A case for the Droid Charge: a perspective for potential or unhappy owners

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robb41488

Member
Sep 29, 2011
38
9
the only thing ive had to do to this phone every once in a while is a new battery. i get a good 6-8 months out of a battery before i notice its downfall..

i love this phone and may not upgrade as past phones hardware issues make this one seem perfect.... htc noway, motorola HAHA no, samsung ill stay :D
 

THEbigSWEEN

Senior Member
Mar 5, 2012
692
386
Way to think positive! That is really a good point though. The phone was so terrible when it came out I thought I had faulty hardware and went back to the store for a replacement. When I realized I was just stuck with the phone the way it was, I joined XDA and started tweaking. I never would have learned so much about rooting, scripts, themes, even the Linux shell. Now, the phone works beautifully (though finally getting a device that came out a year ago into working order is unacceptably late). I will be holding on to this one for a while.

That's pretty much the same thing for me. I came from a BB Storm and this was my first Droid and if not for this phone I wouldn't have learned about any of this. Anyone could be happy with this phone where it's at now. Will also be keeping this adequate phone for a while. Don't need the newest shiniest toy just yet.
 

voigts

Senior Member
Aug 22, 2011
54
8
Chattanooga
With the new FP1 and Eclipse 2.0, this phone works so much better than it ever has, and is quick and responsive. I have to say that my friend's Nexus is quicker and very snappy, but I have to ask the same question. Is it worth over $200 worth you sell the Charge and buy the Nexus? I don't think so. At some point I'll part ways with my Charge, but with the new ROMs that have come out, this phone will continue to by my tool of choice.
 

Paddington

Senior Member
Dec 19, 2011
390
121
That's pretty much the same thing for me. I came from a BB Storm and this was my first Droid and if not for this phone I wouldn't have learned about any of this. Anyone could be happy with this phone where it's at now. Will also be keeping this adequate phone for a while. Don't need the newest shiniest toy just yet.

I also came to the Charge from the BB Storm. The BB Storm is unquestionably the worst phone I have ever owned. Even Charge on stock ROM was much better.

I still like my Charge, especially running on Tweaked 2.0 with Zeam Launcher, but I do want a dual core 4G device. The Nexus is not worth $200 to me, but I would definitely pay $100 + Charge for one this second. My main issue is the lack of ICS-exclusive apps. I don't necessarily like ICS more than GB, but I do want access to Chrome and the new launchers. This comes back to the dual core issue, as ICS and ICS-exclusive apps seem optimized for dual core processors, not single core.

So, yes, compared to the other options when I purchased my Charge, I know I made the right choice. The TBolt sucked and the Bionic was pushed back for months (and I had to get rid of my BB Storm). Yes, I still love my phone. And Yes, I would upgrade to a Nexus this second if it did not require anymore than $100 and an exchange. But above $100 or the inclusion of a 2-year contract extension, I do not think I could justify it. I still have around 13 months left on my contract, so I'll be sticking with this phone for a while.
 

Paddington

Senior Member
Dec 19, 2011
390
121
Doubt its as bad as a BB curve 8330... the 3g didn't work on the Verizon version even though it said "Qualcomm 3G CDMA" on the back...:p

Actually, I went from my BB Storm to an old Curve my friend had lying around for about a month before I could get the Charge. I much preferred the Curve (~3 years old at the time) to the Storm.
 

JihadSquad

Senior Member
Oct 5, 2011
1,606
245
Madison, WI
xdaforums.com
Actually, I went from my BB Storm to an old Curve my friend had lying around for about a month before I could get the Charge. I much preferred the Curve (~3 years old at the time) to the Storm.

Do you know which version it was? Everything after mine was half decent... I had the gray one with the trackball and it was hardware limited to bb 4 OS. There was some sort of bb5 leak but it ran like crap.

Sent from my handheld Linux computer using electromagnetic radiation.
 

[bman123]

Senior Member
Mar 20, 2012
164
25
Akron
I should be getting my charge tomorrow. I've had a thunderbolt, loved the 4g speed but the battery life was awful. Went to a mytouch 4g on the monthly 4g pre paid. Loved that phone and the roms for it but the service was just terrible. I ended up selling the my touch 4g for $130 last night and bought a almost new charge for $100 off someone online. I am without a phone today but tomorrow I will be back in action.

I need to hit the dev section tonight and get my read on as this phone is pretty different then the htc ones I have used in the past
 

shrike1978

Senior Member
Jun 28, 2011
3,577
3,077
Atlanta, GA
I should be getting my charge tomorrow. I've had a thunderbolt, loved the 4g speed but the battery life was awful. Went to a mytouch 4g on the monthly 4g pre paid. Loved that phone and the roms for it but the service was just terrible. I ended up selling the my touch 4g for $130 last night and bought a almost new charge for $100 off someone online. I am without a phone today but tomorrow I will be back in action.

I need to hit the dev section tonight and get my read on as this phone is pretty different then the htc ones I have used in the past

Flashing on this phone is pretty simple once you learn the ins and outs. The bootloader is factory unlocked, so no worrying about unlocking bootloaders or S-OFF. You just flash and go.
 

Paddington

Senior Member
Dec 19, 2011
390
121
Do you know which version it was? Everything after mine was half decent... I had the gray one with the trackball and it was hardware limited to bb 4 OS. There was some sort of bb5 leak but it ran like crap.

Sent from my handheld Linux computer using electromagnetic radiation.

I'm not sure of the official model number, but it was just like the one you described. I didn't run any apps on it at all, though. I only used it for calling, text, email, and quick internet searches.
 

Farabomb

Senior Member
Jul 19, 2011
262
40
North Jersey
www.azpinstalls.com
Do you know which version it was? Everything after mine was half decent... I had the gray one with the trackball and it was hardware limited to bb 4 OS. There was some sort of bb5 leak but it ran like crap.

Sent from my handheld Linux computer using electromagnetic radiation.

I was a BB user for years. I had that curve before I got the craptastic storm 2. It was a decent phone but after switching to android I don't know how I ever dealt with crackberries. At one time they were great but like palm, if you don't pay attention to what your customers want you will be left out in the cold.

I too bought my charge becasue I was worried about unlimited. I got the charge and the woman got the tbolt... Well now she has seen the error of her ways and is loving the charge.
 

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    The Droid Charge is coming up on its first birthday, and having been a day 1 adopter I've seen the phone through some downs and ups. Like many committed to this phone, I was very tempted by next generation 4G devices like the RARZ, Rezound, or Nexus. I've been disappointed with Samsung's lack of cooperation on code critical to ROM development. I've watched new phones quickly released pushing the Charge further into history.

    However, i'm writing this to acknowledge what is great about this device and why you should be happy to get or have one.

    Firstly, the hardware. While the Charge has only a single core and 512 memory, the shortcomings really end there. It's Super AMOLED+ screen is by far one of - if not THE most perfect display on a mobile device that i've seen and I believe it equal or superior to any of the Verizon 4G devices. It's form factor and physical buttons are pleasant to use, and it's weight feels good in a hand or pocket. Its connectivity options and accessories are top notch with full MicroSD, HDMI, and horizontal docking stations with backup battery chargers. It packs the superior Audio chips that have drawn audiophiles to the phone. It's battery life has with recent software updates become perfectly adequate: I regularly get 12-15 hours of genuinely moderate use including 45-60 minutes of calls, 2-3 hours of web browsing, and 1 hour of bluetooth music streaming on a single charge. (Caveat: frequently on WiFi, while on 4G only battery lasts more like 8 hours). However with a cheap, replaceable battery which fits in my slim wallet as easily as 4 folded $20 bills, I easily do whatever I want as long as I want so long as I can charge while sleeping.

    Secondly, the software: yes, it's come a long way. Those of us who remember rooting ED1 and hoping for a voodoo lagfix back in June know how bad it was - the color scheme, the RFS file system, the terrible browsing. However, as of today on Eclipse ROM 2.0 (FP1 based) the phone performs beautifully with no lag on home screens, snappy browsing, and an attractive, feature rich interface.

    Lastly, and probably most importantly, is the Value. The Charge is the best phone dollar for dollar that you can buy today. Commonly available on craigslist for $120 used with a $20 docking station from Ebay you can have a great setup for less than the cost of buying other phones with contract. I was recently in a position to upgrade to a Galaxy nexus for $350 (from ebay, selling charge for $120 for a net cost around $200) and thought to myself, why? are small advances in CPU and memory that affect me little on a daily worth $200? and the answer was clearly: no. Can i get a better gingerbread experience with longer battery life on the Razr Maxx? For $400 net cost maybe, but only slightly, and with nearly equivalent battery life so long as you plan ahead. And what if you drop the phone on the ground and shatter it? You could have a new Droid Charge for less than the deductible if you carried insurance, which could save you $10/mo - or $400ish if you had a shiny nexus or Maxx with no policy.

    And so, that's my opinion as a Droid Charge early adopter. If you're thinking of getting one today you'll luck out and have a great experience - head over to the forums and read the stickies on ODIN, CWM, and then get a FP1 based ROM right away. If you're thinking of jumping ship, and $200 is at all consequential to your life, consider what you get from another phone in your overall value decision.

    Good luck!