Motorola DROID BIONIC hands-on

By on Sep 7, 2011 at 8:33 AM
mobile September 7, 2011

We’ve spent just about a day with the Motorola DROID BIONIC for Verizon Wireless, and while that’s not long enough to put together a thorough review, we can certainly report back on our first impressions. In short, the Motorola DROID BIONIC could be the best smartphone to ever grace Verizon Wireless’ airwaves, and that includes 3G and 4G devices. The DROID BIONIC feels completely different compared to other Motorola devices — especially the Motorola DROID 3. For the first time, it feels like a cohesive handset. Our experience following a day of light usage has this phone almost rivaling stock Android devices, again, for the time ever in our view. Read on for more and don’t forget to check out our photo gallery below.

The device fits nicely in your hand, isn’t overly heavy, and has the most reasonable footprint of any 4G LTE Verizon device we have used. It’s nothing like the HTC Thunderbolt, which was a bit bulky for our tastes. It is a bit curious that Motorola is using a TI OMAP 1GHz processor in the DROID BIONIC as opposed to the company’s NVIDIA Tegra 2 staple, but after playing with the phone for a while, it seems pretty clear that there are speed and battery advantages of the OMAP chipset, at least in our unscientific tests. Again, we haven’t spent too much time with the Motorola DROID BIONIC so far since Verizon just gave us a review unit yesterday, but one thing seems apparent… this very well could be the greatest smartphone ever to hit Verizon Wireless, and we’ll publish our full review soon enough. In the meantime, the hands-on gallery awaits you. The Motorola DROID BIONIC is available starting tomorrow from Verizon Wireless for $299 with two year agreement.

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  • Anonymous

    I think this will be another Android dud! By charging $300 on contract, they seem to want this thing to fail. Don’t they know only the iPhone can command such high prices and still sell well? LOL

  • Anonymous

    i’m sure its a nice piece, but 300 bones for yet another Android device with a 4 inch plus screen? I don’t see the value here, but if anyone else does, please chime in.

    • Reevosss7

      Chime chime

  • http://twitter.com/jrcrow79 EK

    hello..video review?!?

  • Tiller47

    Unbelievable, haters can read a review from a well respected site like this that says that this is a great phone and they are still going to put it down!  You guys are so blinded by your ignorance! Pathetic!

  • Anonymous

    Jonathan, you only “like/love” this phone now because you know [with the watered-down specs' it has] once the iPhone 5 is released it will be EASY to shoot this phone down, especially given the fact that most of the hardware is already obsolete. Thereby, making it easier to put your iDevice back on that pedestal.

    • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=25001493 Hank Godwin

      Most of the hardware is obsolete?  My God, you’re a fool if you really believe that.

    • Tiller47

      Either you must be trolling trying to get a rise out of someone or you are a fool!

    • Anonymous

      so the iphone is only gonna have dual core that has been in the ipad and that is better than an lte phone? The iphone will only be 3g. You are a fool.

  • spacefly

    Like! Want one. Will it ever come to the UK minus the LTE ofcourse?

  • HernandezS1

    Just went to upgrade my phone and Verizon CS was able to order me the Bionic…should be here Friday! Super stoked!!

  • Bill

    does it have a sim card slot for global roaming (on tmobile)

  • http://twitter.com/MrUniq78 Christopher

    Don’t be fooled by Blur, it seems nice at first but when the bugs and lag mount you will want stock.

  • Anonymous

    GS II OR NOTHING. I WILL PASS ON THIS. HELLO T-MOBILE. SO LONG VERIZON.

  • DroidDiggler

    This is just another Android with crappy MotoBlur!!!  I’ve been using this device for a day now  and it is more that a droid x with a 4g radio.  zumocast is a neat feature but when ios5 comes out next month it will be old news.  Don’t be an idiot and rush out to get this phone!!! Just wait a month for I5!! this thing feels and looks like a chinsy piece of crap!   The pentile display reminds of my treo from 5 years ago.  HD my A$$!!  Hey motrorola, did you compare your Sh*t display to the retina display and think that there was even a comparison???  Motorola is a JOKE!!! So is Android!!

    • Anonymous

      Ios 5 adds things that have been in Android for awhile come on hop of the apple teet atleast get the facts right. The iPhone will also only be 3g.

      • DroidDiggler

        I didnt say that ios5 was not adding features that android didnt already have…the FACT is, apple will do it right and not rush someP.O.S. to the market, ie, htc thunderbolt… there is no denying it…iphone is a superior product….i deal with vzwcustomers everyday bitching about their droids, not iphones…there is a reason the iphone has the highest retention rate….how bout them facts!?

      • Anonymous

        Google doesn’t make phones so how can you compare ios to android when you talk about the thunderbolt? The thunderbolt sucked because htc dropped the ball and added sense with a tiny battery. Google had nothing to do with that. Look at the nexus line they are pretty good sellers and not many returns. Those are stock google android experience so if you want to compare an iphone to them than ok but you can’t say the bugs are with stock android because it is the manufacturers skins(touchwiz,blur,etc) that cause most if not all the bugs. How about them facts!!

  • MGN

    lmfaooo…another justifiable phone@$299.00 on contract….they just get greedier and greedier…they can swipe the bozak for that price….its even under speced for whats in store the next few months..what a f..ckng joke…carry on plz…

  • Anonymous

    Looks like a pretty cool phone to me dude.
    web-privacy.it.tc

  • Boy1der

    Has anyone noticed that this Bionic is not the same Bionic Motorola showed at CES?

    • kdevil

      I think that is a good thing

    • Anonymous

      Yes, the bionic they showed will be updated slightly and released as targa, this is a brand new device with an older revealed name.

  • kdevil

    I ordered mine last night .. cant wait to get my hands on it.. already says shipped…oh boy oh boy oh boy..

    • kdevil

      And got the new every 2 discount of $100.00 so cost me $199.

  • Blahblah

    I say stop talking sh*t about a device you haven’t even used.  The haterade is selling well today.  This is a sick device, and moto’s skin isn’t bad.  The performance on this thing is amazing.

  • Blahblah

    I say stop talking sh*t about a device you haven’t even used.  The haterade is selling well today.  This is a sick device, and moto’s skin isn’t bad.  The performance on this thing is amazing.

  • Richard M. Schmidt

    For those of us who dont work behind a desk all day, in other words not afraid to get dirty, dont even bother talking to me about a phone that doesnt have gorilla glass. Having said that. This phone better whoop the pants off the joke that was the droid x2. to be continued….

  • Mart

    What are you all complaining about? It’s a real good phone. Get off your high horse being an authority about nothing. You have an opinion…so……

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