Database Users

Going from Nexus One >> Nexus S - My conclusions

I had the N1 which i soled, now i have the NS - i have been using it for about 2 Weeks and here are my conclusions so far:
Note: i'm not trying to tell you if you should buy this Smart Phone Or if you should replace your N1 for the NS. i'm just going to give you some Information and explain the differences between these two devices as i see them.
To my opinion the N1 is a unique device. it has a good feel in your hand (metal feel), it has a trackball. it has many ROM options (Modaco,Cyanogen,and many others) which provides enough options for you if you want to get the most of it.
To me, until the last day that i had it it felt perfect. and after tweaking it (Root+Recovery+ROM+Lang+Bidi+RTL+Keyboard+Kernel+More-Tweaking) i got To the place where all i had to do is ROM-BackUp from time to time and that's all.
Than Why should i sell it you say ? - that is a good question.
Well, the first thing you notice when you turn on the Google NS is the Super Amoled Display - it doesn't matter how much i'll try to explain it, one glance at it And you will notice that too. it is much brighter then any other screen i saw, the Colors are beautiful. when you are out in the open, you can use your device Almost as if you are inside a room by increasing the brightness level.
For me this is one of the main reasons to choose this SmartPhone.
The NS comes with Android 2.3.1-Gingerbread (after OTA update from 2.3.0) - which is much faster then FROYO.
(yes,you can install it on the N1 too)
Ok, so it has a better screen.. is that a good enough reason to buy the NS ?
Well there are other things that should also be considered:
It has a front camera ("Skype" should allow Video calls soon... and "Google Talk" will probably too) and there are already apps such as "Tango" that let's you use
the front camera.
Another thing is being the first to get the Google updates.
If you want to always be the first to get Android/Google apps updates that is the SmartPhone for you.
The NS also has the NFC device (near field communication) which currently has no Use and when it will - you probably use it with a newer SmartPhone... so this is Not a point for the NS
Battery - this is only a speculation right now but the NS should have a better Battery life then the NS. the combination of a bit larger battery (1500 mAH), Tweaked kernel and the more efficient screen, should provide better battery life.
We will probably see that when Stable ROMs will go out.
SD - No SD ?
yea, no SD - ever.
It has a 16GB FlashDrive(you get a free space of about 13G) which for me is More Then enough.
If you need more then that ,you will have to go with the Samsung Galexy S.
Which has an SD Card.
Not having the SD card actually makes life a bit easier. no messing with Partitioning , App to SD and all that. just install you apk.
Buttons:
Same as the screen there is a big difference Here:
If you are using the N1 you already know that the buttons (Back,Menu,Home,Search) are not so responsive and sometimes it can be Annoying.
At the NS the buttons are a part of the screen and they are much more Responsive.
You use them as if you are touching an icon on the screen.
This gives a very responsive device and i believe anyone will notice the difference At first use.
SIP:
Native sip support is more then a nice thing to have.
Yes there are apps such as "SipDroid" that provides the same thing.
But it is more likely that native support means less CPU, less leggy functions.
Don't get me wrong, "SipDroid" is doing a great job. but in time we will probably see that Using an integrated SIP account (and Video Calls) runs a bit better and that it is well integrand to the phone (account,calls,notifications, receive calls...)
Update: 11.01.2011
GPS Lock:
Some people say they notice a slow GPS Lock.
I decided to check that and i'm updating the results here:
I tried the GPS about 10 times while driving to work and back, and also while standing out in the open.
At each time the GPS Lock took less then 30 seconds, and i was even able to use my Navigation app "Waze".
there where times that the Lock was about 5 seconds after i turned on the GPS.
As far as i can see GPS Lock is fine.
please confirm / disagree
So in the end you get a:
Much more responsive, crystal clear, faster, updated device that can make Video calls.
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That is how i see it.
Enjoy android.

Ummmm.. I thought you still need to move apps to "usb storage" on the NS?
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA App

imneo1 said:
I had the N1 which i soled, now i have the NS - i have been using it for about 2 Weeks and here are my conclusions so far:
Note: i'm not trying to tell you if you should buy this Smart Phone Or if you should replace your N1 for the NS. i'm just going to give you some Information and explain the differences between these two devices as i see them.
To my opinion the N1 is a unique device. it has a good feel in your hand (metal feel), it has a trackball. it has many ROM options (Modaco,Cyanogen,and many others) which provides enough options for you if you want to get the most of it.
To me, until the last day that i had it it felt perfect. and after tweaking it (Root+Recovery+ROM+Lang+Bidi+RTL+Keyboard+Kernel+More-Tweaking) i got To the place where all i had to do is ROM-BackUp from time to time and that's all.
Than Why should i sell it you say ? - that is a good question.
Well, the first thing you notice when you turn on the Google NS is the Super Amoled Display - it doesn't matter how much i'll try to explain it, one glance at it And you will notice that too. it is much brighter then any other screen i saw, the Colors are beautiful. when you are out in the open, you can use your device Almost as if you are inside a room by increasing the brightness level.
For me this is one of the main reasons to choose this SmartPhone.
The NS comes with Android 2.3.1-Gingerbread (after OTA update from 2.3.0) - which is much faster then FROYO.
(yes,you can install it on the N1 too)
Ok, so it has a better screen.. is that a good enough reason to buy the NS ?
Well there are other things that should also be considered:
It has a front camera ("Skype" should allow Video calls soon... and "Google Talk" will probably too) and there are already apps such as "Tango" that let's you use
the front camera.
Another thing is being the first to get the Google updates.
If you want to always be the first to get Android/Google apps updates that is the SmartPhone for you.
The NS also has the NFC device (near field communication) which currently has no Use and when it will - you probably use it with a newer SmartPhone... so this is Not a point for the NS
Battery - this is only a speculation right now but the NS should have a better Battery life then the NS. the combination of a bit larger battery (1500 mAH), Tweaked kernel and the more efficient screen, should provide better battery life.
We will probably see that when Stable ROMs will go out.
SD - No SD ?
yea, no SD - ever.
It has a 16GB FlashDrive(you get a free space of about 13G) which for me is More Then enough.
If you need more then that ,you will have to go with the Samsung Galexy S.
Which has an SD Card.
Not having the SD card actually makes life a bit easier. no messing with Partitioning , App to SD and all that. just install you apk.
Buttons:
Same as the screen there is a big difference Here:
If you are using the N1 you already know that the buttons (Back,Menu,Home,Search) are not so responsive and sometimes it can be Annoying.
At the NS the buttons are a part of the screen and they are much more Responsive.
You use them as if you are touching an icon on the screen.
This gives a very responsive device and i believe anyone will notice the difference At first use.
SIP:
Native sip support is more then a nice thing to have.
Yes there are apps such as "SipDroid" that provides the same thing.
But it is more likely that native support means less CPU, less leggy functions.
Don't get me wrong, "SipDroid" is doing a great job. but in time we will probably see that Using an integrated SIP account (and Video Calls) runs a bit better and that it is well integrand to the phone (account,calls,notifications, receive calls...)
So in the end you get a:
Much more responsive, crystal clear, faster, updated device that can make Video calls.
That is how i see it.
Enjoy android.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great overview + screenshots. Been looking for a overview between these two. I was considering getting one, but now i have changed my mind and think im going to wait for the dual-core LG Optimus 2X and otther phones.
The LG Black has a NOVA display, i would like tp see how that compares with the Super Amoled.
Great Overview

You forgot one of the worse things on the Nexus One. The "multi-touch"
-Nexus S

NS has much more space for applications before app2sd applied.
Touchscreen is much more responsive on NS than nexus one.
Speaker and speakerphone are better on NS.
However...
Nexus one can take SD which has up to 32GB of storage.
Nexus one has slightly better 3G reception by dB value.
Nexus one will work with ANY T-Mobile internet service while NS is flagged for 4G web only.

An excellent overview and very nice personal account of your transition journey, it's still been less than a month for UK users since the NS's launch I too am looking forward to what the updates will provide for this handset.

Despite what some people think, I think the NS is a worthy upgrade over the N1. It corrects every flaw that the N1 had.
It's without a doubt faster. Doesnt have the same annoying hitching and lag. The touchscreen and capacitive buttons actually respond to touch. The cellular radio performs better. The screen is bigger and much easier to read. Has more internal storage.
My biggest gripe with the NS is the lack of LED notification. That was an extremely cool and useful feature on my NS. I personally dont care that the NS is made of plastic and I actually like the sleek shiny blacked out look.

Good review. OP, where did you get that clock widget of yours? Is it one of the skins from beautiful widgets?

I still like my Nexus One. what hold me back.
1) High power consumption coupled with slow charging(Nexus S)
Nexus One charging time is very fast..Nexus S charging rate is much slower and causing long charging time..at least 3 hours to get full charge..
It lasts 15 hours..the most and take long time to charge..very inconvenient.
I need to always carry charging kit around..
=> I am now trying to turn off background service to conserve power.
2) Freaking GPS locking speed on Nexus S...> 1 min ..impractical for geo tagging picture taking. Luckily once locked,the GPS is stable for road navigation,relatively better than Galaxy S but no where near Google Nexus One.
3) The bugs on 2.3.1 are definitely much more than Nexus One when first launch with 2.1
I hope to have quick OTA to make this phone perfect..

Charging time on the Nexus is a definite bummer.

I wonder if the longer charging time on the Nexus S is a result of the .7amp charger shipped with it.
Most other smart phones, including the iPhone, EVO, Nexus One, et al, use a 1amp charger.

unremarked said:
I wonder if the longer charging time on the Nexus S is a result of the .7amp charger shipped with it.
Most other smart phones, including the iPhone, EVO, Nexus One, et al, use a 1amp charger.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Any idea if there is a problem with using the NS and a 1amp charger? I imagine not, but why else would they ship a .7amp charger?

I have been using a 2 amp charger with mine with no problems, though it is certainly not taking all 2 amps - charging times are still not that fast. The advantage with the NS is that it will go into what-passes-for-fast-charging mode with any USB source that offers more than the 0.5A spec'd by USB.
The N1 only fast charges (mode AC) if the charger has two of the USB pins shorted. The charger that ships with the N1 does this, but just about no third-party chargers do it. So, if you use even a 2A (lot of third-party charges are 2A) or a 5A third-party USB charger (iPad charger, anyone?) with the N1, it stays in "USB" charging mode and will not draw over 450mA - and the N1 at 450mA and being used takes more than 7 hours to charge.
Also, the battery life on the NS is AT LEAST one and a half times the duration of the N1 with equivalent use, if not longer. I could make a "short" day with the N1, but I HAD to top it off before going out at night if I didn't want to get left high and dry. The NS will probably make it without any problem.
So, here are the NS wins versus the N1:
Screen
Screen touch sensitivity
Real, reliable multitouch
Capacitative button sensitivity
Readibility outdoors
Battery life
Charging time with third-party chargers
The "current" Google phone = first updates
Performance - the 1ghz ARM + SGX540 kills the Snapdragon's 1Ghz ARM plus Adreno 200 - and it kills it by a LOT.
Much better back cam
Better video (stock v. stock) especially in the sound, since it uses a better codec.
Front cam
Maps 5 with "full" capabilities
Better speaker and speaker phone.
Here are the N1 wins versus the NS:
Trackball with light inside
LED notification light
Longer history, so there are tons of mod choices just waiting to be tried out.
For now, a somewhat smoother browser experience on certain sites thanks to better rendering configuration and (maybe) more GPU acceleration in the browser. This will certainly change, either with a Google-furnished update or with custom roms that use the old tricks pioneered on the Droid and used equally on the Nexus One.

After 5 days usage with Nexus S versus Nexus one
Weakness of Nexus S
1) Super slow charging, regardless of charger type used(including the ship with original charger).
2) GPS locking speed is bad, > 2min
3) Weaker wifi reception showed on Nexus S..I dont know is this status bar display calibration problem or really the reception is lower..Any other method that can report Wifi reception in dB..so that I can do side by side comparison between Nexus one and Nexus S...
4) Power consumption
=> Nexus S definitely dry up faster than Nexus One..So far, I have never successfully getting Nexus S to last > 15 hours without recharging..
Similar usage and programs installed on Both Nexus one and Nexus S, Nexus one will last >24 hours versus 15 hours on Nexus S.
On light usage, Nexus one can last for 40hours..

Jonathon Grigg said:
Any idea if there is a problem with using the NS and a 1amp charger? I imagine not, but why else would they ship a .7amp charger?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm inclined to agree with you. A quick googling of this question seems to say that the ampage(.7 vs 1) wouldn't cause an issue so long as the voltage was correct. This agrees with what little I know on the issue in that the phone will pull as much charge as it can and not pull more than it can handle regardless of what's connected to it.
I can't imagine, however, that the Nexus S is incapable of handling a 1amp charger because like I mentioned, every other high end smart phone on the market uses them. Unfortunately, I don't have such a charger now otherwise I'd test it out.

I used my original N1 charger on the NS and it is still slow....
I had the phone for nearly a month and while I agree that it is a step up from the N1 in almost all regards I reluctantly returned it last week.
In terms of smoothness, I felt the NS and N1 were quiet similar, especially with the N1 running custom ROMs and Kernels. The biggest thing I will miss about the NS is the screen. The 4in screen is perfect and anti-fingerprint screen worked well; fingerprints and smudges wiped off easily.

Nexus one charger Nexus S
I have been using the N1 charger on my NS since day one. Nothing out of the ordinary here.
I will try and time the actual charging from dead to fully charged over the next few days to see if there is any time difference (although I doubt it).
I am also seeing that my phone will only charge to 98%. I will never mark a full 100%. This has been since day one.

Teknojunkee said:
I am also seeing that my phone will only charge to 98%. I will never mark a full 100%. This has been since day one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
10characters
unremarked said:
Q: I unplugged my phone, and my battery dropped from 100% to 95% immediately, or it won't/takes along time to charge past 99%, what gives?
This is by design. Your phone will slow down and eventually stop pulling charge at or slightly greater than ~95% regardless of what your battery indicator says. This is to extend the overall life of the battery, as constant 100% to 0% charge/discharge cycles will cause it to fail prematurely. If you're interested in really pushing it to 100%, you can use a technique that is called "bump charging" and is better detailed here: http://bit.ly/f6xiZ0
Q: When I reboot my phone while it's charging, the battery jumps from X% to Y%, what gives?
I'm honestly not sure what causes this, but sometimes Android/Gingerbread gets confused on how much exact charge is in your battery if you reboot it while it's charging. However, from personal observation, it's just a display issue. Android/GB will eventually start showing the correct percentages once the battery has "caught up" with what it thinks it is at. Also wiping the battery stats(root only) seems to help alleviate this issue. Either way, it's not a large concern.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

hmanxx said:
After 5 days usage with Nexus S versus Nexus one
Weakness of Nexus S
1) Super slow charging, regardless of charger type used(including the ship with original charger).
2) GPS locking speed is bad, > 2min
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really? coming from a nexus one, I find that the gps locks almost instantly on the nexus s.
I haven't had the phone for too long and only used the gps 4-5 times. Every single time, it's locked on the gps the moment I turn on google navigation.

I've had my NS for about 6 days now and am having nexus one withdrawals.
My thoughts:
I miss the N1's noise cancellation mic. You can vacuum and talk on the phone I've done it.
No LED is annoying and the noled app is a subpar solution for the NS.
Miss the N1 grip and design, gorilla glass screen, teflon feeling back.
Wifi reception seems reduced.
Battery life seems to be about the same.
5 Point multi touch NS vs 2 N1 is nice
Screen size upgrade is nice
The feel is actually decent, light
I love the gingerbread battery performance stats now.. much more informative than the battery graph I used for the n1

I'm completely satisfied with the Atrix so far.

I have been reading tons of gripes and woes about the Atrix. I picked mine up this morning at 9am. So far, here are my thoughts and feelings - broken down by Pros (+) and Cons (-).
+The display is pretty. It is not a retina display, but it does not claim to be. It is a high resolution display that works surprisingly well in sunlight (trust me, I just returned the inspire, which was unreadable in real light). The text looks crisp, images look great. Its not perfect, but it is current. Sure, if you put your eye an inch from the display you can see some pixels - I am basing this comment off realistic viewing distances and I think it looks great.
+The phone is fast. Really fast. If you are worried about animations being slow - just disable them - screens load instantly.
+++The BATTERY - Best. Hands down best part of the phone. You can take advantage of android, all of its syncing...everything. and get a day. With smart use (and if you don't need to sync social things on their own) you can get much more out of it.
+Phone is tiny, feels great in the hand.
+One click root at launch - can't beat it. For me, removing (freezing) the bloat is 3/4 the battle.
- The haptic feedback thing pisses me off, but whatever. The battery is big enough.

acPIZZA said:
- The haptic feedback thing pisses me off, but whatever. The battery is big enough.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=11562515&postcount=13

Xarinn said:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=11562515&postcount=13
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, we know this, and it is disabled. I am referring to the four android buttons at the bottom.
Sent from my Motorola Atrix using tapatalk

I love the phone so far. I have a new minor niggles with it, but overall, it's a TON better than my captivate. The sound, the haptic, etc are all so much better, and the build quality of the phone seems INFINITELY better.
I'll deal with the small stuff for now, I know we'll get them taken care of. This thing is 100x better than that captivate was when I pulled it out of the box... I couldn't imagine being forced to use the stock ROM on that thing! It was so slow, it reminded me of my Magic!

acPIZZA said:
Yes, we know this, and it is disabled. I am referring to the four android buttons at the bottom.
Sent from my Motorola Atrix using tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you really see that big of a difference in battery life with haptic disabled?

acPIZZA said:
I have been reading tons of gripes and woes about the Atrix. I picked mine up this morning at 9am. So far, here are my thoughts and feelings - broken down by Pros (+) and Cons (-).
+The display is pretty. It is not a retina display, but it does not claim to be. It is a high resolution display that works surprisingly well in sunlight (trust me, I just returned the inspire, which was unreadable in real light). The text looks crisp, images look great. Its not perfect, but it is current. Sure, if you put your eye an inch from the display you can see some pixels - I am basing this comment off realistic viewing distances and I think it looks great.
+The phone is fast. Really fast. If you are worried about animations being slow - just disable them - screens load instantly.
+++The BATTERY - Best. Hands down best part of the phone. You can take advantage of android, all of its syncing...everything. and get a day. With smart use (and if you don't need to sync social things on their own) you can get much more out of it.
+Phone is tiny, feels great in the hand.
+One click root at launch - can't beat it. For me, removing (freezing) the bloat is 3/4 the battle.
- The haptic feedback thing pisses me off, but whatever. The battery is big enough.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with you. I am going to sell my EVO and replace with the Atrix.
the EVO has great features but the Atrix is better IMHO
You listed my reasons almost exactly as in order I would too! the battery lasts ALL day with normal use for me which included playing WSOP poker game listening to music and about 50 text messages and about 10 minutes of calls and about 15 minutes of web use and emails. I love the custom ROMS with the EVO but I can't hold that against the Atrix. But the roms will come later....
I am satisfied enough to cancel service with sprint and sell my EVO!!
I installed ADW Launcher and it makes things a lot more easier to use.....
This thing is FAST!

DarkSi08 said:
Do you really see that big of a difference in battery life with haptic disabled?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is not really a question of battery life, it just annoying.
Sent from my Motorola Atrix using tapatalk

Phone speeds are garbage, the bootloader is revolting. Android Froyo is ancient. This phone is wasting its credentials. It went to harvard and is working as a toll booth operator.

How is froyo ancient when every single device out but the nexus has it?

"Completely" satisfied... no.
The data speed issues really have me rethinking the phone.
FroYo with Moto Blur... I can live with it for now, but 2.3 needs to come quick.
Being able to root it from day one was a pleasant surprise, so having the ability to preform some tweaks helps.

sdlopez83 said:
Phone speeds are garbage, the bootloader is revolting. Android Froyo is ancient. This phone is wasting its credentials. It went to harvard and is working as a toll booth operator.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please do us all a favor and return your Atrix (if you have one). It seems from other posts you have in the other threads that you really dislike the phone. So please return it and you will be much happier.....

jamezr said:
I agree with you. I am going to sell my EVO and replace with the Atrix.
the EVO has great features but the Atrix is better IMHO
You listed my reasons almost exactly as in order I would too! the battery lasts ALL day with normal use for me which included playing WSOP poker game listening to music and about 50 text messages and about 10 minutes of calls and about 15 minutes of web use and emails. I love the custom ROMS with the EVO but I can't hold that against the Atrix. But the roms will come later....
I am satisfied enough to cancel service with sprint and sell my EVO!!
I installed ADW Launcher and it makes things a lot more easier to use.....
This thing is FAST!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm also super happy with it.
My only complaint is the screen size... coming from an HD2 (evo essentially) it's Freaking TINY. It's a challenge to adjust to.
The phone is ridiculously nice though, I have all the accessories and they're also SICK... the laptop dock is a LITTLE off... but that's really just personal preferences... my brother loves the laptop dock... I think it's beautiful and nice but I don't like the keyboard or the lack of a scroll pad on the touch pad. You can just pop a USB mouse into it though or use a Bluetooth mouse then it's RIDICULOUS nice.

sdlopez83 said:
Phone speeds are garbage, the bootloader is revolting. Android Froyo is ancient. This phone is wasting its credentials. It went to harvard and is working as a toll booth operator.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're trolling quite a bit here, nicely done.
Froyo is ancient, but there are only 2 phones as of today with official builds of Gingerbread and those are the 2 dev phones....developer phones...get it?
The Atrix is super fast so not sure where the garbage comment comes from. The bootloader is locked and you would have known that when you bought it so don't act so damned surprised. You should definitely return the phone asap so we don't have to read any more of your comments.
Obvious troll is obvious.

jamezr said:
Please do us all a favor and return your Atrix (if you have one). It seems from other posts you have in the other threads that you really dislike the phone. So please return it and you will be much happier.....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This.

waltah! said:
This.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup.
Every slight imperfection of the phone (except for I think the haptic feedback thing) was touched upon in Engadgets review. If you didn't know what you were in for then it is your own fault.

Two Cents
Went to the store today, and it is a top of the line phone. I've been inches away from purchasing twice.
I can deal with the locked bootloader, but not the capped Upload Speeds and impact on download. The downloads at the store was getting the 2.5Mbps but the upload never crossed 300Kbps. Until this is fixed, I am on the sidelines anxious to jump in.

I have a Nexus S and One still and I am very happy with this Atrix 4G. It is very fast and functional.
My only concerns is the par camera, not as good as the Nexus S screen, and no more ginger bready goodness.
I'm going to keep the Atrix 4G, at least until an ATT Nexus S releases.

Same for me. I'll wait to see if att can fix their network or see what Verizon LTE has to offer. IMHO it really doesn't matter how fast the hardware might be if it only sips data through a straw.
sent from my Ginger EVO

Agreed.
For an out of the box Smartphone it is very fast. Rooted within 15 minutes of ownership, Wireless tethering within 20! All I have left is to find a reliable Call Record or be able to change the phone app to include it and I am 100% with it. Not willing to experiment that much without a reliable image. One day, the Dev's here are awesome!
Thanks to Designgears for making this happen before it was even released!

Questions from Potential Buyer

I'm thinking of upgrading my daughter's phone to Android. I have a Verizon Droid X and my wife has a Samsung Vibrant.
I was looking at the G2X and the Galaxy S 4G, but really would rather not spend $200 for a new phone.
T-Mobile has the MyTouch4G for free at the moment.
So, how does it compare to the Droid X and Vibrant? Looks like it's at least on par with both of those spec wise. She'll like the front facing camera.
Is it pretty easy to root?
I'm only looking to do stock ROMs. What's the current stock ROM version? Froyo? What's the word on Gingerbread or beyond making it onto this phone?
How's the build quality in comparison to the G2x and Galaxy S 4G?
How's the battery life?
How much internal memory for programs is there?
Anything else I should know in comparison with those 2 phones?
With a 2 year contract, I'd just want to be sure I get something that will survive for 2 years.
I understand that, coming to this forum, I'll probably mostly hear from people happy with their device, but please do share any negatives as well.
Let me know anything else I should be considering here.

A little search and reading will answer most of these questions, but IMO there's nothing those 2 phones have that makes them worth spending the extra $200. The MT4G is at the top of the current available phones spec-wise, looks and feels good in the hand, and should be powerful enough to remain relevant for the next 1-2 years. If money is a consideration, I'd get the MT4G 100%. I wish I could've gotten mine for free!

That's pretty much what I thought. I mean, I don't really see getting tired of my Droid X anytime soon and this is pretty much on par, if not better, spec wise and my daughter isn't nearly as much of a power user as I am.
She had a broken ipod that I was going to replace for $200. I was adding a 3rd line shortly anyhow, so I figure might as well just pay $0 and $20/mo (loyalty data plan) and get the phone rather than deal with 2 devices. Makes a lot more sense.

I think you're making the right choice. If money wasn't a factor, the MT4G would still be a great choice, but considering the price points, it's a no brainer. And that's my reasoning too: I now just use my phone for media/music as well, haven't even used my ipod in like 2 months. Lol I don't even use my dedicated digital camera anymore, I just use my phone for everything. Lightweight FTW.

I have been an owner of every iphone (2,3g,3gs,4) and went to the mt4g, and I find it very nice in comparison to those. I know you didn't want those compared, but I can't compare if I've never owned a vibrant or a g2x
The battery life on the mt4g is really bad until you learn to manage it well. Mine lasts really long now, even longer than my dad's 2g iphone. GPS is the big drain. Even if programs say "use only when needed" it will use it much more than it should, that was the problem I had.
I did ask vibrant vs mt4g, and the general consensus was mt4g > vibrant. It will last 2 years assuming it's not abused and used as a sports toy or something.

danyune said:
I have been an owner of every iphone (2,3g,3gs,4) and went to the mt4g, and I find it very nice in comparison to those. I know you didn't want those compared, but I can't compare if I've never owned a vibrant or a g2x
The battery life on the mt4g is really bad until you learn to manage it well. Mine lasts really long now, even longer than my dad's 2g iphone. GPS is the big drain. Even if programs say "use only when needed" it will use it much more than it should, that was the problem I had.
I did ask vibrant vs mt4g, and the general consensus was mt4g > vibrant. It will last 2 years assuming it's not abused and used as a sports toy or something.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm just curious, but what made you switch from the iphone? Also - having used both, does music through headphones sound better on the iphone, or about the same? Which overall experience do you prefer? Lol I'm just curious, as I'm a mac guy when it comes to computers, but have never owned an iphone.

lexluthor said:
I'm thinking of upgrading my daughter's phone to Android. I have a Verizon Droid X and my wife has a Samsung Vibrant.
<snip snip>
Let me know anything else I should be considering here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm pretty much in agreement with previous posters. The specs are still top-notch for the moment and will hold up well for the next year or two. To answer some of your other questions . . .
Yes, it is pretty easy to root, but that's coming from someone who is technically-inclined. If you can work a terminal/console window and understand some basic commands, you should be able to follow the guides. Use the gfree method, it does more than the root.sh script does.
At the moment, MT4G runs Android 2.2.1 (Froyo). I expect there to be a Gingerbread update from HTC at some point, but I'm already running a Gingerbread ROM. Just a heads up, some knowledgeable people have suggested that the stock ROM doesn't play well with root.
Build quality is really nice in my opinion. It has some heft to it, feels pretty solid and not plastic-y like many Samsungs do.
Battery life is dependent on a number of factors as well as your usage pattern. The biggest battery savings for me came from installing a custom ROM without all the HTC Sense overhead and installing a custom kernel, which underclocks the CPU and uses lower voltage settings. Aside from that, it's a matter of being conscious and selective about what connections (GPS, bluetooth, WiFi, accounts sync) you leave open and what apps you let run in the background. Don't use Taskillers.

sunsean said:
I'm just curious, but what made you switch from the iphone? Also - having used both, does music through headphones sound better on the iphone, or about the same? Which overall experience do you prefer? Lol I'm just curious, as I'm a mac guy when it comes to computers, but have never owned an iphone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well mainly the fact that I had EDGE speed on every iphone, including the 4, just didn't feel right you know?
I do however prefer the iphone interface, just much smoother to me. I'm also not a person that is into customizing much. My mt4g pretty much looks stock, just removed some stuff like yahoo mail etc.
I do like androids market system better, not having to type a pw everytime. I always hated having to put a CC into my iphone app store just to download free apps.
If the iphone 4 had HSPA speed on t-mobile (which we may see!) then I would use that. I feel that music sounds better on the iphone when I'm walking to places, but maybe that's just bias since I've always owned an ipod or iphone for music.

danyune said:
well mainly the fact that I had EDGE speed on every iphone, including the 4, just didn't feel right you know?
I do however prefer the iphone interface, just much smoother to me. I'm also not a person that is into customizing much. My mt4g pretty much looks stock, just removed some stuff like yahoo mail etc.
I do like androids market system better, not having to type a pw everytime. I always hated having to put a CC into my iphone app store just to download free apps.
If the iphone 4 had HSPA speed on t-mobile (which we may see!) then I would use that. I feel that music sounds better on the iphone when I'm walking to places, but maybe that's just bias since I've always owned an ipod or iphone for music.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you can download PlayerPro from the market and also the DSP pack for it; lets you change your sound preferences for headset, phone speaker, and bluetooth, like an equalizer. you can also run a different ROM (CM7 has the DSP installed already, DSP Manager i think) and it integrates it with the included music player. the mt4g is awesome! only other phone I would consider is the HTC Sensation, eagerly waiting for it. but the mt4g will last for 2+ years, no worries on that one. rooting the phone is fairly easy, took me a total of 15-20 minutes to flash everything and I was good to go(using rooted stock ROM, never had any problems). battery life on sense is 'fair'...but once you uninstall the bloatware and mess with the settings, I can go 14+ hrs on a full charge. I tried out CM7 and wow...32+ hrs on a full charge, so it depends on the ROM also. the build quality is very good, not plasticy feeling like some other phones, descent weight to it, and has a nice design.
con(s): only issue I have is that the buttons tend to squeak from time to time, but it doesnt really bother me. there is also a good display and bad display version, luckily I got the good display on my first try. the bad version doesnt look much different, but the colors look washed out and a bit blurry at an angle. other than that, the mt4g is a beast

The MT4G is the Best Hands Down
I'm another past owner of the Iphone, 2g, 3g, 3gs and 4G.
Mytouch blows those iphones away, especially when you have rooted the the phone and dropped RoyalGinger 1.6 rom on there.
Sweeeeeet!

renjohn78 said:
I'm another past owner of the Iphone, 2g, 3g, 3gs and 4G.
Mytouch blows those iphones away, especially when you have rooted the the phone and dropped RoyalGinger 1.6 rom on there.
Sweeeeeet!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the last few days have changed for me
i finally did the gfree method of rooting, installed CM7 7.0.2 and man it is nice
feels better than the iphone 4 did
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Changed it to just a basic red theme "Red Remix for CM7" and loving it

In my opinion its a great choice. But if its for your daughter then that might change things a bit. I love myTouch 4G, and so does everyone in this forum, but we're all geeks to our own respect and we all like this phone for mainly the same reasons. But if its for your daughter to replace her mp3 player then you might want to take a look at the Galaxy S 4G, as long as she doesn't care about not having aa flash on her camera. IMO it's a better media phone than the myTouch 4G. Of course it has a bigger screen with the SAMOLED screen and the music app has a nice equalizer and music sounds awesome. Also the myTouch 4G's sspeaker pales in comparison to the SGS2's. And the SGS2 plays divx videos out of the box which is nice if she likes to watch videos on her phone.
Of course I would still hands down pick the myTouch since it would be free for you and its the best all around phone, but if she doesn't care about updates and a camera flash then I would consider the Galaxy S 2.
Hope this helps!
Sent from my HTC Glacier using XDA Premium App

Awesome! Glad you're coming to like the phone more. Yeah, rooting and flashing a new rom can do WONDERS for your phone! It literally turns it into a whole new experience. I'm on cm7 too, and it rocks, the DSP manager has been a HUGE improvement in listening to music, I can now use the stock player instead of mixzing/poweramp. I was using those just for the eq, but I prefer the simplicity of the stock music app...and re: the statement about stock rom not working well with root, I think it's true. When I first rooted, I stayed on stock for a week or two, and it wasn't terrible, but something felt off, a little sluggish and bad battery life. Flashing to cyanogen seemed to fix everything.

Don't hate me.
TMo now has a promo for the Galaxy S 4G for free with an add a line.
I'm thinking of swapping.
It's for my daughter. I think the size/weight might be a factor. The Samsung is really a lot lighter. I was surprised how heavy the mytouch4g was.

lexluthor said:
Don't hate me.
TMo now has a promo for the Galaxy S 4G for free with an add a line.
I'm thinking of swapping.
It's for my daughter. I think the size/weight might be a factor. The Samsung is really a lot lighter. I was surprised how heavy the mytouch4g was.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol well considering it's for your daughter, that might not be a bad choice. As someone else said, the Galaxy might be better for that particular user, it's lighter and has better stock media capabilities. Overall, the MT4G is the superior phone, but the Galaxy should be fine for her, especially if you can now get it for free.
A few points about Samsung though: they're generally considered to have inferior builds, break easily, have been reported to have GPS problems, and while the AMOLED screen looks great, it's a huge battery drainer, and from what I hear Samsungs are harder to root and don't offer as many rom/customization options.
All that said, I'm sure it's still a solid phone and your daughter would love it!

I have the origipnal vibrant, so I'm aware. Samsung also terrible wth updates.
Tmo makes the swap easy
Guess we'll visit a store tonight to look.

Well, the most important thing is to get a phone she will like, no matter what brand it is. Hope it works out either way!

Anyone Else Tired of Their Desire Z/G2?

Honestly not sure if its the phone or the OS Im tired of. Have been using my G2 for over a year, been using Android for the same amount of time (G2 was my first Android device). Lately I haven't been interested in trying any ROMs, none have really peaked my interest to be honest due to the little issues in them. Not sure what I should do from here......
End of small rant.
Anyone else feel the same way or am I alone?

I still love the phone but I am definitely getting a little bored with it. Same as with most things. After so long of use, it feels like it is time for something new.

I use MIUI and it seems the fastest and smoothest to me (probably as good as you can get on the hardware), so getting bored I try other ROMs but they aren't as smooth so I go back to MIUI. I think ICS might spice things up for a little while l, but I think an upgrade might help.
Sent from my HTC Desire Z using xda premium

It's called "consumerism". Just use your DZ till it dies of a natural death >.>

i wasn't bored of it, i was simply tired of the lag, missed messages and genrally just the lack of RAM.
i took the plunge and moved to the desire HD (couldnt afford anything newer)
and i notice the difference in ram immediately, there are LOADS more apps open at once now, and everything just generally feels snappier. and even with all my apps open i have 100mb+ ram left, constantly,
it's a shame that the DZ didnt have more ram, because otherwise i think i could've stuck with it for so much longer.

boost3d23 said:
.... Lately I haven't been interested in trying any ROMs, none have really peaked my interest to be honest...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Damnit I thanked instead of quoting at first. Oh well.
It's "piqued," FYI.

I still use mine all the time. I have ICS on it. And with supercharger it's plenty fast. And I can text sweet things to my gf much easier and quicker using the keyboard. That being said get a hercules and rock both.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda premium

What's with all of these posts really...If you're "tired" of the phone go buy another one and use this as a backup. A lot of people do it lately.

Sure - I would be happy to buy a new phone, just as soon as you can invent a phone that has the G2's reliability, developer support, style, at least as good of a real keyboard, display quality, and make sure it works with T-mobile so I can have unlimited everything, including wifi hotspot, free tethering and free wifi calling, and no overage charges possible for only $60/month no-contract!
Yeah, that's what I thought, the G2 has no upgrade that can be made, because it is the best phone/carrier combo out there!
But I do wish there was a magical way to have the reception in rural area and LTE deep building penetration that I envy on Verizon (but I don't envy paying nearly $200/month for the features listed above!)

Still love my phone since the day I got it. Reliable and tough, stylish and sleek. I do look forward to an upgrade, but it's not something that i'm set my heart to. Can't really beat the DZ =)

Can someone just lock this post? It's so silly to post stuff like this.
If you're tired of it, then get a new phone.

g2 has been an awesome phone especially for my first Android phone but I can't wait for the next g series or maybe I'll try out the gnex. Contracts not up till October so hopefully there'll be something cool out then

After a year of using something u naturally get bored of it but if ur that boored of it try getting a mytouch4gslide
Sent from my Htc Doubleshot running ICS

Not bored,
I recently tried a few things to give my G2 a different look and feel. Here's what I have:
meXdroidMod Atomic ROM -- been using meXdroidMod for awhile now
GO Launcher EX ICS theme -- cool screen transitions, my favorite is sphere
GO Locker -- ICS style, and I don't have date and time showing
GO SMS Pro -- I have had this for awhile
GO Weather -- besides HD video background, I like the Temperature Trend among some of the other features
With a couple of apps and also creating shortcuts to access them easily and quickly, i find my G2 very useful and not boring. Now if only I had a bigger screen...

I never understood this emotion where people get bored of things and feel the need to get the newest stuff. To me, the G2 is a solid device and the only time I would ever think of changing is out of necessity: not so much boredom. If I needed a faster GPU or a larger screen or better speakers and so forth: I can definitely understand the decision then because you have a practical purpose for the future device. But to be bored of a device and wanting to upgrade for no other reason because of it is exactly what companies want you to do. convolution put it best, "consumerism", but I would also add the word "affluence" as well.

WTF? said:
Sure - I would be happy to buy a new phone, just as soon as you can invent a phone that has the G2's reliability, developer support, style, at least as good of a real keyboard, display quality, and make sure it works with T-mobile so I can have unlimited everything, including wifi hotspot, free tethering and free wifi calling, and no overage charges possible for only $60/month no-contract!
Yeah, that's what I thought, the G2 has no upgrade that can be made, because it is the best phone/carrier combo out there!
But I do wish there was a magical way to have the reception in rural area and LTE deep building penetration that I envy on Verizon (but I don't envy paying nearly $200/month for the features listed above!)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol you must be delusional. This is a great phone, but as soon as I find a nexus s I'm going back. Not only is the phone faster in both the CPU and gpu department, the wolfson sound chip is a god send for music lovers (the g2 can't power my 120$ Sony earbuds and as a result aren't as loud/bass cuts out at low frequencies) , you can't beat the samoled screen (after a little tweaking with voodoo colors it gives a better pq than my 40" ex400) and to top it off ics is smooth as a gyroscope. I can't tell a difference scrolling around home screens and menus compared to my buddies gnex. Dev support is off the charts. IMO the nexus s is the device to have over a gnex or gs2.
Sent from my HTC Vision using xda premium

RushAOZ said:
Lol you must be delusional. This is a great phone, but as soon as I find a nexus s I'm going back. Not only is the phone faster in both the CPU and gpu department, the wolfson sound chip is a god send for music lovers (the g2 can't power my 120$ Sony earbuds and as a result aren't as loud/bass cuts out at low frequencies) , you can't beat the samoled screen (after a little tweaking with voodoo colors it gives a better pq than my 40" ex400) and to top it off ics is smooth as a gyroscope. I can't tell a difference scrolling around home screens and menus compared to my buddies gnex. Dev support is off the charts. IMO the nexus s is the device to have over a gnex or gs2.
Sent from my HTC Vision using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ill tell you what though. This battery life is AMAZING. Running ilwt cm7 @1.3 ghz ondemand with backround data on.
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WTF? said:
Sure - I would be happy to buy a new phone, just as soon as you can invent a phone that has the G2's reliability, developer support, style, at least as good of a real keyboard, display quality, and make sure it works with T-mobile so I can have unlimited everything, including wifi hotspot, free tethering and free wifi calling, and no overage charges possible for only $60/month no-contract!
Yeah, that's what I thought, the G2 has no upgrade that can be made, because it is the best phone/carrier combo out there!
But I do wish there was a magical way to have the reception in rural area and LTE deep building penetration that I envy on Verizon (but I don't envy paying nearly $200/month for the features listed above!)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
truth, it must be quoted. I've yet to see a newer phone with all the qualities I want in a phone. I'm extremely lucky that I got this phone with my family's contract, I had no idea of the developer support behind it when I did choose it.

G2 is my first android device too. And also one year I have been using it. I love my G2 just because it my "first time". I've tried almost every Rom from xda. And now using sense 3.5. But, frankly speaking, I'm considering t buy a new better one.
Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA App

RushAOZ said:
Lol you must be delusional. This is a great phone, but as soon as I find a nexus s I'm going back. Not only is the phone faster in both the CPU and gpu department, the wolfson sound chip is a god send for music lovers (the g2 can't power my 120$ Sony earbuds and as a result aren't as loud/bass cuts out at low frequencies) , you can't beat the samoled screen (after a little tweaking with voodoo colors it gives a better pq than my 40" ex400) and to top it off ics is smooth as a gyroscope. I can't tell a difference scrolling around home screens and menus compared to my buddies gnex. Dev support is off the charts. IMO the nexus s is the device to have over a gnex or gs2.
Sent from my HTC Vision using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow, that audio chip intrigues me. I primarily use my phone as a music player at the gym and I like my music loud. However I get distortion when I try to adjust the frequencies past a certain point. Is this Wolfson chip a solution?

[Q] Why RAZR M over Droid 4?

So I currently have the Droid 2, but need to replace it due to screen issues, and I'm up for renewal anyway.
I have been considering the RAZR M because a good friend really recommended it, and was about to pull the trigger tonight when I began researching the Droid 4.
I realize the D4 is bulkier than the M... but I don't really mind the bulk of my D2...of course most of that bulk is because of the slide out keyboard, which is why I'm still so attracted to the D4.
The D4 seems to have a slightly slower processor, though from what I read benchmarks are comparable.
The M has a nicer screen (larger and crisper) - but I really don't mind my D2 screen, and I'm sure the D4 is at least as good.
The D4 also has HDMI support which is a nice add on.
Right now I need to pay $99 for the D4, where I can get the M for free (strange that the newer phone is cheaper!). If the D4 was $0 too, I think I would probably jump on it without even asking these questions, but....
Can someone convince me why, as someone who really likes their keyboard - why an M is really much better than the D4?
The main thing I'm really worried about on the D4 is battery life...I use an extended battery on the D2 and I get at least a full day in most cases - but I can't get an extended for the D4.

TraderJack said:
So I currently have the Droid 2, but need to replace it due to screen issues, and I'm up for renewal anyway.
I have been considering the RAZR M because a good friend really recommended it, and was about to pull the trigger tonight when I began researching the Droid 4.
I realize the D4 is bulkier than the M... but I don't really mind the bulk of my D2...of course most of that bulk is because of the slide out keyboard, which is why I'm still so attracted to the D4.
The D4 seems to have a slightly slower processor, though from what I read benchmarks are comparable.
The M has a nicer screen (larger and crisper) - but I really don't mind my D2 screen, and I'm sure the D4 is at least as good.
The D4 also has HDMI support which is a nice add on.
Right now I need to pay $99 for the D4, where I can get the M for free (strange that the newer phone is cheaper!). If the D4 was $0 too, I think I would probably jump on it without even asking these questions, but....
Can someone convince me why, as someone who really likes their keyboard - why an M is really much better than the D4?
The main thing I'm really worried about on the D4 is battery life...I use an extended battery on the D2 and I get at least a full day in most cases - but I can't get an extended for the D4.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello fellow D2 user
If you can stand not having HDMI out and a physical keyboard, then the RAZR M is a great choice to make
Development for the D4 is at a good pace, but will probably faze out quicker than the M, as its an older device with an outdated processor and lacks the unlocked bootloader the M currently has (until you update to the latest from the Verizon, which does not allow for the bootloader to be unlocked)
The RAZR M is slated for a 4.2.2 upgrade (and possibly onwards), which may play a factor if you're a fan of stock (D4 is unlikely to be updated past 4.1). However, don't buy the phone expecting the update. Unofficial 4.2.2 custom ROMs are available for both devices.
Seeing as the physical keyboard is also being fazed out, it might be healthy to get used to a touch screen keyboard. IMO, I prefer using a touchscreen keyboard on a small mobile device.
I'd recommend you purchase the RAZR M, but it might be wise to think about whether the HDMI out and physical keyboard are things that you really want in the smartphone, or a gimmick.

Leraeniesh said:
Hello fellow D2 user
If you can stand not having HDMI out and a physical keyboard, then the RAZR M is a great choice to make
Development for the D4 is at a good pace, but will probably faze out quicker than the M, as its an older device with an outdated processor and lacks the unlocked bootloader the M currently has (until you update to the latest from the Verizon, which does not allow for the bootloader to be unlocked)
The RAZR M is slated for a 4.2.2 upgrade (and possibly onwards), which may play a factor if you're a fan of stock (D4 is unlikely to be updated past 4.1). However, don't buy the phone expecting the update. Unofficial 4.2.2 custom ROMs are available for both devices.
Seeing as the physical keyboard is also being fazed out, it might be healthy to get used to a touch screen keyboard. IMO, I prefer using a touchscreen keyboard on a small mobile device.
I'd recommend you purchase the RAZR M, but it might be wise to think about whether the HDMI out and physical keyboard are things that you really want in the smartphone, or a gimmick.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the input. I can stand not having the HDMI...I don't have it on the D2. I thought it would be a cool feature...but honestly probably use it once in a blue moon.
Both my wife and I do use our slide-keyboards alot. I came from a Tilt before my D2, so have been accustomed for a while.
I honestly usually end up with stock ROM, thought I do want root (just don't have the time to play the flashing game anymore ).
My biggest concern apart from the keyboard is the battery like on the 4. Its 1785mah is just shy of my 1850mah extended on D2 (which is good for me)...but with a faster proc and 4G I think it will go quicker.
I also think the 1.3mpx front camera will be a lot nicer for skyping home when I am traveling.
Can anyone speak to the battery life differences and how adequate the M front cam is for video chat compared to the D4?

So basically, is the familiarity, the keyboard, and the HDMI port worth $100 to you?
To me it isn't, hands down. But I hate phones with slide out keyboards. I love Swype, and the new default google keyboard has all the same features. I would never use a keyboard on such a small device, it adds to much bulk for something I would never use anyway.
The HDMI port is a nice feature to have, one of the things I miss about my old Atrix, but in reality I had that phone for 2 years and used the HDMI port maybe 3 times.
Also for battery life, basically every smartphone is going to need to recharge almost every day. You can take it really easy on the device and get a longer life, but then you aren't really using it like you would want to. I don't think the Razr M will take an extended battery either, as you have to have a special star bit screwdriver set to even get to the battery.
It sounds like you really like the keyboard though, so if no keyboard is enough of a deal-breaker, get the one with a keyboard.

TraderJack said:
Can anyone speak to the battery life differences and how adequate the M front cam is for video chat compared to the D4?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Posted at the same time, wow haha.
The Razr M with stock 4.1.2 has awesome battery life, with 2000mah. I actually just posted in the battery life thread with screenshots of mine, with the battery lasting all day yesterday and until about 5pm today. Close to 42 hours, but with really light use. I only recently got the phone, but under normal/heavy use I expect to get ~30-36 hours. Sounds like you use yours a bit more heavily than I would on average, but you would definitely get a day or more out of it unless you were playing games or watching videos for hours.
With 4.2.2 I get much less battery life, right around the normal 24 hours.

TraderJack said:
Thanks for the input. I can stand not having the HDMI...I don't have it on the D2. I thought it would be a cool feature...but honestly probably use it once in a blue moon.
Both my wife and I do use our slide-keyboards alot. I came from a Tilt before my D2, so have been accustomed for a while.
I honestly usually end up with stock ROM, thought I do want root (just don't have the time to play the flashing game anymore ).
My biggest concern apart from the keyboard is the battery like on the 4. Its 1785mah is just shy of my 1850mah extended on D2 (which is good for me)...but with a faster proc and 4G I think it will go quicker.
I also think the 1.3mpx front camera will be a lot nicer for skyping home when I am traveling.
Can anyone speak to the battery life differences and how adequate the M front cam is for video chat compared to the D4?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can't personally speak for battery life, but here are reports from droid-life.com's reviews of both devices.
Droid 4
While it may not pack the 3300mAh battery of the RAZR MAXX, the 1785mAh battery inside the D4 produced enough life to at least get us through most days. With the current crop of LTE radios, we are never going to see long life on a standard battery, but the DROID 4 was able to outperform many other phones. One thing to keep in mind is that the battery is non-removable, so if you purchase this phone, you won’t be able to toss in an extended. It’s unfortunate, but this looks to be Motorola’s standard going forward.
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RAZR M
The 2000mAh battery inside the RAZR M coupled with a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor seems like a match made in heaven. Well, almost anything does with this processor, however, this phone seems insanely good with this combo. I have two screenshots to talk about below that have led me to this conclusion. The first one on the left is the RAZR M after I took it through a standard day of checking emails, Twitter, snapping a few photos, making a few phone calls, listening to some music, keeping WiFi off, and not doing anything that would completely hammer on battery life (like gaming or video streaming). As you can see, a full day of use was not an issue. The screenshot on the right is day of travel and over an hour straight of Granny Smith domination with Google Music playing in the background while on a plane. I still had 33% left and probably could have made it through the rest of the day if I needed to. Now, with my Galaxy Nexus, should I have played over an hour of any game with music streaming in the background, I would have been dying to find the nearest outlet so that I could toss some juice into it. This phone is incredibly efficient.
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As for the front facing camera, you will find it nice and mostly clear, but now as crisp and clear as the Droid 4.
Also, if you do go for the RAZR M and want to spare some bulk for protection, I highly recommend the Trident Aegis case.

I was a big physical keyboard guy before I got the M...
Now, having used the 4.2 swipe keyboard, I'm loving the M. It's much snappier than my brother's D4, both on CM10.1. Battery life blows pretty much every smartphone except the MAXX out of the water, and the form factor is perfect.
I don't really care about display that much either, and I can't see a difference between the M and the D4.
I'd vote RAZR M... Both phones are an excellent choice though
Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

Seriously just wait another month and the Moto X will be out with all its glory.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app

I cant think of one reason to get the Droid 4 besides having to have a physical keyboard. The M has better processor, software, display, looks, on contract price (and same outright price), unlockable bootloader (thanks to qualcomm processor exploit) for starters. The M has DLNA capabilities, who needs a physical HDMI wire! Even my wife gave up the physical keyboard

dtraini7 said:
Seriously just wait another month and the Moto X will be out with all its glory.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
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Yeah...but at what price? I typically get the prior model for little or nothing...so not about to drop $200/phone.
stanlalee said:
I cant think of one reason to get the Droid 4 besides having to have a physical keyboard. The M has better processor, software, display, looks, on contract price (and same outright price), unlockable bootloader (thanks to qualcomm processor exploit) for starters. The M has DLNA capabilities, who needs a physical HDMI wire! Even my wife gave up the physical keyboard
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When looking at specs and reading reviews it seems that processor/performance wise the difference is negligible. For sure the M has the 4 beat on size and screen and seems to have a real slight edge in battery. Everything else seems mostly subjective.
I also think dlna over most wifi is going to be pretty stuttery compared to a direct had I connection. Also, you can't connect say netflix over dlna. I agree the hdmi feature would be something I used only a few times a year likely...but I think it is a nice bonus.
You are right about the pricing...I hate paying for phones, so the D4 really has that going against it and vzw doesn't seem to budge for making a deal.
So...2 questions left...
1) will they let me install Skype to test the front camera on the phone in stores?
2) for all of you that were keyboard users...what made you decide to give it up? And, what features of non kb usage are you finding that seem to make you not miss it? I think for me, it isn't as much about having the tactile keyboard, but rather not being able to see as much of the screen when I type. For instance, I am typing this whole message on my ipad using the stock soft kb...but the screen is large enough I can see almost this whole message....and of course the actual soft keys are each the size of my fingertip...I always find it awkward when using my d2 soft kb which takes up almost the entire screen...especially when using Remote Desktop type software. I will also say I hate iPhone keyboards.
So what experience can those with similar trepidation a share about how you've adjusted?
Thanks

Leraeniesh said:
Also, if you do go for the RAZR M and want to spare some bulk for protection, I highly recommend the Trident Aegis case.
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I was planning on a screen protector like xtreme guard, and the a relatively lightweight case. Although i dont like the TPU cases that come off easy. I was looking at the Ballistic and Body Glove cases....but not sure about either. I suppose I probably should get something to protect it from my 2 year old...but was hoping to reap the benefits of the phones natural slimness.
I was in a motorcycle accident with my d2 and seido case...the thing slid down the street 20-30 feet...only scratched a small part of the case. Apart from that I don't know if I ever would have needed a case so bulky (and seidos really aren't that bulky, compared to say an otterbox)....

I just made the switch from the d4 to the M few things I miss like the captivate keys webtop and the HDMI output... but all and all I am much happier with the M much much much better battery life I was lucky to get 11-14 hr on the d4 (on jb like 20+ when it had ICS) like 28-30 on the M I'm always on my phone too ... and the screen... wow... its like switching from a old school tube TV to one of these HD TVs ... camera takes a lot better pix FFC as well... I have used mostly physical keyboard phones (besides the month on the RAZR xt912) much much happier with the M....
Sent from my XT907 using xda app-developers app

dbreezy187 said:
... I have used mostly physical keyboard phones (besides the month on the RAZR xt912) much much happier with the M....
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So less than a month and you've changed your mind?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=42784685&postcount=3
What has changed? You feel that the extra battery life is worth giving up the keyboard? You wouldn't trade back now for the D4 if you could (for free)?

To put in my 2 cents, I have a razr M and my wife has the D4. I have owned the D1, D2, D2G, and D3, so I was really hooked on the keyboard phones. As far as the processors being close, where did you read that? The D4 feels ancient compared to the razr M, there is a significant lag in my wifes phone compared to mine. My other major thing is the screen, starting with the D3 the keyboard Droids started having really crappy looking screens, and the D4 is no exception, the razr M doesn't have the best screen, but if you look at the 2 side by side the razr M is way better, and I love having that slim bezel. Yes I really miss the keyboard, and Moto really needs to make a high end keyboard phone, but this is what we are stuck with.
Also I have been checking out Flesky Beta for my keyboard, it has an invisible mode where it is hidden, and still can be really accurate. It's beta so it still needs alot of work, but it is awesome, you can even blind type with reasonable accuracy with it.

bitz_dv said:
To put in my 2 cents, I have a razr M and my wife has the D4. I have owned the D1, D2, D2G, and D3, so I was really hooked on the keyboard phones. As far as the processors being close, where did you read that? The D4 feels ancient compared to the razr M, there is a significant lag in my wifes phone compared to mine. My other major thing is the screen, starting with the D3 the keyboard Droids started having really crappy looking screens, and the D4 is no exception, the razr M doesn't have the best screen, but if you look at the 2 side by side the razr M is way better, and I love having that slim bezel. Yes I really miss the keyboard, and Moto really needs to make a high end keyboard phone, but this is what we are stuck with.
Also I have been checking out Flesky Beta for my keyboard, it has an invisible mode where it is hidden, and still can be really accurate. It's beta so it still needs alot of work, but it is awesome, you can even blind type with reasonable accuracy with it.
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Thanks blitz.. I read various review online where no one made a really big deal about the performance difference between the two, so other than some minor anecdotal evidence (like yours - which I don't discount) they appeared to not be that far off in performance. Also, realize that I'm coming from a D2 - and even though I realize it is a bit sluggish, any new phone will likely be a big performance improvement - therefore maybe I wouldn't know what I'm missing with the M if I just stuck with my D4 and keyboard.
Interesting about the screen...I didn't realize the screen are actually worse in the D3/4 then they were in the D2...that is a bit of a turnoff. I am happy enough with the clarity of the D2 screen, but if it gets worse with the 4....I dunno....
Out of interest, what are the biggest problems you personally face without the keyboard, and how have you adjusted?
It seems a lot of case reviews mention that typing with the on-screen keyboard is more difficult with a case, and that doesn't make me happy since I likely need to protect the phone from my little ones.

I think lot of people may be missing part of the point. This guy enjoys a physical keyboard. Maybe you don't, but that's irrelevant since he's the one buying the phone.
Here's my take. And I was in a similar boat to you. About 4 years ago I was lured over to Android from BlackBerry. Thank God... But my biggest reason as to how and why was one you probably don't normally think of when one switches to Android. It was the Motorola Droid Pro's BlackBerry-esque keyboard that sold me. I had gotten so used to the keyboard that the only way I would switch at the time was for a near identical keyboard. I wasn't concerned that a keyboard was passe at that point. But I switched, and liked the Droid Pro for a year and a half or so. After a while though, the small screen, slow processor, and Frodo/Gingerbread began to wear on me. I did a lot of research on keyboard phones and non-keyboard phones. This was around the same time the M was being released. After much deliberation, I ordered an M. While I couldn't possibly love it any more, there was a hurdle to jump. It was my first non-keyboard phone. And for me, this was a difficult one to swallow for a while. I still don't type amazing on the touch screen... However.... And this is the turning point for me.. The stock keyboard was alright, but I wanted to try others out. You'll hear a lot of people talk about Swype keyboard. For me, though, SwiftKey was the answer to my transition. It still has a word prediction feature I use constantly. I'm always mistyping, but with SwiftKey I barely know it. It completed the transition and I just haven't looked back since
As most will tell you, the phone battery is excellent. For me, the display is nice and for my money the camera is just fine. Maybe I'll want a powerhouse phone down the road, but until this phone is crushed by an elephant I am sticking with it and couldn't be happier.
Whew.. Talk about being long winded...
Sent from my Droid Razr M using xda app-developers app

I can't speak towards a case, I don't use one ( I can get a used RAZR m for around $100 on eBay so I view it as disposable) the onscreen keyboard I am terrible and make lots of mistakes, though flesky makes it a little better. I just really dislike the D4 and look at it as a trade off I can live with. Long emails just wait till in in front of a computer now, annoying but I'd rather have a nice phone then a crappy one with a keyboard.
Sent from my XT907 using xda premium

Jersey846 said:
I think lot of people may be missing part of the point. This guy enjoys a physical keyboard. Maybe you don't, but that's irrelevant since he's the one buying the phone. ....
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Right - thanks for that long-windedness Jersey - I'm looking for detailed experiences. I have good friend who has the M, switched from the D2G and had the D1 before that. He also says that he is good now without the keyboard and using swiftkey.
Question to most people out there... when you use your soft keyboard - are you usually in portrait or landscape mode?
I often send quick google texts in portrait mode with the soft on my D2...and don't find it horrible since it only takes up maybe 1/4-1/3 of the screen. But in landscape mode it takes up more (like half at least if not 3/4).
I think I'm used to using landscape mode *because* of the slide out keyboard...but I'm wondering if I will adapt to portrait with the M(?).

TraderJack said:
Thanks blitz.. I read various review online where no one made a really big deal about the performance difference between the two, so other than some minor anecdotal evidence (like yours - which I don't discount) they appeared to not be that far off in performance.
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When it comes to smartphones now the difference between blazing fast and slow as a turd is like a second or less difference. I mean I still have my single core thunderbolt and it runs (non sensed, CM based) GB and ICS extremely smooth and isn't what I'd call laggy at all opening apps etc. The galaxy nexus uses the same PowerVR540 GPU and similar processor (OMAP 4460 vs OMAP 4430 on the Droid) as the D4 and I have yet to see one I'd consider sluggish or slow even by today's standards.
The main factor is the software. All pre quadcore HTC Sense devices and pre RAZR M/HD/HD MAXX/Atrix HD have software induced lag (that usually goes aware with AOSP based ROMs). I don't know why Samsung is the only oem that can add a bunch of crap (more than the others) and still keep it smooth running on the same or like internal processing.

TraderJack said:
Question to most people out there... when you use your soft keyboard - are you usually in portrait or landscape mode?
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I only use landscape mode for taking pictures and playing games. I actually have auto-rotate on my homescreen turned off because of how rarely I use landscape. For me typing is incredibly easy and fast in portrait mode, because of Swype/Swiftkey type keyboards. I adjusted to these really fast, but I never once used a phone with a keyboard, so there is a major difference in where we both come from.
You could install Swiftkey on your D2 and try it out in portrait mode. Just try to use it for a couple days and see if its something you can get used to, and if not then the physical keyboard is your answer.