirt pocket with the screen facing in. If I perspire while exercising I noticed the screen would stop reacting to my touch. I finally concluded that the screen was damp and when it dried it then behaved correctly.

... Thom

Click to expand...

Thanks Thom, I have had it heat up both with cases/screen protector and without. I always use the charger that came with it and it is plugged in too. I guess I'll just have to wait and use it when it is working. I was just talking with my wife and the connection was good and the battery was up and the darn thing beeps a few times and then shuts off with the droid sound. Unless some one else has other ideas I guess I'll have to live with it since I have that contract. Not fun.
Thanks again Thom.

Bob

If it is getting hot and you don''t correct the problem you can literally be frying the components. That problem must be resolved.

Run it totally naked and see if it still heats up. Does it heat up when only on the charger? If yes, replace the charger. If it heats up when on the charger or battery, replace the battery.

Do you have GPS running while you are doing all this? The Social Location app is a notorious battery soaker due to GPS. Try disabling GPS.

If you have the battery problem in multiple phones ... are you using the same battery in each or the same charger? If yes to either then you have a good candidate for replacement.

... Thom

Love my bionic, even with some of these issues mentioned in here. I came from an htc incredible, and that was a sick phone. The bionic took a little getting used to, but after a few months, i realize the power of this thing. It does get a little hot when tethering, but otherwise it runs pretty good. The one thing i hope for is an unlocked bootloader so the devs can cook up see roms.

I got my Bionic on release day and I have had my share of problems but the software update solved most of them. I still get an occasional BSOD and reboot but nothing I cant deal with. Data drops have been slim to none and battery life is good with the extended battery.

I will eventually get the Nexus but Ill wait until most of the bugs are gone. Until then the Bionic will #1 and might be the replacement for the wifey's Q9m. (another of my hand me downs)

I never thought about the battery being a problem....They (Verizon and Best Buy) have had me move the battery from one phone to the next for all 3 droids since the first one last Oct. Are they high dollar and are there optional places to purchase them?? Only one phone. No Social App going. I have had not had a network connection all day so I am now on our desktop which has my wife's Sprint Air Card on it... ah well.
Again thanks for the help and pointers.
Bob

This thread was recently posted, someone spotted a good deal on OEM batteries. People in the item reviews say they are genuine.

http://androidforums.com/motorola-droid-bionic/493653-great-deal-standard-battery.html

kyoun said:

I never thought about the battery being a problem....They (Verizon and Best Buy) have had me move the battery from one phone to the next for all 3 droids since the first one last Oct. Are they high dollar and are there optional places to purchase them?? Only one phone. No Social App going. I have had not had a network connection all day so I am now on our desktop which has my wife's Sprint Air Card on it... ah well.
Again thanks for the help and pointers.
Bob

Click to expand...

You need to make it cooler as soon as possible. If it is overheating there is no way to predict what damage may have already occurred.

How about you take your Bionic to a Verizon store and put your battery in their Bionic and see what happens? Then try it with your charger and cable on their Bionic and see what happens.

The idea is ... rule them out and then try something else.

(I have the sound of sizzling bacon in my ears ... or is that your Bionic motherboard?)

... Thom

Mine only really gets warm/hot when i use mhp and have it plugged in. When I use the same charger without mhp, it seems to be fine. Now you got me nervous that I'm melting the inside of my bionic.

I think it is subjective. Is it very warm or hot?

Are you using an additional case and screen protector on it? This could very well keeping it from cooling off fast enough.

Big downloads using 4G can really drive up the temperature.

... Thom

It's warm, but i have three people tethered all day, and i make calls on it at the same time occasionally. I've recently been taking it out of it's case but it doesn't seem to help much.

I had the charge and sent it back within a week because it wasnt even as good as my fascinate was.

I LOVE my bionic, I have no issues, and didnt expect any because I knew I was going to root it as soon as I activated it.

I had the Eris, fascinate, and now Bionic. I am only locked into 12 month contracts with every upgrade and get new plan pricing every 10 months so I dont have to wait as long as most of you guys do, but I forsee keeping and using my bionic for a while...I do not see anything better coming out anytime soon that would make me want to move off the bionic when my upgrade comes.

tgulch22 said:

I am only locked into 12 month contracts with every upgrade and get new plan pricing every 10 months so I dont have to wait as long as most of you guys do...

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I thought that Verizon dropped that as an option last January. Is that grandfathered to existing customers or something, or did they give you one last one?

doogald said:

I thought that Verizon dropped that as an option last January. Is that grandfathered to existing customers or something, or did they give you one last one?

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I am on an employee plan so I get 50% off 1 year contract and new phone ever 10 months.

Like my Bionic very much. Well built compared to Nexus. This phone will hold me for 20 months, especially with ICS due in a few months. No regrets. 901 update made it even better.

I like my Bionic quite a lot. I don't think I will be leaving it. I live in the Huntsville, Alabama area and the 4G doesn't seem to have the data drops.

However, I do think Verizon, possibly Motorola, has had some missteps with it.

I am on my second Bionic. My first one started experiencing what I would assume is the BSOD issues some people over the past month or so have talked about. On the 14th day I had it, the screen went black several times though the phone power was on (I know because the phone would ring when someone would call). The first couple of times it happened I thought was maybe something I did, but the 3rd and 4th time that night convinced me to exchange it. The Verizon store I bough it at did not want to give me a brand new one since I was one day over the 14 day exchange/refund time. That rather got me upset as I did not want to pay $250 for a phone and then just 2 weeks later have a "Certified Like Crap" refurb/used phone instead. Fortunately the Verizon rep on the phone got rather upset at that stores manager for treating me the way she did and had the other store in town exchange it for a new one.

But since I have had this phone, I think I have had only one instance of the BSOD. It has been rather quite stable, except for being power hungry which I assumed it would be going in since it really is essentially a computer with a phone.

The one thing I am waiting to see to be delivered is the promised ICS update. If that doesn't happen, well, I will be very upset. The reason I got the phone was because Verizon assured me it will definately get Ice Cream Sandwhich. If that happens, I will be satisified.

I do however HATE all the bloatware that Verizon has on the phone that can not be uninstalled. I am not yet comfortable trying to root the phone, and not sure if I could continue getting updates such as the 902 one, if I did root it.

wildkitten said:

I am on my second Bionic. My first one started experiencing what I would assume is the BSOD issues some people over the past month or so have talked about. On the 14th day I had it, the screen went black several times though the phone power was on (I know because the phone would ring when someone would call). The first couple of times it happened I thought was maybe something I did, but the 3rd and 4th time that night convinced me to exchange it.

Click to expand...

Did you run through ... BSOD (Black Screen of Death) ... with your first phone? Did you run through it with your second phone?

... Thom

Thom Little said:

Did you run through ... BSOD (Black Screen of Death) ... with your first phone? Did you run through it with your second phone?

... Thom

Click to expand...

I'm not really sure what you mean, "run through". I know the battery had a charge, it was not turned off (it would ring but the screen wouldn't come up so I couldn't answer it). I had to pull the battery and reinsert it to get it working again. Since I had my second Bionic, it's only happened once. May have been before I got the 893 update, but to be honest, I can't say for sure.

wildkitten said:

I'm not really sure what you mean, "run through". I know the battery had a charge, it was not turned off (it would ring but the screen wouldn't come up so I couldn't answer it). I had to pull the battery and reinsert it to get it working again. Since I had my second Bionic, it's only happened once. May have been before I got the 893 update, but to be honest, I can't say for sure.

Click to expand...

Take a look at the message in the link in my previous message. It is the accumulation of a lot of investigations and solutions by a lot of people with various BSOD problems.

... Thom