So I was all ready last week to pull the trigger on a Droid 4 with Verizon, despite being with AT&T, until realizing that...
- I have really inexpensive unlimited data with AT&T, while Verizon wants me to wear leather and vasoline for the pleasure of data
- The Droid 4 is a Motorola… and it took like nine months of promises for the Backflip to get updated.
I'm not sure I want to buy a phone today with a glimmer of hope of ICS next November, rather than waiting a few months for something else.
Has this factored into anyone else's actions?
I was using a RAZR up until last week when I got my D4. I LOVED the RAZR, awesome phone, but the lack of a keyboard was killing me.
That was GB, and I've played with a Nexus for 2 weeks while I was trying to figure things out, and honestly, ICS is great and all, but there's really nothing on the Nexus I couldn't do on a GB phone that I was like "I gotta have this".
It's a great operating system, but it's not the "end all be all" for mobile computing.
I also was not very happy with the build quality of the Nexus. it just wasn't nearly as nice.....period. You cannot convince me otherwise, as I scratched the hell out of that thing in the 2 week time that I had it. My RAZR after 3 months of solid use, still looked basically brand new, and was rock solid.
The GB implementation on both the RAZR and the D4 is AWESOME. Blur is so minimal these days, it's hardly noticeable, and the only FC's I've had on this thing have been with Bank of America's stupid app, that FC's on every device. (I dropped BofA for banking recently....so goodbye crappy app)
So from personal experience, I can honestly give you a straight up review of both OS's, and tell you, it shouldn't factor in your decision at all.
Hardware is WAY more important in the long run, because I would hate to have a phone that had the latest software, but looked like a piece of crap after 6 months. Also, without a keyboard, I have learned I just can't live that way yet. Speech to text is only "so" good, and it won't replace my keyboard until they can figure out how to make it better. I also cannot for the life of me figure out swype, so forget that hot mess.
The one thing that I really truly miss on my D4 that the RAZR had, is the screen That 4.3" beauty on the RAZR was ridiculous. It was the best AMOLED that I've ever laid eyes on. I haven't seen the 7.7" Samsung Galaxy Tab, that is supposed to be even better than that, but if it's even 1/3 of what the RAZR was, it's going to be awesome.
The D4 screen is bleh.....it really is the only weakness that I can see in what is otherwise a rock solid, applications monster, that helps my productivity everyday.
So that's my $.02.
As for the idea of leaving an unlimited data plan on AT&T, if I were you, I would call Verizon, not go into the store, and haggle. Tell them the only way you leave your AT&T contract is if you get unlimited to replace it.
They do have special offer codes, that can get you the unlimited data plans, but you have to demand it. It may take talking to a manager, so don't be shy about it.
