The Case Against 4G Phones and Android Phones (Motorola, 3G, Verizon Wireless)
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As an owner of a 4G smartphone, I can not yet recommend anybody to get one of these phones. There is just not a good enough rechargeable battery on the market for these phones to make sense.
I personally own the Samsung Droid Charge 4G LTE phone with Verizon Wireless as the service provider. It seemed that in the first few weeks of owning this phone that my battery life was decent. I could squeeze out about 12-15 hours of use on that phone with 4G, Wi-fi, and GPS all turned on. Now, about four months after purchasing the phone, I am lucky if I can squeeze out 6-8 hours out of one charge with 4G, Wi-fi, and GPS turned on. Last week, I started turning off 4G, Wi-fi and GPS when they were not needed, in order to preserve battery life. So far this seems to be the best approach. I have also switched my display settings to automatically change depending on outdoor light.That also seems to help, rather than have this monster display on at full brightness. Though these are viable alternative solutions, the point is that it is a hassle that you don't have with other 3G phones.
I went to a local Verizon store to ask about solutions to the battery issue as well as a dropped call issue I was having with the phone, and as per usual, their customer reps at the store were unknowledgeable and ultimately useless. I had to painfully watch as the ignorant rep stuttered through what seemed to be corporate mandated response to my issues. Their only other suggestion was to buy the extended battery for improved battery, which would basically render my phone as a brick. And that would only guarantee 30% increase in battery life. No thanks. As for the dropped calls, I was informed that Samsung is aware of this issue and that they were working on a fix. As to when that fix would be out, the Verizon store rep was clueless.
So, my suggestion would be to stick to a 3G phone for the time being until they have better batteries on the market. Sadly, I also feel inclined to suggest that you stay away from any smartphones besides the iPhones. Though I'm not and never have been an iPhone owner, I feel like you get the best quality/bang for your buck with that phone. If you have any issues, you can effortlessly take it back to any Apple store and they will gladly replace the phone for you without any hassle. My gf has done this countless times due to her own wrecklessness and Apple has never given her any problems. I can only shed light on Verizon's policies, because I have been with them for the past six years or so. They DO NOT stand behind the products they sell. If you have an issue with one of the phones they sell (Samsung, Motorola, HTC, etc.), they typically resort to blaming the hardware manufacturer. At the very most, they will mail you a refurbished phone to replace the phone you have with issues. They no longer do in store replacements apparently, which I only just found out this weekend (thanks for the notice of the new policy, Verizon ).
My conclusion is that you should stay away from 4G phones, and if looking for better quality customer support, stick with the iPhone. They have actual stores that you can take your complaints to rather than relying on the wireless service provider, who will usually not stand behind the hardware that they sell.
Last edited by Z3N1TH 0N3; 01-03-2012 at 09:58 AM..
Love my EVO 4G, and the short battery charge life is hardly a deal-breaking issue when considering the capabilities.
I carry a spare battery and also use the car charger and desk charger.
Love my EVO 4G, and the short battery charge life is hardly a deal-breaking issue when considering the capabilities.
I carry a spare battery and also use the car charger and desk charger.
Don't get me wrong, I love my Droid Charge, too. It just depends on what kind of hassle you are willing to go through to enjoyably own the phone. For me, personally, the iPhone would have been a better bang for my buck, not only because of the superior quality of the phone, but because I know I would be taken care of by Apple if an issue were to arise with my phone. Besides, I didn't purchase a cell phone so that I would have to keep it plugged in half or most of the time. Perhaps if manufacturers like Samsung or Motorola had an actual brick and mortar that I could take my phones to with issues, this wouldn't be so bad. But IME, wireless providers do not typically stand behind the hardware they sell. If there is an issue, they resort to blaming the manufacturer while your issue remains unresolved.
Last edited by Z3N1TH 0N3; 01-03-2012 at 10:11 AM..
Likewise, spare battery. The iPhone does (or did, anyway) better on the battery life than Android, so if it's that big a deal just skip Android altogether. The Nexus S gets a whopping three hours of life web browsing (or tethering just slightly longer). Oh horrors. Of course, your average 3G phone is only going to last four hours. Three hours @ 4G speed or four hours @ 3G speed. I'll take 4G. If you don't want to bother with charging in the car/office and/or carrying a spare battery, get an iPhone 4 and don't upgrade to iOS 5 which has only slightly better life than 3G Android phones.
I fail to see how Verizon is going to do anything other than blame the manufacturer with the iPhone either. There's nothing Verizon can do about the iPhone being fragile or having death grip problems other than blame Apple.
I fail to see how Verizon is going to do anything other than blame the manufacturer with the iPhone either. There's nothing Verizon can do about the iPhone being fragile or having death grip problems other than blame Apple.
That is not the point; let me clarify. With the iPhone, I can take it to a brick and mortar Apple store and almost always get a replacement right then and there. That is based on the experiences of my gf and many of my friends who have owned iPhones. Their reasons for replacing varied, but a lot of it had to do with their own negligence, rather than some issue with the phone.
So the point that I was making about avoiding Android phones: because it's a much more difficult process of getting your phone replaced if there is in fact an issue with it. Since there are no brick and mortar stores for Samsung or Motorola or HTC (that I know of, at least), you usually have to deal with the wireless provider. The wireless provider typically does not stand behind the hardware, because hey, it's not their hardware; they just sell it. The alternative is to go the the manufacturer directly and navigate your way through their replacement policy. Apple has better overall customer support for their products, hands down. Not to mention, I don't have to carry around a spare battery or a 1980s style brick of a phone just to get a days use out of it.
If you want the best, I would have to say stick with Apple. You will have a better overall product and better quality customer support than with any Android product currently on the market. That is because you will A) have to deal with the wireless provider who will likely not back the hardware they sell or B) have to navigate the complicated policies with the manufacturer directly via email or telephone rather than being able to go to a store and have them take care of you. Again, I am both a Verizon customer (of 6 years) and an Android phone owner. I am trying to give you an unbiased review based on my experiences.
Last edited by Z3N1TH 0N3; 01-03-2012 at 11:37 AM..
I've got the Galaxy S2 without an extended battery. I run Pandora, Skype, AndChat, and FaceBook all day at work (9 hours including lunch) and still have about 40% battery life when I get home. That's with the 4G on. I don't have the WiFi or GPS turned on because they're pointless at work.
I've got the Galaxy S2 without an extended battery. I run Pandora, Skype, AndChat, and FaceBook all day at work (9 hours including lunch) and still have about 40% battery life when I get home. That's with the 4G on. I don't have the WiFi or GPS turned on because they're pointless at work.
Point being that you HAD to buy a new battery rather than being able to get the same utility out of the standard battery that came with the phone.
Now your phone looks something like this: (aka a lop-sided brick)
When it could look something like this:
And, not to mention, not having to buy a bigger battery out of the gate. If something goes wrong with your phone, you won't be able to take it back to the store and get a replacement right then and there. You'll have to call the manufacturer and try to work it out with them. Maybe, if they are feeling generous that day, they will work with you and get you a non-refurbished phone mailed to you in 7-10 business days.
Convenience/value still goes to the iPhone over any 4G/Android phone.
I was one of those people who held the iPhone wrong.
I just had to throw that in.
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