Samsung Droid Charge / Reviews

If you're perplexed by the $199.99 Samsung Galaxy S Aviator and where it fits into U.S. Cellular's roster of smartphones, you're not alone. The device features a great screen and everything users need for a basic Android experience and 4G LTE data where you can find it. Yet, its sluggish performance and steep price give me pause. A better deal would be to spring for the Samsung Galaxy S II, which for the same price offers dual-core processing but without 4G.

Read original review at Cnet.

Less

The Droid Charge touch phone runs on the 4G network. It has an 8MP camera with an LED flash. The Droid Charge also comes with 32GB of expandable memory. It has a single-core processor and uses the Android 2.2 operating system. The display on this smartphone uses Super AMOLED Plus. The phone may be slightly slower than some other phones with touch screens; however, it'll still move quickly and give you a brilliant display.

Read original review at Top Ten Reviews.

Less

The Samsung Droid Charge could've been an absolutely killer piece of Verizon hardware if it didn't suffer from this Android-variant of BSOD. The performance was definitely more than acceptable, and had some very great battery life. It wasn't too heavy, and it always had consistently good signal strength. However, every aspect of the device that made me want it for my next phone was crushed when that first blue screen incident happened.

Because of it, I simply cannot give the Droid Charge a good review at all. If I knew for a fact that this was a software issue, and could be fixed, I would probably have different thoughts about it. But I don't, and the only other thing my Verizon rep told me that it could be was an "app downloaded from the Android Market." I call bologna on that, Verizon. Sorry.

So as far as I know, this is a hardware issue, and the only way you're going to get it resolved for yourself is a total phone replacement. That's not only a pain in the behind but it also shouldn't happen on something you dropped $300 on contract for. And because of that, the Samsung Droid Charge is not worth it.

Read original review at Pocketables.

Less

The Samsung Droid Charge has the best display that we’ve seen on a mobile phone. We found it even superior to the iPhone 4’s Retina Display. The screen is crisp and clear. Colors pop and details are a delight to the eye. Combine that with a good solid design, very good call quality, excellent cameras, and the speed of the Verizon 4G LTE network and this is definitely a smartphone worth considering.

The plastic casing may be a turn-off to some, but it does make the phone a little lighter than similarly-sized competitors. While we would prefer a vanilla Android experience, the TouchWiz interface has some good features.

The entire Droid Charge experience is marred only by a questionable battery life and the single core processor which does produce some lags. When compared to the HTC Thunderbolt, the Thunderbolt bests the Droid Charge with slightly better battery life and better performance, plus a more quality build.

The USD 300 price tag is also a little high, since the Thunderbolt is currently selling for USD 250. If you decide to purchase a Droid Charge, you might want to check out retailers other than Verizon. As we write this, both Amazon and Wal-Mart are selling the Droid Charge online for less than Verizon’s price.

Read original review at Hardware Secrets.

Less

If you’re looking for 4G speeds, the Samsung DROID Charge is the phone to beat — but you’ll need deep pockets. Sure, I’d take HTC’s Sense user interface over TouchWiz any day, but the DROID Charge offers a few things HTC’s ThunderBolt doesn’t, namely a gorgeous Super AMOLED Plus display and an out-of-the-box option to turn off 4G to save on battery life, which meant I was able to get through a full day with moderate usage when I didn’t need to surf the Web at blazing fast speeds.

The DROID Charge is priced at $299, which is $50 more expensive than its only 4G LTE competitor, the ThunderBolt. That’s for good reason, however. It offers better battery life, a killer display, clearer phone calls, and a much less bulky design — easily worth the $50 difference. Sure, Verizon has a number of new 4G LTE smartphones coming down the pipeline.

Read original review at BGR.

Less

The Samsung DROID Charge is the second 4G LTE capable smartphone to hit Verizon Wireless, following the HTC ThunderBolt. It features a lot of the same attributes of the ThunderBolt; a 4.3-inch screen, a 1GHz processor, an 8 megapixel camera, and of course that 4G connectivity. Is the Charge something that buyers should consider instead of the ThunderBolt when looking for the fastest of the fast?

In a nutshell, no. The DROID Charge may be a very nice phone, with high-end features and every option ticked, but I ran into a number of problems with the Charge during my review period, notably some major data issues that rendered the phone nearly useless at times (who needs a phone to make phone calls?). Also disappointing was the battery life, which is something that was a pain point on the ThunderBolt as well. Read on to find out what I thought about the Charge, the good, the bad, and the sometimes downright ugly.

Read original review at MobileBurn.

Less

The choice should seem obvious at this point. We have two phones diverged in a wood—the HTC Thunderbolt and the Samsung Droid Charge. The Thunderbolt has the better Sense interface, more out-of-box storage, and a kickstand. The Charge has its Super AMOLED+ screen, and that's about it. Our vote is for the Thunderbolt because it's a better-equipped device, but if you're used to the Galaxy S experience, then the Samsung Droid Charge is worth taking a gander at. However, we feel as though Samsung had an opportunity to take down HTC with its first 4G LTE phone, but blew it at the end of the day. Maybe we'll see a 4G LTE Galaxy S powerhouse in the near future, but for now, the Droid Charge does not have enough volts to tango with a Thunderbolt.

Read original review at InfoSync.

Less

The Droid Charge is a total sleeper. We'll be perfectly honest that we weren't expecting to be wowed but, well, we're certainly impressed. In terms of performance it's more or less on par with the recently-released Thunderbolt, but battery life is far superior and, while the Super AMOLED Plus display has its quirks, we think they just add character. The imaging sensor 'round the back is top-notch and, overall, this is a very good phone. The only real disappointment? A plastic design that probably will be looking a bit rough after a few months in your pocket.

And then there's the cost: $300 on-contract puts the 32GB Charge in an unfortunate tie for the position of Verizon's most expensive smartphone. That tie is, of course, with Apple's 32GB iPhone 4. That's $50 more than the Thunderbolt, which also comes with the same number of gee bees. Worth the extra? Given the battery life and display improvements here, we'd be inclined to say yes.

Read original review at Engadget.

Less

I was prepared for an average device when I started using the DROID Charge but what I experienced blew me away. In my opinion, the DROID Charge will launch as the phone with both the best camera and the best screen (Super AMOLED Plus), with 4G connectivity to boot. These facts alone mean I can confidently recommend the DROID Charge, especially if taking pics and big screens are your thing. To enjoy these features, you’ll have to endure Samsung’s Touchwiz interface, lack of LED notifications, plasticky and light build quality, and a processor that seems slightly underpowered considering the ship it’s steering.

Read original review at Phandroid.

Less

The Samsung Droid Charge has a lot going for it. It is a good looking phone, despite its hulking shape. The 4.3 Super AMOLED display is outrageously awesome. It puts every other smartphone display to shame.

As for the basics, the Charge handles Verizon's 3G network with no problem. It digs itself in like a tick. The 4G performance is a bit less consistent. When it connects, i'ts awesome. When it doesn't, it is a hassle. The last thing you want to worry about when you need to connect is the actual connecting part.

The robotic voice quality concerns me a bit, but if you aren't a big yapper, perhaps the Cylon-esque vocals won't bother you so much.

Battery life is an important factor to weigh. In 3G regions, the Charge kicked butt. Bring the Charge into a 4G region, though, and battery life drops off a cliff pretty quickly. In just a few short hours in Orlando under full 4G coverage, the Charge went from 100% to 40%. If you're only in 4G sporadically, or have constant access to power, this may not concern you.

The Charge handles the rest of the expected feature set with aplomb and is a solid performer all around. The camera software is robust and leads to good images. The music and video playback options are exceptional. The lack of photo editing is the only real ding I can hit the Charge with.

Read original review at Phone Scoop.

Less