Database Info

[Q] [POLL] Desire HD, Galaxy S, standard Desire or wait?

should i got for the desire HD with its poor battery life but blazing performance,
the galaxy S that feels like a toy and hope froyo (not in UK yet) fixes its problems,
or buy a desire with its (now) outdated processor but large and probably long lasting community support?
or should i just wait until something the size of the desire comes out with the processor from the desire HD?

only 1 vote and no replies? i feel unloved

It might just be me, but I don't trust Samsung with phones. As opposed to HTC, their phones feel like toys, and although they're sometimes more powerful, they're not supported for very long. Basically, it's bleeding edge (at least hardware-wise) vs quality. And by quality I mean not only build quality but also how long the device is supported for by the manufacturer and what you can do with it afterwards.
HTC phones are usually top-quality devices, the first to get rooted, have the best third-party interface (Sense) which btw can be removed. The Galaxy S phones are powerful, but Touchwiz adds no functionality when compared to Sense (which adds a LOT) and Samsung doesn't have a good track record of updating their phones often. Look at the Behold II. Look at the current US Galaxy S phones. It's the reason I chose an HTC Evo over a Samsung Epic (Galaxy S with a keyboard, dual cameras, and WiMax). On top of that the Galaxy S phones haven't even gotten 2.2 yet here in US and have a number of hardware issues, one being the GPS.
By no means am I saying the Galaxy S phones are bad, it's just that you'd get more out of an HTC device. My mother and sisters own the Samsung Intercept, which is supposed to be the successor to the Moment. It's in fact a downgrade in every way except the keyboard. But I'm not going to go into that. I say wait till Christmas or get a Desire HD.

Well right now I'll choose the Galaxy S phone because it's the best android phone right now but wait because in this times (November, December, January) alot of phones arrive and maybe a better one comes

As I hate the low resolution of AMOLED screens...
Desire HD
Desire
Galaxy S

Guide for choosing an Android phone

I'm putting together a general guide for people to choose an Android phone because increasingly, there are so many choices. This guide will likely be more focused on North American customers at the moment, because that is where I come from and have the most knowledge. This is not going to be completely comprehensive (impossible), but it will be intended to be a good starting point.
I will be updating this thread as new phones emerge and removing older devices.
What to look for when buying a new phone:
Write down all of the features you want. Then take a look at the phones available and the carriers. Remember that specs are not everything (ex: higher megapixel does not mean better camera and clockspeed does not mean faster CPU). Look at how good a carrier is, their coverage, their price, and the customer service. Am I roaming? What are the terms of the contract?
When choosing a phone, remember that each manufacturer will have their flaws:
- HTC: Expensive phones (when buying unlocked), poor battery life, and poor cameras. On the plus side, HTC has the best upgrade record of the Android makers, generally good build quality, and easy to mod (most amount of development at XDA as well), although not always prompt at releasing source code. They use mainly Qualcomm Snapdragon CPUs with Adreno graphics. They are known for their distinct "Sense" UI.
- Samsung: Samsung phones have worse build quality than HTC (they seem to be very fond of soft-touch glossy plastic that makes their phones, even their flagships feel cheap) and they have a bad rep for their slow updates. Samsung generally will have some of the best displays (that is their speciality, although their SuperAMOLED is over saturated), good specs overall (they are a massively integrated company and make most of the parts in their phones themselves). They are also prompt in releasing source code. Cameras are also decent on Samsung phones. They use a variety of different CPUs.
- Motorola: Motorola has good update speed on the American phones, but in the rest of the world, updates are poor. One alarming recent trend is their locked bootloaders, which make it hard to load custom ROMs. They have generally good audio and call quality, but cameras are average. One noteworthy thing is the colour accuracy on their screens is excellent. They use mainly TI's OMAP series of CPUs, although an Nvidia Tegra 2 phone is expected.
- LG: LG has had tough times recently, but seems to be turning around. I have not had a lot of experience with their handsets, but it seems that the build quality is decent, judging by their Optimus series. I look forward to seeing whatever variant of the Optimus 2X ends up in North America.
The next step would be to consider your budget. Low end phones are generally less than $250 USD/about 200 Euros (things are more pricey in Europe), midrange would make up about $250 - $400 USD (200 Euros to maybe 350 Euros), and anything greater than $400 would be considered high end. Higher end phones generally have better build quality, resolution, processors, cameras, and are faster at getting updates, not to mention features that low end phones often skimp on.
Globally: Worldwide, phones will vary significantly based on carrier, coverage, and choice. High end phones tend to come out uniquely for North America and the rest of the world. There are going to be way too many choices to mention here, but here are the ones that stand out. In most cases, I'd recommend getting a phone at least 480x320, becuase that is the resolution that Android was intended for.
- Samsung Galaxy S: Super AMOLED screen, it's own unique variant of the buttons, front facing camera, 5 MP 720p camera, and SuperAMOLED screen. This phone is hampered by no LED flash and defective GPS units.
- Samsung Galaxy Apollo: Mid-range Android phone (need more details)
- Samsung Galaxy Europa: Need details, but looks like low-end phone
- HTC Desire HD: Essentially an Android GSM variant of the HTC HD2 and the HTC Evo. It has a large 4.3" screen, a camera with dual LED flash, standard 4 button Android configuration, but no front facing camera. It's hampered by the poor battery life.
- HTC Desire Z: A smaller variant of the Desire HD with a lower end processor, keyboard, and a smaller screen. I'm not comfortable with the durability of the hinge, but otherwise, an excellent phone.
- HTC Legend: Successor to the HTC Hero, this is phone is a midrange phone and feels pretty snappy. My choice for a midrange phone.
- HTC Wildfire: Lower-end phone (320 x 240), small screen, and light
- Sony Ericsson X10: Currently Sony's flagship. Hampered by Sony's slow updates, and no multitouch. Low storage. On the upside, it has a pretty good camera and a high-res screen.
- Sony Ericsson X8: Pretty decent mid-range phone. Comparable to the HTC Legend in specs, but only has Android 2.1.
- Sony Ericsson X10 Mini: Somewhere in between the X10 and the X8. It's similar to the X8 in most cases and feels like a pretty good phone overall.
- LG Optimus: Well priced mid-range handset. Build quality is pretty good and comparable to the X8 and the HTC Hero.
- Motorola Milestone 2: High end handset, but Motorola's seems to be slower with their international updates
- Motorola Defy: Durable handset, mid-range specs, but stuck on Android 2.1
There are many, many cheap phones coming in from China and India that are too numerous to mention here. I'd recommend looking at reviews and examining what you think is reliable based off of your best judgment. Some nations also have their own phones that cannot be bought elsewhere, such as the Meizu M9 and Sharp's IS03.
The North American Market:
North America uses what is known as a subsidy model. The carriers buy the phones from the manufacturers, brand them (often with their own bloatware), and in the case of GSM carriers, apply a SIM lock. I recommend that if you live in North America, that you only buy a high end phone if you are going on contract. The cost of a high end phone (an extra $150-$250 + tax) is not significant relative to the life of the contract. I suppose that if you are buying lower end phones, you could consider something less potent.
LG Optimus is my recommendation for a low-end phone. An alternative are the low-end HTC devices, most notable the HTC Wildfire and HTC Aria. I anticipate that as Android gains more traction here, that we'll begin to see low end, prepaid Android phones within the $100 mark.
Canada (my home country):
The Canadian market is dominated by 3 carriers (Bell, Telus - which shares infrastructure with Bell, and Rogers, the largest). Three drawbacks that we Canucks face is the poor choice of smartphones compared to the US, the expensive data plans, and the 3 year contracts. On the upside, buying a phone unlocked is cheaper than Europe (all electronics are generally cheaper than Europe, but cheaper still than in the US). They all use GSM and HSPA+ at this point, with their phones unlockable and interchangeable.:
Bell:
- Samsung Galaxy S (dubbed "Vibrant", although it is an i9000). Be careful about upgrading to Froyo, bricked devices have been reported.
- Desire Z (your choice if you want a keyboarded phone - luckily, it can be bought and unlocked. At $500 CAD, it isn't a bad deal either)
Telus:
- Samsung Fascinate (GSM version of the Verizon phone)
- HTC Desire (Nexus One Clone)
- It is expected that the HTC Desire HD will come onto Telus in H1 2011
Rogers (best coverage of the three carriers, but poorest Android support):
- Samsung Captivate (i896 - buy this instead of the i897 if you're going off contract; it doesn't seem to have the lag or GPS problems, plus no bloatware)
- Acer Liquid E (cheaper alternative)
I recommend against buying the Dell Streak (poor build quality overall) and the X10 (poor updates). For Rogers particularly, every year, there is a 6gb data promotion that I recommend holding off and waiting specifically for.
United States:
Dominated by 4 carriers, plus a host of smaller CDMA carriers.
Verizon: Largest carrier, CDMA; going to LTE. They seem to have lots of Motorola phones.
- Motorola Droid X (large screen, no keyboard)
- Motorola Droid 2 Global (keyboard, good for world travel as it has a SIM slot, although the GSM SIM card doesn't work on AT&T)
- Motorola Droid Pro (like a Blackberry sized version of the Droid 2)
- Samsung Fascinate (Galaxy S with LED flash, but less storage, and standard Android key layout); Bing
- Samsung Continuum (smaller Galaxy S with a "ticker on bottom")
- HTC Droid Incredible (older phone now, still pretty good device that appears to be derived from Nexus One)
AT&T: GSM carrier; second largest in North America. Be advised that AT&T locks down their phones, allowing no apps from unknown sources. A custom ROM is recommended.
- Samsung Captivate: Variant of Galaxy S; no front facing camera, standard Android button layout
I mentioned that I would only recommend high-end phones, because for the duration of a contract, the extra initial price is not significant. I do not recommend choosing the Sony X10 over the Captivate. AT&T does have a host of lower end phones, such as the HTC Aria and Motorola Backflip.
Sprint: CDMA carrier; currently rolling out WiMAX in many cities (be aware that WiMAX phones carry and extra $10/month charge):
- Samsung Epic 4G (Galaxy S phone with keyboard and standard Android button configuration. WiMAX. Also has LED flash, but less storage. Arguably the best of the Galaxy S variants).
- HTC EVO (first WiMAX design): Qualcomm Snapdragon 1 GHz, 4.3" LCD screen, front facing camera.
Note that there is a significant drop in battery life with WiMAX enabled and that the high frequency of WiMAX can make it hard to get a reliable signal in some buildings and underground. Not all cities have WiMAX yet either.
Recall what I said about getting a high-end phone in North America.
T-Mobile: T-Mobile is also a GSM carrier, using mainly AWS banded phones. They were the first Android supporter.
- Samsung Vibrant (not be confused with the Canadian Bell version, this is a variant of the Galaxy S with the standard Android button configuration)
- Nexus S (I'd recommend in most cases that you get this instead of the Vibrant between the two due to fast upgrades, NFC, and gyroscope. On the downside, the concave screen is more fragile, there is no microSD, and no HSPA+).
- HTC MyTouch 4G (latest version of MyTouch, comes with a variant of HTC Sense, and a trackpad)
- HTC G2 (basically a variant of the Desire Z intended for the T-Mobile bands; unique to this variant is that it is close to stock Android)
- HTC Nexus One (aging now, and not available for sale, but an worthy mention as this is the phone that made this generation of phones happen)
Feedback and constructive criticism are always welcome.

sorry for bump, but what would you say is the best in the realms of prepaid-available phones?
note: i just got the optimus V from virgin mobile for cheap and have been playing with it, and am slightly dissapointed at it's quality, but impressed by virgin mobile's actual network service.

ICS phones?
Are there any ICS phones, I am fed up with hw buttons.

When it comes to phones use the tattoo theory. A good one ain't cheap, and a cheap one ain't good. I run on prepaid networks and after dealing with the craptastic phones now I just by any one I want that is GSM based and be happy.
The galaxy line has it burning am waiting till the quad core HTC is released. Hardware should start to slow down after that.

LukeQr said:
Are there any ICS phones, I am fed up with hw buttons.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe you can try more.

[Q] Help me pick a new phone (Htc Amaze vs Samsung s2)

I know there was a similar thread to this topic, but the thread was 9 days old and to me that's a big difference imo. So anyway, I'm stuck choosing either the samsung s2 or the htc amaze (both phones are the tmobile branded fyi) and i really like the build quality of the amaze and i heard the camera is better the s2 but i like the processor on the s2 even though the amaze has the same thing but the speed is almost similar and both of these phone way faster than my current phone (iphone 3g lol) and the screen of the s2 looks great but the amaze screen has more pixels. So right now i some advice on which phone is better, and please have some reason with your post, i dont want just a simple answer

samgung GSII is one of the best phones ever made. compare the specs list, look at some user reviews. i don't know the exact specs, so i can't say for why without a possible very large margin of error, but i do know the GSII is a better device.

These questions are always tricky, as much as you would hate to hear it, it comes down to personal preference..
Looking spec wise the processor of the Amaze is slightly faster (1.5ghz dual core vs 1.2ghz dual core) - The memory of the S2 can be exanded whereas I don't think the Amaze can be - Camera/Video quality is the same - Both have NFC support (Which is the next era of technology in my opinion) and the Amaze is being shipped with Gingerbread 2.3.4 I believe..
Sooo If you are looking spec wise and want the latest and greatest I would have to suggest the Amaze, I would prefer the S2 myself because all though it isn't quite as fast 1) I wouldn't notice the .3 ghz difference and 2) I prefer the squarer shape of the S2 as well as it being quite a lot lighter (Amaze=170grams vs S2 = 110grams).. But again that is my personal preference.. Heck I'm saving up to get a Nokia N9 over the S2, that's saying a few things about me.
Hope this has been of use,
MVP

im leaning towards the s2 and i was talking about the tmobile branded s2 not the international but thanks anyway

Why do you want the Nokia N9? Looked at the specs, doesnt look way better than the SGSII, am i missing the point?

Here are my thoughts:
-The Galaxy S II has a faster processor, running at 1.2ghz (Dual-Core). Overclockable (and stable) at 1.6ghz using a custom kernel here.
-The Galaxy S II has an AMAZING camera. VERY high quality and life-like. It's great!
-The Galaxy S II has the SAMOLD+ screen, which looks absolutely amazing. Simply put, extremely nice. When displaying the same picture on the Galaxy S II and the iPhone 4, the Galaxy S II just BLOWS the IP4(S) out of the water - not to mention it helps improve battery life.
-You should be safe if you drop the Galaxy S II: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elKxgsrJFhw

I looked at the specs of both galaxy S II and iphone 4s. Seems to me that iphone is much better. I have a captivate myself and plan to upgrade soon as well. If you have time, wait for something better to come along soon near thanksgiving or xmas break.

Rate the too 5 Sprint phones?

Curious if you had to rate top 5 sprint phones including Epic 4g touch how would you rate and why and the pro and cons of each.
As well as benefits of being unlocked as well as rooted too.

#1; Epic Touch 4G
#2; Nexus-S 4G ( with official ICS update )
#3; iPhone4S
#4; EVO-3D
#5; Photon 4G
Sprint Galaxy S2 Calk's 1.5a + ICS theme 1.6

1. iPhone 4S - better resolution than the Epic Touch, much better GPU, comparable CPU, better camera. iOS doesn't require the same level of tinkering as Android to get a really good experience.
2. Epic Touch - best Android hardware on Sprint, beats 4S in RAM and some display qualities but overall falls behind.
3. Nexus S 4G - a hair behind the Epic Touch when coupled with ICS. Not cutting edge hardware but ICS' hardware acceleration makes that a mute point and the GPU is still going strong. NFC/Google wallet is a plus. Sprint's most open Android phone and is easy to root and develop for.
4. EVO 3D - good hardware but Sense is a pig and the phone was a huge gimmick.
5. Photon / Arrive - Photon good hardware but nothing really all that amazing. The Arrive with Mango is a really good phone too.

Moved

My experience with different Galaxy S models

I want to share some experiences I have with the Galaxy S devices. It's a bit late to post this perhaps, old news even, since Galaxy S is no longer new and is only single core, but there are a few features that give these phones excellent value, especially for those who want to buy a phone out of contract and don't want to pay too much:
-Used ones can go for around $150, less if lucky
-Very easy and cheap to unlock
-Generally good battery life that can last whole day
-AMOLED screen, viewable under sunlight
-Good build quality (Gorilla glass)
-5MP camera takes decent pictures and 720p video with adequate lighting (most variants don't have LED flash)
-Decent graphic card (200 MHz PowerVR SGX 540) can handle all recent 3D games (ie. RipTide & Asphalt 6)
-Easy to root and has great developing community (CyanogenMod supports)
-Support "ODIN", easy flashing factory images in Download mode, making them very difficult to brick
-Used Wolfson DAC which yields great audio quality, which is not featured in the S II and Note
The Galaxy S variants I've owned are: S 4G (T-Mobile), Vibrant (T-Mobile), Captivate (ATT), Nexus S (T-Mobile). I have unlocked, rooted and flash roms on all of them. I also had the Galaxy SII and Note (International).
Overall impressions:
Nexus S: This has to be the most desired of the lot, best screen, best performance, latest OTA update directly from Google and has lots of developers for it. It has LED flash which most of the other variants don't. It also support Near Field Communications. However, it is not my favorite version.
Downfalls:
-no microSD card slot, only 16GB internal
-due to its curved shape, with a case included it can feel bulkier than other Galaxy S variants with flat body
Vibrant: This is my favorite of the lot, simply because it works on both T-Mo and ATT 3G, this is rare for an Android device this cheap. It's not pentaband however (doesn't support ATT 850mhz). It has internal 16GB storage and microSD expansion. Cyanogen support and lots of custom roms.
Downfalls:
-Needs GPS fix patch for custom roms, GPS lock time is a few seconds slower and less precise than other variants.
-(correct me if I'm wrong) It doesn't yet have the official T-Mobile 'WiFi Calling' app that the Galaxy S 4G has, but there is works on a custom version. IMO, you can just use GrooVe IP instead.
-No front face camera (I think there is a rare few Vibrants that does have it)
Captivate (ATT version): This device is the nicest looking Galaxy S I think, due to its slanted design. It feels just a tiny bit slower than the rest to me, I could be wrong, but it just feels that way. Like the Vibrant, it has Cyanogen supports and lots of developers, 16GB internal storage + microSD expansion. No front face camera unlike the Captivate Glide and Sprint's Epic 4G though.
Galaxy S 4G: There is a mix of good and bad for this device. It has good data speed (10Mbps+) as long as you live in a good T-Mobile coverage area, which also results in good tethering experience. It includes the app "WiFi Calling" so you won't use up minutes. Front face camera included.
Downfall:
-Lacks internal storage for users, needs to have microSD card. That also results in apps installed to microSD card by default, this can interfere with functions of some apps. Not sure if stock roms can do this, but you can always manually move the apps to internal storage, sometimes its a must for apps to autostart and for some app's widgets to show up in the widgets selection menu.
-Much less developers available, no CyanogenMod support. Only until now there is some work on porting CM7. With that said, the available Valhalla rom makes this device blazing fast, but also no longer worked on by its original developers.
More info:
Performance:
I'm not basing so much on synthetic benchmarks, but regular usage. The Nexus S seems the quickest and I achieved ~2500points for Quadrant. Aside from that all of devices I've used are on par, they all can play 3D games smoothly. They are all kind of slow with stock rom, but once you put in CyanogenMod7 or 9, they're blazing. In fact, I feel these devices with CM7 are more responsive than stock Galaxy S II and Note (in term of general navigation, of course newer phones are faster overall).
The Vibrant gets low Quadrant score, around 1500, but it seems just as fast as other ones. I feel the Captivate is slowest of the lots, but the difference is so small it doesn't matter. The key here is to flash custom roms.
Data speed:
The Vibrant is the best in term of value, it's not fast, but supports both 1700 and 1900 bands, so can work on both T-Mobile and ATT 3G networks, it does not support the newer ATT 850 band however.
S 4G: theoretical 21Mbps, I've achieved over 10Mbps
Vibrant: can get up to 6Mbps with good signal, generally stays around 2-3Mbps
Nexus S: theoretical 7.2Mbps, about same with Vibrant
Captivate: theoretical 7.2Mbps, but ATT HSPA network is generally slower than T-Mobile imo, it all depends on the area of coverage though
Galaxy S II (T-Mo): theoretical 42Mbps, I've achieved 24Mbps
Also note that with T-Mobile devices, I've been able to tether freely. I know that some people with the $79.99 plans have had text message from T-Mobile that warns tethering is not included with their plan.
GPS location fix:
These devices work pretty well as GPS navigator since their AMOLED screen remains viewable outdoor. They all generally takes around 6-10 secs to get a fix outdoor. The Captivate and Vibrant using custom roms required GPS fix patches. I have the most trouble getting location fix with the Vibrant which can take longer than 10 seconds. I've lost GPS signal on the highway with the S 4G with dark clouds overhead. These devices while does a good job, are not reliable as devices that include both GPS and GLONASS support, such as XPeria variants and the Galaxy Note, these can get really fast location fix and rarely lose signal.
Screen: The Nexus S has best screen quality than the rest of American carrier-locked variants, which all has 'blue tint' to them, although just as crisp details. However, if you have CyanogenMod9 installed, you can change the color temperature of the devices to warmer to match the Nexus S. There are no CM9 for the S 4G currently however.
Final:
If I have a final say about the Galaxy S model, is simply that it has Wolfson DAC, that is a big deal for audiophiles like me. The SII and Note just doesn't sound as good, regardless if they are more powerful devices. With that said, I recently got an XPeria Play which also has some excellent quality too, so XPeria devices might worth looking at if audio fidelity is your concerns.

Good Job.
I think Note is very big.
What Do you think the performance in games with Sony?
Cheers.

The Adreno 205 in the Play vs the SGX540 in the Galaxy are about the same performance, maybe the later edging by a bit. But the Play has a slide out gamepad which is unbeatable for gaming. However it also has terrible screen. And you need to unlock the boot loader to flash custom rom, and its not as easy if you don't have the international version. It is going too get official ICS release soon though.
I'm not sure if PS3 contoller also work with Gingerbread for the Galaxy devices, but the iControlPad can work with all apps just like the Play gamepad (using iCade mode and pairing with Bluez IME).
The Note international is the best device I've own by the time of its release, I think the SIII will take it to another level though. But the Note still has Wacom pen support which is useful.