Motorola Droid officially announced

[Pliablemoose]

I dunno, am a fan, but I'm going to sit this one out for a while, there are a lot of issues with new phones....

There's considerable speculation that if Moto screws up this launch, that they're dead, and may still be toast if the launch is successful, it's not like they're the only game in town. The Sony phone looks damn good too.

Am also hearing lots of complaints about the keyboard, keys too small, the top row too close to the screen edge, difficult to tell what you're pressing because of the size & shape of the keys, lame onscreen generic Android keyboard.

Also a couple reviewers have noted the lack of physical keys to control phone functions (like end call, etc)


One of my biggest gripes is Android's virtual keyboard, it's pretty miserable, can't even type a short yes or no SMS without using the physical keyboard

 

[Zenmervolt]

So...

I have been an Alltel customer for a long time and have been very happy with the service that they have provided to me. When Verizon bought them out, I was leery, but Verizon's quality of service has always been exceptional and I've been using their towers ever since I moved to Seattle anyway. The best part is that I'll be able to roll my account over and sign up for the new Droid. Everything is wonderful, right?

Nope. My account is part of the 15% of Alltel accounts that the FTC required Verizon to divest as part of the anti-trust agreement. My account is to be handed off to a no-name piece of shit company called "Atlantic Tele-Networks". Mind you, I now live on the shore of the PACIFIC ocean. Yeah.

And, to top it all off, I am still locked into my account and would have to pay the early termination penalty because (according to the rep I spoke with) the FTC ruled that if customers were allowed to leave their contracts without those fees (even though Alltel ceased to exist) the customers would end up voluntarily creating anti-trust issues because they'd probably choose Verizon over the piddly little piece of shit regional vendors who took that last 15%.

So, I'm going to be charged $200 in early-termination fees because the FTC decided that I should not be allowed to choose the service provider I want and who is infinitely better able to service me than a company that doesn't even have a physical presence in my state!

Thanks a whole hell of a lot you goddamn anti-trust morons.

 

[Deeko]

I dunno, am a fan, but I'm going to sit this one out for a while, there are a lot of issues with new phones....

There's considerable speculation that if Moto screws up this launch, that they're dead, and may still be toast if the launch is successful, it's not like they're the only game in town. The Sony phone looks damn good too.

Am also hearing lots of complaints about the keyboard, keys too small, the top row too close to the screen edge, difficult to tell what you're pressing because of the size & shape of the keys, lame onscreen generic Android keyboard.

Also a couple reviewers have noted the lack of physical keys to control phone functions (like end call, etc)


One of my biggest gripes is Android's virtual keyboard, it's pretty miserable, can't even type a short yes or no SMS without using the physical keyboard

There's an app on the Android Market - Better Keyboard - that replaces the virtual keyboard. I must say, its really good, and thats coming from someone that hates virtual keyboards. In my opinion, it beats the built in Android, the HTC-replaced keyboard (found on Hero builds), HTC's Windows Mobile keyboards. I don't have much experience with the iPhone keyboard, but from what I have used, it seems pretty on par.

I agree about the lack of hardware answer/disconnect buttons. Seems like an odd decision.

 

[JDub02]

So...

I have been an Alltel customer for a long time and have been very happy with the service that they have provided to me. When Verizon bought them out, I was leery, but Verizon's quality of service has always been exceptional and I've been using their towers ever since I moved to Seattle anyway. The best part is that I'll be able to roll my account over and sign up for the new Droid. Everything is wonderful, right?

Nope. My account is part of the 15% of Alltel accounts that the FTC required Verizon to divest as part of the anti-trust agreement. My account is to be handed off to a no-name piece of shit company called "Atlantic Tele-Networks". Mind you, I now live on the shore of the PACIFIC ocean. Yeah.

And, to top it all off, I am still locked into my account and would have to pay the early termination penalty because (according to the rep I spoke with) the FTC ruled that if customers were allowed to leave their contracts without those fees (even though Alltel ceased to exist) the customers would end up voluntarily creating anti-trust issues because they'd probably choose Verizon over the piddly little piece of shit regional vendors who took that last 15%.

So, I'm going to be charged $200 in early-termination fees because the FTC decided that I should not be allowed to choose the service provider I want and who is infinitely better able to service me than a company that doesn't even have a physical presence in my state!

Thanks a whole hell of a lot you goddamn anti-trust morons.

we interrupt this discussion with a sarcastic comment ..

now just think how great of a job they'll do when they're running our health care.

now back to your regularly scheduled programming ...

 

[pm]

Zenmer, call them and complain or clean up your wording a bit and print out what you posted and mail them a letter, or email them - in that order of preference. And lest you say that this is pointless - and it may well be - it's better than complaining about it on a forum where nothing will happen.

It will take about as much time as your posting took to write and may affect how they do these things in the future.

Questions or Comments about Antitrust Issues
Contact the FTC's Bureau of Competition, and please include your day-time telephone number.

Phone: (202) 326-3300

Mail:
Office of Policy and Coordination
Room 383
Bureau of Competition
Federal Trade Commission
600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20580

Email: antitrust@ftc.gov


And to anyone who will cynically say that the goverment never listens and that it's pointless, I will say that standing up and saying something to them is better than sitting silently and watching it happen.

 

[Deeko]

Rumors of $15 extra for exchange only for corporate customers, not consumers

 

[destrekor]

Wow Zem sorry to hear that.

Seriously, anti-trust issues? It's not like Verizon is now the only company out there. There not even the only company in the US to provide a CDMA network. So, what the hell kind of anti-trust issue exists in this situation?

 

[TKE899]

Wow Zem sorry to hear that.

Seriously, anti-trust issues? It's not like Verizon is now the only company out there. There not even the only company in the US to provide a CDMA network. So, what the hell kind of anti-trust issue exists in this situation?

I think it boils down to areas that there were only Verizon and Alltel are available. The government couldn't let Verizon have a monopoly in those areas so they made them give up a fair market share of the services that they purchased to another provider. For instance in North Dakota where I live there were only Verizon and Alltel, now that Verizon purchased Alltel, they were forced to give up some of the towers and other services to a second provider. We are a little more fortunate in our case because the second provider is going to be At&t.

Although I may be totally wrong on this.

 

[destrekor]

I think it boils down to areas that there were only Verizon and Alltel are available. The government couldn't let Verizon have a monopoly in those areas so they made them give up a fair market share of the services that they purchased to another provider. For instance in North Dakota where I live there were only Verizon and Alltel, now that Verizon purchased Alltel, they were forced to give up some of the towers and other services to a second provider. We are a little more fortunate in our case because the second provider is going to be At&t.

Although I may be totally wrong on this.

if that's the case there this is like double standards. Plenty of areas where local monopolies of telco's and cable providers?
Or maybe because instead of naturally winning a monopoly through failed competition, the new monopolies in some regions were bought instead?

 

[jersiq]

Wireless has always been a two competitor market, whether or not two competitors are actually present. When Cellular came about, the FCC wanted to avoid monopolies within the wireless realm. So they took the 850 MHz allocations and divided them in half, creating what is now know as an A-Band and a B-band.

Traditionally, B-Band went to the incumbent landline provider in the area, and the A-band network was "up for grabs" to any operator provided they could put some form of cellular system up in 3 years (you couldn't just sit on the spectrum, you had to do something)

So although most of those regional networks may have gone under, or succumbed to a buyout, the fact remained that the FCC wanted two players in each service area. It is not allowed to own both licenses for the 850 markets (A-band and B-band)

Even though the notion that wireline owns B-band and non-wirelline owns A-band has gone away and we now have PCS spectrum the FCC determines which markets to divest.

They don't just give them up, the company that has to divest sells the divested markets.

 

[ZombieRitual]

if that's the case there this is like double standards. Plenty of areas where local monopolies of telco's and cable providers?
Or maybe because instead of naturally winning a monopoly through failed competition, the new monopolies in some regions were bought instead?

My understanding of why the FTC allowed for cable monopolies in areas was due to the high cost of installing cable service in the area. If cable companies didn't have monopolies in their designated areas then they would have never installed cable service in the first place due to this high initial cost becoming practically impossible to recoup if there was competition.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Well, I got a little bit more information from another Alltel service rep and the issues that seemed odd before have been resolved in a much more logical fashion.

1) The account originated with a rural Ohio address and was still under that address when the corporate takeover occurred.

2) Because of that, the old Ohio address was used when determining whether the account would be divested and to whom the divestiture would occur.

3) The FCC and DoJ have not yet finalized approval of the Atlantic Tele-Networks deal so my account is still technically with whatever remnant of Alltel that still exists.

4) Because the handoff to Atlantic Tele-Networks has not technically happened yet, there has been no change in service providers and my contract remains in force.

5) When the Atlantic Tele-Network deal finally closes I should expect some form of options list presented to me, though there is no guarantee of this as it is possible that ATN will try to say that they can honor the end of the contract. There is also no guarantee that, even if an options list is presented, there will be the option of terminating my contract without a fee.

Has anyone who has transitioned from Alltel already been given a list of options? In my case the only viable option is terminating the contract as there is no way that a company without a physical presence in my state and without a national presence will be adequate for my needs.

I am seriously considering simply biting the bullet and eating the early termination fee though.

 

[maziwanka]

now im all curious about the HTC hd2 coming to the states, but will that be for verizon? i don't think so. i've been out of contract for so long on verizon, i might give the droid a try.

 

[Bateluer]

Droid is officially released tomorrow. Most of the reviews I've read/watched on Youtube are positive. The biggest complaints seem to be with the keyboard itself, how its a touch based keyboard, but most acknowledge that its still a decent keyboard. Also, most reviews state that even the worst real keyboard is better than any touch screen keyboard.

I have to remember to call Verizon after work today to see if I can my Every 2 discount a little early. Best Buy will probably give it to me too just so they can get the sale of the phone.

 

[Bateluer]

Droid is officially released tomorrow. Most of the reviews I've read/watched on Youtube are positive. The biggest complaints seem to be with the keyboard itself, how its a touch based keyboard, but most acknowledge that its still a decent keyboard. Also, most reviews state that even the worst real keyboard is better than any touch screen keyboard.

I have to remember to call Verizon after work today to see if I can my Every 2 discount a little early. Best Buy will probably give it to me too just so they can get the sale of the phone.

 

[TKE899]

Just an FYI,

I preordered my Droid at Best Buy last night. They don't require you to have a MIR and also if you have an older smart phone to trade they will give you 50 dollars off though YMMV. I hate my XV6800 and could care less to see it gone considering its probably not worth 50 bucks.

 

[Spineshank]

The G1 keyboard was terrible. I cant this one being any worse. Though the keyboard isnt a huge deal for me anyhow.