When the amazing peep’s over at Collective Bias asked me to do a little research on this new Motorola Bionic phone – I was super excited to put it to the check it out, and see if it could push me to upgrade my current phone. My current phone is my very first smartphone – {how did I ever live without mobile internet, seriously??} – but already, I’m getting ready for something new and exciting. So – if you’re in the market for a new phone, or shopping for a gift this season – follow me as I learn about the Bionic by researching online and browsing in-store….

Motorola.com Research

Obviously, my first stop in researching was the Motorola website – they’re the experts, right? The site is super user friendly, and had a ton of info to give me a really good basic overview of the Bionic – it’s got a bigger touchscreen than my current phone, a longer battery life {super important for a blogger on-the-go like me!} and a super sweet 8 mega pixel camera. Since I do a ton of product reviews, having a great camera on my phone is such a helpful tool. And I hear that the Bionic takes some pretty amazing video too. It’s sounding like a really good option for me so far….

Heading to Verizon Wireless

Time to head into my local Verizon store – to get some hands-on action with this phone. I love online shopping: it’s easier, usually cheaper, and way less stressful than heading out to the stores this time of year. But there are some things that are hard to judge by online pictures alone – Like a new swimsuit or pair of skinny jeans, the only way to know if this phone is truly the right fit for me is to try it out in person.

Action Time

As I approached the front door, I could see that this place was packed!! Even so, I was greeted right away, and directed over to the Motorola Bionic quickly. The sales guy didn’t really have a ton of info to share, but that was ok, since I already knew a ton about this phone, and what I really needed was just to get it into my hands. Unfortunately, they didn’t let me take any pic’s inside the store, so I can’t show you it in use. Here’s what I thought though: It’s pretty impressive looking – really sleek, great design. Right away you notice some great differences that set it apart from other phones – the screen is really large and full, and super clear. And it is fast! The pages load about twice as fast as they do on my current phone. That is a HUGE improvement. But, the price is pretty high – without a contract it’s almost $600, and even with a 2-year agreement, it’ll run you close to $300. Since my current phone is still pretty new, it’d take some pretty impressive features to make me pay that much to switch right now. More research needed….

Next Stop – The Valley Mall

My next stop was the Verizon Wireless kiosk in the mall. I loved that it was totally quiet there {surprising this time of year} – and that meant that the guys working were able to help me without being rushed. They said that the Bionic has been one of their most popular phones, and it has had almost no complaints after purchase, which is pretty impressive to me. I used to manage that PacSun store you see behind this kiosk, and I know that people love to come back and complain about their phones. Knowing that the Bionic customers are really satisfied with their purchases is pretty impressive to me.

Motorola Bionic Review

I love this video… {Can’t see the video? Check it out on YouTube} – It explains in plain talk how the Motorola Bionic compares to other smart phones. This really helped me to realize the value of the phone, and why it might be worth the money to upgrade. The main point that stuck with me is that, while the Bionic might be a teeny bit bulkier than other phones, its speed, power, and features make it more comparable to a tablet – but it’s smaller and more portable than a tablet. That makes the Bionic a seriously awesome phone!!

Conclusion

Well, the Motorola Bionic has really impressed me. The speed, the camera and video capabilities, and the battery life are all exactly the type of upgrades that I’ve been looking for. BUT- they’re not enough to make me upgrade quite yet. But – when my contract is up this spring, this phone is at the very tip-top of my list. I really need an all-in-one gadget to have on me at all times, and this sounds like the perfect fit for me. To see my full shopping experience, check out my Google+ story too!

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{Disclosure: This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. All ideas, opinions, and photos are entirely my own.}