Sold my old smartphone on eBay for $200

Over the weekend, my eBay auction ended and I sold an old Droid X for approximately $200. The phone is in excellent condition and it's still under warranty, so someone is getting a really good phone. The normal retail price for the Droid X is currently $399.99 (although you can get it for $149.99 if you sign up as a new customer).

Do you have an old phone laying around? Sell it on eBay and use that money towards a new phone.

Day 2 using the HTC ThunderBolt 4G LTE on Verizon

Today is day #2 using the HTC HTC ThunderBolt 4G LTE on the Verizon Wireless network. I've used the Droid X, the HTC Droid Incredible, and the HTC Droid Eris on Verizon.

Before I got the ThunderBolt, I was using the Droid X. Here are the main reasons why I chose to upgrade:

1. 4G is lighting fast (and if you're using the WiFi Mobile Hotspot feature, you can connect up to 8 devices)
2. Front-facing camera (which is great for interviewing or taking self-portraits when I'm blogging at various conferences)
3. It comes with a 32 GB microSD card
4. HTC Sync™ to synchronize Outlook contacts and calendar
5. Kickstand - works in both portrait and landscape modes
6. Simultaneous voice and data: You can talk on the phone and use the Internet at the same time

Problems with the Droid X 3G Mobile Hotspot: dropped connections

For the past few months, I've been using my Motorola Droid X as a 3G Mobile Hotspot. Most of the time, this feature works fairly well. However, I've recently started experiencing more problems. Specifically:

• It drops a connection and the 3G Mobile Hotspot service stops
• It freezes up and I lose access to the Internet even though the 3G Mobile Hotspot service is still running

I've tried resetting my phone and experimenting with various settings, but nothing seems to fix these intermittent problems. I've tried the following steps outlined on the Verizon user forums, but I don't want to go through this process every time I use my Droid X as a Mobile Hotspot:

Step. 1 - Ensure WiFi is disabled. (instruction below)
http://search.vzw.com/?do=viewdoc&id=33719&p=null

Step. 2 - Try switching the hotspot channel (Step 6 in the article under channel)
***To access settings, 3G Mobile Hotspot must be disabled (Off).
http://search.vzw.com/?do=viewdoc&id=33761

Step. 3 - Try changing the encryption
http://search.vzw.com/?do=viewdoc&id=33761 (Step 6 in the article under security)

Step. 4 - Try relocating the device. (Something in the immediate location could be affecting the service received)

Step. 5 - Soft reset (power off the device, pull the battery out for 20 seconds and place it back in)

I'm wondering if people who own a MiFi are experiencing similar issues. Perhaps a dedicated Mobile Hotspot like a MiFi is a better option than using my smartphone. Maybe it's time to upgrade to a 4G device. When's the 4G MiFi 4510L coming to Verizon? When's the HTC ThunderBolt 4G smartphone arriving? Maybe I should just get a 4G MiFi from Sprint now.

Battery life when using my Droid X as a 3G Wi-Fi Mobile Hotspot

The Droid X and many other smartphones are capable of turning themselves into 3G Wi-Fi Mobile Hotspots that allow you to connect up to 5 mobile devices. When you enable this feature, you'll get a notice reminding you that this feature will drain your battery very quickly, so you should plug your phone to a power source.

A few weeks ago, I was using my Droid X every day as my personal hotspot. I was using an external battery pack, so I had the ability to recharge my battery during the middle of the day. If I didn't have that battery pack, my phone would have died by noon.

The 3G mobile hotspot on the Droid X is a great feature, but it would be nice to see a higher level of battery efficiency in these devices. The MiFi 2200 is rated to 4r hrs and the Fivespot Global Ready 3G hotspot lasts 5 hrs, so those devices aren't great either unless you're carrying a separate battery pack.

Medscape Mobile for Android

I've been using the Medscape App on my Droid X for the past few weeks.The Medscape App includes many features including:

Drug Reference

Search prescribing and safety information for over 8,000 brand, generic and OTC drugs, herbals and supplements

* Review adult and pediatric dosing, adverse effects, contraindications, cautions & warnings, pregnancy and lactation guidelines, and more
* Drug database includes:
o 6,000+ generic and brand drugs
o 1,000+ generic and brand OTC drugs
o 1,000+ herbals and supplements
* Search by drug name or browse by class
* Save commonly searched drugs to your 'Saved list'
for fast access
* Access anywhere – no Internet connection required (after full installation of app on device)

Drug Interaction Checker

Check mild interactions to serious contraindications for any combination of drugs, herbals and supplements. Allows up to 30 drugs per search

* Check interactions across our database of 8,000+ drugs, herbals and supplements
* Provides detailed information from minor to
contraindicated interactions
* Input up to 30 drugs, herbals and/or supplements per search
* Access anywhere – no Internet connection required (after full installation of app on device)

A mixed experience using the Droid X as a 3G Mobile Wi-Fi hotspot

I've been using my Motorola Droid X as a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot. The extra $20/month service fee is worth it if you'll be traveling and if you need to connect up to 4 devices to the Verizon Wireless 3G network.

Overall, the 3G Mobile Wi-Fi hotspot feature works fairly well, as long as you have a strong signal to the Verizon network. I've been relatively happy. occasionally, I've found the service to stop, even when I have a strong signal, so I'm not entirely sure why that's been happening. I'll have to do a few more tests to determine how frequently that's happening.

Plus, I'm also finding that the connection speed may slow down. When I restart the 3G mobile hotspot feature, then the connection speed resets back to normal.

The 3G mobile hotspot feature will drain your battery relatively quickly, so be prepared with an extended battery or an external battery pack. I'm using a Tekkeon battery pack that can charge my Droid X or my Apple iPad, so I've got plenty of battery power.

Future smartphones: dual-core processors, 4G, and much more

Soon, smartphones like the Droid X or iPhone 4 will seem really obsolete. Here are my predictions regarding smartphone features that will be found on most smartphones by the end of 2011:

• 4G capability (HTC won't be the only one producing 4G smartphones)
• Dual-core processor (my Droid X running a 1 GHz is very fast, but imagine what you could do with a dual-core processor!)
• Superior voice recognition and voice command (who needs a keyboard?)
• Dual cameras on the front and the back (this will become a standard feature soon)
• More cloud computing features and capabilities (so get ready to use Google Docs on a regular basis)

What else?

• 3D display? (I don't think so)
• Superior battery life? (probably not much better than current Lithium Ion batteries)
• Smaller vs. larger? (we'll probably have more options for smaller and larger devices)
• Will it replace my PC? (not quite yet, but we're getting closer each year)
• More integration with the car (as a GPS, as an Internet radio, and as digital concierge)

I'm happy with my current Droid X and I don't think I'll be upgrading to a new smartphone in 2011. However, I predict that I'll either get an iPad 2 or some other slate tablet (probably running Android) in 2011. 

Opera Mobile 10.1 on Android is fast!

Opera Mobile 10.1 is now available as a beta app for your Android smartphone. I'm running it on my Motorola Droid X and it's a very fast and responsive web browser. I plan to use it as my main browser for the next few weeks. Opera Mobile supports pinch-to-zoom and you can find it in the Android Marketplace.

Remember that Opera Mobile is a different browser from Opera Mini.

Should you overclock your Droid X or Droid 2?

In the past, I used to overclock all of my PDAs. I still remember the days of the old Compaq iPaq and the Palm OS PDAs. Those days seem so long ago.

So, should you overclock your Android-powered Droid 2 or Droid X? I don't think that you really need to. After all, the 1 GHz processor is sufficiently fast in my opinion. Plus, overclocking will drain your battery quicker. I also believe that there may be a risk of damaging the hardware if you overclock these Motorola phones, but I'm not sure how great that risk is.

A few years ago, I used to load custom ROMs on everything. I overclocked everything. Now, I'm mainly running stock ROMs and I'm not playing around with overclocking apps. If you're dying to overclock your Droid 2 or Droid X, you can try DX/D2 Overclocker (which is a $0.99 download).

Did my Droid X kill my microSD card?

Yesterday, the 16GB microSD card in my Droid X stopped working. It's dead. I plugged it into my computer using several different adapters and the computer did not recognize the card. There was no way for me to reformat the card or do anything with it. It's a brick.

Fortunately, Verizon Wireless was kind enough to issue a replacement card through their warranty program. The technical support team did comment that some Verizon Wireless customers noticed problems with their microSD cards when they upgraded Android from 2.1 to 2.2 (Froyo).

On-screen keyboard vs. hardware QWERTY keyboards

I've had the opportunity to use a variety of different smartphones. Some have physical QWERTY keyboard buttons. Others are slates that only have an on-screen keyboard. As I've compared different QWERTY keyboards, I've found that some smartphones (like the Palm Pre) have tiny buttons that are literally impossible to push unless you have small hands. Others (like the Motorola Droid) do not provide enough tactile responsiveness. This has been changed in the Droid 2 - which has a much better keyboard compared to the original Droid.

My favorite QWERTY keyboard was the one found on the HTC Touch Pro2.

Now that I'm mainly using the Motorola Droid X which lacks a physical QWERTY keyboard, I'm finding that the large 4.3" screen provides plenty of room for a great on-screen keyboard that is very easy to use when I hold the device horizontally and type using two thumbs. The Droid X also provides the option to use Swype so that you don't have to lift your fingers or thumbs off the screen as you enter text. Which input method do you prefer?

Did you pick up an R2-D2 Droid 2?

I was originally planning on getting the R2-D2 Droid 2 on Verizon Wireless, but I opted for the Droid X instead. I figured that I could always add a case or sticker to make the Droid X look like R2-D2.

Speaking of R2-D2 and Star Wars, get ready to watch all 6 Star Wars movies in 3-D. That's right, all 6 movies will be coming out in 3-D fairly soon. Can't wait to get in line to watch them in 3-D.

Day #5 with the Droid X

I've now been using the Motorola Droid X for 5 days. I had played around with this phone in the past, but it's a different user experience when you start using it regularly. I've used it in the car as my GPS, I've used it in the gym as my entertainment console, I've tethered with it, and I've used it as a smartphone. So, what are my initial impressions so far?

The Droid X is definitely a very large smartphone. If you don't have big hands, you really don't need this device. In fact, it may feel a bit awkward to hold this in one hand. If you're always using your smartphone with two hands, then you should be find using this device. However, if you're the type to do things using only one hand, then the Droid X won't be very comfortable.

I have medium-sized hands. When I purchase gloves, I buy medium. When using the Droid X, I find that I'm constantly holding the devices in different ways based on where I'm typing or tapping on buttons. If I need to tap on the top portion of the screen, I hold the phone one way. Then, if I need to switch and tap on the lower portion of the screen, I have to change my grip. With other smartphones like the iPhone or Droid Incredible, I don't usually have to change my grip as I tap on different sections of the screen. I guess the Droid X is simply too large for my hands.

If you have smaller hands, the Droid X will be a device that will frequently require two hands for operation. I don't regret having a Droid X. I'm sure that over the next few weeks, I'll find a way to hold this device so that I can use it more effectively in one hand. Maybe I'll primarily use it in landscape mode instead of portrait mode. 

My Droid X is now running Froyo (Android 2.2)

As reported, Verizon has released the Froyo (Android 2.2) upgrade for the Droid X. It's about time, isn't it?

Those of you who are using the HTC Droid Eris - I'm sorry, but you won't be getting the update to Android 2.2. The Eris is a nice smartphone, but it's just simply too slow to keep up with some of the latest Android features. However, if you're open to installing a custom ROM, I'm sure the folks at XDA-Developers will release a custom ROM for the Eris that will include Froyo.

I'm now using the Droid X

My wife and I are on the Verizon network. My wife uses the HTC Droid Incredible and I recently got the Motorola Droid X. I've used a number of other Android smartphones including the HTC Droid Eris, the Motorola Droid, and the HTC Droid Incredible. I'm now using the Droid X as my main smartphone (and I'm selling a couple of smartphones on eBay right now).

The Droid X is a large smartphone, but I don't mind the size given the fact that the device is also really thin. I prefer to use my phone in a vertical (portrait) orientation, so it helps to have a large screen so that I can easily type on the on-screen keyboard. I usually type with one thumb while I'm holding the phone in the same hand. I think I picked up this habit when I was using a Palm Treo. I never developed the habit of typing with two thumbs.

If you like to enter information using two thumbs, go with the Droid 2. You'll have the option of typing on a hardware QWERTY keyboard or using the on-screen keyboard. As for me, I don't do that much typing on my smartphone since I always seem to have a computer nearby.

Samsung Fascinate SCH-i500 (Verizon Wireless)

The Samsung Fascinate SCH-i500 is the latest addition to the Verizon Wireless lineup of Android smartphones. Traditionally, Samsung had smartphones on Verizon that were running Windows Mobile. This is their first Android smartphone on Verizon. On the AT&T network, this phone is known as the Samsung Captivate (why all the different names Samsung?) Actually, the Captivate is not identical to the Fascinate. These smartphones all belong to the Samsung Galaxy S series.

From a distance, the Fascinate almost looks like an Apple iPhone. This Android smartphone is sized between the Motorola Droid X and and the HTC Droid Incredible. I wonder why it's not being called the Samsung Droid Fascinate. I thought Verizon was going to use the "Droid" name on every Android smartphone.

Perhaps the best feature on the Samsung Fascinate is the 4" Super AMOLED touch screen that works really well when you're outdoors. Even in bright sunlight, you won't have any trouble seeing this screen. Besides the screen, the other features are very similar to what you'll find on other high-end Android smartphones. So, if the Droid X is simply too big for you, the Samsung Fascinate or the HTC Droid Incredible make good alternative candybar smartphones.

Buy a certified pre-owned Droid X and save $50

Through Verizon Wireless, you can purchase a certified pre-owned Droid X and save $50. That means that you can purchase one for $149 instead of $199. Then again, you may want to purchase your Droid 2 or Droid X through Amazon since you can get a brand new Motorola DROID X Android Phone (Verizon Wireless) for $149.99 or a brand new Motorola DROID II Android Phone (Verizon Wireless) for only $89.99 (that's not a typo).  I think I'll go with the Droid X and use it with an extended battery.

Slider vs. Slate?

If you've had several different smartphones over the years, perhaps you've owned a slider (slide-out QWERTY keyboard) and a thin slate that only offers an on-screen keyboard. We're seeing fewer candybar designs like the Palm Treo or BlackBerry that includes a smaller screen combined with a small QWERTY keyboard on the bottom.

So, slider vs. slate? If you're a Verizon customer and you're thinking about getting an Android smartphone, that decision could boil down to:

Slider: Droid 2
Slate: Droid X or Droid Incredible

If you do a significant amount of typing on your device, then it's imperative that you test the keyboard on each of the devices and physically try them out. Before I picked up the Droid 2, I thought I'd be relatively happy with the QWERTY keyboard. After playing with it for 5 minutes, I realized that I'd probably end up using the on-screen keyboard over the physical QWERTY buttons. So, if that's going to be the case, then why should I get a slider?

The large on-screen buttons on the Droid X are easy to use because the screen is so large. The Droid X is larger (wider and taller) than the Droid 2, but it's actually lighter.  5.47 ounces for the Droid X vs. 5.96 ounces for the Droid 2.

Motorola Droid 2 vs. the Droid X (Verizon)

Here's a nice video that compares the Motorola Droid 2 vs. the Droid X.

I'm planning on getting the Droid X because I really like the large screen, it records HD video, and it can accommodate an extended battery without getting too thick (the Droid 2 also accommodates an extended battery, but then it's a bit thicker compared to the Droid X). The QWERTY keyboard on the Droid 2 was a bit too small for me (keep in mind that I'm used to the HTC Touch Pro2 which has one of the best QWERTY keyboards out there).

Motorola Droid X vs. HTC Droid Incredible

If you're on Verizon, are you struggling to decide between the Motorola Droid X vs. the HTC Droid Incredible? Both of these devices run Google Android. Both have 1 GHz processors, so they're really fast. They're both slates. No hardware QWERTY keyboard. They both have 8 MP digital camera capabilities.  So, which device should you get?

What's important to you? Size? Multimedia? Web browsing?

If you don't mind the relatively large size, then the Motorola Droid X is a great option. The large 4.3" screen makes this device a great tablet for web browsing and multimedia. The Droid X could be a great little movie player while you're camping out in your call room (but who has time to watch TV when you're on call?). The Droid X will also get that "what's that?" reaction from everyone around you. Why? Because it's so large.

The HTC Incredible is a better option for those who want a "normal" size smartphone. The Incredible is a great size, but the battery may run out if you're constantly synchronizing your account information and if you're heavily browsing the web. Fortunately, you can purchase an extended battery for the Incredible, but then you'll lose the slim form factor.

So, which device is right for you?