Motorola DROID BIONIC Review
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Introduction:
We’ve heard the good old saying that timing makes all of the difference with things, but in the case of the Motorola DROID BIONIC, its journey has transcended most others namely due to the constant uncertainty surrounding it. Come to think about it, we managed to grasp the handset way back in January during CES 2011 – and now it has taken nearly 8 months to materialize in the flesh. On top of that, it’s now the fourth 4G LTE smartphone with Big Red, which might not seem as profound as if it were launched much sooner, but it’s able to differentiate itself for being the first 4G LTE smartphone to pack a dual-core processor.
Already, the stigma attached to Verizon’s 4G LTE smartphones is that they’re chunky, unwieldy, and pack vociferous appetites for battery life. Well folks, it seems that Motorola has been doing some tweaking and tinkering during the long journey as the Motorola DROID BIONIC attempts to shed those associations seeing that it’s the thinnest and lightest of the bunch – while offering the highest capacity battery as well. Possessing a combination of impressive advanced functionality and wicked hardware under the hood, there’s no kidding that the handset is future proof. But at $299.99, it’s still one pricey investment that will make some people reconsider – let’s see if it’s worth it!
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Motorola DROID BIONIC
microUSB cable
Wall Charger
Getting Started Guide
Product Safety & Warranty Information
Design:
Having received a significant redesign from the one we first saw at CES, the Motorola DROID BIONIC is still a nice looking phone – and that’s all we can say about the device. It’s not great nor overly compelling like the original Motorola DROID X, but rather, it stands out amongst the 4G LTE pack for its lightweight (5.6 oz) feel and attempt to be streamlined at (0.43” thick) its thinnest point. However, as much as Motorola wants to tout its thinner design, it actually bulges towards the top where the camera’s sensors are placed – much like what we see on the DROID X. Nevertheless, it feels solid all-around thanks to its tough plastic exterior, beveled contours, soft touch rear cover, and metallic looking paint job.
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The Motorola DROID BIONIC has a lightweight feel and is less than half an inch thick at its thinnest point" | ||
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By now, it might not have the same effect as before, but that doesn’t stop the DROID BIONIC’s 4.3” qHD (540 x 960) display with Gorilla Glass to be one of its standouts. Again, it’s not something new to the table since we’ve seen it done by the DROID X2. Obviously, we’re mesmerized by its brilliant and detailed output, which is further supplemented by its radiant color production. However, it suffers from the same poor viewing angle issue plaguing the DROID 3. Specifically, tilting the phone just a bit away from a straight 90-degree angle results in colors fading tremendously.
Sitting beneath the display are the usual cast of capacitive Android buttons that are less prone to accidental pressing since they’re positioned far enough from the edge of the handset. Meanwhile, a front-facing VGA camera sits directly above the display, which makes good use of Google Talk’s video chat feature since it’s an Android 2.3.4 device.
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The capacitive buttons below the screen | Video call camera |
Unfortunately, we’re not fans of the handset’s volume rocker and dedicated power button since they’re narrow and difficult to make out with our finger. Even worse, the straight edge that the power button is sitting on makes it even more frustratingly difficult to activate the button.
In addition to its microUSB port and 3.5mm headset jack, the microHDMI port of the DROID BIONIC offers deep Webtop integration with some of Motorola’s optional accessories for the handset. Still, connecting it to an HD television will get you the usual mirrored experience that we find ever so useful.
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Left | Right | Top | Bottom |
Besides all of the brandings plastered on its back, we find its speakerphone notch, directional microphones, and 8-megapixel auto-focus camera with LED flash. Removing the all soft touch back cover, we are greeted to its beefy 1,735 mAh battery, which is the largest one to grace an LTE smartphone thus far. Moreover, we find the 4G LTE SIM card and microSD card slots tucked on top of one another.
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The backside and camera of the DROID BIONIC | |
Drag the picture or use the keyboard arrows to rotate the phone. Double click or press keyboard Space to zoom in/out
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162 Comments
1. PeterIfromsweden posted on 10 Sep 2011, 04:54 20 14
This got to be one of the ugliest phones i've ever seen.
2. nuadar (unregistered) posted on 10 Sep 2011, 05:08 10 8
yeah true...its really ugly looking device
63. The_Miz posted on 10 Sep 2011, 15:52 6 6
And bloaty.
94. Thump3rDX17 posted on 11 Sep 2011, 01:07 3 1
oh you didn't hear? it was rooted as of like a week ago. no bloat if you don't want it. xD
135. Mark_Washington posted on 13 Sep 2011, 01:42 4 1
A long time smart phone buyer (anyone remember the Samsung i730?), I am still waiting for the perfect phone. I upgraded from the HTC Incredible but I also have an AT&T iPhone 4 (employer-provided), so I have the best of both worlds. The phone is upstairs on the charger as I write this, but here are my impressions after a day of use:
- handset feels lightweight and wide compared to my other phones. It seems to be of good quality, but not as solid as the iPhone. I tend to prefer metal phones and don't mind the added weight, so I'm probably in the minority here. Nice soft-touch back makes the grip feel solid.
- Very responsive, smooth interface. Few lags even when jumping between applications while downloading and updating marketplace apps. No cons here.
- Screen is a mixed bag. I can see it in the daylight which is better than any smart phone that I've used. The downside is that it has a very digital feel to it - almost like you're viewing it through a window screen, if you can picture that. It's not natural looking like the iPhone 4 and it isn't even as nice as my HTC Incredible, but it didn't bother me after the initial impression wore off. This will definitely be an issue for some people, so make sure you try before you buy.
- ZumoCast is AWESOME! I don't know if I *need* the ability to open files on my phone that are residing on my Windows laptop, but it sure was fun to play an mp4 on my phone that I didn't have to transfer first. Audio and video weren't a perfect match, but they were close enough. I have more trouble trying to do the same thing with my iPad and iTunes (using this same laptop), so this is nothing short of amazing in my opinion.
- Photo quality is not good - no better than my nearly 2 year old HTC Incredible. I wasn't expecting a high-end, point-and-shoot quality camera, but this was still a disappointment. The iPhone camera is significantly better. Video is pretty decent, though. I haven't transferred one to a PC yet, but on the phone it looks great. I'll take good quality videos over pictures in this instance, but I wish I didn't have to.
That about sums it up. The Bionic is a good quality phone, a definite step up from the HTC Incredible, and it does a great job of running my favorite mobile OS. I suspect there will be better phones on the market in the next couple of months (rumor of a Verizon Nexus phone), but if you are in the market now, you want an Android phone, and you are a Verizon customer, then I think this is your best bet.
And lastly, if you will buy this Droid Bionic I suggest for best buy at -->www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B005IQOFW0/phonearena.com-offer-20
145. Soulmanager11 posted on 14 Sep 2011, 10:18 1 0
Thanks for your info.
158. cr8tive007 posted on 22 Sep 2011, 01:19 0 3
all that time writing and three thumbs up.... if your looking for a job on phone arena, I wouldn't hold your breath.
8. thtank (unregistered) posted on 10 Sep 2011, 07:05 7 1
I've used this phone. It does look kind of odd in pictures. but when I used it myself it was the opposite. Very nice phone actually. there are definitely more ugly phones out there though
18. Derick (unregistered) posted on 10 Sep 2011, 08:42 6 3
I have this phone. It is far from ugly.
43. KMS0694 posted on 10 Sep 2011, 13:07 3 0
I've seen and held it at the Verizon store. IT's actually a very slick phone it feels really nice and aside from the thing at the bottom looks very nice. Does look weird in pictures though I'll agree with thtank on that.
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