the only reason I don't own a droid right now is the hope of the passion coming out soon, but I think this weekend's sale is too good to pass up.

one question though,
My wife does not need/want data plan, can you have a smart phone and opt out of the data plan and still have the eris or any phone for that matter?

12/5/2009 12:24:50 AM

nope. Any smart phone made after Nov ?? (can't remember exact date) last year must have a data plan. Hell, even some of the newer advanced dumb-phones require one of the cheaper data plans.

12/5/2009 6:21:17 AM

I got the Droid Eris earlier this week and I absolutely love it.

12/5/2009 10:48:00 AM

ah crap. I want a smart phone but my wife is anti technology and doesn't but this deal is too good to pass up on... now to convince her she needs a smart phone!

12/5/2009 11:41:48 AM

ANOTHER PASSION RUMOR.... TMOBILE IN JAN

http://www.tmonews.com/2009/12/google-phone-to-t-mobile/

12/5/2009 12:07:53 PM

hmm...thought the passion was supposed to be cdma and the dragon was going to be gsm. oh well, that's what rumors are for I guess.

12/5/2009 1:22:11 PM

I was at a verizon this morning. The sales rep said that a htc rep was in the store earlier this week. He mentioned that the next htc android phone for verizon won't be out til spring. He then said something about a sony droid coming to verizon soon. I assume he's talking about the Sony Xperion (sp?). Now, this deal with T-Mobile. .. ugggg
I may get an Eris later this month. If the passion does come to Verizon in January, I'll trade it.

12/5/2009 1:49:13 PM

ha, those sales reps don't know shit.

12/5/2009 2:10:23 PM

still waiting for htc to release the 2.0 update

12/5/2009 6:18:35 PM

verizon sales reps are dumb. verizon support is awful. good network, awful company

12/5/2009 6:23:50 PM

^^ probably won't be til q1 or q2 of next year. At least on verizon anyways.

12/5/2009 6:30:45 PM

Quote :

"verizon sales reps are dumb. verizon support is awful. good network, awful company"

y0u must have never had sprint

12/5/2009 6:43:14 PM

I don't think I've relied on a phone sales rep in about 7 years. At the point when you start buying smartphones, the reps become fairly useless. If I can't figure out how to add an e-mail account, browse, and change the ringtone on my own, the phone's not for me.

12/5/2009 8:46:45 PM

Is it actually true that on Verizon, you cannot be on the phone and using a data connection simultaneously? This may be a big factor in whether or not I can convince my wife to switch to Verizon so that we can both get Droids.

12/6/2009 12:03:50 AM

Found in another forum.

Quote :

"Hey, it's a valid comparison. One of the top complaints in the Droid forums is that you can't use the internet and phone at the same time unless you have an active WiFi connection. This is because CDMA can only do one at a time over 3G. However, I don't find that to me much of a nuisance. The main reason I went with the Droid is because it has Android 2.0 which is completely open"

12/6/2009 12:38:30 AM

Quote :

"Is it actually true that on Verizon, you cannot be on the phone and using a data connection simultaneously? This may be a big factor in whether or not I can convince my wife to switch to Verizon so that we can both get Droids."

Its true, you can however send/receive sms while on the phone. The droid has wi-fi as well, if wi-fi is on you can use phone and web simultaneously.

12/6/2009 12:42:17 AM

It's true, you can't do both. The first-gen iPhone had the same problem, since it was capable of EDGE-only data reception.

That said, having had a Droid for a month, I can honestly report that this hasn't been an impediment to me. I'm around wifi basically all day anyway. When I'm mobile, I have yet to miss a phone call. I've also got Google Voice tied to my phone, so I get text pages with transcripts of any voicemails that I miss. This actually has been a blessing, as I've wanted to avoid one or two phone calls.

12/6/2009 12:43:22 AM

yeah, it's a limit on the CDMA technologies that Sprint and Verizon use. Don't think I've ever had a need to do both at the same time. Won't be an issue once Verizon gets LTE rolling and handsets that support it.

[Edited on December 6, 2009 at 8:35 AM. Reason : ]

12/6/2009 8:34:52 AM

if not being able to use the internet and phone at the same time is your chief complaint then i think you're nitpicking. if you're already on the phone how hard is it to say "hey lemme call you back in 30 seconds after i look it up".

12/6/2009 1:22:46 PM

More info has been leaked on HTC's 2010 lineup. This includes pics and specs. They have a phone that was thought to be Passion/Dragon now called "HTC Bravo". Bravo is not expected out til April
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=595648

12/6/2009 5:59:07 PM

^^it's more a matter of missing calls while playing around on the web.. i know on my old phone (many many years ago on at&t) it would send ppl straight to voicemail if i was playing around online

12/6/2009 6:07:22 PM

tie it to Google Voice and you'll be fine.

12/6/2009 6:12:19 PM

^^ If I'm not mistaken, voice calls get priority and it will drop you out of whatever you're doing if you get a call. That's been my experience having a smartphone on Verizon for the past 2 years (including my current Eris). The only "downside" is that you can't look up a map while you're talking to someone on the phone. Personally, I've never needed or wanted to do something requiring data while I'm on the phone so I don't see how it's a big deal at all.

12/6/2009 6:19:15 PM

yeah, I've definitely gotten calls while browsing the web, navigating and even being tethered. It just kills the data connection.

12/6/2009 6:24:27 PM

word

at&t def did not handle it that way at one point so that's why i figured that's how it was

NVM!

12/6/2009 6:32:05 PM

god dammit tdub

[Edited on December 6, 2009 at 6:33 PM. Reason : tdub suckage]

12/6/2009 6:33:41 PM

Well I decided the passion rumors were just that... at least for the holidays and am now a proud droid owner.

Love it love it love it.

I was streaming pandora on the way home and I know you can receive, and send text messages and it will pause your data while you are on the phone, but will start back up once you hang up... at least that's what it did tonight.

12/6/2009 9:32:14 PM

Quote :

"yeah, I've definitely gotten calls while browsing the web, navigating and even being tethered. It just kills the data connection."

oh, so that's what that iPhone/AT&T commercial was about

12/6/2009 9:42:19 PM

yeah. that's basically the only thing they've got to fire back at Verizon atm. that and the OMG $350 ETF. seems like AT&T would be all over that one with their commercials. unless, of course, they're interested in doing the same thing.

12/6/2009 10:00:45 PM

Quote :

"OMG $350 ETF. seems like AT&T would be all over that one with their commercials. unless, of course, they're interested in doing the same thing."

Seriously! I thought about it too though and GSM phones are a lot more likely to get bought and re-sold. They had a huge problem with people getting iPhones to just cancel and pay the ETF, because the ebay market was so huge for them.

12/6/2009 11:14:50 PM

another Passion rumor.. nothing really new though
http://www.cellfanatic.com/2009/12/htc-passiondragon-coming-to-t-mobile-and-verizon/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Cellfanatic+(Cellfanatic

[Edited on December 6, 2009 at 11:29 PM. Reason : ..]

12/6/2009 11:28:58 PM

For all you Droids out there, the 2.01 update for the droid is out now. Keep an eye on your droid..
http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/07/motorola-droid-getting-2-0-1-now-verizon-posts-details/

12/7/2009 6:50:02 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hhgfz0zPmH4

Quote :

"Google Goggles brings visual search to Android phones Posted on Monday, Dec 7, 2009 by Phil Nickinson Text search and voice search are so yesterday. Today Google unveiled Google Goggles, turns your camera into a search tool. Check out the video above. In a nutshell, it takes a picture of something, analyzes it, and returns search results. How it works, according to the Big G: We first send the user's image to Google's datacenters We then create signatures of objects in the image using computer vision algorithms We then compare signatures against all other known items in our image recognition databases; and We then figure out how many matches exist; and We then return one or more search results, based on available meta data and ranking signals; and We do all of this in just a few seconds Google Goggles is in its infancy, and we're going to spend the rest of the day trying to use it on every random object in our basement (save for the bodies, naturally). This should be fun. You can download Goggles now in the Android Market for phones with Android 1.6 and above. "

and what we already know.

Quote :

"Verizon DROID Eris Will Receive Android 2.0 in 2010 Posted on Monday, Dec 7, 2009 by Casey Chan Hey, hey! Looks like the DROID Eris will be joining the cool kids soon enough. The DROID Eris is set to receive the Android 2.0 software update in early 2010 that'll bring the already compelling device to the forefront of the discussion. HTC Sense UI + Android 2.0? How do you top that? From Verizon: "The Droid Eris currently using Android 1.5, can and will be upgraded to newer a Android operating system software in first quarter 2010. The enhancement will allow customers to continue to enjoy the powerful HTC Sense experience while also gaining the additional benefits of Google Maps Navigation." We're unsure if the update will be Android 2.0 or 2.1. Either way, we know HTC is hard at work in delivering an update to their HTC Sense handsets and we're going to take this in thinking "

[Edited on December 7, 2009 at 6:56 PM. Reason : ]

12/7/2009 6:51:19 PM

^ Google Goggles was shown in an MSNBC documentary on Google not too long ago - in the documentary they had determined it wasnt refined enough for release yet, i guess they improved it some since then

12/7/2009 7:01:16 PM

It took me 56 minutes on the phone with customer service, but the wife and I are getting the BOGO Droid/Eris combo.

That 45 minutes at the Verizon store while she played with the Eris was well worth it

12/7/2009 7:16:27 PM

Big day today, new 3.3 Maps out with nav layers... new google goggles.... droid updates OS.... and lots happening with the developers on XDA. It is amazing that I got any work done today at all.

12/7/2009 8:41:58 PM

^^ is there a reason you didn't go into the store? my gf and I were in and out in 15 min with two new phones/contracts

[Edited on December 7, 2009 at 9:07 PM. Reason : also i still havent gotten the update]

12/7/2009 9:06:13 PM

no 2.1 update for me yet either

12/8/2009 9:21:52 AM

a new pic of the HTC Bravo I mentioned earlier. It looks like it will be the Passion in the US. Passion now will reportedly be out in January.

http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/08/htc-bravo-pictured-more-lucidly/

12/8/2009 9:52:38 AM

looks pretty sweet. wonder how it will do on battery life.

12/8/2009 1:04:40 PM

There are just too many phones to choose from...I have no clue which way I would go if up for renewal right now

12/8/2009 3:50:18 PM

Droid has been ROOTED!!!

http://www.androidspin.com/component/content/article/3-latest-news/362-verizon-motorola-droid-is-rooted-[b]

12/8/2009 6:39:15 PM

i'd say i'm excited for tethering but honestly almost all the places id take my laptop to do some work have wifi. the starbucks on tryon is close enough to brueger's that it's free.

12/8/2009 9:01:22 PM

^ it's nice to have the option anyway. when your home innernets go out, it's a handy backup.

12/8/2009 9:14:51 PM

thats true, plus road trips

ok bring it on!

12/8/2009 9:19:11 PM

sweet. wonder how long until senseUI gets ported to the droid.

http://www.androidcentral.com/droid-rooted-and-manual-update-android-201-available

manual update info for those who haven't received 2.0.1 and don't want to wait.

[Edited on December 8, 2009 at 10:11 PM. Reason : ]

12/8/2009 10:08:01 PM

what exactly is the benefit of rooting the droid?

12/9/2009 12:16:23 AM

free wifi tethering. Ability to port senseUI and make custom roms.

http://android-dls.com/wiki/index.php?title=Why_Root

12/9/2009 7:37:10 AM

eh, not worth it - no thanks

12/9/2009 7:00:11 PM

Quote :

"^^ is there a reason you didn't go into the store? "

The store was closed when we made the final decision and I wanted to take advantage of the special before it expired.

I thought I could do it quickly online, but Verizon's website isn't setup to upgrade two phones on an existing family share account with the BOGO special. So I called customer service, talked to a low-level customer service rep, who eventually forwarded me to tech support for website issues, who finally forwarded me to a sales representative. Everyone was nice enough, but it was a little frustrating having to explain the whole thing several times.

In the end, I got a Droid and an Eris for $150--so, my frustration was short lived

12/9/2009 7:43:25 PM