Database Info

O2 Atom - UK Sources?

Hi
Just wondering if anyone knows where I can get an O2 Atom from in the UK (except for eBay of course).
I'm in London so does anyone know if any shops on Tottenham Court Road stock them or can order them?
Also, I've noticed a lot of eBay ads for PDA phones recently from Chinese sellers with random names and no feedback, not accepting paypal! I reported them to eBay to check out but didn't hear anything back (against their policy apparently). Has anyone successfully ordered anything from one of these sellers, or had any bad experience? Look out if you spot any deals that are too good to be true!
Cheers,
Joe

I don't buy things costing more than 20 dollars from anybody who doesn't take PayPal! Very simple reason: They're usually, not sometimes, crooks! And I don't buy anything costing more than 50 dollars from anybody who doesn't have a bunch of good feedback either. Doing so is just setting yourself up for a big, expensive fall.

Raphael vendor / Reseller Reviews.

There's a lot of different resellers about and equally many roumers of who's good and who's dodgy at the moment . So that we all know who's who out there, heres a little Thread with Vendor reviews.
If you have something positive or something negitive to say about a seller please say it here.
Also please rate your vendor XX out of 10, I might add a field to the vendor wiki.
Vendors and prices here >http://wiki.xda-developers.com/index.php?pagename=HTC_Raphael_Vendors

I've always used Expansys / MobilePlanet. I'm USA so MobilePlanet.
There is some atrocious whining in their forums from - for want of a better term - EXTRAnoobs.
But in my dealings they are professional, rock solid and I've never had any problems.

Onthegosolutions
I have used Maobile Planet in the past and had no specific problems.
For some years not I have been using OntheGoSolutions and I have been pleased because I always know who I am speaking with. Seems to have very little turnover and they are small enough that I can communicate with one person. They are definitley not the cheapest but have at least twice in the past lowered a price for me when I pointed out an advertised lower price elsewhere.

I bought my Raphael online from Expansys Canada... All I can say is the transaction was very easy, and shipping was SUPER FAST!!!
Ordered it Friday afternoon (approx 3pm), after a small billing problem (I gave them a different phone number from the one on my Credit Card account), confirmed the order on Monday morning at 10am (they aren't opened on weekends), I had the device in my hands Tuesday just before noon...
All in all, besides the phone # problem, I'm very happy with the transaction. It was easy, smooth and fast...

Inkino UK
To all in London and southeast
Eugene at Inkino (I never knew I needed one), 48 Tottenham Court Road www.inkino.co.uk is a mine of information on all things HTC. They are one of the few, if only, HTC Ultimate Partners and it shows.
I have bought my Trinity and now Touch Pro from there.
Yes I could probably get a few pounds off here or there but the service and honest opinions I have had from Eugene and his collegues at the sister branch 9 Great Russell Street mean that I will simply not buy from elsewhere. If I have a problem I know I can call up or drop in and I will speak to someone who knows his products inside out and is a straightforward trader.
Pleasure to do business with.

I ordered mine from Expansys UK. I live in Cyprus and Expansys is propably the best choice. Although I should have used Expansys Cyprus, the UK site was 40 Euro cheaper so I went with them. The service is excellent! Prices are among the best in the market. (630 EURO inc. DHL shipping fees).
They support Paypal, which is a big plus in safety matters, and by using DHL you get your phone in record time.
All in all, i am a happy customer=p

I'm in the US and I bought mine from Clove. A tad more expensive, but I was having problems with Google Checkout (which Handtec uses for overseas orders). Clove was a little slow to receiving my order, but once they did they shipped it out within hours. DHL got it to me in 2 days, all the way from UK to California, and by 10am no less.
One thing about Clove (that I appreciated) is that they require you to confirm the order by calling your CC company and requesting the 6-digit charge authorization number for the charge. Maybe it's an extra hassle, but it's nice to know they're serious about your security.
I would order from Clove again, but of course now I have no money.

I'm in the US and purchased from Smart Mobile Gadgets. All was as they said, including Saturday delivery.

I ordered my TP from On the Go Solutions in July. They said they would call and make sure I still wanted it before they would ship. They also shipped the day the said they would, a month in advance. I am very satisfied with the way they do business.

This is a statement of one set of circumstances and does NOT impute or call into question the credibility or otherwise of this particular organization. There may be an explanation - but so far - my client has not received one.
A client of mine bought direct in a Buy It Now eBay auction from a company with a high level of positive feedback with thousands of positive transactions on eBay. Their public site is - Popular Electronics http://www.popularelect.com.
Approx 24 hours after buying eBay declared the auction NULL AND VOID and advised my client that they do not have to pay. eBay stated:
"As eBay removed the item, you are no longer obliged to send payment for it. Please don't send money or respond to any emails from the seller.
If you've sent payment but haven't received the item, please wait a reasonable period of time for delivery. If you don't receive the item, please contact us again by clicking "Contact Us" on any eBay Help page and selecting the following contact options:
Buying and Finding>Fraud and Payment Concerns for Buyers>Item Not Received or Item Not as Described (you paid)"
My client has called and emailed the company direct and not received any replies.
I've carefully reviewed the eBay email and header codes and believe the email is genuine and not a phish. All the auctions that for TouchPRo's that WERE on ebay from this company have disappeared at 9/3/2008 14:00 EDT.
I leave you to draw your own conclusions.

BEWARE OF THE TIGADUACELLULAR!!!
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=2617797#post2617797

Has anyone actually baught anything from tigerCellular out there? If so let us know are they real or fake? thanks... im betting the latter but you never know

2call.nl 5/10
Got my TP from 2call.nl
Price without contract (as I use company sim) was good and delivery was very fast.
However, as my TP came with the know problems (GPS instable and hot, black paint falls off,...), I asked 2call within two weeks after pruchase to take my device back and replace it by a new one.
They refused.
As price and delivery is not the only thing I expect from a retailer of a some hundred euro device, I personally will not buy at 2call.nl again.

Did anyone buy from chinamobile?

Hello everyone,
I found a man called Kenny Taylor that sells phones,and I compared prices,
he`s prices are ridiculously low,
he`s saying that he works at chinamobile as a sales rep,
though I really couldn`t find any information about him or about phones in the site,I could manage to see only blackberry`s there.
He claims that the phones are brand new,in original box and with all accessories and they are not china clones.
He`s quotes for the phones I wanted -
iPhone 3GS 16GB (unlocked) - 300$
iPhone 3GS 32GB (unlocked) - 350$
HTC Hero - 250$
HTC Nexus one - 230$
International shipping via Fedex/USPS - 60$.
The prices here are 300$ less than the MSRP,and I don`t know if I should buy from him - maybe it`s a scam or something.
If anyone knows the person/company,and did buy from one of them - it would be nice to hear about that.
*if the thread is not in the right section of the forum,it would be nice if you could move it to the correct one*
**this thread is not about advertising the company/the guy,just for information matters**
Lots of thanks,
Danny.

100% SCAM!! Those prices are ludicrous, no way in hell are those real, most likely you will get nothing at all. and FYI, mobiles and pretty much all electronics are more expensive in China than in the US, and China Mobile shops are the MOST expensive places. STAY AWAY!

Thank you mlalahoi, actually I was going to buy the nexus one from him,
knew I should ask in here first.

Quick update -
I have got an answer from the company,I have to say that it sounds very believable..
Thanks for your mail.
This person that you are talking about i don't no him but he can be a
scammer too that want to you buy from him...
So i will advice you to buy from us to try and have believe in the
company...we no that there is alot of scam out there.
We are not scam we are real company that as been in business for more
then 8 years now...once we confirm your payment we are going to ship
the phone to you at your home address.
The reason the price is so low is the we buy direct from the company
that product the phone in bulks and right now we are running promo in
the company for buy 3units and get 1 for free.
So if you are going to buy the Htc Nexus one only the payment is via
western union not paypa...because is too low for the payment
condition.
Below is the condition about that payment
Any orders form $100usd to $3000usd=== via western union.
Any orders form $3000usd to $4500usd=== via bank transfer.
Any order form $4500usd above is via paypal.
So you are going to pay the money via western union money transfer.
So get back with your shipping address information so that we can
started packing and label your order ready for shipment.
Regards
Sale Rep.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

dany74q said:
Quick update -
I have got an answer from the company,I have to say that it sounds very believable..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's not believable at all if you know what to look for. First, the grammar and spelling is atrocious. Any real company would take the time to actually write their correspondence letters in a professional manner. Secondly, a legitimate, respectable company would never use Western Union to transfer money, no matter the amount. Every money transfer scam I've ever seen uses Western Union, since it's not traceable or reversable. I would not buy from any seller selling new devices at those rediculous prices; even if bought at wholesale prices, they would lose a lot of money selling that cheap. My advice is to stick with a reputable seller so you don't end up losing a few hundred dollars and not get anything in return, as I can guarantee you won't get what you order from these people.

Thank you for your answer Dave,I`ll stay away.
Once again - thank you all for your time.

dany74q said:
Thank you for your answer Dave,I`ll stay away.
Once again - thank you all for your time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's not that bad, heh, but there are a few things you should keep in mind:
do not buy "genuine" stuff from China, either you're gonna get a fake or worse: nothing
go with established stores like DealExtreme or FocalPrice
use only PayPal, only scammers use Western Union
engrish is somewhat the norm, even with bigger stores :/
if you're getting a phone from there, choose one which has been properly reviewed, DealExtreme is very good in that regard as they have a very active forum and users , so you know what are you buying

If she reaches for a handful you'd better have the energy!

[Q] No Nexus S for me

[Mods - i hope this is the right forum to post this..sorry if it isn't]
That's it folks ... I guess there is no gingerbread+nexus S love coming my way :'(
I've been dying to get this phone since the day it released... ESPECIALLY because it's such great value for money ..
BUT - I'm in Dubai ...and it wud cost me a total of about $700+ to get this mean boy shipped safely to me
[$530+$5 case + $45 sales tax + ~$120 shipping]
Does ANYBODY know a better way to get it here?
I don't want to buy it off ebay or somewhere else, because I want someone i trust to 'test' the device for problems (and exchange it if needed) before shipping it here...
Help anyone?
[and please don't beat me up for asking!]

They are cheaper here in canada
Sent from my X10i using XDA App

They'll be in Italy soon, closer than America, plus the Italian version will have 720p and a Super LCD.

Interesting ....
I have an iPhone 3g now ..and it's nearly dead [literally]
i see it choke every few minutes ... so I'm slowly preparing to put it back in its original packaging and bury it somewhere..
I can keep waiting till a European one comes about .. but from the articles I've read, i think the reduced shipping cost wud be offset by a higher up-front (529 Euros) price
Till then i'll keep praying my iPhone survives...
@the_ahmadzais: I was under the impression that it hasn't been released anywhere BUT US and UK till now? I couldn't find any google hits that talked of a Canada release, but i probably am wrong..
still ..is there a subtantial diff in prices?
it's mainly the shipping cost that is killing me ... 120$ !! [that + taxes count for 25% of the total bill to get it here!
*ouch* ]

It's been my observation that it's common practice for sellers to overcharge for shipping. Basic one-week shipping to Dubai from the United States via USPS is about half that. Of course, if you want to use a specific carrier (UPS, FedEx, et cetera) or add extra services, it costs more. But honestly, most of that stuff is just a way for the parcel service to squeeze more money out of you. I've been selling and buying online for years, and I've yet to have a package lost or grossly mishandled. If anything's been broken in transit, it was because the seller did a crappy job packaging it. Also, state sales taxes vary. Here in Oregon, there is no sales tax. So the break even point for buying and shipping a Nexus S for me would be roughly $590. Even in states with the highest sales taxes, that only goes up by about $50. So if you're buying from the U.S.- unless you're insisting either on super express shipping (less than a week) or some form of package insurance which would add to the cost- I would consider anything above $650 at most to be pure seller profit.

This non-availability is an android bug imho
abhilashraj said:
[Mods - i hope this is the right forum to post this..sorry if it isn't]
That's it folks ... I guess there is no gingerbread+nexus S love coming my way :'(
(...)
Does ANYBODY know a better way to get it here?
[and please don't beat me up for asking!]
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This wouldn't be no problem if the gingerbread reference phone was available as developer phone. Obviously google refuses to notice that there are android developers outside the USA.
This issue already has been reported as a bug. Star it. ;-)

Ya basically the ups shipping is expensive and the phone is 500 at some local stores Asian dealers. Its coming to all Canadian providers on March.
Sent from my X10i using XDA App

Abilash, I understand the feeling ... frustration. I was in the same boat as you ... think you even commented about it.
I got a friend to buy it (am in Kuwait). Initially I thought I'd make the payment through paypal and get it shipped to him. On trying to complete the process, paypal through up a message saying that my paypal location does not allow shipping to the desired location (US - CA) and therefore payment cannot be completed :-s whatever that meant.
Anyway, my friend ran a quick check ... nothing detailed (checked for bad screen issues, loose volume controls and back button problem), but it back in the box and shipped it to an Aramex mailbox address in New York. Cost him $16.90 including insurance.
The item has yet to reach the address, but one its there, I understand Aramex will automatically ship it to the Kuwait address of the holder of that box. Again, I understand that the shipment cost to Kuwait should be about KD.5 or 6 (about $18/-) plus a possible customs tax of KD.3 or 4 (about $13/-).
You could either find some friend that has this box already or may prefer to apply for a box if you intend to do a lot of purchase from the US.
http://www.aramex.com/shopandship/default.aspx

zachthemaster said:
They'll be in Italy soon, closer than America, plus the Italian version will have 720p and a Super LCD.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Where has this been confirmed? If a new version comes out with 720p I'm gonna be an unhappy customer.

mr mystery said:
Where has this been confirmed? If a new version comes out with 720p I'm gonna be an unhappy customer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Super Clear LCD has been confirmed, but 720p was just a mistake: some idiot thought that 720x480 is 720p, and if only one person says it, it goes around the internet in no time.
There is a possibility that 720p video recording will come to the Nexus S in the future. Some say it can be done with an update...

Finally getting somewhere with the shipping issue
Really nice to see people offering their two cents..
thank you!
@zorak - the massive addition causing the price to jump beyond the $650 mark is only the shipping cost @120 ... I am using fedex's/ups' online estimate tools to approximate shipping cost... I understand that the estimates wud be off by a bit vs. the actual cost... but I doubt it would be a a $50 drop ...probably a $10 drop ..
i will ask my friend to check if they have other/slower delivery options costing lesser though (the online estimate only shows 'speedy' trnfrs...
@Paparasee: opening that aramex box idea was something i DID NOT know of!
even after adding the initial setup fee of $35 to the $16.90 (shipping to new york) and $31 (shipping to Kuwait) ..the total cost STILL works out to be cheaper than the 120 that fedex and UPS are asking for
how has your experience been so far with the Aramex box? i.e. my packages/the phone wouldn't be lost in transit yea?
on another note-- my brother and I have been putting off amazon purchases SOLELY because of shipping costs .. I didn't know such a thing existed !

the_ahmadzais said:
They are cheaper here in canada
Sent from my X10i using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
shipping from Canada to Dubai will be equally as expensive than shipping it from USA
besides the Canadian version of the SNS is not out until March
zachthemaster said:
They'll be in Italy soon, closer than America, plus the Italian version will have 720p and a Super LCD.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i'll not choose a SLCD it's not comparable to SAMOLED
i've played with the SLCD from the next HTC phones, and they are not lively, it lacks the vivid display of the SAMOLED
so if the buyer wants a SAMOLED display, it'll need to purchase the America version, UK version is also SAMOLED
if they don't mind the low quality of the SLCD then they can buy the Euro version with SLCD

abhilashraj said:
the massive addition causing the price to jump beyond the $650 mark is only the shipping cost @120 ... I am using fedex's/ups' online estimate tools to approximate shipping cost... I understand that the estimates wud be off by a bit vs. the actual cost... but I doubt it would be a a $50 drop ...probably a $10 drop ..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The only reason to use UPS or FedEx is if the postal service in either the sending or receiving country is corrupt or dysfunctional. Shipping via the postal service will get your package to its destination in only a few more days and for literally half or less the cost. UPS and FedEx are ripoffs.

abhilashraj said:
@Paparasee: opening that aramex box idea was something i DID NOT know of!
even after adding the initial setup fee of $35 to the $16.90 (shipping to new york) and $31 (shipping to Kuwait) ..the total cost STILL works out to be cheaper than the 120 that fedex and UPS are asking for
how has your experience been so far with the Aramex box? i.e. my packages/the phone wouldn't be lost in transit yea?
on another note-- my brother and I have been putting off amazon purchases SOLELY because of shipping costs .. I didn't know such a thing existed !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Experience ... well, can't tell you yet cause the package will probably reach my friends box today or tomorrow (saved $35 since my friend has one already ). But, my friend has been using his box for ages ... no problems, no lost stuff. As soon as the "stuff" hits your box, you'll get an email notifying you of movement in your box. From then on, you have a tracking number to follow up on.
Forgot to add ... it was distortedloop that advised me to "buy the extra insurance coverage" when opting to use the US postal service for shipping to NY. ... thanks again distortedloop

Paparasee said:
Experience ... well, can't tell you yet cause the package will probably reach my friends box today or tomorrow (saved $35 since my friend has one already ). But, my friend has been using his box for ages ... no problems, no lost stuff. As soon as the "stuff" hits your box, you'll get an email notifying you of movement in your box. From then on, you have a tracking number to follow up on.
Forgot to add ... it was distortedloop that advised me to "buy the extra insurance coverage" when opting to use the US postal service for shipping to NY. ... thanks again distortedloop
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Gotcha! Cud u check ur XDA inbox once you get the phone?
I have asked a couple of questions on the Aramex service, that u'd be able to answer once you have their bill
and again . THANK YOU!

Androyed said:
Super Clear LCD has been confirmed, but 720p was just a mistake: some idiot thought that 720x480 is 720p, and if only one person says it, it goes around the internet in no time.
There is a possibility that 720p video recording will come to the Nexus S in the future. Some say it can be done with an update...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I thought the Nexus S hardware had a bottleneck in the memory bus that prevented full frame rate 720p recording; at least that was the chatter last month around here.

Paparasee said:
Experience ... well, can't tell you yet cause the package will probably reach my friends box today or tomorrow (saved $35 since my friend has one already ). But, my friend has been using his box for ages ... no problems, no lost stuff. As soon as the "stuff" hits your box, you'll get an email notifying you of movement in your box. From then on, you have a tracking number to follow up on.
Forgot to add ... it was distortedloop that advised me to "buy the extra insurance coverage" when opting to use the US postal service for shipping to NY. ... thanks again distortedloop
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
@Paparasee -- any info on your fone yet?

@abhilashraj ... YEAH!!! I finally got it. My friend dozed of and forgot about the package. He finally brought it to me by about 8.30 or 9pm.
About your queries ...
a) Aramex did not add a separate box nor add anything to the box packed by friend. They just sealed it with their tape.
b) The phone was in its box and that was put into a little bigger box by the Best Buy guys when they shipped it ... I presume that all that ordered it online got it that way cause I saw a video of an unboxing of the NS and that had a similar external box.
c) Not sure about the others, but my friend said that he did put a couple of bubble packs into the box so that there would be no play area for the NS box. This did not add any weight.
d) My friend paid USD.16.90 to ship it from CA to NY (where all Aramex boxes are.
e) Aramex picks up and ships to the final destination only twice a week and hence the delay to get here.
f) Not sure who decided on the weight (whether it was re-weighed or not), but BestBuy had indicated a weight of 1.2lbs when they shipped it to my friend. He probably used the same figure when he shipped it to NY.
g) Aramex used the same figure when they shipped it to Kuwait.
h) Per the Aramex calculator, I was to be charged KD.5.80 for the 1.2Lbs. They charged me 6.800. According to the guy that delivered, if the weight was 1.1Lbs, the charge would only have been KD.4.25/-. That again is their calculator rate plus 1/-.
Yes, its a big relief to have it delivered at that rate ... pretty cheap I would say. The biggest relief though is that I got it
Now for figuring out what is what on my 1st android. Will get used to it and play around in the market with free stuff before I start rooting and the like.
In the meantime, I would require a good office editor and will open a separate thread requesting user opinions!
Cheers & Good luck with your phone.

distortedloop said:
I thought the Nexus S hardware had a bottleneck in the memory bus that prevented full frame rate 720p recording; at least that was the chatter last month around here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Read the entire thread
When the Nexus S was first being reviewed, some places said it had 720p as well. It's reviewers not knowing what they are talking about. The version going to Italy has the same camera.

What about Aramex?
ps : arabic letters not yet connected in 2.3

Razor Forge TV in UK?

As the title really, are we expected to see the forge tv in the UK? If so, How much you think it'll be? £99?
I'm so tempted to get it ordered from Razor US, sent to a shipping company who would forward it on to me in the UK - Comes with google play store on aswell, root is probably fairly likely. Would maybe work out no more than £140 after shipping and fees too.
I'd probably buy two (roughly same shipping cost I'd imagine) and put the spare on eBay to recoup some of my cost in fairness. Either way, has anyone used any services such as the above and can you recommend any?
Thanks

nufclad said:
As the title really, are we expected to see the forge tv in the UK? If so, How much you think it'll be? £99?
I'm so tempted to get it ordered from Razor US, sent to a shipping company who would forward it on to me in the UK - Comes with google play store on aswell, root is probably fairly likely. Would maybe work out no more than £140 after shipping and fees too.
I'd probably buy two (roughly same shipping cost I'd imagine) and put the spare on eBay to recoup some of my cost in fairness. Either way, has anyone used any services such as the above and can you recommend any?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
FTR, I've ordered two units from Razer. Getting shipped to an american company. It will then be sent to me in the UK. I will likely stick one on eBay and keep the other (then selling my Fire TV). Should hopefully end up upgrading at no cost by the time the other is sold.
Will be much better over the Fire TV.