Motorola's phones are characterized by outstanding reception, excellent build quality, and the worst darned software you ever did find. That last observation is why I was thrilled when I find out that they are part of the Open Handset Alliance. Maybe, just maybe, some day they will put out a great phone that is matched by great software. You know, software that _doesn't_ drive you to the brink of insanity! And software that, if they happen to screw it up, is open and adjustable to fit the a technophile's needs.
I'm with you. The build quality and sheer beauty of the PEBL has yet to be matched. I can't imagine a phone looking that good and actually having some useful features. I look forward to MOTOdroid.
It's important to note that Verizon isn't part of the OHA, so I really wasn't expecting to find a "MotoDroid" device on their network. Of the US carriers, only T-Mobile (obviously) and Sprint-Nextel have signed on, but I believe Engadget reported that at&t is "looking into the matter" or something of similarly equivocal nature.
For the record, I hate VZW's custom interface. I like my phone to be somewhat unique and besides, that thing is a feature-castrator! Bluetooth sharing, anyone?
I can't speak much to the Motorola software, but I HATE the "Verizon" OS that they put on all of their phones these days... My old Nokia 6256i had a great interface that makes me wish it still worked, even if it was 2x the size of my KRZR.
After owning an iPhone, I never want a flip phone ever again. This design is nice but if you can't type through the flip screen, its very uncomfortable.
I played with the Krave and liked alot of things about it, but the software's biggest flaw in my opinion was failing to have inertial scroll like the iPhone does. No other touch phone gets scrolling right like iphone does.
I do like the Krave's tactile keyboard response and its looks.
Let me tell you, Moto's standard OS is decent (barely), but the built-in applications suck...badly. I bought an unlocked KRZR K1 from Motorola last year. Instead of storing text messages on either the internal memory or my 2GB microSD card, it stores them on my SIM card, which limits me to ~30 messages. Oh, but MMS messages appear to be stored internally (or somewhere not SIM-related). WTF?
The Java-based music app is alright, but slow to launch. Since it's separate from the main OS, it acts like a game -- that is to say, it needs focus to actually play music. Sure, I could use the OS "Sound Player" to compose messages and listen to music simultaneously, but that thing can be only described as "janky, at best." And don't get me started on that screwy non-predictive predictive T9 which "appears" to learn and then later appears to _forget_ at random intervals!
Yeah, I overlooked its shortcomings in the beginning, but I'm totally fed up with it now. Looking forward to getting the Samsung Eternity (a867), hopefully this Friday.
I'm with Verizon and have always loved Moto's phones. Except I absolutely HATE the laggy Verizon UI! Cripples the hell out of the phone and makes everything look generic. Reading the description, I see VZ is still crippling phones with that crappy old WAP "Openwave" browser too...
i think this phone. and most of verizon's or anyuone's touch screen (non smartphone) phones have so much potential, but the software never seems to be there.
imo it's just not worth it to have a touch screen if the software isn't robust enough to utilize it well. and honestly, software isn't goign to get there on a perhandset base (excep. iphone). that's why i think there is so much value in winmo, android and other generic interfaces.
and verizon's os pisses me off. if i leave when my contract expires. that's why.
“The basic layout of the HD2 is uncluttered and uncomplicated, providing only a few hardware buttons, and leaving the rest of the navigation up to that beautiful screen.”
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Motorola's phones are characterized by outstanding reception, excellent build quality, and the worst darned software you ever did find. That last observation is why I was thrilled when I find out that they are part of the Open Handset Alliance. Maybe, just maybe, some day they will put out a great phone that is matched by great software. You know, software that _doesn't_ drive you to the brink of insanity! And software that, if they happen to screw it up, is open and adjustable to fit the a technophile's needs.
I'm with you. The build quality and sheer beauty of the PEBL has yet to be matched. I can't imagine a phone looking that good and actually having some useful features. I look forward to MOTOdroid.
too bad verizon writes their own shell, so the interface will be the same on every verizon phone....
@Dean
It's important to note that Verizon isn't part of the OHA, so I really wasn't expecting to find a "MotoDroid" device on their network. Of the US carriers, only T-Mobile (obviously) and Sprint-Nextel have signed on, but I believe Engadget reported that at&t is "looking into the matter" or something of similarly equivocal nature.
For the record, I hate VZW's custom interface. I like my phone to be somewhat unique and besides, that thing is a feature-castrator! Bluetooth sharing, anyone?
I can't speak much to the Motorola software, but I HATE the "Verizon" OS that they put on all of their phones these days... My old Nokia 6256i had a great interface that makes me wish it still worked, even if it was 2x the size of my KRZR.
After owning an iPhone, I never want a flip phone ever again.
This design is nice but if you can't type through the flip screen, its very uncomfortable.
I played with the Krave and liked alot of things about it, but the software's biggest flaw in my opinion was failing to have inertial scroll like the iPhone does. No other touch phone gets scrolling right like iphone does.
I do like the Krave's tactile keyboard response and its looks.
@Sean
Let me tell you, Moto's standard OS is decent (barely), but the built-in applications suck...badly. I bought an unlocked KRZR K1 from Motorola last year. Instead of storing text messages on either the internal memory or my 2GB microSD card, it stores them on my SIM card, which limits me to ~30 messages. Oh, but MMS messages appear to be stored internally (or somewhere not SIM-related). WTF?
The Java-based music app is alright, but slow to launch. Since it's separate from the main OS, it acts like a game -- that is to say, it needs focus to actually play music. Sure, I could use the OS "Sound Player" to compose messages and listen to music simultaneously, but that thing can be only described as "janky, at best." And don't get me started on that screwy non-predictive predictive T9 which "appears" to learn and then later appears to _forget_ at random intervals!
Yeah, I overlooked its shortcomings in the beginning, but I'm totally fed up with it now. Looking forward to getting the Samsung Eternity (a867), hopefully this Friday.
I'm with Verizon and have always loved Moto's phones. Except I absolutely HATE the laggy Verizon UI! Cripples the hell out of the phone and makes everything look generic. Reading the description, I see VZ is still crippling phones with that crappy old WAP "Openwave" browser too...
i think this phone. and most of verizon's or anyuone's touch screen (non smartphone) phones have so much potential, but the software never seems to be there.
imo it's just not worth it to have a touch screen if the software isn't robust enough to utilize it well. and honestly, software isn't goign to get there on a perhandset base (excep. iphone). that's why i think there is so much value in winmo, android and other generic interfaces.
and verizon's os pisses me off. if i leave when my contract expires. that's why.