Database Info

Looking for PDA

Basically I am looking to buy a PDA or smartphone or something. Hope this is the right place to ask. I will NOT be using it to place calls so carrier does not matter. Only will be used as a hobby device for modding and using WIFI internet on the road when I do not bring my laptop.
I was hoping that prices would be down on PDAs since many people are basically using an all in one phone that takes the place of a PDA.
I am hoping for it to be about $100 or less. I have seen some on eBay that look like they would work. EX: HTC Dash
What I would like it to have is:
Windows Mobile 5 at least, preferably 6.
WIFI-ready
GPS
Java. So I can add java games and apps.
Also, if I get this HTC Dash Tmobile it comes with WinMobile 5 but I have read you can flash a new rom on Dash 3g to 6 or 6.5. Has anyone done it with Dash?
What is the best device with a good community behind it?
Does the type of device I get limit my ability to run certain programs? Like by resolution or if I get a touch screen vs physical keyboard.
Does a Smartphone have any benefit over a PDA besides being able to make calls?
Would a smartphone be locked down by the carrier in the case of the Tmobile phone?
Any help would be appreciated. I am trying to get the most for my money but it is a unique situation since I do not need to make phone calls.

Hi & welcome,
The s620 is a good choice for $100 should be easy to find as in the UK they go for about £100.
Lots of modding can be done Excalibur forum 6.1 & 6.5 available.
Regards carrier they will be locked down unless stated by seller unlocked, in the forum noted STICKY there are 2 x unlocking services available that are cheap and reliable.
The Marketplace has a couple of s620's available.
Smartphones are more limited by software but is still a big choice available
There rock solid devices and work very well for cheap layout.
Hope that helps.

Yes that is very informative.
The Excalibur/Dash is the same phone, just rebranded for TMobile?
Also, if I get a locked phone can I use this in the forums "SDA_ApplicationUnlock.zip" to install WM6.5 Roms and basically any app that will work with an Excalibur? Or would I be better off finding an unlocked phone from the start.
Thanks for the help. I am just getting started with smartphones

Excalibur/Dash same just like you say different names due to carriers.
When i said locked meant as SIM, with regards flashing a new ROM some phones are just very much a plug in and flash and others will need SP_AllowCertificateInstall & SDA_ApplicationUnlock info here
Take a look through the STICKY as will give you an idea of what can be done
Happy to help.
Edit: Forgot to say when looking to purchase make sure the model has Wi-Fi, as there are a few models that don't.

Thanks alot for all the help.
Now I better understand what locking means in regards to the SIM card use.
But for me since I am not going to use the phone part. A locked vs unlocked phone should not affect me either way. Am I right?

^Right, U don't need it for WiFi use only...

Great. I think that is all I need for now until I buy something.
Thanks again

I think a HTC Touch is more of what I would like because it has the touchscreen, so it seems easier to use.
A new problem I have found is that some phones say they have GPS but it is not true GPS with a chip in the phone, but gets location from cell towers.
What is the best way to lookup if a phone has true GPS so I can use it without cell service? Where it gets my location from satellites.
Would looking on the htcwiki tell me what kind of GPS a device has?

bigzdog said:
I think a HTC Touch is more of what I would like because it has the touchscreen, so it seems easier to use.
A new problem I have found is that some phones say they have GPS but it is not true GPS with a chip in the phone, but gets location from cell towers.
What is the best way to lookup if a phone has true GPS so I can use it without cell service? Where it gets my location from satellites.
Would looking on the htcwiki tell me what kind of GPS a device has?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Gonna be outa the $100 but best way is Device Database

stylez said:
Gonna be outa the $100
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why do you say that because I have not bought anything yet?
Or do you think it is not going to be worth the money for what I want to do?
I really appreciate the help because like I said, I don't really know what I need. Just what I want it to do.
PDAdb is very useful. Shows that the CDMA of touch version of the touch does not have wifi or GPS.

bigzdog said:
Why do you say that because I have not bought anything yet?
Or do you think it is not going to be worth the money for what I want to do?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Touch\Elf is a PPC so generally higher price, pretty much same spec as Excalibur but with Touchscreen, will give you more choice on software as the market bigger on PPC, yeah i was just being comparative on the $100 mark not spec
Take a good look around the forum see what kinda device you like and check the specs out on pdadb.net

I'm sorry about all these questions but I am a little confused now about the Titan/Mogul/XV6800 GPS and aGPS.
On the XDADeveloperWIKI says aGPS requires a data connection but..
a GPSOne whitepaper tells that the MSM7500 chip in the xv6800 supports standalone GPS so it would work for me since I would not have any service or coverage.
Also what I understand that I would need to flash a new rom for the GPS to work, but I still don't know if I need a data plan after the flash.

QWERTY Android phones in the UK?

Hi all, first of all sorry if this is the wrong section, it seemed to fit best here but I could've missed something. So I've been looking for a new phone with certain requirements and finding it insanely difficult to collate information and generally to find a phone at all.
I'm on an iPhone 4 right now and hate it. I've discovered that I hate typing on a touchscreen, so I've been looking for Android phones with QWERTY keyboards, but it seems like they're all US only. I was wondering if anyone knew whether a few of my preferences can be made to work fully in the UK, or even better, suggest a QWERTY phone that's Android 4.0 compatible (I'll want to keep it for a few years and not be left behind).
I like the look of the Motorola Droid 4, and found a thread here explaining how to make it work here (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1766479) but it's insanely complicated so I'd probably just pay someone to do it. If I were to do that would it work 100% without issues on a UK carrier though?
Second one I've been considering is the Samsung Captivate Glide. That one seems like it might be easier to make work over here, but I'm not sure how - would I just take it to a shop, get it unlocked, and be done with no more problems? And for both this phone and the Droid 4 would I encounter any issues with it being a US phone used in the UK?
Last one, and definitely my least preferred choice is the HTC Desire Z. It's available in the UK but every review I've read said it feels like cheap crap and the hinges won't last. I also can't find anywhere saying for certain if it will or won't get Android 4.0. Anyone know about that?
If anyone can offer any advice on my questions I'd appreciate it, or if you know of a QWERTY, Android 4.0 capable phone that's available in the UK without messing around with technical stuff (or can be made to work here very simply/by paying someone), I'd appreciate suggestions too. Again sorry if this is the wrong section.

Sony Ericsson Xperia Pro.(not mini pro)
Should be available
Sent from my U8150 using XDA

Hey, thanks for the suggestion, I'll consider that one too.
I've seen a few places mentioning something about importing a Canadian Droid 4 to work in the UK, does anyone know if this would work and how?

Forunikarasu said:
Hey, thanks for the suggestion, I'll consider that one too.
I've seen a few places mentioning something about importing a Canadian Droid 4 to work in the UK, does anyone know if this would work and how?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dunno about that,but I do believe there's an unlocked version of either the milestone or the Droid. If it says international unlocked on US sites,you can buy it comfortably
Sent from my U8150 using XDA

So the Xperia Pro looks like a decent handset physically, I think I could probably live with it. One thing about it though is the software; the UI looks a bit meh compared to reviews I've seen of phones with HTC Sense and the likes. I know absolutely nothing about these things so excuse such a noobish question, but is it at all possible to change that kind of thing on an Android phone? Could I get HTC Sense (or something similar) on it if I went with a non-HTC model?
EDIT: Also I'm seeing a worrying problem with the Xperia Pro; when upgraded to ICS it starts registering the physical keyboard as AZERTY rather than QWERTY. Does anyone know if there's an unofficial fix for this and how difficult it would be to apply? The only official "fix" I've seen is to take the phone into a Sony store to be reverted back to Gingerbread, and aside from not wanting to be trapped on an older OS I don't even think we get Sony stores in my country.
Sorry for such basic questions. The only smartphones I've had were a Blackberry Curve then my current Iphone 4: I've no idea how far the customisation/tweak-ability of Android goes.

Forunikarasu said:
So the Xperia Pro looks like a decent handset physically, I think I could probably live with it. One thing about it though is the software; the UI looks a bit meh compared to reviews I've seen of phones with HTC Sense and the likes. I know absolutely nothing about these things so excuse such a noobish question, but is it at all possible to change that kind of thing on an Android phone? Could I get HTC Sense (or something similar) on it if I went with a non-HTC model?
EDIT: Also I'm seeing a worrying problem with the Xperia Pro; when upgraded to ICS it starts registering the physical keyboard as AZERTY rather than QWERTY. Does anyone know if there's an unofficial fix for this and how difficult it would be to apply? The only official "fix" I've seen is to take the phone into a Sony store to be reverted back to Gingerbread, and aside from not wanting to be trapped on an older OS I don't even think we get Sony stores in my country.
Sorry for such basic questions. The only smartphones I've had were a Blackberry Curve then my current Iphone 4: I've no idea how far the customisation/tweak-ability of Android goes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Android is open source
If you want HTC sense you can as well put it,but then you'll void your warranty. (This can also be sidestepped ofcourse)
About the Q into A issue,I guess you'd have to update your device and hope for the best,though it must've been fixed by now. Sony aren't ones to entertain mass complaints.
There's Sony stores in the UK, that I'm certain. Check their site for the nearest one.Perhaps shop from one physically,have them update it themselves there as you wait,and make sure it works fine before you leave. It would also guarantee you an unlocked phone, which update faster than carrier models.
Also,seeing as your coming from blackberry and iPhone, I'm sure you'll love the customization room on android. On ICS the Sony skin is just a launcher,which you can change with a different Launcher app.
Sent from my U8150 using XDA

The Droid 4 process to work in the UK is not complicated at all, once you understand rooting, tweaking, and nodding you will read it and realize how easy it is. It may only seem complicated since you are new to Android.
It's either that or the Captivate Glide for high end phones, the Glide should work unlocked as long as the bands it supports matches your carrier bands (which I'm too lazy to research right now).
The Sony Ericsson Xperia Pro is nice, but it has a smaller screen and a single core processor.
Desire Z/G2 is definitely now a budget phone, 800mhz processor, 512 mb RAM, and same screen size as Xperia Pro. Once its rooted, however, it is the most overclockable phone, able to run at 1.9 ghz, although it is extremely unsafe to do that.
Sent from my MB508 using xda premium

are you sure you just don't a phone with a bigger screen? Iphone screens are tiny and have terrible keyboards...

skells said:
are you sure you just don't a phone with a bigger screen? Iphone screens are tiny and have terrible keyboards...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ALthough its a tiny screen, the iPhone keyboard has gotten amazing reviews. Despite being a big Android fanboy, I have to agree. Using an ipod touch, I feel like I can "trust" the keyboard (sounds weird I know).
I still prefer qwerty Androids though
Sent from my MB508 using xda premium

gagdude said:
ALthough its a tiny screen, the iPhone keyboard has gotten amazing reviews. Despite being a big Android fanboy, I have to agree. Using an ipod touch, I feel like I can "trust" the keyboard (sounds weird I know).
I still prefer qwerty Androids though
Sent from my MB508 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I love swype. It's a beta but damn.
Also Motorola Droid 2 A956 is the international QWERTY moto phone.
Sent from my U8150 using XDA

I don't have a problem with the size of the Iphone keyboard, I think it's literally just me. I can't seem to click with the touchscreen keyboard and develop muscle memory, so typing is a matter of looking and tapping, as opposed to on my old Blackberry, where I could touchtype messages out at a decent speed without having to look.
@ Gagdude thanks for the breakdown of the various phones. For buying here I think Xperia Pro is my Hobson's choice, but I really like the Captivate Glide and if it really would work just by unlocking it instead of going through all that Droid 4 stuff then it's perfect. Wikipedia claims it's just a matter of unlocking it to use elsewhere and I can easily pay someone to do that for me. (it's the Samsung Captivate GLide page on wikipedia, it wouldn't let me post an outside link)
Do you know if I'd encounter any problems using a US phone on a non-US carrier, like updates to Android etc?

Forunikarasu said:
I don't have a problem with the size of the Iphone keyboard, I think it's literally just me. I can't seem to click with the touchscreen keyboard and develop muscle memory, so typing is a matter of looking and tapping, as opposed to on my old Blackberry, where I could touchtype messages out at a decent speed without having to look.
@ Gagdude thanks for the breakdown of the various phones. For buying here I think Xperia Pro is my Hobson's choice, but I really like the Captivate Glide and if it really would work just by unlocking it instead of going through all that Droid 4 stuff then it's perfect. Wikipedia claims it's just a matter of unlocking it to use elsewhere and I can easily pay someone to do that for me. (it's the Samsung Captivate GLide page on wikipedia, it wouldn't let me post an outside link)
Do you know if I'd encounter any problems using a US phone on a non-US carrier, like updates to Android etc?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No. If it's unlocked and has the correct sim card and apn settings for your home network it will work fine.
Sent from my U8150 using XDA

Brilliant, thanks! Any idea how I'd go about finding if it has the right "APN" and stuff? I'd like to triplecheck before I pay for anything.

Download from here
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=950980
Sent from my U8150 using XDA

I really, really hate to be so noobish, and I promise I googled everything I could think of before posting again, but I really have no idea how to use that list. Can you tell me how I'd figure it out? I googled "samsung captivate glide APNs", "samsung captivate glide compatible frequency" and stuff but didn't see anything that looked like anything on the list.

Forunikarasu said:
I really, really hate to be so noobish, and I promise I googled everything I could think of before posting again, but I really have no idea how to use that list. Can you tell me how I'd figure it out? I googled "samsung captivate glide APNs", "samsung captivate glide compatible frequency" and stuff but didn't see anything that looked like anything on the list.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol. APN is the settings your network uses for internet connectivity. From your android phone
1. go to settings
2. Wireless and Networks
3. Mobile Networks
4. Access Point Names
5. Press Menu and then "new APN"
6.Fill in the blanks as described in the PDF as per your network.*if on prepay it's better to leave proxy details blank,saves on data charges*
7.press menu and "save APN"
8.click the round dot so it's green on your new settings.
9. Reboot
As for frequency, captivate glide supports all GSM frequencies. So the only problem would be a locked sim,or you being in a CDMA network.
Sent from my U8150 using XDA

Allanitomwesh said:
Lol. APN is the settings your network uses for internet connectivity. From your android phone
1. go to settings
2. Wireless and Networks
3. Mobile Networks
4. Access Point Names
5. Press Menu and then "new APN"
6.Fill in the blanks as described in the PDF as per your network.*if on prepay it's better to leave proxy details blank,saves on data charges*
7.press menu and "save APN"
8.click the round dot so it's green on your new settings.
9. Reboot
As for frequency, captivate glide supports all GSM frequencies. So the only problem would be a locked sim,or you being in a CDMA network.
Sent from my U8150 using XDA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, but I don't have an Android phone to do that. But if the phone will work I don't need to anyway. Thanks for your help!

Forunikarasu said:
Thanks, but I don't have an Android phone to do that. But if the phone will work I don't need to anyway. Thanks for your help!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good to know so your phone will browse on your local data plan when it arrives and not roaming. You're welcome.
Sent from my U8150 using XDA

I went from a UK Desire Z to an unlocked Samsung Captivate Glide from the US and can confirm that it works over here. I bought an unlocked version and put my Vodafone SIM in with almost no problems. My SIM was a few years old and when I went to make a call it would cut off after about 3 seconds but all I needed was a new SIM from Voda which came in a couple of days. The only real problem that I found was that the phone will try to find US satellites for GPS instead of the European ones and it won't be able to establish a lock, the only way I found to resolve this was to root the phone and edit the satellite config file so that it looked for the correct ones (still takes ages to get a lock but will now work). Other than that, I haven't really had any other problems getting it to work. Message me if you have any specific questions and I will be happy to advise if I can.
I had never rooted a phone before and just used Google as my friend and it was all pretty quick and easy.
Gaz

Oh, I kind of need GPS, I'm hopeless at getting around. I wouldn't want to risk messing around with the insides of the thing either. Also if GPS takes ages wouldn't apps that require your location all take ages too? Guess it's back to the picking a phone stage after all. Anyone have any suggestions other than Sony Ericsson Xperia Pro?
EDIT: also can anyone confirm for certain whether the Xperia Pro has/will get ICS/Jelly Bean? All I'm finding in google is the exact same speculation in a million different blogs from months ago.

[Q] Can this phone be used in Canada?

Hi, I love qwerty phones! I have the Sony ericsson xperia pro and I adore it, its nearly perfect in my eyes and does everything i want it except, it has about 320 of RAM and the phone memory is not much bigger about 400mb....also it is single core 1ghz
As such I've been looking for a worthy successor to this phone but haven't really seen one that's much better until i stumbled on this one...
However I was wondering if anyone knew about the chances of me using this on the Rogers network in Canada?
I hear it has a physical locked sim? does this mean it is impoosible to use with other sim cards countries with soldering iron tactics... if so then my desire in this phone will end here...
And what do owners of this phone think, is this the best qwerty android phone (spec wise) on the market?
And if not the photon q are there any non blackberry qwerty android phones that could be recommended?
i would appreciate any comments on this
a physical qwerty keyboard lover!

Yes, the SIM is soldered. You will need a heat station and a lot of patience/diligence to properly pull off the mod.
See this thread for more information on the SIM card mod.
As for your other questions, they really have no business in this section as they pertain to general inquiries about devices. There's not a whole lot of physical qwerty devices, this will probably be the last great one... I hope it's not tho.

[Q] Nokia Lumia 1320

Hey,
My contract is ending in a month or so, and it's time to search for a new phone. To be honest, I'm not interested in "Flag Ships", I just want a bigger phone and something different, I'm a bit bored of Android.
Right now I have an LG Optimus L5. (Phones in Serbia are crazy expensive, e.g. S5 here is 800 USD on contract.)
And then I saw the Nokia Lumia 1320, it came out this year it's affordable, it has a big screen and it looks awesome. So I wanted to see if any of you, have used this phone, and I'd love to hear your input about it. Or if you have a suggestion on a different device, go for it. (Devices I can get are listed in the end)
Note, I'm not looking to play heavy games on it, I have a Nexus 7 for that sort of thing. I need the phone to do 7 things, call & sms, twitter, internet browser, wifi hotspot, play music, and some light games to kill time in transit.
Phones that I was offered for my contract:
Lumia 1320
Lumia 630
LG L80
Samsung Galaxy Core 2
Sony Experia M2
Also, if I accidently posted in the wrong section, Mods please don't delete the thread. I'm kind of new here.

Go for the Galaxy Core 2 mate, it seems the best one from the offered ones

filipovic103 said:
Hey,
My contract is ending in a month or so, and it's time to search for a new phone. To be honest, I'm not interested in "Flag Ships", I just want a bigger phone and something different, I'm a bit bored of Android.
Right now I have an LG Optimus L5. (Phones in Serbia are crazy expensive, e.g. S5 here is 800 USD on contract.)
And then I saw the Nokia Lumia 1320, it came out this year it's affordable, it has a big screen and it looks awesome. So I wanted to see if any of you, have used this phone, and I'd love to hear your input about it. Or if you have a suggestion on a different device, go for it. (Devices I can get are listed in the end)
Note, I'm not looking to play heavy games on it, I have a Nexus 7 for that sort of thing. I need the phone to do 7 things, call & sms, twitter, internet browser, wifi hotspot, play music, and some light games to kill time in transit.
Phones that I was offered for my contract:
Lumia 1320
Lumia 630
LG L80
Samsung Galaxy Core 2
Sony Experia M2
Also, if I accidently posted in the wrong section, Mods please don't delete the thread. I'm kind of new here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hmm sure you hate android because you have an l5 as me, but the bad of this phone is the hardware and lg tht didnt update our phone, so...
i am sure that if you ll have a better phone and you pay it more, you d love android.
android is wondeful, and a major release of os will be presented in autumn
dont move to lumia, in my opinion they are very limited phone and you can do half of things that you can do on android:crying:
more, on android you can change interface, more apps, more personalizarion ecc i suggest you to dont move to windows... very limited os made only to make money from microsoft
that is my opinion:good:

Bink Feed said:
Go for the Galaxy Core 2 mate, it seems the best one from the offered ones
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not really a fan of Samsung.
AXDFREEDOM said:
hmm sure you hate android because you have an l5 as me, but the bad of this phone is the hardware and lg tht didnt update our phone, so...
i am sure that if you ll have a better phone and you pay it more, you d love android.
android is wondeful, and a major release of os will be presented in autumn
dont move to lumia, in my opinion they are very limited phone and you can do half of things that you can do on android:crying:
more, on android you can change interface, more apps, more personalizarion ecc i suggest you to dont move to windows... very limited os made only to make money from microsoft
that is my opinion:good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To be honest, I like android and I have an android tablet (Nexus7) which I'm using right now. And I've been using Android since v1.6. But as my post said I'd could use a change. I am aware that WP has only a few good apps in the store, but I don't need anything else than the basic most common apps like Twitter and Deezer. Secondly, I absolutely do not want to spend more money on a better android phone or a so called "flagship".
Indeed the L5 was a disappointment, in every possible way starting from the screen right down to the performance. But is not the reason for my wish to switch.
Probably the biggest issue with Windows Phone 8.1 is the availability of apps and games. But it's not something that concerns me on such a level that I would give up on buying it. I also forgot to mention that I like the build quality of the Lumia device(s).
Sent from my Nexus 7 using XDA Free mobile app

There are 3 threads devoted to discussions about devices, please repost your question in one of these three threads: The what should I buy thread or the The Device Suggestion Thread or the The Device Comparison Thread.
Thanks!

[Completed] Phicomm Passion

I am currently using 2 phones (both with Custom ROMs) and on my SGSII the buttons start to not working so well,...doesn't matter
I looked a long time for a new phone which got Dual SIM, cuz I have one phone for calling and writing to people and the other one just for Whatsapp and some apps.
Well after a long search I finally found this phone: Phicomm Passion (details below)
http://www.phicomm.com/eu/products_details.html?id=34
Recently a review came up (German) where it turned out that the software is still quite buggy n laggy and needs to be reprogrammed for best function.
I looked here at XDA about this phone but I found absolutely nothing ?
Cuz I don't know when Phicomm is going to release another big updates that fixes the rest of the bugs, so I thought about a Custom ROM for this phone, but still nothing unfortunately.
It got 2GB RAM, an Octa Core CPU, a Full-HD Display... that should be a rocket with these specs compared to my older 2 phones (Xperia S and SGS II)
If someone knows more or can led me to the right direction, that would be great.
In a month or so my mother is about to change carrier and I'll give her my old SGS II, when this happens I need a new (Dual SIM) phone
I already made a post on What phone to buy next:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=59753407#post59753407
But I don't know where to ask exactly ?

Hi,
Thanks for using XDA Assist Well if Dual Sim is your preference that device is good to go but this device has NIL development on XDA hence if you need custom rom's than this device is not your choice

jackeagle said:
Hi,
Thanks for using XDA Assist Well if Dual Sim is your preference that device is good to go but this device has NIL development on XDA hence if you need custom rom's than this device is not your choice
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What does NIL mean ? Nothing ?
Seems like I'm gonna buy this phone cuz it's cheap now and when my mother is changing carrier I'll use it as my new main phone, til then a new update should be available.
If there's no Custom ROM, bad luck for me but it's the perfect phone for me
I like it cuz it's shaped like a brick and it's 5" big

MeisterManuel23 said:
What does NIL mean ? Nothing ?
Seems like I'm gonna buy this phone cuz it's cheap now and when my mother is changing carrier I'll use it as my new main phone, til then a new update should be available.
If there's no Custom ROM, bad luck for me but it's the perfect phone for me
I like it cuz it's shaped like a brick and it's 5" big
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Then better go with your selected device NIL means no custom development on that device