Motorola DROID BIONIC Review
Introduction:
We’ve heard the good old saying thattiming makes all of the difference with things, but in the case ofthe Motorola DROID BIONIC, its journey has transcended most othersnamely due to the constant uncertainty surrounding it. Come to thinkabout it, we managed to grasp the handset way back in January duringCES 2011 – and now it has taken nearly 8 months to materialize inthe flesh. On top of that, it’s now the fourth 4G LTE smartphonewith Big Red, which might not seem as profound asif it were launched much sooner, but it’s able to differentiateitself for being the first 4G LTE smartphone to pack a dual-coreprocessor.
Already, the stigma attached toVerizon’s 4G LTE smartphones is that they’re chunky, unwieldy,and pack vociferous appetites for battery life. Well folks, it seemsthat Motorola has been doing some tweaking and tinkering during thelong journey as the Motorola DROID BIONIC attempts to shed thoseassociations seeing that it’s the thinnest and lightest of thebunch – while offering the highest capacity battery as well.Possessing a combination of impressive advanced functionality andwicked hardware under the hood, there’s no kidding that the handsetis future proof. But at $299.99, it’s still one pricey investmentthat will make some people reconsider – let’s see if it’s worthit!
Motorola DROID BIONIC
microUSBcable
Wall Charger
Getting Started Guide
Product Safety &Warranty Information
Design:
Havingreceived a significantredesign from the one we first saw at CES, the Motorola DROIDBIONIC is still a nice looking phone –and that’s all we can say about the device. It’s not great noroverly compelling like the original Motorola DROID X, but rather, itstands out amongst the 4G LTE pack for its lightweight (5.6 oz) feeland attempt to be streamlined at (0.43” thick) its thinnest point.However, as much as Motorola wants to tout its thinner design, itactually bulges towards the top where the camera’s sensors areplaced – much like what we see on the DROID X. Nevertheless, itfeels solid all-around thanks to its tough plastic exterior, beveledcontours, soft touch rear cover, and metallic looking paint job.
By now, it might not have the sameeffect 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 itsstandouts. Again, it’s not something new to the table since we’veseen it done by the DROID X2. Obviously, we’re mesmerized by itsbrilliant and detailed output, which is further supplementedby its radiant color production. However, it suffers from the samepoor viewing angle issue plaguing the DROID 3. Specifically, tiltingthe phone just a bit away from a straight 90-degree angle results incolors fading tremendously.
Sitting beneath the display are theusual cast of capacitive Android buttons that are less prone toaccidental pressing since they’re positioned far enough from theedge of the handset. Meanwhile, a front-facing VGA camera sitsdirectly above the display, which makes good use of Google Talk’svideo chat feature since it’s an Android 2.3.4 device.
Unfortunately, we’re not fans of thehandset’s volume rocker and dedicated power button since they’renarrow and difficult to make out with our finger. Even worse, thestraight edge that the power button is sitting on makes it even morefrustratingly difficult to activate the button.
In addition to its microUSB port and3.5mm headset jack, the microHDMI port of the DROID BIONIC offersdeep Webtop integration with some of Motorola’s optionalaccessories for the handset. Still, connecting it to anHD television will get you the usual mirrored experience that we findever so useful.
Besides all of the brandings plasteredon its back, we find its speakerphone notch, directional microphones,and 8-megapixel auto-focus camera with LED flash. Removing the allsoft touch back cover, we are greeted toits beefy 1,735 mAh battery, which is the largest one to grace an LTEsmartphone thus far. Moreover, we find the 4G LTE SIM card andmicroSD card slots tucked on top of one another.
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