Hands on with the Motorola Droid Bionic

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The Motorola Droid Bionic is not your basic black slab, all appearances to the contrary. It's a Droid, dammit, and when it's ready for mass consumption -- the demo units here at CSE were unfinished -- it's gonna be a speedster that might even make you Droid Incredible fans think about switching.

It's got a dual core 1GHz processor atop Android 2.2, a 4.3-inch QHD screen, a full 1GB  512 MB of RAM -- oh, and how about LTE data? Not too shabby, eh.

The units we saw were a tag buggy, but they'll connect to your TV just fine. No release date or pricing was announced. Check the pics after the break.

Update: A bit of conflicting information out there got us curious -- the specs above are verified, per the official Motorola Mobility press release.

Phil Nickinson
Phil Nickinson
45 Comments
  • Was it confirmed that it has 512MB of ram? Dual Core?
  • Yeah it only has 512MB of RAM unfortunately. I reached out to Motorola and that's what they told me, even though their website still shows 1GB. Makes me sad that the Atrix has 1GB and this doesn't.
  • How's that screen look? Comparable to the iphone4?
  • Are the four icons at the bottom of the screen the new motoblur interface? It seems like they're replacing the green/blue interface
  • So it's an LTE Droid X - Same specs and everything, except a nicer screen? Not understanding the point. Looks nice and all but really? This is 2011.. No dual core? None of the nice new hardware features? 512 ram? My Droid 2 has 512 ram.. after OS and bloatware there is hardly any left. With barely any widgets and a live wallpaper, 1ghz and 512 is SCREAMING for more umph.
  • The droid bionic is actually a dual 1ghz phone
  • http://twitter.com/#!/MotoMobile/status/22834209693368320 Definitely 512 MB of RAM :-(
  • This is really ghetto...I can't wrap my mind around it. It obviously is feasible to have 1 GB RAM, since they literally just announced a phone with it. So I can't grasp why the difference in hardware. Did Verizon say, "No...it is TOO POWERFUL!!!", and scrap the extra 512? Sad panda.
  • Whats happening is that Verizon and Motorola are turning into Apple. "Lets keep making as many phones as we can that are missing 1 key feature each so we can make these stupid consumers keep buying new phones that are not top of the line. Then eventually we MAY make 1 phone with all of the most advanced current specs and make them all get a new phone again!!!" examples:
    droid X2 - no 4g
    droid charge - no duel core
    droid 3 - no 4g
    now, bionic - 512mb ram (how stupid) Key tech specs already available in other carriers on a single phone
    -4g,
    -duel core (up to 1.2ghz)
    -1gb ram
    -3d tech (dont care much for this)
  • Wait wait wait...what?! The website said dual core, 1GB of RAM. And now people are saying single core and 512 MB? What is going on? If it is true that it is single/512, why is Verizon getting pimp slapped by AT&T?
  • It has dual core Tegra 2 processor and 512mb RAM I just saw the internal at Verizon. ;)
  • i`m an HTC dude so can someone tell me does this thing has the sucky MotoBlur? i can`t tell from the Pics :/
  • new and improved phil blur
  • Ya this is very confusing since motorola's site state dual core 1mhz and 1 g of ram not to hit till Q2. This article contradicts an earlier article. Can't be 512m and single core for a Q2 phone
  • It's not a single core processor it is the dual core Tegra 2 clocked at 1ghz per core so don't freak out just yet, but it does have 512mb of RAM. Kinda sad the ATT has more RAM but the Verizon has a bigger screen than the ATT from what I have read. I just saw the official at work so thats straight from Big Reds mouth.
  • So, early January and it is still buggy. How long does it take to work bugs out and then mass produce them for public consumption?
  • I will be kissing my Droid X goodbye on the day this bad boy goes on sale.
  • yeah correction- it has a dual-core processor; not just 1 ghz and i am pretty sure that it has 512 mb of ram BUT the moto site does still say 1 gb really though -- no gingerbread guys? dont pull a sony/dell
  • It even says 1gb ram above and at Motorola's website. As many mistakes Verizon has been making on there website, I'd believe Motorola over Verizon on info.
  • i hope you're right.
  • the paragraph blurb on motorola's website says 512
  • I thought HTC was going to be the first 4G phone on VZW?
  • This moto phone isnt due out till Q2. The HTC ads do say the first to 4G again so it might drop sooner on VZW. gonna have to wait and see when VZW has its turn on the stage at CES. i know i will be watching it closely.
  • I have a feeling THIS is the Droid that might explode in your ear, I swear to god these things are looking more and more like ticking time bombs, dual core just seems very... meh I would like dual core in Tablet though, that seems more stable. I don't see a serious need for dual core, when they are treating a 1ghz froyo running full QWERTY keyboard Android devices as ENTRY LEVEL.
  • Is anyone else thinking that they aren't releasing the dock for the bionic to avoid competing with their Xoom tablet?
  • With dual core phones, how is the heat factor? Won't it over heat pretty easily.
  • 2nd Q/2011 running FROYO w/Blur? WTF? No way I'm trading in my Droid OG on my last New Every Two for a phone with a locked bootloader that's not rocking Gingerbread!
  • The Droid X,a phone barely alive.Gentlemen,we can rebuild it....make it better than it was.Faster...Stronger...
  • Locked bootloader will equal a big fail for me. Maybe they have changed....Learned my lesson with the X, should have kept the OG Droid. Glad to see so many options to Motorola now. Maybe if they see a high churn rate with people upgrading to non Motorola Droids, they might just learn something. C'mon HTC, what else you got?
  • Locked bootloader will equal a big fail for me. Maybe they have changed....Learned my lesson with the X, should have kept the OG Droid. Glad to see so many options to Motorola now. Maybe if they see a high churn rate with people upgrading to non Motorola Droids, they might just learn something. C'mon HTC, what else you got?
  • How can they give the Atrix (AT&T) a NVIDIA Tegra dual core processor and not specify that on the Bionic (Verizon)? I'm holding out for an NVIDIA Tegra dual core processor on Verizon that it may look like HTC is going to provide. Very disappointing.
  • Why is the ATT version better? boooo
  • It's a bone and ATT needs one.
  • lol, nah verizon threw em a bone with the windows phones, they can keep their sh$@y windows phones and well rock their world with android. honestly the atrix doesn't have REAL 4G. it may be a spec frankenstien, but i refuse to call at&t's hspa+ 4G. i think i'm getting this phone pending that the prices for 4G aren't jacked way the hell up by its release.
  • It's kinda hard to tell from the pics but can you confirm that the Bionic is shorter and narrower then the X? From the pics it sorta looks like its much shorter and a bit narrower. Obviously it is thicker but I am sure the 30% larger battery and LTE radio are the cause of that. Also is it lighter too due to the greater use of plastics over metal?
  • Meh... No Gingerbread and no 1 gig like the Atrix. Right now the LG 2X is looking like the handset of choice if it comes to VZW.
  • So this is Verizon's next Flagship yet half of the specs are wrong! It isn't using the Tegra 2 as originally stated when the video over on Droid-life.com clearly states it has a TI processor and now it isn't 1GB but 512MB. How did this happen when AT&T is getting the Atrix with 1GB of memory and a Tegra 2 processor along with the exclusive Webtop thing? Unless the Atrix specs are wrong as well I am truly disappointed with both Verizon and Moto, this would barely be a worthy upgrade from my Droid X other than the LTE.
  • It has Tegra 2 dual core processor, with each core running at 1GHz. allow me to do the math.....thats a total of 2GHz, plus verizon's 4G versus at&t's HSPA+ which I refuse to call real 4G the 1 GB of ram isn't a huge deal, it would be a nice addition but even with just the 512MB of ram this thing would still blow the Atrix out of the water any given day.
  • lets calm down everyone. this isnt the only phone being released on VZW that is coming out of CES. Lets see what VZW conference says and what HTC has in store. Im looking forward to that.
  • I don't see what the big deal here about the phone not having the Tegra 2 in it is all about. Many of Motorola's Verizon phones have had TI processors in them like the Droid X for example. Some of TI's dual core processors (OMAP™ 4 Platform) are really nice if you ask me. I would love to see a Motorola phone on Verizon LTE sporting an OMAP4440 and at least 1GB of memory plus all the camera and other nice things this chip supports. The info on the chips can be found at: http://focus.ti.com/general/docs/wtbu/wtbuproductcontent.tsp?templateId=...
  • Looks like the phone to get and switch from AT&T to Verizon for better internet coverage. I really like it with bigger screen than the Atrix, higher battery capacity & more resolution than the HTC Thunderbolt.
  • Bye Bye Droid X, HELLO Droid BIONIC !!!!
  • I was able get quadrant on it via tether at the moto booth. Pulled a 2800 bone stock. Was very impressed with the speed. Has the new boot logo and other blur differences. I think ill trade my DroidX in when I can.
  • i have the moto droid OG and it has been the best phone ive ever had....i will be waiting at the store for it to come out, should be beast. but hope they still decide to put the 1 gig of ram in it.....but i still believe it will have the dual core though...come on motorola, show us what you got!
  • I am an HTC fan and upgraded to the Thunderbolt. Will have it on Tuesday. Patiently awaiting its arrival. I don't like Samsung or Moto products. It is a personal preference.