Verizon Customers

[Steven Piazza]

If you are a Verizon customer or soon to be customer, what do you do if you love the design. resolution, camera of the 8x but want the app exclusives, wide screen, battery life of the 822 yet are enticed by the high end features of Samsung odyssey coming at the end of the year?

Do you buy now? If so, which one? Or do you wait?

 

[berty6294]

well i bought the 8x! Havnt looked back since!

the 822's form factor wasnt nearly as "wowing"

and the samsung looks ugly! lol

 

[Joshua Jackson]

I have the 8x.
I would rather have the innards of the 822, but it feels so big in my hand.
The 8x is the best feeling phone that I've ever held.
Sent from my Verizon HTC 8X using Board Express

 

[Ruined]

If you are a Verizon customer or soon to be customer, what do you do if you love the design. resolution, camera of the 8x but want the app exclusives, wide screen, battery life of the 822 yet are enticed by the high end features of Samsung odyssey coming at the end of the year?

Do you buy now? If so, which one? Or do you wait?

It is a problem as, the 8x/822 both have some great strengths but also great weaknesses...

i.e.
8X
+looks hot, overall well balanced device, on the outside looks like it could be a flagship device, wireless charging ready
-BUT, stuck with maximum 16gb storage which isn't enough for many. And no gyro is disappointing for a $199 phone.

822
+16GB internal plus microSD storage, nokia exclusives, solid build, flashy AMOLED screen
-BUT boring design (looks like an improved HTC Trophy), unfortunately flashy screen is a low-res leftover from last-gen, wireless charging cover a $40 extra addon.

?We don't know enough about the Samsung ATIV Odyssey yet, as all we have officially announced specs for is the ATIV S. Going by rumors about the ATIV Odyssey, first it was a 4.65" device by the court docs, then it was a 4.8" device based on the ATIV S release, then it was only a 4" device because of leaked promo materials about an unnamed Samsung VZW WP, now no one knows what to believe. The design and features have went on the same rollercoaster. VZW was supposed to get two Samsungs, the Marco and Odyssey, but the Odyssey was the only one announced by Microsoft yet what appears to be the Marco was the only designs we've seen leaked.
+Assuming the best - that the ATIV Odyssey is similar to the ATIV S - overall a very solid device specwise. Great balance of big quality AMOLED screen (arguably better than the 920's both in size and overall quality), expandable memory, nice camera, stylish businesslike design, overall the most balanced phone that would be on Verizon this winter.
-If the Nokia 920 did not exist there would be no real negatives. But since it does and is priced even lower, comparisons would be drawn. Nokia's camera w/ OIS and high db mic for concert videos & high quality photos frankly destroys the samples we've seen from the ATIV S. Also while the Samsung looks classy, the abundance of super thin plastic on the Samsung does not inspire build quality confidence compared to the hearty plastic of the 920. Finally, the physical home button on the Samsung could either by a pro or a con (it's a con for me).
--If the ATIV Odyssey turns out to actually be the 4" Samsung device leaked and that is NOT the Marco, then obviously the Samsung is out of the running entirely.
??Really, we don't know enough about this device to make an informed judgment at this point.

Bottom line, *if* the Samsung ATIV Odyssey is similar to the ATIV S and not the 4" device that leaked, then in my opinion the ATIV Odyssey is the only real choice this year if you are looking for a flagship.

On the other hand, with CES and MWC within just about a month from the launch of the ATIV Odyssey, it might be worth just waiting that month to see if Nokia announces the 922 for Verizon or if HTC announces the Zenith - as it is possible either of those devices could leapfrog the ATIV Odyssey with a higher end GPU, better CPU, better camera, and/or more stylish design.

Also, if you care at all about business ethics, it is kind of hard to like Samsung with their FRAND abuse legal strategy in order to try to get out of paying for all of the Android patent infringements. While not as deplorable as Motorola's it comes in at a close 2nd. This may not come into play for you as it is not a spec per se, but remember your money does end up paying Samsung and thus you support their behavior with your purchase. Nokia's unmatched customer support would also come into play here for a similar reason.

 

[willied]

I bought the 822 because the 8X was way too tall and doesn't have a microSD slot, but if you can wait who knows how long then you might have some better options.

 

[Steven Piazza]

You bring up some very good points. All of them have gone through my head for weeks. I guess playing the waiting game is the best solution at this point. It difficult to wait when I've been eligible for upgrade for over a year. As you know, you can wait forever because there will always be something new and better. Not sure if Verizon continues to provide newer phones on a regular basis, unlike WP7 where they sat on Trophy for 2 yrs. I suppose the bottom line sales figures will be the judge of that. If sales are low, I can see them not offering more than the nokia, htc, and Samsung for quite a long time.

 

[davec53]

my contract has just run out with my regional CDMA carrier, so i'm kind of waiting to see what VZW offers early next year. there seems to be a lot of buzz that they will offer a 9xx of some sort...rumored quad-core phone with 12MP and hopefully PureView tech. I love the look of the 8X...i love the how expandable the 822 is, along with the purdy screen...but neither have the "wow" factor for me that the 920 has...but AT&T sucks around here, so I have to stay with my regional or move to Verizon. so, i've decided to wait at least a couple of months in to next year to see what is on the horizon. and as we all know, the waiting is the hardest part.

 

[lordofthereef]

That rumor is based on absolutely nothing fyi. I've heard it too but there has not been a credible source noted yet. I'd personally be shocked if they did this. Sort of makes the 920 exclusivity borderline pointless.

 

[jasqid]

I simply love the 8x. Yeah, it could have more memory or an expansion slot. Its not deal breaker for me. Coming from a sprint Arrive and iPhone 5, I'm comfortable having this 8x for the next 18-24 mos until the next best thing is here.

 

[davec53]

well, a couple of posters on here that either work for VZW or have a connection to someone who does have kind of backed it up and said the word is that Verizon is expecting a flagship Nokia early next year, but like you said, nothing solid has emerged yet. The 920 is exclusive to AT&T, but if Nokia made a 922, or a 940, or a 10xx...i don't see that there would be an issue. different phones...different features...different model numbers...not the same phones, so...i would imagine it would be fine.

 

[TheZuneLune]

I have really wanted to switch from Android to Windows Phone but for me, the integrated Voice Guided Navigation is a deal breaker as I use that feature on my Android phone heavily. My brother has the 8X. I too, think it is the best looking WP, but it defaults to VZ Navigator for anything you select directions for! Sure, you can use other apps, they aren't baked into the ROM. I could get over the lack of apps because I still have a Nexus 7, but there is not excuse for Microsoft to not have had this worked out yet. From what I understand you can't change the default navigation from the the end-user perspective (would love to be wrong about this.)

I am hoping there are some nice phones or that have some great announcements at CES. I am a photographer so I would really love a Pureview camera from Nokia or something cutting edge.

 

[gapost]

I have really wanted to switch from Android to Windows Phone but for me, the integrated Voice Guided Navigation is a deal breaker as I use that feature on my Android phone heavily. My brother has the 8X. I too, think it is the best looking WP, but it defaults to VZ Navigator for anything you select directions for! Sure, you can use other apps, they aren't baked into the ROM. I could get over the lack of apps because I still have a Nexus 7, but there is not excuse for Microsoft to not have had this worked out yet. From what I understand you can't change the default navigation from the the end-user perspective (would love to be wrong about this.)

I am hoping there are some nice phones or that have some great announcements at CES. I am a photographer so I would really love a Pureview camera from Nokia or something cutting edge.

I guess you know that the 822 has voice, turn-by-turn navigation built in with Nokia Drive. It works very good.

And I really can't believe that people keep talking about the "low res" of the 822. I guess if you hold the two phones together and closely compare the screens, maybe-maybe, you could see a difference . Of course, there is more showing on the 8x because of the higher resolution. But when you have the 822 and look at videos or pictures, they look great and the color is beautiful. The microsd is a big advantage and so is the removable battery. And the Nokia apps are a nice bonus.

 

[berty6294]

I have really wanted to switch from Android to Windows Phone but for me, the integrated Voice Guided Navigation is a deal breaker as I use that feature on my Android phone heavily. My brother has the 8X. I too, think it is the best looking WP, but it defaults to VZ Navigator for anything you select directions for! Sure, you can use other apps, they aren't baked into the ROM. I could get over the lack of apps because I still have a Nexus 7, but there is not excuse for Microsoft to not have had this worked out yet. From what I understand you can't change the default navigation from the the end-user perspective (would love to be wrong about this.)

I am hoping there are some nice phones or that have some great announcements at CES. I am a photographer so I would really love a Pureview camera from Nokia or something cutting edge.

hey I found this out yesterday. When your in your map and you have a location flagged, don't get directions by clicking on the flag and then selecting directions, instead just pull up the bar from the bottom and click directions down there! It uses the integrated voice directions we are all used to from windows phone 7!

 

[TheZuneLune]

I guess you know that the 822 has voice, turn-by-turn navigation built in with Nokia Drive. It works very good.

And I really can't believe that people keep talking about the "low res" of the 822. I guess if you hold the two phones together and closely compare the screens, maybe-maybe, you could see a difference . Of course, there is more showing on the 8x because of the higher resolution. But when you have the 822 and look at videos or pictures, they look great and the color is beautiful. The microsd is a big advantage and so is the removable battery. And the Nokia apps are a nice bonus.

I didn't know it had a removable battery - that is actually a major perk in my book - will have to reconsider. Thanks for the tip!

 

[TheZuneLune]

hey I found this out yesterday. When your in your map and you have a location flagged, don't get directions by clicking on the flag and then selecting directions, instead just pull up the bar from the bottom and click directions down there! It uses the integrated voice directions we are all used to from windows phone 7!

Thanks - I will have my brother try this out.

It doesn't solve navigating to a contact's address or to an address from the web, though, right?

 

[berty6294]

Thanks - I will have my brother try this out.

It doesn't solve navigating to a contact's address or to an address from the web, though, right?

nope, and trust me, there is nobody more p***ed about that than i am! That was probably the most used function in my phone!

I really hope there's an update to change that.

 

[TheZuneLune]

nope, and trust me, there is nobody more p***ed about that than i am! That was probably the most used function in my phone!

I really hope there's an update to change that.

Not sure why voice talk to type is not better integrated into the OS, too.

 

[gapost]

Thanks - I will have my brother try this out.

It doesn't solve navigating to a contact's address or to an address from the web, though, right?

Click the address and it opens the maps app. Click Get Directions at bottom. When it displays them, then at the bottom, click the arrow that says Drive and it will open up Nokia Drive, with voice and turn-by-turn directions.

 

[Ruined]

And I really can't believe that people keep talking about the "low res" of the 822. I guess if you hold the two phones together and closely compare the screens, maybe-maybe, you could see a difference . Of course, there is more showing on the 8x because of the higher resolution. But when you have the 822 and look at videos or pictures, they look great and the color is beautiful.

You are speaking more of AMOLED vs LCD than anything else. Yeah, AMOLED pops. But the 822 has comparatively low resolution AMOLED... For instance, if you compare the screen to the 4.65"-4.8" Samsung ATIV, I am pretty sure the ATIV will kick its butt as it uses the same tech - except a bit larger and nearly double the resolution.

Yeah you probably don't need the higher res screen, but then you could argue you don't need the floating lens of the Nokia 920, nor do you need the "Carl Zeiss" optics of the 822. Just like any other phone, it is fair to point out the 822's weak spots and its screen is one of them for what is expected of a phone this generation. If it was a highres AMOLED then no one would be saying anything.

The microsd is a big advantage and so is the removable battery. And the Nokia apps are a nice bonus.

For sure.

 

[Ruined]

You bring up some very good points. All of them have gone through my head for weeks. I guess playing the waiting game is the best solution at this point. It difficult to wait when I've been eligible for upgrade for over a year. As you know, you can wait forever because there will always be something new and better. Not sure if Verizon continues to provide newer phones on a regular basis, unlike WP7 where they sat on Trophy for 2 yrs. I suppose the bottom line sales figures will be the judge of that. If sales are low, I can see them not offering more than the nokia, htc, and Samsung for quite a long time.

Unlike last round, Verizon is DEFINITELY onboard in a big way this time around. I have heard this from multiple sources. There will be a flagship device on Verizon announced by MWC. Not sure what will come first - Samsung, HTC, or Nokia - but one of 'em will have a flagship device out by March 2013.

Based on all info avail, my guess would be Samsung first (Odyssey; mid-late Dec), then HTC (Zenith; Q1 2013), and finally Nokia (922; Q1-Q2 2013).