What Android phone should I buy? - General Questions and Answers

Hi guys
Selling my HTC Touch2 on eBay, I hated it tbh. It was slow, kept freezing etc, so I'm gonna switch to Android.
I'm looking to spend about £180 - £200, though it can stretch as my birthday is in 6 days , so I'd say a maximum of £250 (less is better of course).
What phone do you think I should get? I'd love a Nexus One but I probably couldn't even get a used one for that price.
Any suggestions?
Thanks

Related

Is the Polaris a big upgrade to the Artemis?

Hi
I want to upgrade my XDA Orbit (Artemis) to the XDA Orbit 2 (Polaris / Cruise).
However when comparing the two PDAs i see that theres not much difference... I already have TouchFlo on my Artemis, got navigation software, memory is not a problem, etc.
The only things that are new is the hard flush screen, the 3MP camera, 3G and...er...thats all i can think of!
So anyways my main question is, those people who have upgraded from the artemis to the polaris, is it worth paying £150 (or $300) for those few extra features? Is there anything I should know that makes the polaris significantly better than the artemis?
Thanks...
100% faster CPU.
More memory is always better for performance and it has 100% more memory too.
Also, given that all the cool apps are included in ROM in means even more memory is free to boost performance.
& you can sell it on eBay for approx. £350 if you arn't impressed.
Yh on eBay they are selling for huge amounts of money... £350
I recently bought a 22 inch monitor for my computer. I spent £140.00 on it but now I think its time I sold that along with my XDA Orbit and bought a XDA Orbit II.
They don't look as nice with the silver front. Why didn't O2 keep it black ;( Lol
The speed is a bonus aswell, I don't know why they used a 200Mhz processor for the orbit 1? Thats just really stupid in my opinion, just makes the PDA...well slower lol especially when it was the latest PDA of its time and the previous ones had like 400Mhz processors. It makes it stand out, but not in a good way.
Anyway I will try to sell my orbit to friends and not on eBay because on eBay they go for really cheap now!
As for the monitor I'll try get that sold....man I really regret buying it in the first place now, i bought it weeks before the orbit 2 was released - the money i was saving TO BUY the orbit 2! I just got impatient lol...
Does anyone know where I can get an orbit 2 for £300 ? or can anyone predict when they will dramatically fall in value on eBay (and start selling for like...£280-£320)
Thanks!
(P.S. - "& you can sell it on eBay for approx. £350 if you arn't impressed." -- I doubt i wouldnt be impressed with a PDA like that lol
My single reason for the upgrade from P3300 to Polaris was iGo 8 Try to run this one on a 200 Mhz CPU with 64 MB RAM. It's unusable. On the Polaris it rocks
Last but not least: The Polaris IS much faster even than Meschle's fastest ROMS for the P3300 And that with stock ROM. I can't imagine how much bigger the difference will get when Meschle gets a Polaris
Well the 3G sold it for me! But the faster processor and extra memory were plusses too.
Yh his ROMS are fast and if the factory Polaris ones are fast... pheeww.... thats gonna be lightning LOL
Just took a look at eBay - If I were to sell my Artemis i'd get about £135-£145 UK Pounds (one UK Pound is two American Dollars).
A massive decrease from when I last bought it. They have just plumetted in value... should I try to sell my Artemis A.S.A.P. and get what I can from it and not have a PDA for 2-3 months (to wait for the value of the Polaris to decrease) and then buy the Polaris?
I can try get about £180 for it from friends - some are not aware of the massive price decrease LOL.
Ok just gave my XDA Orbit 1 (HTC Artemis) to my friends dad who is going to try it out for a few days. If he likes it, he will pay £180 for it!
Wish me luck! Hope that it doesn't break or somehow mess up and that hes pleased with it and wants to buy it! I regulary see my friend and his dad and if he buys it and then something goes wrong hes going to come to me with the questions!
Yas

[Q] One S worth ~$200 more than Sensation?

Some rumors place the price at around $200-$230 for T-Mobile. Considering I got the Sensation 4G for free a few days ago (and S-offed/installed ICS), I am trying to decide if it will be worth returning it and getting the One S for $200 within my 30 day return window...
As far as I can tell, the benefits over a S-off Sensation would be:
(1) SAMOLED screen
(2) Faster processor - S4 @ 1.5Ghz > S3 @ 1.5Ghz
(3) 42Mbps Internet
(4) Thinner
These things worth $200 more...?
Downsides:
(1) No removable battery
(2) Non-expandable 16GB storage
It seems like we can't get the Micro-arc oxidation version till June, and that is past my return window. I can also get Sense 4.0 on my Sensation, but thats not a big selling point for me anyway.
My girlfriend has the Sensation XE and its a nice phone, has the beats audio headphones if your into that which are worth £80 in the UK. It is a fair bit fatter and the screen doesn't seem as nice. I'm sure you can flash it to sense 4 as well.
To be honest the deciding factor is what you'll be using the phone for?
Will you be doing anything on it that will really push the more powerful processor? Does the form factor bother you?
How about camera? Thats better also.
I love new tech so i'd say yes go for it. Others who wont see the benefit of the new toys i'd say possibly not.
mardon85 said:
I love new tech so i'd say yes go for it. Others who wont see the benefit of the new toys i'd say possibly not.
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This. And the One S looks waaay better ^^
The One S is a slight upgrade over the Sensation. If you can get it for 200.00 on contract I think it would be worth it.
Sent from my HTC Incredible S using xda premium
I'm usually not hunting for the latest and greatest, so if I pay $200-230 on contract (which is high-end as far as contract prices go), I expect a phone with almost every new feature. If the One S had a 720p screen and NFC and perhaps expandable (or more) memory, I could see it. Sure there are trade-offs with thinness and the like, but if I pay that much, I would want the factors most important to me to be considered. After a certain thinness I don't care much more. 10-11mm is plenty thin. Hell, make the One S thicker and give me more battery life any day (a la Droid RAZR MAXX).
I think I've decided for me (since I'm not a tech junkie) the $200 premium won't be worth it. If my phone is free (like my current Sensation) I can forgive it for lack of 42Mbps speeds and the occasional slow down.
Now if the One S goes on sale or has a rebate bringing it $100-120...
Maybe I'm just cheap, or don't put much value in the latest gadgets
P.S. Apparently Costco will give me 90 days to exchange my phone! Might be a chance of a sale on the One S within 90 days. Hell, the black MAO'zed version may even come out by then.

[Q] Looking for advice on a new phone

I hate to admit it but while playing Cytus it really hit me that my phone is quite dated. I also think it's about time I look outside of the carriers store and purchase a phone online. That being said I would like to get the best bang for my buck in terms of what I buy thus I would like some advice.
I don't want to spend any more than $350 on a phone (including shipping); used / refurb is fine. Looking to get the best phone I could get and the only real requirement is the phone has to have at least a 4" screen (which should be an issue).
I was looking on ebay.ca and found a white HTC Evo 3D for $345 with shipping. From what I've seen of the specs it looks like a decent phone except for the battery life. Considering picking it up as the listing closes in 3 days.
Any phone suggestions? Also is that Evo 3D a good deal?
Edit: Found a used black unlocked Galaxy SII locally for $380... good deal?

Should I still buy the OPO?

Hi!
Well, I got a Samsung Galaxy S4 as a gift and as much as I appreciate it, I'm not a fan of the Samsung brand because of their build quality (it improved in those 2014-end devices but I'm talking about the GS4). The GS4 is being sold by the main stores at 399€ so I'm planning to sell it for 320€/350€, buy the OnePlus One and even buy a case/skin for it.
Well, trading the GS4 for the OPO is a no brainer but I am thinking in selling the GS4, get the money and save it to spend it later on a better 2015 phone.
What should I do? Should I buy the OPO, should I buy another device or should I wait? I would buy the OPO without a doubt if it was some months before but after hearing all the confusion between OnePlus and Cyanogen, CM12s being promised to around this date and still being unreleased... Should I wait for a possible "OnePlus Two"? Should I buy a Nexus device? (I currently own a Galaxy Nexus)
I need some advice
You won't get $350 for your s4, check swappa.com for me easy place to sell and to get a realistic idea of what you'll get for yours. I've had a lot of phones and the 1+1 is far and away my favorite. Dev community is excellent, hardware is top notch, great speakers, beautiful screen, awesome battery life, it's really does everything perfectly. How long do you typically keep your devices, though? If you want to keep your next phone for more than a year, I'd say to wait and see what 2015 flagships bring.
Without a doubt if your interested, buy the phone! I've recently bought a Nexus 6 and the OPO is still one of my favorite phones of all time even compared to the Nexus 6!
xxBrun0xx said:
You won't get $350 for your s4, check swappa.com for me easy place to sell and to get a realistic idea of what you'll get for yours. I've had a lot of phones and the 1+1 is far and away my favorite. Dev community is excellent, hardware is top notch, great speakers, beautiful screen, awesome battery life, it's really does everything perfectly. How long do you typically keep your devices, though? If you want to keep your next phone for more than a year, I'd say to wait and see what 2015 flagships bring.
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Nah man, I can sell it for 350/320€ without a problem. Here in Portugal mobile contracts are rare, 95% of the population buys the phones carrier locked (which means we can only use that carrier's SIM cards in our phones) and the devices are expensive. GS4 is being sold at 399€ new in the big carriers so I can sure sell it for less 50 or 80 euros.
I have my Galaxy Nexus for almost 3 years and I don't change my devices often, maybe 3 to 4 years. I also can't spend over 500€ on a device so I don't have wallet for a HTC or a LG or a high end Samsung (even though they aren't the best price/quality choices, I'm just stating xd).
I would be sad if I bought the OnePlus One today and June or July comes and "OnePlus Two" comes at the same price, with better specs and the CM12s. But I don't also want to wait until OnePlus decides do reveal or not a new device. That's why I'm asking here, to know the thoughts of the ones who bought the OPO since they sure are better informed than me.
Definitely get it. I had motorola, samsung, nexus etc I even had the LG G3 before coming to the 1+. I love it, hands down the best phone I have owned and I wouldn't get rid of it till it is properly dead.
Rayaxe said:
I would be sad if I bought the OnePlus One today and June or July comes and "OnePlus Two" comes at the same price, with better specs and the CM12s. But I don't also want to wait until OnePlus decides do reveal or not a new device. That's why I'm asking here, to know the thoughts of the ones who bought the OPO since they sure are better informed than me.
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Well then you will be sad:
http://www.knowyourmobile.com/mobile-phones/oneplus-two/22384/oneplus-two-release-date-specs-rumours
EniGmA1987 said:
Well then you will be sad:
http://www.knowyourmobile.com/mobile-phones/oneplus-two/22384/oneplus-two-release-date-specs-rumours
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I wouldn't be sad, theres always going to be the 'next' follow up phone, even if you buy the 'newest' it doesnt take long for a successor to come along or at least the rumours. With the Oneplus One you are still getting great value for money, stable CM11S, CM12S due shortly (definitely), along with OxygenOS and lot of other custom ROMs to pick from. Not to mention the obvious like nexus-easy bootloader unlock and root.
You can also now get a OPO relatively easy, plenty of invites knocking about or just purchase directly every Tuesday. I imagine its going to be pretty hard to get hold of an invite for the Oneplus Two when its released, as I'm guessing it will be invite only for the first while, so factor that into your thoughts around waiting time/availabilty.
I've had the Galaxy S4, HTC One M8 and Nexus 5 all within the last 5 months and overall the OPO is better than them all. Theres no added bloat, no difficulty/warranty issues unlocking the bootloader, solid stock CM and as many custom ROMs as you like and the battery life is fantastic. In terms of the nexus 5, its basically a nexus 6 for those who were underwhelmed by the nexus 6, in terms of large (without being too large) screen, great battery life (non 2k screen), decent camera and very reasonable price.

[Q] Still worth getting?

I'm looking at picking up a phone on a budget and the Nexus 5 is a definite contender from just looking around. Reviews and such are great, but they're mostly just yapping about specs and not actually telling me if it's good or not. That's why I'm asking here, finding out from the people who know the phone best!
So, is it worth it at this point? Is the lack of an SD card slot as irritating as I would assume? For those with multiple devices, is there another phone you can compare it to?
Thanks.
Lg g2 is cheaper at $209 usd
dicecuber said:
Lg g2 is cheaper at $209 usd
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I'm getting a phone on a contract, so the Nexus 5 is $0 on a 2 year contract from Virgin Mobile. They have the LG G3 too (no G2 any more, but that's okay) for $0 as well but I'd have to pay for a more expensive plan. Broke life bites, but everybody needs a phone, and I'm never home so a land line is useless to me lol.
id say that if you are like me, a college student, and dont use your phone for about 3 classes a day plus an hour worth of driving, then the nexus 5 is definitely worth it and the battery can be ignored. If you use your phone like a desktop then id look elsewhere, i can pack out amazing battery life on my n5 but compared to other phones that get the job done at no extra battery cost, those are worth it.
The n5 is still a beast phone and i will keep it till it dies even though i can go get the lg g2 from my mom and just swap sim cards, plus she wants my phone cause its a tad smaller, but i love my nexus. something about it just cant be replaced.
1+1 is a nice option too
It's amazing how well the N5 has held up this late in its life. I have an N5, a 2014 Moto X, and an iPhone 6 and the N5 still gets used at least as much as the other two. I have a tendency to buy a new phone every 6 months or so, selling the old one to pay for the new. I've NEVER made it past the year mark with any phone other than the N5, and we are well past a year now. There's just something about it that still compels me to use it, and I'll certainly never sell it. So you ask if it's still worth it? Absolutely.
Ditto, the Nexus5 is a Rock Star!
Definitely worth getting of you can find one. The play store is sold out I believe. You can try your local Craigslist, even better on swappa.
Edit: Virgin Mobile is selling. nexus 5's on contract?? How??
Sent from my 1+1
Another vote for yes. Like metalhead, I've never been happy with an Android device for even a year, until my N5. Bought at release, and if I didn't shatter the screen a month back, would still be using. As is I'm on a moto x 2014, and while I do like the phone, and it really is a better phone, I'd still almost prefer to be using the N5.
As for no SD, I buy everything in 32GB and find I always have plenty of storage space for my needs.
I will agree the battery was pretty bad, but as I'm not a heavy user I never had a problem making it through a day on a charge.
I've had this since December 2013. No intentions of changing!
Support wise, custom Roms etc........ its hard to beat a Nexus device.
I would say N5 is still a very worthy choice:good: at the right price.
I recommend buying new. The warranty is so worth it.
Never buy used nexus 5's simply because there will always be something you might have issues with and no warranty :/
One note. You can't compare a 1+1 to a nexus 5. One is a phablet the size of my face and the other is a phone with a nice size display. The 1+1 is only 2mm shorter and narrower than the nexus 6....just to put it in perspective. Its a great phone but there are a huge risk to buying it.
I recommend buying like a small 2000mah battery pack that's the size of 2 flash drives and carrying that with you in your car or something. Just in case.
Is the nexus 5 worth the 350-400$? Yes.
Just got my sister a moto g 2014, looked at the specs, and they are exactly HALF of the n5, so if we do math, 203$ for the moto x2 = 406$.
---------- Post added at 12:13 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:10 PM ----------
And 1 more thing
Light user: you use your phone mostly after the work day, and then you don't use it too much. You should have around 75% by the end of the day (my experience).
Heavy user, you have plenty of free time or you need your phone 24/7 cause you have your own business, you will be charging your phone around 4-5pm if you wake up at 6am.

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