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Is Verizon Passing on the Droid Bionic in Favor of the Motorola Targa? [RUMOR]

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Let’s dust off the name Droid Bionic, it’s a handset we haven’t talked about much since it was initially unveiled at CES this January past. About the only time the dual-core handset slated for Verizon comes up is when discussing rumored release dates, or word that those rumored release dates have been delayed. This latest news isn’t about a release date or delay, though. According to an insider posting over at HowardForums, the Motorola Droid Bionic might have been scrapped altogether.

Word is the handset is being passed over in favor of the Motorola Targa, a phone we only heard of recently when images of the mysterious device surfaced. A reliable tipster of our own is backing up the claim. We don’t know a whole lot about the Targa, but it’s a safe bet it most isn’t ready for a May launch. If the Droid Bionic is indeed cancelled don’t expect the Targa to show up anytime before late summer, leaving an absence of a dual-core handset on Big Red. Unless, of course, the upcoming Droid X2 rocks a dual-core chip as was recently suggested, making it a suitable placeholder for the time being.

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72 Comments

  1. This phone looks sweet hopefully it is stock android and none of that blur crap.

    1. The new MotoBlur is not to bad actually. I tried the new 2.3.3 OTA for the droidX and I like it. Has a new look, and a fresh feel. I wouldn’t be upset if it came with it

    2. Guess it makes sense you would think this was a sweet device. You must not have nothing else going for you. You love old out dated devices with no future or even opportunities for updates. This is perfect for you actually you don’t deserve anything better espically if your on verizon

      1. I’d be fine with my droid x for another 3 years if it would last that long. It’s a phone, it browses the web, it plays music, it plays games and it does all this while still getting pretty good battery life.
        The latest and greatest is always cool but never really needed.

        What good is a dual core phone going to do for you? or more ram? If you have a good answer then power to you but I doubt you do.

      2. Mr. Yarrell….let me enlighten you on a few things. All carriers have new phones that come out & then are obsolete within months…sometimes even weeks. Remember HTC, Motorola, Samsung all provide phones for each carrier so they’re always trying to out do the other. Verizon is just the all around leader & here is a couple of reasons why. 1) Verizon IS & always has been the most dependable network available.2) Verizon’s line up of upcoming phones is not to be taken lightly…there are a slew of phones coming out on Verizon that will be hard to beat(I can think of 5 or 6 right off the top of my head.).3) Verizons 4G LTE network slaughters the Wimax & HSPA+ of Sprint,Tmobile & AT&T, If you don’t believe that just watch the speed test comparisons on Youtube.4)The all around coverage that Verizon offers is still unmatched. I will admit that Verizons 3G network is slowing down but lets face the facts…when you have that many people on one network (Yes, Verizon is the largest wireless network,this may change a bit with the AT&T/Tmobile merger but I doubt it will make much difference) its bound to slow down. As far as dependability…well…read the reviews. Verizon’s prices maybe a little steeper than other carriers but the way I see it…you get what you pay for. Anyway…in the next couple of years 3G will be dead. I mean no disrespect but seriously man…anybody who has been with Verizon for any amount of time will tell you “Big Red Is the envy of all wireless companies. Oh & by the way…Motorola has a few tricks up it’s sleeve as well…they are making they’re big come back & Verizon is backing them. By now I guess everyone knows that the Droid Bionic is not cancelled but instead delayed due to receiving enhancements. I assume this is to make sure it is a healthy competitor to the upcoming IPhone 5 release.

  2. Yeah having the Bionic and Droid X2 didn’t really make much sense to me. If they make the X2 LTE, then there is no point to having the Bionic.

    1. I used to think the Bionic and DX2 were too similar but the DX2 will probably cost $100 less and only be 3G so there’s room for a moto 4G $299 phone and moto 3G $199 phone. I seriously doubt the bionic is being scrapped. I’m sure moto wants some of the 4G phone money that’s out there.

      1. yeah I’m sure they do, but their biggest selling point on the phone was the dual core processor it’s supposed to have… and if they cant get that chip to work, then there is no reason to release it. That’s my personal opinion. I’m sure they could figure out how to make any of their phones LTE, but I just hope if they do, they make their batteries last a hell of a lot longer than the thunderbolts battery does.

  3. NOOOOOOOO!!!!! I’ve been waiting for the Bionic for so long :(

    1. Seriously, I will jump out a window if this is true.

      1. please do…. it’s just a phone that will eventually become an old obsolete phone with time… please jump, we need one less moron in the world

  4. Where’s the damn Droid 3?? Hopefully adding LTE!

    1. Droid 3 isn’t due til Oct/Nov

  5. A question to also ask is if the Targa is replacing the Bionic would it have a qHD display similar to the Bionic. It is a nice resolution for that screen size and would be unfortunate if it lacked it. Although the Super AMOLED+ on the SGSII is beautiful, just wish it had a higher resolution. Either way, as long as this phone has LTE then it should be pretty darn good.

  6. And what were the specs rumored to be?

    That was all the Bionic had going for it.
    It was the Moto Atrix for the most part.

  7. Yeah maybe they can bring the Motorola Targa to market for 600 dollars on contract then convince us how fast it is because of LTE. Verizon devices are old news they need something to hang there hat on instead of these overpriced charges for 2010specs on 2011 devices. Bring something good to your android customers price wise for a change

    1. STFU Richard.

    2. No one but the innovators would be willing to pay $600 for a phone on contract. Try to use real world prices in your comments.

      1. Verizon needs to have REAL WORLD PRICES for there customers how bout that smart guy

        1. Yeah, that’s my point. Your “predicted” $600 price point is way too extreme. It isn’t even close to a real world price. Most phones are around $150-$250. The Charge is RUMORED to be $300, but it could be as simple as a typo. And given all the stuff these phones can do, they are basically pocket sized computers and, in my line of thinking, should be priced as such. Otherwise the manufacturers and carriers would be losing money. How bout that smart guy? Ever think of that?

          1. I think hes talking about the full retail price dude. Full retail is usually that high, $400-$600 give or take a hundred, where as the contract price is usually$150 to $249 for their “high end” phones.

          2. You have missed the point…The Charge is not WORTH 200.00 on contract..

        2. shut up foo

        3. dont be silly..you cant afford verizon….stick with cricket….homie

          1. cricket is better than verizon you fool

          2. Haha…alright buddy if you say so…

        4. It’s “their” not “there,” smart guy :)

    3. Damn dude you must have no life and really hate being stuck on sprint. You hope and pray that the EVO 3d with specs similar to phones that are coming out is going to lead the pack when sadly it wont. It will be like every other phone give it a few months then it is already behind the new products. Get something new to talk about or stick to articles that talk about your “daddy” sprint!

      1. The life I have is just fine,,,Wish I knew yours but I’m pretty sure your nothing special..And as far as the Htc Evo 3d you should have your SORRY butt on line when this device comes to market because it will simply be the best. Dont hate my friend participate

  8. Do like I did – get the ThunderBolt on a 1-year deal while you still can, so you lock in the unlimited data for $30, and pick up the Targa or a quad-core phone in 11 months.

    1. there is no more 1 year contracts

      1. There are until the 17th.

        1. Nope they got rid of them check the verizon site!

          1. The site stopped it, yes. But you can always call customer service or go to a Verizon store.

        2. unless you order online

  9. Bionic is coming out May 12th

    1. I got mine yesterday.

      1. And I can make fake accounts and post rumors too.

        1. mine isnt a rumor i have seen proof i am just not posting it on here because i could get fired

          1. *yawn* sure…

        2. So can I you faker!

      2. me too 0_0

    2. Thats interesting because its May 6th and.. im pretty sure its not coming out within the next week..

    3. YOU LIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  10. This is most likely the real droid x2. Look at it. The other is a fake in my mind. Come on guys!

  11. Perfect, I get my upgrade in August. I didn’t want a Moto phone but if it’s Kal-El powered then I’ll get it.

  12. there is no more 1 year contracts with verizon

  13. This has got to be one of the most rediculous rumors that I have read in the last 6 months. Not worthy of Phandroid.

  14. @Yarellray trollin’ much?

  15. The DX2 images we’ve seen don’t appear to have a front facing camera so I don’t think it will be LTE and don’t think it would step on the Bionic’s toes.
    The Bionic had a problem with RAM that made it a little less than an Atrix and had the potential to hinder it from working with the Atrix WebTop doc.
    Moto’s CEO said that Moto high end phones after June would all be WebTop capable. Maybe they are reworking the Atrix for that?
    Atrix with Webtop or Targa with Webtop, dual core, dual cam, 1GB RAM, MicroSD and the normal high end trimmings. Either should be fine. I don’t know that I’d count on either until June.

  16. The Droid X2 should just be the Targa…

  17. To those who complain about Verizon not having high end android, Verizon MADE HIGH END ANDROID. With the droid 1, Inc, X, so on and so fourth. They will bring the thunder soon enough.(no pun intended about the bolt)

  18. More proof the Atrix is a dud. They need to ditch Motorola altogether.

  19. Targa sounds more like an internal code name than a product name, and the images looks like a X styling. I think your sources’ imaginations are running away with them.

  20. Motorola isn’t scrapping the Bionic. This is one of the more ridiculous rumors I’ve heard in a long time. The Targa isn’t close to being ready so it makes sense to just let HTC, Samsung, and LG have the 4G market to themselves until November or December? No way.
    I don’t doubt there are issues resulting from the Bionic testing. Scrapping the phone altogether? Absurd. Now for the next 2 weeks Googling ‘Droid Bionic’ is gonna show nothing but a bunch of cancellation tweets. Great.

  21. Serious lulz! I hope this is true just so all the moto fanboys dissing the thunderbolt because ‘the bionic will be so much better’ ya right! Cuz a CDMA atrix with less ram won’t suck more than the real atrix. Once again serious lulz!

  22. Well. I guess I will wait. I will consider what is out when I see that unlimited data is going away and if I really care about that. I think I will refocus on buying a tablet first and a new device second. That HTC Evo 3d does look stunning, but Sprint needs to work the 4g issues out. I guess I am just going to have wait and see. Cause I don’t see myself buying a thunderbolt or a Droid Charge. It just sucks to be on Verizon right now. I am out of contract. I could jump to T mobile because they have the best line up of all but with a merger looming and lack of service. Well Lets up the Droid Targa comes sooner then later. Verizon needs to fire whoever is over all this because their line up has been put to shame.

  23. Is it just me, or does the front resemble the G2x?

  24. don’t forget about the dualcore galaxy s 2 from Samsung!

    1. You mean the one that keeps getting pushed back? Canada and South Africa are getting it before the US, for Christ sakes :( Was interested in the Bionic till I heard about this, but my plan is up soon and I need to pick something… Wish the US providers weren’t so lame about having their names engraved in the phones, causing them to be released months later (at least that’s what I read the deal is).

  25. 13mp af camera on Targa plus dual core 1gb ram. hmmm I think imma wait a while to get a new phone.

  26. I have an Uncle who works as a go between for Verizon and A secret government group. The Bionic isnt canceled but they are having a hard time with getting the Aliens who crashed in Roswell to part with their dna that powers the dual cores. They have had the same problem with the Thunderbolt. Thats why you see so many battery issues. Also , from what I understand every once in a while one of the dna powered batteries will explode creating a temporary black hole that devours all matter within 23 yards. Good news is that the aliens have provided a peanut butter like substance that you can use like spackling in filling the void. Takes a few days to harden and block 100 percent of the anti matter but after that its all good.

    1. Now, that was funny!

    2. Dam. You stole my movie plot!

  27. Penis

  28. Jusin, My understanding is… with 4g and the upload and download capabilities, youre going to really want that dual core processor. It would be like driving a high end sports car without a sport tuned supension or speed rated tires: even though the car could do 160 mph… you couldnt because the car is only as good as the suspension and handeling components.

  29. Wow. Everyone seems to know EVERYTHING there is to know about EVERYTHING. #1 Who cares. It’s a phone. The new processor will make battery life suck even worse than the smartphones now. #2 Anyone who uses a smartphone in place of a laptop or desktop computer is either on welfare or just plain stupid. Yes it’s nice to have a smartphone when you want to check things or get on the internet ON THE GO. But if you are sitting around your house (or job) constantly using your smartphone in place of a laptop or desktop to do anything…..stupid.

    This post didn’t have a point. And that bugs you. Oh wait, yes it did. Who cares? That was my point. Just felt the need to brush up on my typing skills.

  30. I’ve enjoyed Verizon’s dependability but they SUCK when it comes to product line up …. always seem to lag in terms of options

  31. yarrellray why do u have to talk shit to everyone when this is a discussion about cell phones and peoples thoughts on different products???? U must not have anything better to do… And cricket SUCKS, the worst phone company out there the only thing that they have going for them is their prices. The service and phones are bottom of the barrel…

  32. Kyle is a faggot.

  33. I seriously doubt that since the Bionic is practically consumer ready they would scrape it this late in production, from a business standpoint that is just plain dumb. Too much money was invested in that phone already. I have heard a late May release from a Verizon In-Store Employee, I am hoping because I usually upgrade my phone once a year and I am overdue for a new phone. Have had the Droid X since launch day.

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