Fascinate vs Droid X

[kriss76]

SirKronan, Very well said! Btw, I added LauncherPro to my Fascinate and OMG...I LOVE IT! The scrolling is so smooth, and I love that I can resize the widgets!!

I had LP on my Moto Droid and didn't use it very long, but it is perfect on the Fascinate!

I, too, love the puzzle unlock. It's one of my favorite features!

 

[tystevens]

I also had the chance to play around with an X at the VZW store yesterday, for the first time since getting my SF. I don't put too much stock in the display phones, since they have kids screwing around with them all day. But man, the DX looked dingy and dull compared to my SF. I was comparing size and screens, and someone behind me said "man, which phone is that!", referring to my SF. It was also noticeably more laggy, but again, who knows what it had running on it.

I agree that the DX is a great, functional phone. But the SF does everything the DX does, and just feels better in my hand. For me, the size, shape and screen of the SF have me hooked. Call me superficial, I guess...

Maybe I'll get the courage to download LauncherPro or something like that. I figured I'll give it a week w/ the stock UI and get used to it. I'm just a little worried about screwing things up, though, as I really like the way it is right now. Those waterscene live wallpapers still blow me away.

 

[SirKronan]

I also had the chance to play around with an X at the VZW store yesterday, for the first time since getting my SF. I don't put too much stock in the display phones, since they have kids screwing around with them all day. But man, the DX looked dingy and dull compared to my SF. I was comparing size and screens, and someone behind me said "man, which phone is that!", referring to my SF. It was also noticeably more laggy, but again, who knows what it had running on it.

I agree that the DX is a great, functional phone. But the SF does everything the DX does, and just feels better in my hand. For me, the size, shape and screen of the SF have me hooked. Call me superficial, I guess...

Maybe I'll get the courage to download LauncherPro or something like that. I figured I'll give it a week w/ the stock UI and get used to it. I'm just a little worried about screwing things up, though, as I really like the way it is right now. Those waterscene live wallpapers still blow me away.

Launcher pro doesn't require root, but it does cost money if you want to be able to resize widgets. Also, it doesn't disable a lot of the cool features that samsung has put on it either, such as the puzzle lock screen and the powercontrols built right into the notification bar.

 

[saps]

Maybe I'll get the courage to download LauncherPro or something like that. I figured I'll give it a week w/ the stock UI and get used to it. I'm just a little worried about screwing things up, though, as I really like the way it is right now. Those waterscene live wallpapers still blow me away.

Yeah in time the "new car smell" of those live wallpapers will likely fade when we realize how much battery juice they take compared to a set background/wallpaper. LauncherPro is free and very easy to use and if you dont like it you can uninstall it and nothing is touched/damaged from your TouchWiz. And/or DL Home Switcher from the Market and have access to both via a toggle. Many people prefer LP but again the great thing about Android is the options to do what you want

 

[saps]

Launcher pro doesn't require root, but it does cost money if you want to be able to resize widgets. Also, it doesn't disable a lot of the cool features that samsung has put on it either, such as the puzzle lock screen and the powercontrols built right into the notification bar.

Agreed. Not to split hairs but technically speaking Launcher Pro is free; its Launcher Pro Plus which is $2.99. Though your point remains the same. Rarely will $3 be better spent from a functionality/productivity standpoint

 

[xliderider]

Ahhh! It is a really tough decision! I'm very particular about my phone and I just want to make sure I'm getting what I'm going to really love for the next while. So, if that is the X for you, then go for it! I can see why people love it.

Good luck with your decision, I'm sure you'll love whichever phone you decide on! Let us know what you decide!!

I returned my Fascinate today.

The only reason it went back was I need the better reception on the X. Everything else on the Fascinate was better, some by a little, some by more.

 

[saps]

I returned my Fascinate today.

The only reason it went back was I need the better reception on the X. Everything else on the Fascinate was better, some by a little, some by more.

Chain is only as strong as its weakest link

 

[SirKronan]

Chain is only as strong as its weakest link

Well, like I posted in another thread, I took this phone on a test drive around a corner on a hill where I always drop calls. Didn't even skip a beat on either test run. No dropped calls at all, for this whole day. I still got a stronger decibel reading with the Droid X, but functionally speaking the signal has been just fine on the Fascinate for me so far.

I am loving this phone more and more, each and every day.

 

[xliderider]

Well, like I posted in another thread, I took this phone on a test drive around a corner on a hill where I always drop calls. Didn't even skip a beat on either test run. No dropped calls at all, for this whole day. I still got a stronger decibel reading with the Droid X, but functionally speaking the signal has been just fine on the Fascinate for me so far.

I am loving this phone more and more, each and every day.

Yeah, I may have jumped the gun and returned the Fascinate too early. Using my Droid this evening is making me realize that the Droid is getting no better 3g signal readings (in bars) while browsing the web than the Fascinate.

And despite the fact that I believe the Fascinate has a buggy signal meter and reporting (dBm readings only report in increments of 5) of signal strength, real world performance is quite good.

I'll be able to compare performance between the X and Fascinate becaude my wife is keeping her Fascinate. I'm stuck with the X, so I hope I didn't make a terrible decision lol because I'll have to use it for at least 3 more months before another upgrade is possible.

 

[kriss76]

I returned my Fascinate today.

The only reason it went back was I need the better reception on the X. Everything else on the Fascinate was better, some by a little, some by more.

Good luck with the X! I'm sure you'll enjoy it-it's a super cool phone!

 

[SirKronan]

Yeah, I may have jumped the gun and returned the Fascinate too early. Using my Droid this evening is making me realize that the Droid is getting no better 3g signal readings (in bars) while browsing the web than the Fascinate.

And despite the fact that I believe the Fascinate has a buggy signal meter and reporting (dBm readings only report in increments of 5) of signal strength, real world performance is quite good.

I'll be able to compare performance between the X and Fascinate becaude my wife is keeping her Fascinate. I'm stuck with the X, so I hope I didn't make a terrible decision lol because I'll have to use it for at least 3 more months before another upgrade is possible.

Well, as long as you don't mind the larger form factor and slightly less ergonomic operation, you are getting a beast of a phone with the best mic system available on any smart phone right now. The Droid X is amazing. One click root + launcher pro + clean a little of the bloat = one crazy awesome phone. I loved the Droid X in so many ways. The Fascinate just happens to fit what I need better. I find that I am outdoors a lot using my phone, and the Fascinate is at least one or two orders of magnitude easier to read in bright outdoor light.

The Droid X is easier to read on, though. Text is crisper. So you're getting some advantages over the Fascinate when you have it, too. I've never had such a hard time choosing between a phone. I thought a side by side comparison in my own hands and in my own living conditions would make the decision easier. It didn't. There are still things about the Droid X I had a hard time letting go, such as quadruple the internal memory. What was Verizon thinking?? Other than, "Let's at least trash one or two of the specs on paper for this Fascinate so it doesn't outsell our lawfully wedded spouse Motorola's Droid phones."

 

[saps]

Yeah, I may have jumped the gun and returned the Fascinate too early. Using my Droid this evening is making me realize that the Droid is getting no better 3g signal readings (in bars) while browsing the web than the Fascinate.

And despite the fact that I believe the Fascinate has a buggy signal meter and reporting (dBm readings only report in increments of 5) of signal strength, real world performance is quite good.

I'll be able to compare performance between the X and Fascinate becaude my wife is keeping her Fascinate. I'm stuck with the X, so I hope I didn't make a terrible decision lol because I'll have to use it for at least 3 more months before another upgrade is possible.

Well the ship has sailed now I think unless you can go back and un-return it. I suppose thats why they give you 30 days to test it out. You really wanna be sure if you return it so early like you did and now it seems you might be second guessing yourself and regretting not giving it another few weeks

 

[jroc]

Keep reading about the reception is making me go back n forth on whether I should grab one off Ebay....

Yall making it hard for some of us...lol.

Since the X uses the Diversity Antennas, (it has 2 antennas in the phone) I dont think too many current phones will match the reception. So one could look at as a good thing.

Comparing the Fascinate's reception vs. other phones that have a normal antenna setup might be the better thing to do. So try comparing it to the Inc, the Droid 1 and 2, the EVO, etc.

*I'm assuming most other phones have a normal antenna setup.

 

[superAndroid]

I definitely think the Fascinate has the best potential. I can't wait for 2.2, we're being told a lot of software features will come with that update. Also the source code was released this morning, for anyone who knows what that means, yes get ready.

 

[xliderider]

Since the X uses the Diversity Antennas, (it has 2 antennas in the phone) I dont think too many current phones will match the reception. So one could look at as a good thing.

Comparing the Fascinate's reception vs. other phones that have a normal antenna setup might be the better thing to do. So try comparing it to the Inc, the Droid 1 and 2, the EVO, etc.

*I'm assuming most other phones have a normal antenna setup.

I've been comparing it to my Droid 1, but it's very difficult to do when the Fascinate only reports signal strength in increments of 5 dBm.

The good news is the Fascinate, in hindsight, seems to perform around the same as the D1. So if what you are saying about the X's diversity antenna setup translates a into real world advantage, then I will be most happy indeed to go with the X.

 

[jroc]

^I think it does translate into a real world advantage. For me, the X gets better reception than my Droid 1.

The Droid 1 & the E815 had the best reception of all the phones I had that I can recall.

Certain spots in my building at work where my Droid 1 wouldnt work or work good, the X did a better job.

 

[xliderider]

Woohoo, if the X performs better than my D1 I will be ecstatic!

Hehe, I've still got my old E815 in the drawer, one of the best phones on Verizon EVER. That thing was a RF signal magnet...

 

[durangojim]

^I think it does translate into a real world advantage. For me, the X gets better reception than my Droid 1.

The Droid 1 & the E815 had the best reception of all the phones I had that I can recall.

Certain spots in my building at work where my Droid 1 wouldnt work or work good, the X did a better job.

The E815 is a beast of a phone. I still have one attached to a family line that we use as a emergency phone at our home.

 

[Flyby1023]

This is a great, and civil, thread, a welcome change from some of the other stuff out there.

I

 

[xliderider]

Reception is also a big thing for me (which is how I hit this thread). I have AT&T now but I need a VZ unit for one place I go often where AT&T has issues if there are too many solar flares.

If you want/need a device with good reception, then out of the Fascinate, DInc, and X, get the X.

That is my number one priority, reception and call quality/noise cancellation. That is why I went with the X and not the Fascinate.

 

[ckochinsky125]

Keep reading about the reception is making me go back n forth on whether I should grab one off Ebay....

Yall making it hard for some of us...lol.

Since the X uses the Diversity Antennas, (it has 2 antennas in the phone) I dont think too many current phones will match the reception. So one could look at as a good thing.

Comparing the Fascinate's reception vs. other phones that have a normal antenna setup might be the better thing to do. So try comparing it to the Inc, the Droid 1 and 2, the EVO, etc.

*I'm assuming most other phones have a normal antenna setup.

I have better reception on my fascinate then both my X and original droid. It is also much more snappier then the droid and loads web sites slightly then my X used to, so for me it was an easy choice keeping the fascinate especially after rooting and installing the lag fix. Now just gonna wait for some custom roms

 

[Flyby1023]

I would tend to agree that the Moto phones have good radios, the ones I have had in the past were all good with that. My VZ rep gave me a Dinc to try at my problem location and it was a little better than the BB or iP (by little better I mean going from no service to 1 bar).

I know I'm splitting hairs on the reception issue, really looking for a 1-bar difference up from the Dinc, without the heft of the X. I can hook up one of my junk drawer Moto VZ phones for those trips, but I'm liking the idea of going droid.

 

[SirKronan]

The Droid X gets the best reception of any smart phone I have ever owned or tested, period. Heck, it's probably at the top, or close to it, for best reception on any cellphone I've ever tested.

The Fascinate does fine for me though. I've tested it in lots of shaky areas, and so far it's been great. Better than the Eris for sure. Also better than my old Omnia. I've never used a phone with as good of reception as the Droid X. That said, I still ultimately went with the Fascinate, and don't regret it one bit.

 

[saps]

Discussion seems to have shifted to reception issues.
Bottom Line on reception: DX = Good, SF = Good enough.

 

[SteveC]

I have followed this with some interest. While I really like my rooted original Droid, I really would like a bigger screen. SO I looked forward with some anticipation to the DX. Then to the Fascinate. I decided to just take my time and read and look.

Well the more time I took, the madder I got. I wound up angry at Motorola for the locked boot loader (although I would not be too surprised to find the hand of Verizon in there as well). I got mad a Google, for here they are forcing Motorola to remove Skyhook location services instead of using Google's. But they then turn around and let the boot loader on an open platform to be locked down, and to top it off they allow Verizon to give us Microsoft stuff in the form of a default to Bing.

So, there are now two imperfect choices. I looked over both the Fascinate and the Droid X side by side today with my Droid 1. So here is where I came down on the side of the Droid X (guess I'll have to gag on the locked boot loader, but at least the root will remove the bloat). Here is my personal preferences. First is that I am often in borderline reception areas, so reception is really necessary. Second is the fact I use the GPS quite a bit. Third is the use of Internet on the phone.

Signal strength. In the Verizon store, the Droid X was -54 dBm, the Droid -62, and the Fascinate was -82. The Fascinate was about the same in town as my Droid is out in the rural area where I live, that is good enough to work fine on 3G, but how well will the Fascinate hold above the 1x level, and how much faster will it drop signal. Wish I knew. So score that one for the Droid X.

GPS. Sure enough the Fascinate had Bing all over it. So I downloaded Google Earth and Google Maps in the VZW Store on the Fascinate. They downloaded just like any other app, no problem. So I assured the GPS was on and checked location on both Google products. Well It took about ten minutes to get the location on either, just about gave up, but a store rep came up and during our conversation, I got the maps to locate, so the Google apps will download, install and "work" to a degree anyway. Now since this was in the store, I didn't have the chance to get into a different location and try again to see if the phone just needed time with the new apps I had just put on it. However the Droid and Droid X were both noticeably faster to get the store location than the Fascinate was with either Bing or Google.

I really liked the form factor and the screen of the Fascinate better than the DX, but it comes down to signal and GPS weakness that I don't think I want to chance. While the Fascinate had a better screen image and the image seemed to fit the size of the screen better than the DX, the DX is perfectly fine for me. Web browsing is a bit easier on the DX. I personally have no issue with the size of the DX.

So I think I will still wait a bit and see if there will come a hack that can upgrade the Fascinate base band (provided it is not a hardware issue) and see if there is a fix for the GPS (again provided it is not a hardware issue). If the GPS issue were better on the Fascinate, I might give it a go. But then again I still may use the 30 day on the Fascinate and go for the DX if the issues i saw are for real.