4G LTE vs. Dual-Core Processor

[CallMeCooper13]

Hey everyone, I am currently looking into buying either a Samsung Charge, or waiting for the Motarola Droid X2 to come out in the next couple weeks. I currently have a Blackberry Curve and want a phone that utilizes Gmail very well, has an easy to use software keyboard, and can stream music/videos from YouTube.

I really like the 4G LTE service available with the Charge, but I've looked at some reviews and it looks like they've handicapped the phone with the single core processor. Assuming all the leaked info about the DX2 is true, it looks like it has a better processor but no 4G LTE. I have NO experience with Droid phones and which spec should be more important. Should I go with the better service or the better computing power? Just so you know, the majority of my phone use will be in 4G service area.

Any help is greatly appreciated as I venture into a great unknown, that which is Android. Thanks guys!

Chris

 

[Outsider(Avid HustlaZ)]

Hey everyone, I am currently looking into buying either a Samsung Charge, or waiting for the Motarola Droid X2 to come out in the next couple weeks. I currently have a Blackberry Curve and want a phone that utilizes Gmail very well, has an easy to use software keyboard, and can stream music/videos from YouTube.

I really like the 4G LTE service available with the Charge, but I've looked at some reviews and it looks like they've handicapped the phone with the single core processor. Assuming all the leaked info about the DX2 is true, it looks like it has a better processor but no 4G LTE. I have NO experience with Droid phones and which spec should be more important. Should I go with the better service or the better computing power? Just so you know, the majority of my phone use will be in 4G service area.

Any help is greatly appreciated as I venture into a great unknown, that which is Android. Thanks guys!

Chris

Honestly i have the charge and im very happy with it. It mite not be a dual core but it sure acts like one..i live in phx AZ so its all 4g over here nd i would choose service rather than the processor especially of where u live is 4g then the charge is the way to go its smooth, battery life is excellent, quality of phone is 100%...just everything about this phone is great but it is up to u but if u do do a lot of doenloading, browsing and stuff like that then the 4g phone is perfect

 

[aaronstrong]

I would wait for a better phone like the SGS2

 

[KoukiFC3S]

Gmail will be the same on both.

For YouTube, the charge is better. With LTE you won't have to wait for the video to load, and can view the HQ quality as well. The SAMOLED + of the charge will also make the videos a joy to watch.

Software keyboard is a tie. You can get a new one in the market to fit your needs if you don't like the stock options.

So I'd recommend the charge. Its 1GHz Hummingbird processor is still very capable.

 

[shadowdude777]

Since this is a refreshed Hummingbird, I'm curious if we can get it to ~1.5GHz with custom kernels.

 

[rushmore]

Since this is a refreshed Hummingbird, I'm curious if we can get it to ~1.5GHz with custom kernels.

This is the same Hummer as other devices. Same RFS bogged down file system but lower ram. For folks that had a slower devices and now have this, great they like it.

Still, $300 for this is nuts, anyway we spin it. Just look at what Samsung is offering the other carriers and it becomes apparent this device should be $200 tops.

 

[jinwons]

This is the same Hummer as other devices. Same RFS bogged down file system but lower ram. For folks that had a slower devices and now have this, great they like it.

Still, $300 for this is nuts, anyway we spin it. Just look at what Samsung is offering the other carriers and it becomes apparent this device should be $200 tops.

How do you know that? It may or may not be refreshed one. Refreshed snapdragon 8655 in Tbolt, Myoutch4G also has the same 1Ghz clock speed, so having the same clock speed doesn't necessarily mean the exact same processor. RFS is not good, but with Launcher Pro it should feel fine from my experience with Fascinate. Of course rooting will completely solve lag problem though. I would rather have phone with good screen, camera, excellent battery than a little bit faster phones that need to be recharged every 6~8 hours.

 

[moondrius]

Still, $300 for this is nuts, anyway we spin it. Just look at what Samsung is offering the other carriers and it becomes apparent this device should be $200 tops.

What the infuse? I would rather pay $100 extra and have a phone that actually has 4g. I was on att last month with an atrix and I could rarely break .5mbs. They should not be allowed to market that as a 4g phone at this point.

 

[thepedestrian]

Personally, I'd go with the Charge. Spec wise, the X2 does look a bit stronger than the Charge, but it's got some setbacks of its own. The biggest being that it doesn't have 4G LTE, which is amazingly fast, and the charge is able to run it and have the battery last a full day. It's also missing a front facing camera, if you care, and has a qHD display as opposed to the Charge's super amoled plus screen, which, while only being 800x400, I think gives the nicer image, and is incredibly easy to view in direct sunlight.

The dual core is cool, and definitely is the future, but I'm not as sold on them as a lot of people are. First of all, they run hot. Hot enough to practically bring the Bionic back to drawing board. I'm sure the X2 won't have such dramatic problems, but be prepared for it to get pretty warm in your hand. The second, bigger problem is with software. Dual cores are great, but unless the software you're running supports multithreading, it's only going to run through one core. And right now, a lot of droid software does not support multithreading, which makes sense because why would you spend the money on something only used by a handful of devices?

They're both great phones, and will both make great introductions to the world of Android, but right now, I think the Droid Charge is the better option of the two. 4G is amazingly fast, and on a 2 year contract, I think you'll be craving that more in the future than you will a dual core.

 

[tmaxey1]

This is a good topic. Many people that frequent message boards are just spec sheet nerds that will judge a phone they have never used based on the specs. Reading the Charge message board you will see many people leading up to its release saying this phone isnt any good. Most all of them have never used this phone yet they come to a message board specifically for this phone to tell people it isnt any good.

But the topic of LTE vs dual core is a good one. I think due to cost and possibly battery it may be a decision people have to make for a while.
I think the answer would be for each person to really think about what they use their phone for. If you play graphic intensive games a lot and dont want to miss out on some games that may be developed in the future then maybe going dual core is something you want to do. If you use your phone for streaming youtube or other video services, or pandora, rhapsody, check your fanatasy football rosters, or one of the 1000s of other things people use apps or the internet for then dual core probably wont make a bit of difference to you.

In fact i question the true need for LTE even. Other than HQ youtube videos are their any other real daily uses on your phone that would be greatly enhanced by having the blazing speed of LTE? I am just not certain yet. I have owned an EVO since launch and I have never really needed wimax 4g..I have used it a few times. But i thing many of those times I was using it just to run speedtest...I know pretty dumb. I am not a huge youtube watcher on my phone i guess.

I think the bigger deciding factor in considering the x2 vs charge may be the screen. That is something you will use many times per day every day. I havnt seen an x2 screen. But i have seen many droid x screens and the atrix screen and will say that i am generally not that impressed with Motos screens. I would rank the screens as 1. Samsung 2. Apple 3. HTC ...moto just has not made a phone yet that the screen has a majorly positive impact.

But this is a great topic. I am sure someday when the cost come down Verizon will get a dual core LTE phone. But until then we will have to decide what each of us uses are phones for more and that more important. Overall for my own personal use I would pick LTE over dual core. I dont play graphically intensive 3d game on a phone. The biggest downside to phone gaming is controls. Physic games like angry birds play just fine on a single core.

 

[dan409]

I am going to just wait for the Samsung Galaxy S2 to drop.
It should be the best of both worlds.
There is no way I am going to drop 300 for a SCharge when the hardware is already obsolete. Other than the the 4G and bit bigger screen it is not that much of an upgrade from the Sfascinate.
If I am getting into a new 2yr contract and spending 300 on a phone it better damn well be up to at least todays hardware standards.
By the time that the SGS2 is released quad cores will be just around the corner, so there is no way I am getting stuck with a single core for another 2 years. The SGS2 should also be released with GB already installed, who knows how long it will take the Scharge to get it.
I think for those of us that have either the SF, MotoX, or similar phone it would be a very good idea to just wait a few more months and get something that will really be an upgrade. ( There are no more 1 year contracts !)
On the other hand if your upgrading from a BB, or some feature phone then either the SC or the TB would be a huge leap up.

 

[tmaxey1]

I am going to just wait for the Samsung Galaxy S2 to drop.
It should be the best of both worlds.
There is no way I am going to drop 300 for a SCharge when the hardware is already obsolete. Other than the the 4G and bit bigger screen it is not that much of an upgrade from the Sfascinate.
If I am getting into a new 2yr contract and spending 300 on a phone it better damn well be up to at least todays hardware standards.
By the time that the SGS2 is released quad cores will be just around the corner, so there is no way I am getting stuck with a single core for another 2 years. The SGS2 should also be released with GB already installed, who knows how long it will take the Scharge to get it.
I think for those of us that have either the SF, MotoX, or similar phone it would be a very good idea to just wait a few more months and get something that will really be an upgrade. ( There are no more 1 year contracts !)
On the other hand if your upgrading from a BB, or some feature phone then either the SC or the TB would be a huge leap up.

What part of the hardware is already obsolete? Is the 4.3 inch super amoled plus display obsolete? Is the 8 mp camera that most reviews say is the best picture quality you can get on a cell phone obsolete? Is the 32gb memory obsolete? Is the LTE radio obsolete? Is the impressive battery life obsolete?

What exactly is obsolete? I hope you mean something other than the single core processor.. Thats just one part of the hardware and you said the hardware was obsolete..so what did you mean exactly?

 

[jinwons]

There is no guarantee that SGSII will have LTE in it for Verizon. I bet it will be 3G phone but I hope to be wrong on this. I read somewhere that next generation LTE chip will be much smaller and efficient but don't know when it can go into the phones on store.

I think it depends on the situation of each user. If you live in good 4G LTE area, then single core LTE phone like Charge makes sense. 1Ghz Hummingbird is still capable enough for most apps today. But if you are in some void areas on the LTE map, dual core phones like SGSII, DX2 are better for future proof. You will probably need good WiFi sources to better match its processing power with data speed though. For me, it's tough decision because I live just out of the edge of LTE area and don't know when it will be extended to where I reside.

 

[CallMeCooper13]

Wow its great to see such a great discussion going. Apparently I wasn't the only one with this on my mind. For people who are talking about the SGS2, is that coming to Verizon? I checked their website and I couldn't find the SGS1. Is there a leaked spec sheet out?

With all of your help, I'm leaning now to the SC. The main thing now is that I'm waiting for Otterbox to come out with a case for the SC. There is no way I'm spending that kind of money without protecting it with the Defender Series case.

 

[rushmore]

What part of the hardware is already obsolete? Is the 4.3 inch super amoled plus display obsolete? Is the 8 mp camera that most reviews say is the best picture quality you can get on a cell phone obsolete? Is the 32gb memory obsolete? Is the LTE radio obsolete? Is the impressive battery life obsolete?

What exactly is obsolete? I hope you mean something other than the single core processor.. Thats just one part of the hardware and you said the hardware was obsolete..so what did you mean exactly?

Older chipset
Low ram

Unless you are used to a slower phone, the Charge is slower than the Incredible, Droid X and TB. This is due more to the slow a55 files system than anything else, but a dual core would have made it better. Catch is the Tegra 2 does not blend well with LTE, so there you go.

The key issue is $300 for a two year. Had they released at $200, it would fit the segment better. Older chipset, low ram and no internal storage. Even the Thunderbatterydrainer was priced lower.

 

[shadowdude777]

This is the same Hummer as other devices. Same RFS bogged down file system but lower ram. For folks that had a slower devices and now have this, great they like it.

Still, $300 for this is nuts, anyway we spin it. Just look at what Samsung is offering the other carriers and it becomes apparent this device should be $200 tops.

No it's not. It runs at the same frequency but it's a minor refresh:

New or old hummingbird cpu? - Droid Forum - Verizon Droid & the Motorola Droid Forum

But I agree, I got the Charge and my friend got the Infuse yesterday and that thing is better than the Charge for $100 less. You're paying for the LTE. Hopefully the GS2 will be LTE, I don't mind paying $300 for that.

 

[jinwons]

Wow its great to see such a great discussion going. Apparently I wasn't the only one with this on my mind. For people who are talking about the SGS2, is that coming to Verizon? I checked their website and I couldn't find the SGS1. Is there a leaked spec sheet out?

With all of your help, I'm leaning now to the SC. The main thing now is that I'm waiting for Otterbox to come out with a case for the SC. There is no way I'm spending that kind of money without protecting it with the Defender Series case.

Yes SGSII is coming to Verizon, but it's not officially announced yet. Samsung will hold a press event on 05/24 to tell more details on U.S launch of it. It's greatly improved sequel to their Galaxy S phones last year. It's got nearly everything that one can ask for in android phone except uncertainty on LTE radio. If you think you will make good use of 4G LTE, just go for Charge. I wouldn't worry much about Charge haters on this forum.

 

[rushmore]

No it's not. It runs at the same frequency but it's a minor refresh:

New or old hummingbird cpu? - Droid Forum - Verizon Droid & the Motorola Droid Forum

But I agree, I got the Charge and my friend got the Infuse yesterday and that thing is better than the Charge for $100 less. You're paying for the LTE. Hopefully the GS2 will be LTE, I don't mind paying $300 for that.

The only thing that changed was due to the needed bridge for the LTE radio. It is no different than comparing the 8255 and 8655 (same CPU and GPU).

This is not the same refresh as the Snapdragon that got a 45nm fab change and updated GPU...which is still slower than the Hummingbird's.

Point still being, this device is not $300 worthy and is weak compared to other carriers. Dang VZW and their superior coverage. The coverage for the other carriers sux compared to VZW where I live and travel.

 

[rushmore]

Yes SGSII is coming to Verizon, but it's not officially announced yet. Samsung will hold a press event on 05/24 to tell more details on U.S launch of it. It's greatly improved sequel to their Galaxy S phones last year. It's got nearly everything that one can ask for in android phone except uncertainty on LTE radio. If you think you will make good use of 4G LTE, just go for Charge. I wouldn't worry much about Charge haters on this forum.

Truth be told, if I were forced to choose between the TB and Charge, I would chose the Charge. Better battery life and even sweeter display.

The TB is faster in the UI, but the Charge lasts almost twice as long. I would chose battery life over a little more UI speed. Also, if the Charge gets rooted, the speed hack for the file system may be able to be used.

Again, if the Charge was released at a lower price, even rubes like me would back off.

 

[stevehoffman]

Point still being, this device is not $300 worthy and is weak compared to other carriers. Dang VZW and their superior coverage. The coverage for the other carriers sux compared to VZW where I live and travel.

Well, buddy, has it ever occurred to you that maybe some VZW devices are a bit more expensive because it costs VZW a helluva lot of money to build and maintain that "superior coverage."

I just don't get all this hatred. These carriers and these device manufacturers and these software companies are creating incredibly powerful, useful products that frankly would have been friggin' SCIENCE FICTION a decade ago!!! And the advances come so swiftly nowadays, not every single new phone is gonna have every new feature that you like. The manufacturer has to consider trade-offs. (E.g., some folks complain about Droid Charge being only single-core, yet if it were double-core it would probably have shorter battery life).

Companies like VZW invest BILLIONS of dollars on this stuff. They are for-profit companies. They will try to charge the highest price the market will allow for a "hot" new item. After a few months, the price will drop.

I'm sorry, folks, but although I'd prefer to pay $50 or $100 less for anything I buy, I have no problem paying (and did in fact pay) $300 for the Droid Charge.

If based on your knowledge of phones and studying all the specifications you feel you've got better value for your $ getting another phone, do so -- it's the goddam FREE MARKET. Or just wait a few months and there will be newer and even better phones (and/or the existing ones will be sold at discount rates). And no matter what phone you buy, you'll find that none are "perfect" (especially since our definition of "standard" gets higher and higher with such fast-paced technology)

Some of you that rant and rave about the cost of this phone vs that phone, I wonder, are you like that 24/7 with all your purchases --- movie tickets, restaurant dinners, sports event tickets, grocery shopping?

 

[Heelpir8]

Some of you that rant and rave about the cost of this phone vs that phone, I wonder, are you like that 24/7 with all your purchases --- movie tickets, restaurant dinners, sports event tickets, grocery shopping?

I think the additional worry and/or consideration regarding tying yourself to a multi-year contract within an ever-evolving technology market may be reasonable. I don't worry about any of the above because I can buy once and be done with it if I'm not satisfied. The only cost being that one-time expenditure. Let's not compare simple purchases to multi-thousand dollar outlays over an extended period of time.

The presence of people yapping about shortcomings of different phones is a display of the very free market mechanisms you seem to support. I wouldn't be so hard on the consumers.

 

[sean76]

I will chime in a little bit...
At this point of the game I would choose 4G over a dual core! I had the Atrix and because of Blur it still had some lag, and the phone running on at&t's 3G was a joke, let alone they're fake 4G. The phone itself was an Animal, but the dual core didn't make it lights out fast. Now as for the Charge with a single, yes I agree a dual core would have made me feel better spending $300....And in my eyes VZW is ripping us off..but that's just how it is, they're ripping us off because they are the only ones with true LTE 4G...it is what it is.

I'll admit, I'm not 100% sold on the Charges looks, I'd prefer a Galaxy S2 look over it any day, but the reason I'm switching from the TB is pretty simple...both are single core no matter how you slice it, and both are LTE 4G! However...I really miss my Fascinate Screen, and a Super Amoled Plus screen is big to me, also the Charges camera looks to be even better then my Fascinates...Another big plus! Reports are that call quality is very good, it is a phone after all. And most of all...The Battery! I just can't deal with this battery anymore in the TB! It's as if it gets worse every day...So yes I will take a single core phone with a much improved screen, great camera and Video capabilities with a better media experience, very good call quality, and a bigger battery that will get me through an entire day with my use pattern. That's my 2cents!

 

[simoncpj]

if you use your phone as a hotspot, then no brainer - 4G wins

i wonder if single core v. dual core will be similar to the shift from 32 to 64 bit OS, not noticeable the vast majority of the time

 

[jinwons]

Looks like another phone from LG is joining the 4G LTE party soon.

Confirmed: LG Revolution Launching May 26 on Verizon With Netflix, New Black Look and Bing - Droid Life: A Droid Community Blog

 

[sean76]

Looks like another phone from LG is joining the 4G LTE party soon.

Confirmed: LG Revolution Launching May 26 on Verizon With Netflix, New Black Look and Bing - Droid Life: A Droid Community Blog

They killed it with Bing! They just dont get it....Hellllllo...Google is Android, Android is Google! So rediculous....