Don't buy a Droid yet.

[mercedestime]

I have the Droid. I got it on day 1. I just got the "Verizon Update" yesterday.

here's the biggest problem with the phone and the reason you should not buy it just yet.

1. NO HANDSFREE DIALING - you cannot use a bluetooth headset and make a call. remember the RAZR? press the headset button and you get "please say a command"...

ya there's a bunch of hacks out there but you have to ALWAYS TOUCH THE PHONE at some point. so forget about syncing the phone to your car, or using bluetooth headsets and leaving the phone in your pocket... this is absolutely rediculous based on the number of years this has been built in to phones. AND PLEASE stop comparing it to the first release of the IPHONE!! that phone has been out for a long time and IT DOES have handsfree dialing now.

Corporate email. if your a corporate email user, get a BLACKBERRY. this phone will cause you nothing but frustration.

it's a nice attempt. but the support from Google and Motorola is seriously lacking.

oh and let me say what is nice about the phone just in case you want it:

ok browser. the touch screen is so bad. I have to constantly enlarge the page just so I can hit the right hotspot (link) on the page.

ok text messaging. nice screen and keyboard.

ok personal email. oh and if you forward email? it's such a pain... THERE IS no interface to select multiple contacts at once. you have to type each persons name and select from a popup.

nice applications.

Think of the Droid as more of a Pocket PC than a phone.

[bkfist]

There are alternate corporate email programs (I'm assuming you mean MS exchange server support) available that you might find better than the included app.  Same goes for other pop3 email clients, should you not be talking exchange.

yes, the screen starts out a bit smaller than I am used to, coming from the HTC Hero, you have a point, but having just got the Droid yesterday, I haven't had a chance to look around yet.

As to your statement to not thing of it as a phone?  I didn't see you complaining at all about the "phone" capabilities on the Droid...  A phone is to make a phone call with

Actually one of *my* complaints *does* have to do with the actual *phone* function... The default Android dialer, well, to put it nicely pretty much  s***s.  Compare it to the dialer on the Eris, where it automatically comes up with the contacts, and you can start to "spell" the name of the contact you wish to call.  Yes, there are alternate dialers out there that duplicate most of that functionality, but really this is something that should be default in base Android releases from Google.

[snorkel]

Don't forget the voice call signal strength is really bad and you might not notice because the bars on the home screen only show 3g data signal strength, only when you place a call or enable wifi do you see the 1x signal strength.

Before I returned mine I would have 4 bars3g, make a call and bam 0 bars, I even had a replacement sent and same behavior.

If you never talk on the thing it's great.

[supitsmike]

I'm sorry about your experiences for the phone. As someone has already pointed out, there are alternatives to certain things you are looking for.

Quite personally I find the touchscreen to be just fine, I have had no problems with it. However:

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snorkel wrote:

Don't forget the voice call signal strength is really bad and you might not notice because the bars on the home screen only show 3g data signal strength, only when you place a call or enable wifi do you see the 1x signal strength.

Before I returned mine I would have 4 bars3g, make a call and bam 0 bars, I even had a replacement sent and same behavior.

If you never talk on the thing it's great.

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That's because you can't simultaneously use Data and Talk at the same time. All my calls have gone through and been fine.

[old_man-58]

No hands free dialing, use Voice search.

Yes you have to touch the DROID, but its not like a date or anything...

[SpaceTime]

Driving on the freeway at 60 MPH I  didn't like having to touch  my Droid to unlock then press voice search then call.  I came from an Iphone to Verizon for the Droid,  I'm not a fanboy of any device. I waited for the 2.01 update before returning the Droid to see if what  was improved. There were some nice changes but the voice dial was (and could be) a killer.

[Smokinjoewilson]

It's too bad you are experiencing some troubles.. As for not buying the Droid yet, I disagree.. Business phone = Blackberry, that is what our entire corp uses and it's the only phone to have for business. Verizon is the best network I personally have been on and the Droid is the funnest phone I've ever used, I don't talk on my phone while I drive (hands free or not) so that is not an issue for me. I have used a ton of phones, BB's WinMo etc... When compared to the Droid they lack, well, how do I say, fun.. My Droid makes and receives calls excellent and I live in the boonies, even my data is fairly fast.

 So, Just my 2 cents, if you want a phone that is a ton of fun to use, I say, get the Droid...

[fezzik]

Eh to me it is just as easy to hit the voice dial button on the phone as the one on the headset.  Oh sure it would be nice if it worked with Bluetooth and even wired headsets the way they were designed and the way most phones do but I am sure they will figure that out.  Android has only existed for about 2 years and only been on phones available to the public for a year and Google is an interenet search company.  If enough people start complaining about it and do it to Google the people who could fix it and not Verizon and not Motorola then maybe it will be fixed. 

[mercedestime]

Hi, That's the whole point of my post... to wake up Google and Motorola... if people stop buying the phone or a bunch of people start returning the phone, Verizon is going to get might **bleep** off at guess who? Google and Motorola.

suffice to say... the Dollar speaks louder than any forum or google bug site!!!

oh and another must have that isn't there... tethering to a Laptop/Notebook/Netbook.

I took my Droid back yesterday.

[nedaroth]

See you later[edit}

{please keep your posts courteous}

[Alster2005]

That is one thing that might hold me back from getting a Droid. I can't tether it to my laptop and lose my air card. I don't know why. I know someone that has just a regular cell phone and internet works with his laptop. It isn't very fast and I don't know the carrier he uses, but it does work. If the droid does, it should be capable of that.

[rq24915]

THANK YOU for this thread! 

[imragtop]

 I could say a ton of things in this thread  bvut I won't.

All I'll say is.

I LOVE MY DROID!!!!!

[technoman]

I didn't think that tethering was coming until sometime early next year.

In regards to the voice dialing, SOMEBODY eventually will make an app for that!

[willanaya]

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technoman wrote:

I didn't think that tethering was coming until sometime early next year.

In regards to the voice dialing, SOMEBODY eventually will make an app for that!

---

exactly.  i think that is what is so great about the droid.  eventually there will be an app for that.  and really i prefer it that way.  because somewhere someone will complain about a stock application "it doesnt do this!" and "it doesnt do that!".  but with the various developers out there, there will be a variety of different apps for one specific function.  this way we can pick and choose.

i like my DocsToGo, but some others dont.  can you imagine if this was a stock app?  there would be post after post asking how to take the app off and then there would be reply after reply saying you cant, just live with it.

maybe the developers of the droid saw this.  for the most intricate apps, let the people decide what they want and also promote capitalism by letting the designers make the apps we need and are willing to pay for.

[PPC_Dude]

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technoman wrote:

I didn't think that tethering was coming until sometime early next year.

In regards to the voice dialing, SOMEBODY eventually will make an app for that!

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{Keep it Legal}

Voice dialing: I agree, someone will get this done if Google and Verizon don't. It's not a problem for me since my car has built-in BT. I tell the car who or what number to dial and the car tells the Droid. Works great, but I can see where therewould be a problem with the BT earpieces an dialing.

[ronjon]

HI everyone. I'm so close to buying one of the two droids and weighing my options. BT earpiece is a huge deal killer for me. I have the lg decoy. being a dad, i have to answer my phone even in the car. so i just put the earpiece in when i get in.

So i have a question. The Motorola Droid won't let you answer a call by simply clicking on the BT headset? i have to physically get the phone?

Second, if i need to make a call, and my BT headset is on. and i dial a # from the droid itself, i still have to tell it to use my BT headset?

Thanks!

[bkfist]

Ronjon,

The problem is that Android does not (yet) support voice dialing from the BT headset.  You can answer an incoming call, but you can not press the "voice dial" button on the BT headset and say "Call Uncle John" and have the phone dial the number.

[ronjon]

bkfist. thanks for the quick response. I'm more passive on the bt headset. as long as i can just answer calls, i'm cool. i'm in a 10 year old 4 runner, so even if i have the boss of all bt headsets, it still sounds like bunk.

thx!

[Jbasford]

THE DROID IS OUTSTANDING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[BORICUA4EVR]

Man u are right! After the 2.0 update the phone is not the same, I loved this phone since I got it, but that **bleep** update messed up the the phone, every time u place a call or some one calls you the screen goes blank, on my first Droid the screen will go blank and at some point I had to take the batt off in order to get it to work, I took it back to Verizon and they gave me a new one, I did the update on that one also, now this one, when I receive or place a call the screen goes blank right away and in order to get ur screen back u have to open the slide in order for the screen to come back, it's a **bleep** frustrating doing this all the time, is any one having the same issue? I might just return it and get my money back since im still in the 30 warranty loop.