Well to those of you who've been paying attention (don't worry, I don't suspect many of you have), I was part of the 'I'll never buy another Motorola so long as they lock their bootloaders' crowd. My DX was my first foray into the world of Android (so long as you don't count the 3 days I spent on a D1 before returning it to order the DX). So my ignorance of bootloaders is hereby excused (by me). I didn't know the bootloader was going to be locked, but even if I had run across that tidbit of information, I wouldn't have had any clue as to what it meant. I was coming off of a BB Curve for God sakes.
Now that I'm into Android and loving it, I want to enjoy every ounce of it that I can. So when Motorola turned their ship around 180 degrees from the wide open and highly hackable D1 to the current lineup of Moto devices, that left guys like me out in the cold. I don't see any end in sight personally. I know there's an online petition and all that jazz, but come on, we all know deep down that we're throwing pebbles at a tank with that.
So true to my word I had an upgrade available at the beginning of April, and I've held on to it until now waiting to see what I wanted to do with it. What I ended up doing is not only point my middle finger at Motorola, but Verizon as well since they seem to be the ones who are actually behind all the tightly locked bootloaders anyways (from what I read Samsung released a statement aimed at Verizon saying they would NOT lock their bootloaders so long as Google didnt' require it... seems they were getting heat from Big Red for being as open as they are). Instead of reupping with Verizon wireless, I took my upgrade, closed my account, and made the move to T-Mobile and grabbed the LG G2x, and it arrived in the mail TODAY!!! Wihoo!!!
Now I know most of you do not have the freedom to up and change carriers whenever you feel like. If that's the case with you then I'm not here to preach. All I wanted to say is that I cast my vote for the nations friendliest Android carrier (although they might get gobbled up by AT&T), and one of the friendliest Android OEMs (this phone has Vanilla Google, and Z4Root unlocks it... yeah baby!!!). I, like you, haven't really entertained LG as a serious Android OEM for the most part. Their Optimus line of devices were very generic (that's putting it nicely), but this G2x, along with the Optimus 3D that's going to AT&T look to really turn the ship around for LG and sign them up for a serious competitor in Android land.
So without further delay I'll give you a short rundown of what I like about it, what I'll miss about my DX, and what is all new to me. Keep in mind I'm still waiting for my phone to activate, so I'm not all that aquainted with it just yet. Some gripes may pop up as I get to know it, but so far...
1. This phone is very classy IMO. It's been said that some like the ruggedness of the DX. I agree with that, it is a 'no appologies' design with a rather manly persona. Sharp lines, no bling, that weird hump... it's simplistic and purposeful. It feels good in the hand, and it's high quality, but I don't think anyone who doesn't own one would ever say it's a gorgeous device. It has a personality that grows on you. Compared to the G2x the LG phone is more stylish, but not a lot more. It's a pretty simplistic design as well. But the DX is definately more rugged. I got mine a week into August of last year and this thing still looks brand new. Not so much as a hairline scratch on the screen. And the metal body has worn VERY well. I've never had a phone make it this long in this great a shape! The G2x has a metal surround, with a plastic backing. But it has been confirmed that the screen is Gorilla Glass! That's a huge plus IMO. I credit my DX's screen holding up like it has 100% because of the use of Gorilla Glass. When I heard Moto used Gorilla Glass way back in September of last year, I tore the Skinomi screen protector off and went nude. I don't feel GG needs a screen protector. (oh and the beveled edge of the LG's screen is a nice touch too).
2. I'll miss the easy open battery door from the DX. The G2x's entire back peels off, and it's not nearly as easy to get into to do a battery swap as my trusty DX is. I've noticed a lot of phones are doing this lately. I think the reasoning behind it is so that when they come out with an extended battery (which is a normal accessory now a days... you get your phone and then you get a case, a car dock, a car charger and an extended battery), they can just make the entire back conform to the excessive size of the battery. The 1840 mAh battery that Motorola released for the DX wasn't so bad. The battery door was just a smidgen thicker than the stock door. But the battery door for the 2500 mAh battery that Seidio came out with was absolutely ridiculous! Aftermarket companies have a lot more freedom in designing the extended battery door if they can just design a whole new back to go on the phone.
3. I like how the speakers on the G2x are on the bottom of the device. Don't get me wrong, the speaker on the DX was PLENTY loud. But If I was on speaker with someone and I laid my phone on the bed or the couch I suddendly couldn't hear the person I was talking to. It worked when you sat it on a table because the hump created a gap between the speaker and the table for the sound to escape (making it even louder when it bounced off a flat surface like that), but not so much on a soft surface. I had read complaints that the speaker wasn't very loud on the G2x, but the sounds coming out of it so far are very easy to hear, crisp, and clean. All in all I'd still give the DX's speaker the nod for superiority, but I like the placement of the LG's better.
4. You know how thin the DX is? Well if you like that then you'll love the G2x, the whole device is that thin (save for one small square that sticks out just a hair in the back for the camera). This should make for a nice sized device even when a case is added to the bulk. When working on some of my friends HTC EVO's, man those phones are pretty bulky to start with... throw a case on it and it's like carrying a brick around! This LG phone is much thinner than any HTC device I've ever held. Very pocketable.
5. I WILL MISS MY 4.3 INCH SCREEN!!! Ok honestly, when you hold this phone in your hand it's very hard to tell the difference between it and the DX. It's almost as big physically as the DX because there is more bezzel area on the top and bottom of the 4.0 inch screen than there is on the DX. So realistically I'll probably not really notice it a whole bunch besides when I'm holding them both in my hand next to eachother. I actually wanted to the 4.3 inch Optimus 3D when it came out later on this summer, but it's going to AT&T, and the only other 4.3 inch phone on T-Mobile at the moment is the Galaxy S, and I'm not into Samsung devices at all. The HTC Sensation is a 4.3 inch device that is launching shortly. But I was really impressed with the specs of this LG device so I decided I'd give it a chance to impress me. I figured if I got it and didn't like it I could return it and get the Sensation when it comes out. But so far I don't see that happening, I really like this phone so far.
6. I will miss the hard keys on the DX. So far I've really been pleasantly surprised by how much I like the virtual keys on the LG, I thought I'd really just hate them because I liked the hard keys on my DX sooo much. But I have to tell you I was very impressed with how much I enjoyed setting up my phone just barely touching it, the way it responded. Now that might change the more I use this device. Like if I start accidentally hitting them while I'm trying to do something I might change my mind about it. That was why I really liked the hard keys, I never unintentionally hit the 'back' button once the whole time I had my DX. That could become aggrivating if I ever do that on my G2x.
7. The volume up and down keys and the power/sleep button on top of my LG phone are the highest quality buttons I've ever felt on a smartphone. They look itty bitty, and at first glance I thought they'd really left a lot to desire with such small contols. But once I tried them out for myself, they felt... well they just felt 'right'. They are perfect, I wouldn't want them any other way.
8. Last but not least, I'm going to REALLY miss the support the DX gets here on the Phandroid website. The LG G2x section is dead as dead can be!!! I've heard there is a much bigger following over on the XDA forum, so I guess I'll be splitting my time between here and there. I say 'splitting my time', because I have no plans of leaving the DX forum just because I no longer have Verizon service on my DX. I'm keeping it as my dedicated music player/GPS device in my car. And I'll continue to hope and pray someone sneaks the key for the bootloader out of Motorola's lab one of these days. I'd still love to unlock this baby and see what she's capable of. I think she'd surprise even the most loyal of DX followers if she wasn't nailed down like she is.
To be completely honest, when I sit the DX next to the G2x, the Motorola hasn't aged at all. It does NOT look outdated at all. It looks like they could have released it yesterday, it's still very current IMO.
I'll return with some pics of the device side by side my DX for comparison. In short, for all of you who are sticking with the DX until your contract (if you signed a 2-year plan) runs out next year, I'm here to tell you these new devices aren't a huge, giant leap ahead by any means. They really did a great job of future proofing the big Droid. Hardware and software wise, it's still right up there with the latest and greatest. So if a locked bootloader means nothing to you, then just keep on enjoying the DX, it's still one of the best devices you can find.
But if you're like me and you just can't take the restrictions of not having the ability to flash custom kernels and fully custom ROMs, you wouldn't believe the sense of relief I got when my G2x arrived. It's already rooted, they have a custom recovery, and CyanogenMod7 is already being ironed out for it. That's GREAT news for guys like me! I'm sooo excited to really get my tinker on! And so far just flicking around on the home screens and such this thing has absolutely zero lag like I had on my stock DX out of the box. Yeah I know not everyone experienced that with their DX, but my DX was very clunky out of the box. I had to root it, and put an blurless ROM on it before it smoothed out. Without blur, my DX is as zippy a device as I've ever played with. But blur (well, pre 2.3 blur that is) did not do this device justice.
So if you're like me and you want to send Moto a message that we don't want locked bootloaders, then buying another brand like I have is about the only thing that will wake them up at all. If enough of us jump ship, they'll notice.
...more to come.
Now that I'm into Android and loving it, I want to enjoy every ounce of it that I can. So when Motorola turned their ship around 180 degrees from the wide open and highly hackable D1 to the current lineup of Moto devices, that left guys like me out in the cold. I don't see any end in sight personally. I know there's an online petition and all that jazz, but come on, we all know deep down that we're throwing pebbles at a tank with that.
So true to my word I had an upgrade available at the beginning of April, and I've held on to it until now waiting to see what I wanted to do with it. What I ended up doing is not only point my middle finger at Motorola, but Verizon as well since they seem to be the ones who are actually behind all the tightly locked bootloaders anyways (from what I read Samsung released a statement aimed at Verizon saying they would NOT lock their bootloaders so long as Google didnt' require it... seems they were getting heat from Big Red for being as open as they are). Instead of reupping with Verizon wireless, I took my upgrade, closed my account, and made the move to T-Mobile and grabbed the LG G2x, and it arrived in the mail TODAY!!! Wihoo!!!
Now I know most of you do not have the freedom to up and change carriers whenever you feel like. If that's the case with you then I'm not here to preach. All I wanted to say is that I cast my vote for the nations friendliest Android carrier (although they might get gobbled up by AT&T), and one of the friendliest Android OEMs (this phone has Vanilla Google, and Z4Root unlocks it... yeah baby!!!). I, like you, haven't really entertained LG as a serious Android OEM for the most part. Their Optimus line of devices were very generic (that's putting it nicely), but this G2x, along with the Optimus 3D that's going to AT&T look to really turn the ship around for LG and sign them up for a serious competitor in Android land.
So without further delay I'll give you a short rundown of what I like about it, what I'll miss about my DX, and what is all new to me. Keep in mind I'm still waiting for my phone to activate, so I'm not all that aquainted with it just yet. Some gripes may pop up as I get to know it, but so far...
1. This phone is very classy IMO. It's been said that some like the ruggedness of the DX. I agree with that, it is a 'no appologies' design with a rather manly persona. Sharp lines, no bling, that weird hump... it's simplistic and purposeful. It feels good in the hand, and it's high quality, but I don't think anyone who doesn't own one would ever say it's a gorgeous device. It has a personality that grows on you. Compared to the G2x the LG phone is more stylish, but not a lot more. It's a pretty simplistic design as well. But the DX is definately more rugged. I got mine a week into August of last year and this thing still looks brand new. Not so much as a hairline scratch on the screen. And the metal body has worn VERY well. I've never had a phone make it this long in this great a shape! The G2x has a metal surround, with a plastic backing. But it has been confirmed that the screen is Gorilla Glass! That's a huge plus IMO. I credit my DX's screen holding up like it has 100% because of the use of Gorilla Glass. When I heard Moto used Gorilla Glass way back in September of last year, I tore the Skinomi screen protector off and went nude. I don't feel GG needs a screen protector. (oh and the beveled edge of the LG's screen is a nice touch too).
2. I'll miss the easy open battery door from the DX. The G2x's entire back peels off, and it's not nearly as easy to get into to do a battery swap as my trusty DX is. I've noticed a lot of phones are doing this lately. I think the reasoning behind it is so that when they come out with an extended battery (which is a normal accessory now a days... you get your phone and then you get a case, a car dock, a car charger and an extended battery), they can just make the entire back conform to the excessive size of the battery. The 1840 mAh battery that Motorola released for the DX wasn't so bad. The battery door was just a smidgen thicker than the stock door. But the battery door for the 2500 mAh battery that Seidio came out with was absolutely ridiculous! Aftermarket companies have a lot more freedom in designing the extended battery door if they can just design a whole new back to go on the phone.
3. I like how the speakers on the G2x are on the bottom of the device. Don't get me wrong, the speaker on the DX was PLENTY loud. But If I was on speaker with someone and I laid my phone on the bed or the couch I suddendly couldn't hear the person I was talking to. It worked when you sat it on a table because the hump created a gap between the speaker and the table for the sound to escape (making it even louder when it bounced off a flat surface like that), but not so much on a soft surface. I had read complaints that the speaker wasn't very loud on the G2x, but the sounds coming out of it so far are very easy to hear, crisp, and clean. All in all I'd still give the DX's speaker the nod for superiority, but I like the placement of the LG's better.
4. You know how thin the DX is? Well if you like that then you'll love the G2x, the whole device is that thin (save for one small square that sticks out just a hair in the back for the camera). This should make for a nice sized device even when a case is added to the bulk. When working on some of my friends HTC EVO's, man those phones are pretty bulky to start with... throw a case on it and it's like carrying a brick around! This LG phone is much thinner than any HTC device I've ever held. Very pocketable.
5. I WILL MISS MY 4.3 INCH SCREEN!!! Ok honestly, when you hold this phone in your hand it's very hard to tell the difference between it and the DX. It's almost as big physically as the DX because there is more bezzel area on the top and bottom of the 4.0 inch screen than there is on the DX. So realistically I'll probably not really notice it a whole bunch besides when I'm holding them both in my hand next to eachother. I actually wanted to the 4.3 inch Optimus 3D when it came out later on this summer, but it's going to AT&T, and the only other 4.3 inch phone on T-Mobile at the moment is the Galaxy S, and I'm not into Samsung devices at all. The HTC Sensation is a 4.3 inch device that is launching shortly. But I was really impressed with the specs of this LG device so I decided I'd give it a chance to impress me. I figured if I got it and didn't like it I could return it and get the Sensation when it comes out. But so far I don't see that happening, I really like this phone so far.
6. I will miss the hard keys on the DX. So far I've really been pleasantly surprised by how much I like the virtual keys on the LG, I thought I'd really just hate them because I liked the hard keys on my DX sooo much. But I have to tell you I was very impressed with how much I enjoyed setting up my phone just barely touching it, the way it responded. Now that might change the more I use this device. Like if I start accidentally hitting them while I'm trying to do something I might change my mind about it. That was why I really liked the hard keys, I never unintentionally hit the 'back' button once the whole time I had my DX. That could become aggrivating if I ever do that on my G2x.
7. The volume up and down keys and the power/sleep button on top of my LG phone are the highest quality buttons I've ever felt on a smartphone. They look itty bitty, and at first glance I thought they'd really left a lot to desire with such small contols. But once I tried them out for myself, they felt... well they just felt 'right'. They are perfect, I wouldn't want them any other way.
8. Last but not least, I'm going to REALLY miss the support the DX gets here on the Phandroid website. The LG G2x section is dead as dead can be!!! I've heard there is a much bigger following over on the XDA forum, so I guess I'll be splitting my time between here and there. I say 'splitting my time', because I have no plans of leaving the DX forum just because I no longer have Verizon service on my DX. I'm keeping it as my dedicated music player/GPS device in my car. And I'll continue to hope and pray someone sneaks the key for the bootloader out of Motorola's lab one of these days. I'd still love to unlock this baby and see what she's capable of. I think she'd surprise even the most loyal of DX followers if she wasn't nailed down like she is.
To be completely honest, when I sit the DX next to the G2x, the Motorola hasn't aged at all. It does NOT look outdated at all. It looks like they could have released it yesterday, it's still very current IMO.
I'll return with some pics of the device side by side my DX for comparison. In short, for all of you who are sticking with the DX until your contract (if you signed a 2-year plan) runs out next year, I'm here to tell you these new devices aren't a huge, giant leap ahead by any means. They really did a great job of future proofing the big Droid. Hardware and software wise, it's still right up there with the latest and greatest. So if a locked bootloader means nothing to you, then just keep on enjoying the DX, it's still one of the best devices you can find.
But if you're like me and you just can't take the restrictions of not having the ability to flash custom kernels and fully custom ROMs, you wouldn't believe the sense of relief I got when my G2x arrived. It's already rooted, they have a custom recovery, and CyanogenMod7 is already being ironed out for it. That's GREAT news for guys like me! I'm sooo excited to really get my tinker on! And so far just flicking around on the home screens and such this thing has absolutely zero lag like I had on my stock DX out of the box. Yeah I know not everyone experienced that with their DX, but my DX was very clunky out of the box. I had to root it, and put an blurless ROM on it before it smoothed out. Without blur, my DX is as zippy a device as I've ever played with. But blur (well, pre 2.3 blur that is) did not do this device justice.
So if you're like me and you want to send Moto a message that we don't want locked bootloaders, then buying another brand like I have is about the only thing that will wake them up at all. If enough of us jump ship, they'll notice.
...more to come.
