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 Motorola DROID BIONIC 4G Android Phone (Verizon Wireless) Rating on November 29 Rating: |
Motorola DROID BIONIC 4G Android Phone (Verizon Wireless)
 | Motorola DROID BIONIC 4G Android Phone (Verizon Wireless) 3.5 out of 5 from 84 user reviews. |
Technical Details
- Android Gingerbread 2.3-powered smartphone with 4G wireless connectivity and 4.3-inch qHD multi-touch display for brilliant video playback
- Dual-core 1 GHz processor; capable of running full Firefox desktop browser with optional accessories; Wireless-N Wi-Fi networking (with optional Wi-Fi Mobile Hotspot service)
- 8-MP camera; full HD 1080p camcorder; front-facing video chat camera; Bluetooth stereo music; 16 GB memory plus 16 GB microSD card; corporate and personal e-mail
- Up to 10.8 hours of talk time, up to 200 hours (8.3 days) of standby time; released in September, 2011
- What's in the Box: handset, rechargeable battery, wall/USB charger, USB cable, 16 GB microSD card, quick start guide
Product Description of Motorola DROID BIONIC 4G Android Phone (Verizon Wireless)
With 512MB RAM and a dual-core processor, DROID BIONIC by Motorola allows you to experience 4G-like power and speeds much greater than typical 3G. It's social too, with a front-facing web cam and a rear facing 8 MP camera on a large 4.3-inch, qHD quality display.Amazon.com Product Description
Packing a dual-core processor with each core running at 1 GHz, the sleekly designed Motorola DROID BIONIC smartphone with 4G LTE for Verizon Wireless delivers a mobile Internet experience that's up to 10 times faster than 3G. And with Motorola's innovative webtop application, you can connect to an external monitor via optional adapters or docks (including a laptop dock) to play music and videos on the big screen as well as enjoy full Firefox multi-tab browsing (learn more below).
The Verizon Wireless 4G LTE Mobile Broadband network provides speeds up to 10 times faster than Verizon Wireless' 3G network. With 4G LTE, you'll enjoy simultaneous voice and data capabilities, allowing you to check e-mail, browse the web, download an app, and check directions on Google Maps while on a call. Verizon Wireless' 4G LTE Mobile Broadband network currently reaches one-third of all Americans, with plans to expand the network to the company's entire 3G coverage area over the next three years (learn more about 4G below).
In addition to high-speed 4G connectivity, you can also share the built-in Mobile Hotspot via Wi-Fi among up to five devices--laptop, another phone, MP3 player, and more (additional service charge).
Running the Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS (learn more below), it's powered by a 1 GHz dual-core processor and includes 1 GB of powerful PC-grade RAM, empowering you to browse, download, and multitask all at maximum speeds.
The DROID BIONIC features a brilliant 4.3-inch qHD display, which offers a rich 24-bit color depth and a 960 x 540-pixel resolution for extremely sharp images. And the screen is made of scratch-resistant Corning Gorilla Glass with a glare-reducing coating. With the device's front-facing VGA camera and See What I See video feature, you can share experiences--either via Wi-Fi or 4G--with family, friends and co-workers. A rear-facing 8-megapixel camera also allows you to capture stunning still photos and full HD 1080p videos while on the go.
With 16 GB of onboard storage and an included 16 GB microSD card, you'll be able to keep loads of photos and videos directly on the device--and you can use optional microSD memory cards up to 32 GB for even more storage potential. Other features include GPS for navigation and location-based services, Bluetooth for hands-free devices and stereo music streaming, and up to 10.8 hours of talk time.
You can choose from the Webtop Adapter (most affordable, and best for light webtop use), the HD Station dock (good for webtop use plus multimedia playback), or the Lapdock--which provides an all-in-one webtop solution with built-in monitor, keyboard, and trackpad.
For multitaskers, the DROID BIONIC's Mirror Mode function enables simultaneous streaming of video to the TV and on the device. You can also wirelessly stream video and audio to compatible DLNA devices.
What's in the Box
Motorola DROID BIONIC handset, rechargeable battery, wall/USB charger, USB cable, 16 GB microSD card, quick start guide
A new onscreen keyboard makes it easier to type thanks to additional spacing between the keys and larger font sizes. And the more you use the keyboard, the easier typing will be as the enhanced suggest feature records previous input history to make better suggestions.
The DROID BIONIC also brings one-touch access to the popular Google mobile services you use every day, including Google Search, Gmail, Google Maps with Navigation, Google Calendar, Picasa, and YouTube. It also provides easy access to both personal and corporate e-mail, calendars, and contacts supported by Exchange Server and Gmail. And through Android Market, you'll get access to thousands of useful applications, widgets, and fun games to download and install on your phone, with many more apps being added every day.
 The 4G-enabled Motorola DROID BIONIC (see larger image). |
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In addition to high-speed 4G connectivity, you can also share the built-in Mobile Hotspot via Wi-Fi among up to five devices--laptop, another phone, MP3 player, and more (additional service charge).
Running the Android 2.3 Gingerbread OS (learn more below), it's powered by a 1 GHz dual-core processor and includes 1 GB of powerful PC-grade RAM, empowering you to browse, download, and multitask all at maximum speeds.
The DROID BIONIC features a brilliant 4.3-inch qHD display, which offers a rich 24-bit color depth and a 960 x 540-pixel resolution for extremely sharp images. And the screen is made of scratch-resistant Corning Gorilla Glass with a glare-reducing coating. With the device's front-facing VGA camera and See What I See video feature, you can share experiences--either via Wi-Fi or 4G--with family, friends and co-workers. A rear-facing 8-megapixel camera also allows you to capture stunning still photos and full HD 1080p videos while on the go.
With 16 GB of onboard storage and an included 16 GB microSD card, you'll be able to keep loads of photos and videos directly on the device--and you can use optional microSD memory cards up to 32 GB for even more storage potential. Other features include GPS for navigation and location-based services, Bluetooth for hands-free devices and stereo music streaming, and up to 10.8 hours of talk time.
PC Power from Your Smartphone
Create, edit, and interact with all your documents, media, and content using Motorola's webtop application when connected to one of three optional docks. The DROID BIONIC can be used to browse your favorite web sites with a full Firefox desktop browser, view social networking sites, and use HTML5 web-based applications and supported cloud computing services while running your Android applications in a window. And calls and text messages continue uninterrupted even if the DROID BIONIC is removed from the dock.You can choose from the Webtop Adapter (most affordable, and best for light webtop use), the HD Station dock (good for webtop use plus multimedia playback), or the Lapdock--which provides an all-in-one webtop solution with built-in monitor, keyboard, and trackpad.
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| The optional Motorola HD Station dock enables you connect to a big screen (via HDMI port) as well as plug in peripherals such as a keyboard or a mouse via its USB ports for a PC-like experience while using the webtop application. | The Motorola Lapdock has an incredibly thin design with an 11.6-inch screen, full keyboard, and trackpad--plus a battery that delivers up to 8 hours of power. Simply dock your DROID BIONIC into the back of the Lapdock to turn it into an active, connected machine that's lighter and smaller than most laptops on the market. |
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BIONIC at Play
The DROID BIONIC's multiplayer gaming capabilities allow you to challenge friends to live peer-to-peer gaming, viewed through the device's 4.3-inch qHD quality screen that delivers console-quality graphics. The integrated HDMI connectivity also enables you to connect the device to your HDTV (or HDMI-compatible monitor) to experience your games, as well as purchased HD content in full 1080p (HDMI cable sold separately).For multitaskers, the DROID BIONIC's Mirror Mode function enables simultaneous streaming of video to the TV and on the device. You can also wirelessly stream video and audio to compatible DLNA devices.
BIONIC at Work
As a fully featured work device, the DROID BIONIC comes equipped with corporate e-mail, remote wipe and data security, and encryption capabilities that IT departments appreciate. It also features productivity tools such as Quickoffice for document review and editing, full calendar management, one-click access to conference calling, and a full suite of Google applications and services.Vital Statistics
The Motorola DROID BIONIC weighs 5.6 ounces and measures 5 x 2.6 x 0.4 inches. Its 1735 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 10.8 hours of talk time, and up to 200 hours (8.3 days) of standby time. It runs on the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network, as well as EV-DO, Rev A 3G and CDMA 800/1900 frequencies where 4G LTE is not available.What's in the Box
Motorola DROID BIONIC handset, rechargeable battery, wall/USB charger, USB cable, 16 GB microSD card, quick start guide
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Android Gingerbread Operating System
The DROID BIONIC runs the Android 2.3 operating system (dubbed Gingerbread)--the fastest version of Android available for smartphones yet. It features a cleaner, more refined interface with new icons, improved top notification bar, and more intuitive navigation. Multitasking in Gingerbread allows you the ability to run more than one app at a time. If you're playing a game, you can easily switch to an incoming email and then switch back to the game without losing your place.A new onscreen keyboard makes it easier to type thanks to additional spacing between the keys and larger font sizes. And the more you use the keyboard, the easier typing will be as the enhanced suggest feature records previous input history to make better suggestions.
The DROID BIONIC also brings one-touch access to the popular Google mobile services you use every day, including Google Search, Gmail, Google Maps with Navigation, Google Calendar, Picasa, and YouTube. It also provides easy access to both personal and corporate e-mail, calendars, and contacts supported by Exchange Server and Gmail. And through Android Market, you'll get access to thousands of useful applications, widgets, and fun games to download and install on your phone, with many more apps being added every day.
Connectivity
Google Integration
Communications & Internet
|  Hardware
Memory
Camera
Multimedia
More Features
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Review of Motorola DROID BIONIC 4G Android Phone (Verizon Wireless)
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
321 of 332 people found the following review helpful.
Best phone Verizon has ever offeredBy JAcura
I've been on Verizon Wireless since high school and have gone through a ton of phones and a few smartphones including the Motorola Droid and the iPhone 4. This is BY FAR the best phone I have ever owned. My girlfriend is even ditching her DROID Charge for this phone. I'm going to try and give a good review and cover all the goods and the bads about this phone.
HARDWARE
The build of this phone is what you would expect from a Motorola phone - A nice solid piece of hardware made of metal with gorilla glass over the display. I had my iPhone for 3 months before I needed to replace it, but had my Motorola Droid for over 13 months and never exchanged it or repaired it, so Motorola definitely knows how to build a good piece of hardware. This phone is the first Verizon dual-core 4G LTE phone and it is FAST. Multi-tasking is effortless on this phone. Blows my iPhone 4 out of the water in this aspect. The display is amazing! It's a LARGE 4.3 qHD display (960x540 pixels) which is the highest resolution display on an Android phone to date. I wouldn't necessarily say better than the iPhone 4, but it is certainly as good. Some people are wondering if this phone is too big and bulky, but surprisingly it's pretty sleek and slim with a weight that makes it feel like a quality device, but not too heavy. Shooting pictures and videos is a ton of fun with this phone, the pictures look great. I posted a few on Facebook and they look awesome. The 1080p video is great as well indoors or outdoors. As for the front facing camera, it works with Skype, but you have to enable video chat in the settings on Skype (I heard a few people complain it wouldn't work). As for the quality of the front facing camera, it's not the greatest, it's only VGA (0.3 MP or something like that) but I mean it's video chat from your phone, you can still get your point across without lags or hitches because of Verizon's crazy fast 4G network (or over Wi-Fi).
OPERATING SYSTEM
So I have heard a lot of people that have been a little wary of getting this phone because of Motorola's skin "Motoblur". But as far as I can see this phone is almost completely void of Motoblur with a few added Motorola elements that are actually pretty useful. For example, you can pick some of your favorite contacts and make them widgets on one of your homescreens. Not sure if this is a Gingerbread feature, but I think it's unique to Motorola. As far as the Android OS goes it is a great OS. I am a huge fan of iOS, but I can say honestly that I probably won't be going back because Android is a hundred times more customizable and that really appeals to me. The QWERTY touch keyboard can be used in portrait or landscape and the phone is pre-loaded with "Swype" which is in my opinion the best option for a touch screen keyboard. The only thing is that it is heavily dependent on the phone's dictionary so you may need to manually type in some words for a while before it becomes fully useful.
APPS
The phone has some Verizon "bloatware" on it, but there's so much storage space on the phone for apps, you will hardly notice the 7 or 8 apps it comes with from VZW. The social media apps are AWESOME, especially if you like to share things like photos, videos, articles or web pages. It's incredibly easy to share things with your friends and the dual-core processor makes switching from Twitter to Facebook to GMail seamless. This phone comes preloaded with some setup accounts including Exchange or Corporate Sync, POP E-Mail, Google, YouTube, Facebook, Flickr, Yahoo!, LinkedIn, PhotoBucket, Picasa, and Twitter. Personally my favorite application on this phone is Google Maps because of the FREE turn-by-turn navigation that it offers which for some reason iOS still does not have. I also really like the ZumoCast application that allows you to access your computer remotely. Pretty cool and convenient. This phone is also Netflix ready. Haven't downloaded it from the market yet, but really eager to see how well the Netflix videos stream. There is also an app called "VideoSurf" where you can record a video of what you're watching on tv and the app will find information on the internet about the show or movie which is really cool, but a little unnecessary.
ACCESSORIES
This phone has a lot of cool accessories. I purchased the car and desktop docks from Costco and also got an HDMI cable for mirror mode. The car dock is nice because you can just put the phone in and it automatically switches to "Car Mode" where there are main apps like Navigation, Calling, Contacts, Voice Search and Music and they all show up as large buttons so they're easy to access and you don't have to do any scrolling. The HDMI mirror mode is actually pretty cool and I will probably be using it a bit more once I get my Netflix set up on this phone. I've connected the HDMI cable to my girlfriend's TV and played some of the HD video I recorded. It looks great!
BATTERY LIFE
A lot of the criticism with 4G LTE phones is the battery life especially with the horrible battery life of the HTC Thunderbolt. I have had this phone for approximately 13 hours and got about 5 1/2 hours without charging on HEAVY usage (Wi-Fi, recording HD video, playing HD video in mirror mode, browsing the internet, navigation on Google Maps, YouTube, Skype Video Chat, ZumoCast, etc.) Which is pretty good on any network. I drained the battery to 15% and threw it on the charger and it was fully charged 90 minutes later. The battery is 1735 mAH, which is usually the size of extended batteries. I expect with normal usage of calling, texting, checking emails and browsing you could easily get 8-10 hours. I have only used the phone for texting, calling, and GMail since I took it off the charger 3 hours ago and the battery is sitting at 80%. Impressive.
4G NETWORK
Making calls on Verizon's LTE network is just like it's 3G network. Dependable and clear. Never had a dropped call on Verizon 3G, don't expect to have any on 4G. Loading web pages is FAST. I mean REALLY FAST. It's actually faster than Wi-Fi which is crazy to me, but true. Using the speedtest.net speed test (seems redundant) the average download speed on 4G after 5 tests was around 17 mb/s and upload speed averaged about 2 mb/s. Videos from YouTube and web pages played effortlessly and looked great on the qHD screen.
PERFORMANCE
Like I said before this phone is FAST. It multitasks much better and more smoothly than my iPhone 4. It responds immediately every time I touch it and going from app to app is as easy as pressing the home button. I literally cannot put this thing down because I am amazed at how responsive it is. I have yet to run any benchmark tests to test the speed of the processor, but from what I've heard it is faster than any of the 4G phones and even faster than the dual-core DROID 3 which beat the HTC Thunderbolt and iPhone 4 in benchmark tests.
OVERALL
I would say this is the best phone I've ever owned. Definitely the coolest and most fun. It's a much larger screen than I'm used to, but I actually really like that. The display is awesome, pictures and videos look great and Android is obviously a great OS. Verizon has finally come through for its customers with this phone. I would recommend this phone to anyone. Now there are rumors that the iPhone 5, Samsung Stratosphere (Galaxy S II variant), HTC Vigor, and the Samsung Droid Prime are coming to Verizon in about a month or so. I don't know much about any of those phones, mostly just rumors, but as of now this is the BEST 4G phone on Verizon hands down. If you have an upgrade and you NEED a new phone I would say get this phone. You will really like it. If you're thinking about upgrading early or waiting for the line of phones coming in October I would say wait til then. You have to remember this phone was originally set to release in the Spring so the new phones in Q3 and Q4 may hold a slight advantage over the Bionic. Either way if you decide to go with this phone you won't be disappointed.
101 of 103 people found the following review helpful.
Best 4G phone... so far.By mdanger21
I am not just an "average joe", I know a lot about cell phones, 4G, and battery usage. Please read the following review and decide if the Bionic is right for you. I highly recommend it, but you have to know its battery limitations.
This truly is the best 4G phone out to date. The main issues with 4G phones is battery life. With 10.8 hours of talk time, this far outshines the HTC Thunderbolt that only gets 6.3 hours of talk time. Caution!... Depending on where you live (i.e. the 4G signal that you get consistently), your battery life will vary greatly. When your phone switches back and forth from 4G to 3G, it drains the battery considerably. If you have weak 4G (most everyone), it will switch a lot. I owned the Thunderbolt and got slightly more than 6.3 hours of usage (with mild usage... not heavy). This is because, even though you aren't using your phone, it is switching 4G/3G and thus being used. What this means is that you never really go into standby mode, and so talk time will equal usage time. So you should expect to get about 11 hours of usage from the Bionic whether you are a heavy or light user (i.e. you may have to charge it during the day to get through an entire day), unless you live in a strong 4G area. As 4G gets more expansive, your battery life will get better. If you force your phone into 3G only, your battery life will be insanely long.
A note about JAcura's battery review... he is accurate, but I wanted to clarify it a little. He says that the 1735 is an extended battery, which is true for most phones but not a 4G phone because of the way that 4G uses the battery. He also says that after 3 hours of use, he was at 80%, which is accurate... and at 5 hours he will be at 60% and so on. Thus giving you about 11 hours. So if you unplug your phone at 7am, it will die at about 6pm without charging. And this is under normal use, not heavy use.
Aside from the battery, the Bionic is a great phone. Call quality is good, but not amazing. The dual core 1GHz processor and 1GB of DDR2 RAM make this phone very very fast. Coupled with 4G, and you have the fastest phone on the market. It is also the thinnest 4G phone, which I love. The 4.3inch screen is big, but not too big, and it's very sharp (similar to the Droid 3). Camera pictures are great, but a little on the cool (blueish) side. I has a lot of accessories to dock and turn it into a "netbook", but I think most people won't find it useful enough to spend their money on. The HDMI port is great, again for those few that use it. There are a lot of other great features, but most people will just enjoy them without really noticing them (I just stuck to the basics for this review).
Cons: I really wish it had dual LED for the camera flash, instead of single LED. I wish it had a better front camera instead of VGA (but in reality, very few people will skype with their phone because it only works well on 4G or wifi and only a handful of your friends will have a 4G phone). Battery life is better than other 4G phones, but it's still not good.
Conclusion: If you want 4G (and are willing to deal with shorter battery life), this is the phone to get. However, if you wait until October 6th, the HTC Vigor will be out which will have a dual core 1.5GHz processor, 2meg front camera, and Beats by Dr. Dre. But battery life on the Vigor is unknown and if it's worse than the Bionic, then it's not worth it.
65 of 66 people found the following review helpful.
Solid entry to Verizon Wireless' LTE family.By M.D.C.
For the record, I have used many phones over the years. A lot of the devices focus too much on features and very little on functionality. I prefer phones that meet 3 basic criteria:
1: Can last at least 18 hours with regular data usage, including web, email, and Market.
2: Are physically attractive, feel good to the touch, and are not clunky to use.
3: Can make and receive calls when needed, which isn't often, but still.
The Droid Bionic meets objectives 1 and 3. It doesn't do so good with objective #2. But before I get to that, let me give you some background on the device.
The Droid Bionic is actually quite a bit tardy. It was scheduled to come out at least 3 months ago, but got delayed and nobody really understood why. Various leaks showed specs that admittedly were not impressive compared to others such as the Droid X2, but the Bionic has the singular distinction of being the first dual core 4G LTE smartphone on the market. Additionally, the base specs of the Bionic were stronger than most other dual core phones in the arena. It was speculated that Verizon temporarily passed on the Bionic so as not to cut into potential sales of the Apple iPhone 4, which it started carrying some months ago, but that's never been confirmed.
On the surface, the Droid Bionic does not look any more impressive than any of the other Motorola Droid phones. It bears a striking similarity to the others in general form factor, if not a little bit smaller, but it's the internals that make it stand out. Featuring a dual core 1GHz processor, 1 GB of RAM, 4GB of application storage, 8GB of internal memory, and an included 16GB SD card, this phone is packed to the gills with power. It seamlessly runs the 2.3 Android Gingerbread operating system. There is also a front-facing camera capable of decent shots in daylight, and a rear-facing camera that shoots at 8 megapixels with automatic focus and lighting adjustments. It also can shoot 720p video, and with the SD card, you'll be able to do quite a bit of shooting before you need to buy another card.
SCREEN AND BATTERY
The screen on the Bionic is large and fairly bright, but it isn't going to surpass that of the Droid Charge or any other AMOLED screen in terms of contrast. That's okay, because even at near maximum brightness, the included battery barely breaks a sweat under continuous use. Coming from the HTC Thunderbolt where one could easily run the battery down 10% in an hour, the Bionic barely shrugged at continuous 4G and WiFi data access, marrying both corporate and personal push email, web browsing, Amazon Cloud Player streaming, Market downloading, and YouTube video watching. It got to the point where I was purposely trying to get the battery to yell, to no avail. That's the way the phone battery should be - working FOR the user, not against it ala the Thunderbolt.
The newer Gingerbread features some power savings features that likely would help with the Thunderbolt if they ever release it for that device. There is a battery mode that works similar to the way Windows manages power profiles. You can even create your own custom profile, which has replaced the old data usage peak/off peak by applying it to the whole system. You can designate periods of time where your phone will work at peak processing power, and other times where your phone will not, which conserves battery when you're in different locations or situations. There's also a data saver mode, where you can force applications such as the browser and email to work in a limited capacity (but still do their job) while the saver is on. Combined with the screen auto brightness, it's really easy to manage power on the Bionic.
All that said, I want to tell you that data saver is NOT on, battery mode is on maximum performance, email is push and background data is enabled (I don't leave GPS on though for security reasons). I have streamed Amazon Cloud Player and YouTube, and I have navigated the Market extensively getting my apps back. It's been 1 hour since I charged the device and the battery is still at 100%. That's absolutely insane. Mathematically, that means the device will still have juice tomorrow even if I don't charge it. As it should be.
Caveat: Motorola's batteries count in increments of 10%, rather than 1%. So this statement effectively means that with heavy usage, and considering how battery hungry 4G and the screen can be, I was still well above 90% battery an hour later. This might seem to be overstating, but again, dual core + 4G + bright screen + wafer thin battery + push email + Market downloads + continuous usage? It's impressive no matter how you slice it.
SOUND AND AUDIO
Speaker quality was quite good, though I did notice at louder levels that there was some static distortion coming from the speaker grill itself. My guess is that the speaker membrane had a difficult time with certain lows; the speaker is definitely cleaner sounding than the Droid Charge, louder than the Thunderbolt, but not quite as rich. That's partially due to the SRS enhancements found in the Thunderbolt that lend themselves to more distinct bass; the Bionic absolutely spanks every other phone I've heard in general treble and clarity of audio. You'll hear instruments you didn't know were in your favorite songs. Mind, the Bionic does feature equalizer settings and presets, but they just can't hold a candle to SRS or even Beats Audio for true "punch". This may or may not be important to you, but I note it for reference.
CALL QUALITY (womp, womp, waaa...)
I could only find one true letdown on the Bionic: outbound call quality. Inbound was fine, because as I said before, the speaker is clear and crisp no matter what you're listening to, but the outbound was just not up to par for a device this expensive. Obviously the focus these days is on the data experience, but I had hoped that the Bionic would buck this trend. Sadly it did not: the microphone muffled my voice so badly that even I struggled to understand what I was saying when I heard it played back to me. This applied whether I was doing straight mouthpiece or speakerphone calling and I'm not sure why it was so bad. I can only guess that Motorola was attempting to do some noise cancellation and overdid it, or that the microphone itself is of poor quality. In this day and age of Bluetooth headsets that can make you sound like you're standing in front of a person talking, I found this rather inexcusable given the price point.
HDMI ON BOARD
The Bionic also features a mini HDMI port that can be used to mirror the phone's display to an HDMI-supporting device. I should point out that when I say "HDMI-supporting", I really mean HDCP supporting, because some devices will not accept the input correctly. Most newer TVs will not have an issue, but some receivers may flicker in and out as they struggle to maintain the HDCP handshake necessary to sustain an HDMI connection. This isn't a big deal for most people, but some may try to buy the dock or a mini HDMI cable thinking they're guaranteed to stream their Netflix out only to find it not working; that's not the device's fault, and you may need to do some retooling (read: buy newer versions of) your media equipment.
CAMERAS AND VIDEO
The quality of the camera is a mixed bag. The front facing camera is definitely superior to other "Not quite smartphones" like the Xperia Play, but it pales in comparison to others such as the iPhone 4. It'll do, if you're filming yourself outside or in a brightly lit room, but don't expect photo-realism out of the front. The rear camera is something totally different: sporting a rather high 8 megapixels, it can give you decent 4x6 prints if you want it too. Any larger and you'll notice quite a fair amount of noise to the picture; most of the noise is chromatic noise, which means you'll see a lot of what look like "dirty" color speckles when the photo is zoomed in. You can obviously do post-processing to clean this up, but again, I note it for reference.
Where the Bionic does well is with close-up color correction. Taking photos at a distance yields decent-looking photos, but the problem is that the color correction tends to be a bit much, losing the true intent of the shot. If I were shooting a lake surrounded by mountains during an overcast afternoon, I might expect that the water is a darker blue or even clear, since it's not reflecting a clear sky. The Bionic will attempt to "color" the water a little, destroying the moment somewhat. It's not a deal breaker, and obviously you can do manual corrections, but I do look for a little more intuition out of camera phones if I'm paying for them.
This doesn't apply to close-ups: in a close up, you want to capture the moment, but correction becomes even more critical, as there is likely some focal point to the shot and you want it as detailed as it can get. This is where the Bionic shines - fine details, where it can blur and layer backgrounds with the best of DSLRs. The image quality isn't going to outdo a $600 camera, obviously, but I was impressed with what I got out of the Bionic in close-up shooting.
As well as static photos, you can also do video recording at 720p, up to 1080p. I would put the quality of these videos somewhere between a FlipCam and the "kinda sorta HD camcorders" you buy for $80 at Best Buy. The thing to note is that the Bionic will obviously last longer, and comes with the capacity to manage all of the videos you shoot. Also, depending on what apps you use, you can send videos straight to your DropBox, email/MMS them to a friend, or send them straight to YouTube (this I wouldn't recommend, but you could, ala Zack Ryder).
BUILD QUALITY AND CHASSIS
General build quality was around a 7 out of 10. While it felt like a solid device - as do all Motorola Droid devices - I was really not impressed with the flimsy plastic back. The snaps on the bottom especially are just waiting to break with repeated removal to get access to the SD card (which fortunately is not located under the battery as with HTC devices). It didn't really make the device that much lighter, as according to my scale, it's the exact same weight as the Thunderbolt, whose plastic battery cover is a little less flimsy. I was also secretly wishing for a kickstand, but I know that would have cut into the $40-$100 docks that they like to sell these days. I had no complaints about the front of the device though, featuring a very attractive smoked chrome finish and the Corning Gorilla Glass on the screen. It's mind boggling that they went to such expense for the front, but not the back, of such an otherwise awesome device. Something else that still confuses me is just how thin the battery is: it's wafer thin, yet somehow has more mAh than other phones with batteries nearly twice the thickness. Are we nearing battery technology improvement at last?
I mentioned early on that the Bionic did actually fail in my second criteria. That's not a knock on the build quality, rather the design, for being mostly uninspired. There are some questionable decisions with regard to the shape of the device - it's not conducive to holding it in one hand at all. Normally, a phone feels better when its back is curved to match the natural curves of one's hand, but maybe I'm unique in that opinion. Also, when attempting to remove apps or widgets from any of the various home screens, placing the trash at the top seems a very odd design decision. I can see why it might make sense in some cases, but maybe having the trash in both the top and bottom of the window would have been more practical. I'm much more comfortable with a bottom-placed trash than a top one. Obviously I don't do much widget or app management, but just saying. Also, on a selfish note, I am getting slightly irritated with the tendency towards right-handed phone owners, speaking of the volume rocker. It's not just Motorola, all of them are guilty of this one, but I generally will just use the on-screen sound manager instead.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I'm going to go out on a limb and speculate that people considering the Bionic are either (A) Thunderbolt converts or (B) Blackberry holdouts who want 4G but don't like any of the current crop of devices. The Thunderbolt converts are really going to have to think about the decision: the Bionic definitely has superior battery and is a fast, seamless experience, but the cost is nearly 3 times that of the Thunderbolt for the same 4G signal. One must ask themselves if the battery boost is really worth $200 more dollars AND a new contract that may remove the previous 5G/$30 package if you do a new agreement.
In the end, the Bionic is a solid contender for anyone considering a great device with great speeds. You'll want to be cognizant and aware of the potential for overcharging due to Verizon Wireless' new data plans and the caps, and the form factor and build quality may be a turn-off for some. Still, if you're itching for the best on the market, the Bionic is it...for now.
See more Reviews of Motorola DROID BIONIC 4G Android Phone (Verizon Wireless)
CREDIT by Amazon.com
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