I don't have my Motorola Atrix 4G anymore, so I'm looking for a good, cheap, no contract smartphone with a physical QWERTY keyboard to buy myself. Right now I'm borrowing a friend's Pantech Link until I get a new phone. I don't want to spend more than around $100, though I'm willing to go a little higher if it's worth it. I mostly use my phone for texting, calling, browsing, Facebook, email, looking up directions/movies/restaurants, and playing Pokemon with an emulator so nothing too intensive, I really didn't need such a high-end smartphone like I used to have.
I'm on AT&T so I need an AT&T phone smartphone or unlocked GSM smartphone that'll work with AT&T. I plan to use the phone for about a year and a half until my contract ends though I might buy another phone before then.
I've been looking at the Motorola Charm that Newegg has on sale for $100. It's unlocked and will work on AT&T, and looks pretty good other than it's 3 MP fixed focus screen and QVGA screen though for $100 it's much better than most of the dumbphones I'll find for under $100.
What do you guys think about this phone and do you know of any other good phones for under $100? Thanks!
Bump.
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The LG quantum generally runs ~$100 used on online classifieds. Its a att phone with a slider keyboard, running windows phone 7. WP7 is very different compared to android, but its elegant looking, smooth, and super stable. The Facebook app, angrybirds, email are all really good. I doubt there are any free emulators for it, but there are a lot of good quality apps if you don't mind paying a few bucks.
Other than that on att with a keyboard you may be looking at older Windows Mobile phones, like the Tilt 2, or Fuze. They are great phones, with nice keyboards, but very low screen resulotion, and there are no apps in the way they exist on Android or WP7. You can install programs, but there is no store, and will all be old.
You also have the palm offering that might be cheap now. The veer and pre plus have sliders, and wesOS has an app store, even if it is dwindling. I do love my TouchPad, but didn't like a pre plus.
The next option is ... wait for it ... blackberry. I won't get into that, as that is the only platform I never tried.
I don't know about the TMo offerings, but any TMo phone unlocked will work, but you will only get edge, not 3G. The G1 would probably run in your price range.
If you can convince att to give you an early upgrade you could try for the Captivate Slide. Its almost the best android phone on att, and it has a keyboard. But, off contract will be way above your price range.
Sent from my Galaxy S II (i777)
quarlow said:
The LG quantum generally runs ~$100 used on online classifieds. Its a att phone with a slider keyboard, running windows phone 7. WP7 is very different compared to android, but its elegant looking, smooth, and super stable. The Facebook app, angrybirds, email are all really good. I doubt there are any free emulators for it, but there are a lot of good quality apps if you don't mind paying a few bucks.
Other than that on att with a keyboard you may be looking at older Windows Mobile phones, like the Tilt 2, or Fuze. They are great phones, with nice keyboards, but very low screen resulotion, and there are no apps in the way they exist on Android or WP7. You can install programs, but there is no store, and will all be old.
You also have the palm offering that might be cheap now. The veer and pre plus have sliders, and wesOS has an app store, even if it is dwindling. I do love my TouchPad, but didn't like a pre plus.
The next option is ... wait for it ... blackberry. I won't get into that, as that is the only platform I never tried.
I don't know about the TMo offerings, but any TMo phone unlocked will work, but you will only get edge, not 3G. The G1 would probably run in your price range.
If you can convince att to give you an early upgrade you could try for the Captivate Slide. Its almost the best android phone on att, and it has a keyboard. But, off contract will be way above your price range.
Sent from my Galaxy S II (i777)
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Thanks for the advice!
The LG Quantum looks nice, and I've heard a lot of good things about the WP7 OS. I prefer Samsung phones over LG phones so I'll start looking at WP7 phones. I don't want anything outdated though so I'm going to stay away from phones like the HTC Tilt2 and HTC Fuze even though the Tilt 2 looks pretty nice.
I'm not a fan of Blackberries so I'm going to stay away from them.
Also, why would I only get Edge and not 3G if I used an unlocked T-Mobile phone? The Motorola Charm for example supports 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM bands; AT&T uses 850/1900 MHz and T-Mobile uses 900/1800 MHz so I'm not sure why I'd only get Edge.
Thanks again!
That charm might work on att 3G. The TMo branded devices generally lack at least one if not several of the att bands (TMo also uses 1700 and 2100). The vibrant is the only one I have heard of working on att, and it didn't support all the bands (I want to say it included 850, but not 1900), so it only worked in some regions.
I like Samsung over LG too, but the quantum is the only QWERTY WP7 device branded for att. The Samsung devices don't have keyboards. WP7 doesn't have the fragmentation that Android does. Microsoft put stricter hardware requirements on the OEMs, so I am fairly certain all of the devices are upgradeable to Mango. I know the original Focus (Samsung not Ford) was upgraded, and ran Mango perfectly. I had a Focus for a month, and was impressed with it, but ultimately went with SGS II, as I am an Android power user.
Sent from my Galaxy S II (i777)
quarlow said:
That charm might work on att 3G. The TMo branded devices generally lack at least one if not several of the att bands (TMo also uses 1700 and 2100). The vibrant is the only one I have heard of working on att, and it didn't support all the bands (I want to say it included 850, but not 1900), so it only worked in some regions.
I like Samsung over LG too, but the quantum is the only QWERTY WP7 device branded for att. The Samsung devices don't have keyboards. WP7 doesn't have the fragmentation that Android does. Microsoft put stricter hardware requirements on the OEMs, so I am fairly certain all of the devices are upgradeable to Mango. I know the original Focus (Samsung not Ford) was upgraded, and ran Mango perfectly. I had a Focus for a month, and was impressed with it, but ultimately went with SGS II, as I am an Android power user.
Sent from my Galaxy S II (i777)
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I defiantly want either an Android 2.1/2.2/2.3 or a WP7/WP7.5 phone with a physical QWERTY keyboard that's cheap so there's not a lot to choose from. I looked online and the Motorola Charm doesn't support 3G on AT&T so that phone's off my list now. :/
I've been reading reviews on the LG Quantum and it looks like a really nice phone. Two main problems though. For one it doesn't have some of the Applications that I rely on that Android has. Notably, a SMS/MMS Backup Application. Second it's too much for my budget, it's about $160 new at the cheapest, plus CA sales tax. I'm kind of iffy about buying a phone used, do you know if it's cheaper anywhere else?
Thanks again for all your help!
I thought of a few more QWERTY att phones. The Dell Venue pro is a portrait slider running WP7. The Motorola Backflip (att's first android phone that everyone forgets about) has an interesting keyboard, it folds out, so when closed the keys face out, instead of sliding. But, I think its stuck on android 1.6. Motorola also released the flipside and flipout on att, both on 2.1. The flipout is smaller, and the keyboard rotates on a pivot, sliding out at 90 degrees. The flipside is more like a normal slider.
The SMS backup was a problem for me on the Focus too. Albeit not a huge problem, but one I never found a solution to. As far as apps, I found it annoying that some apps weren't there, and didn't want to stick it out until they were.
For QWERTY android phones its going to be tricky. HTC made great QWERTY WinMo phones, but no android ones for att (several for TMo). Samsung made the sprint version of the galaxy s QWERTY, but that won't work on att. The G2 on TMo is QWERTY, but won't get 3G data. The Motorola QWERTY android att phones are odd form factors (backflip and flipout), and weren't popular.
The flipside may be your best bet, and on eBay they are close to your range. I believe they run motoblur, which is known to cause poor performance, and generally one of the worst android skins. (What was on the Atrix is not the same, scaled back compared to those earlier versions from what I understand)
As far as used phones, I have never had issues buying used phones. Check the water indicators, and place a test call if buying local. If buying online many eBay sellers offer 30 day warranties.
Sent from my Galaxy S II (i777)
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So I was really set on getting an iphone for a long time now because I feel as though no phone has matched it's touch sensitivity, I can notice the menu's catching up to my touch on the nexus one and other android phones I have checked out. I gave it some thought and realized that since I am on t-mobile, I would want 3g and maybe giving up the touch sensitivity for faster internet is worth it. Problem is, Nexus One is no longer in production. What is next? There's a rumor that the Iphone 4 may come to t-mobile but...for now, what should I get? Preferably not HD2 since I would prefer Android OS.
Thanks guys
You want the Samsung Vibrant.
It is freaking hot.
Plus...
T-Mobile is almost half the price of AT&T
T-Mobile gets better service than AT&T (where I live)
T-Mobile has faster 3g than AT&T (once again, where I live)
And Android > iPhone any day.
Plus the iPhone 4 has some serious antenna issues that aren't worth bothering with.
Checking it out, are they still being made with AMOLED? And how bad is it in sunlight? I heard some phones are switching over to SLCD?
AMOLED wipes the floor with conventional LCD.. both in color depth and in power consumption... so its actually an upgrade from LCD.. also i find that the vibrant screen is every bit as sensitive as the iPhone. i think it may even be a touch more accurate. i have both an iphone and the vibrant.. so i can tell you from experience.
andershizzle said:
You want the Samsung Vibrant.
It is freaking hot.
Plus...
T-Mobile is almost half the price of AT&T
T-Mobile gets better service than AT&T (where I live)
T-Mobile has faster 3g than AT&T (once again, where I live)
And Android > iPhone any day.
Plus the iPhone 4 has some serious antenna issues that aren't worth bothering with.
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he didn't ask which carrier was better so please reserve from bashing and starting flame wars =\ thought i do share in your iphone/apple hatred =P
current devices on tmobile:
-Mytouchslide: general balanced phone =] this is the phone to get if you don't want a huge phone in your pocket but something you can rely on everyday
-Samsung Galaxy S (Vibrant): beautiful phone and currently the fastest phone on the market
yet released phones:
Tmobile:
-G1 successor (HTC Vision or G1 Blaze)
-Mytouch 3g HD
-Motorola MOTOROI
Unknown:
-LG Optimus Q and Z (they're sexy beasts)
-Dual Core Snapdragon handset
-Windows Phone 7
the Dual Core Snapdragon handset
Is there anymore information on the Dual Core Snapdragon handset?
i have heard of the G1 Blaze, basically a N1 w/ keyboard, which would be nice. but i waiting to see more spec's on it.
But what i really want to know about is the Dual Core Snapdragon handset.
noodlecups said:
Checking it out, are they still being made with AMOLED? And how bad is it in sunlight? I heard some phones are switching over to SLCD?
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Click to collapse
I haven't yet used it in sunlight, just got it yesterday and I love it so far. I'll be going out today Was up all night with it and ended up sleeping til 5PM hehe
Also, it's a SUPER AMOLED. and it's GORGEOUS. Nicest screen I've ever seen on a device. It really is a killer phone if you're looking for a touch-only iPhone alternative.
Also, the Vibrant is rooted so custom ROMs and full customization is available
Danni3 said:
he didn't ask which carrier was better so please reserve from bashing and starting flame wars =\ thought i do share in your iphone/apple hatred =P
current devices on tmobile:
-Mytouchslide: general balanced phone =] this is the phone to get if you don't want a huge phone in your pocket but something you can rely on everyday
-Samsung Galaxy S (Vibrant): beautiful phone and currently the fastest phone on the market
yet released phones:
Tmobile:
-G1 successor (HTC Vision or G1 Blaze)
-Mytouch 3g HD
-Motorola MOTOROI
Unknown:
-LG Optimus Q and Z (they're sexy beasts)
-Dual Core Snapdragon handset
-Windows Phone 7
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wasn't starting any wars: T-Mobile merely does better where I live.
Tried AT&T for a month, didn't get as many bars.
Also, I did tests: T-Mobile's 3g is like rocket speed compared to AT&T here in Pittsburgh. Even T-Mobile's EDGE is way better than AT&T's.
Not to mention, half of my calls on AT&T got dropped. I was using a Motorola Backflip. Now the only dropped calls I get with T-Mobile are occasionally when talking to my GF who gets bad service on Cricket at her house. Lol.
thats the problem, you had the backflip.
Even the reps in the AT&T store that i frequent say that it was a poorly designed very hard to use handset, and that on average 50% of them came back.
vavaud said:
Is there anymore information on the Dual Core Snapdragon handset?
i have heard of the G1 Blaze, basically a N1 w/ keyboard, which would be nice. but i waiting to see more spec's on it.
But what i really want to know about is the Dual Core Snapdragon handset.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/01/qualcomm-ships-first-dual-core-snapdragon-chipsets-clocking-1-2g/
http://gizmodo.com/5443976/qualcomm...dragon-smartphones-are-about-to-go-hyperspeed
expect it by the end of the year lol
if any of you somehow get your hands on the first else phone I will call you god lol
Danni3 said:
yet released phones:
Tmobile:
-G1 successor (HTC Vision or G1 Blaze)
-Mytouch 3g HD
-Motorola MOTOROI
Unknown:
-LG Optimus Q and Z (they're sexy beasts)
-Dual Core Snapdragon handset
-Windows Phone 7
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ah yes, I just found out about the mytouch3gHD and the g1 blaze. I think I will be waiting for those two as I can start saving up money for now. Haven't heard much from the 3g HD and the g1 Blaze but I heard the 3gHD will be the one that will reach fastest internet speeds of all phones on the market? Also, are there enough information between the two to have a bias towards one than another at this time? Right now, I just like the mytouch3gHD only based on the fact that it doesn't have a dedicated qwerty (i like my touchscreen to be as touchscreen as possible lol).
Hello, I need some help in choosing my new phone I have an opportunity to buy Samsung Galaxy S for $700 here in Russia but I really don't like its iPhonish design but it's possible to buy some replacing backplates and firmware support is better than Captivate's one I think.
And I really love the Captivate's design, it really looks fantastic! But I am not really sure if it will be unlockable by the end of this summer when I come back home, so it's very risky.
Advise me something, please
P.S. Sorry for 2 themes in different thredes but I really have only 1 day to choose.
btw Samsung Galaxy S is HSDPA 900 / 1900 / 2100
so it's better to buy AT&T Data plan for 3g internet? because t-mobile has 1700/2100 and is 2100 enough for normal 3g?
If you're interested in the Captivate and are buying it outright ($500, so it's a bit cheaper), I would get a commitment from AT&T that they'll allow you to unlock it first. I read here somewhere that AT&T said they have a 10 month exclusivity contract with the Captivate and there won't be any unlocks until then. I agree with you, I like the Captivates design a ton compared to the other Galaxy S phone designs.
Is gyroscope so important in Captivate and has anybody tried to use Samsung Galaxy's face camera?
I would go with the galaxy s if i could. More broadly released and has that physical homebutton which i feel is much needed.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
why does the international version of galaxy s does not have the gyro where the US branded versions have it? Moreover, the US version has 6 axis where as the international one has only 4
The gyro is what gives it the extra two axises.
I'm on T-mobile, and desperately wanting to switch to Verizon. There are some awesome android phones on Verizon, but i really want to stay with Windows Phone. The Htc Trophy sucks. Plus, i really want a second generation windows phone with some quality specs. Is it just Verizon not wanting more windows phones? Or is it partially because of the OEMs as well?
Having switched from Verizon to TMO, I'm not sure why anybody'd want to go back... but as to your actual question, I suspect the problem is that, between their "DROID" trademark licensing and getting the iPhone (though Sprint now has too), they feel they've invested enough effort into the other platforms and don't need to really bother with WP7.
Of course, that doesn't really explain why Sprint is in a similar position, but at least the Arrive (7 Pro) has something to distinguish it. The Trophy really just seems like an undersized HD7 without the kickstand.
This is pure speculation on my part, but Verizon may be waiting on an LTE Windows Phone.
All the U.S. Cdma carriers were late with the first wave of wp7 devices. I'm with Verizon and we didn't get the HTC Trophy until June. Sprint got HTC arrive a couple month earlier but by the time those devices were released in the U.S. they were already year old devices.
So 6 months later GSM is getting the roll out of the mango phones with front facing cameras and those of us with cdma arrives and trophies are looking with no signs of a cdma wp7 with a ff cam in sight. What gives?
How come HTC and Samsung aren't making cdma variants of their phones they give carriers and bringing them to cdma carriers? Like how they brought variants of the HTC touch pro 2 and the HTC evo to all the carriers?
Anyone else getting angry with the lackluster cdma support? Why aren't they launching more phones than just the ones that seemingly come out annually?
Sent from my mwp6985 using Board Express
My bet is that Sprint and Verizon are effectively done with bringing CDMA phones to market and they don't want a new phone unless it is an iPhone or 4G (LTE and/or WiMax).
I expect Verizon phones once LTE support hits with Tango.
It'll be spring.
I, for one, am really happy VZW got a 3G WP7 phone. I am in an area that prob will get LTE in the LAST phase of any roll out (we got 3G in Oct 2010). I was also able to get it before the end of unlimited data.
What is killing me isn't carrier support, but hack support. I would love to developed a ROM for the HTC Trophy, but I have the CDMA Verizon version, and it has yet to be unlocked.
I know part of this is that the unlock devs are in China and do not have access to the CDMA Trophy.. but it seems no one wants to get together and buy/send them a Trophy CDMA to work on. :/
I know I can't afford it myself.. and for some reason the price has increased on Amazon Wireless (the phone alone was going for $388, now its $479)... but perhaps if a bunch of us chipped in we could send them one.
I have talked to mwang and cotulla and offered to buy them both Verizon trophies . They have both told me that they have cdma devices in hand and are currently testing .. I know it's taking a while , but the good news is that it IS being worked on . I want a DFT rom as bad as anyone ...hell id settle for interop unlock .. I suppose we just have to be patient .
Sent from my mwp6985 using XDA Windows Phone 7 App
Well, it's good to know that its a work in progress. I just pray that the unlock will be based on the 7.5 rom.. many people got burnt by installing the demo rom... (well, maybe you could base it on the demo rom??). The only way to get rid of the demo rom was to install the leaked 7.5 rom (I was refused RMA because of the demo).
Oh well, if I have to go back to the demo just to unlock, I'll pray that is a workable option (many can't unlock after getting 7.5 roms).
Well, there simply are much less CDMA carriers in the world than there are GSM/UMTS ones. Given that Verizon and Sprint seem not to be too much into WP7 that explains why developing those devices is a low priority to the manufacturers.
It is a bit strange considering the Sprint Touch Pro/TP2 were the more popular devices back in the WM days then any of the other carrier devices. Now with the Arrive being almost a direct successor of the Touch Pro 2, you would think it would have gotten the same dedicated treatment, sadly, this is not the case. I do hope Sprint continues with the Arrive and whatever comes next has the same keyboard and a more refined design with the Titan like upgrades.
A 4" screen with the same keyboard, 1.5Ghz processor, and all the other Mango bells and whistles would be grand.
The most frank response is very simple:
The entire world uses GSM.
I know of all of two, maybe three countries where there are even CDMA networks. If I was making a phone, I wouldn't even be thinking about CDMA unless I was selling millions of units and expansion was easiest by using the inferior (whether true or not technologically, CMDA is inferior in a pure business sense) technology.
I know this is true too.
I can't wait for LTE to roll out and put Verizon on the same playing field as most of the world, but I also know that my area will likely be the last, even if it is being used as the primary example of how broadband internet needs to be pushed out to rural areas.
I mean, the other carriers in this area just plain don't care. Dial 16407 as the zipcode into the AT&T and Sprint coverage areas, and you'll see that neither has even got 3G up and running in this area.. let alone 4G! T-Mobile = non-existent.
I can't even get DSL on my outer rims road because Verizon (which just happens to be my land line provider) won't run DSL down it because of a massive farm that takes up the first 1/3 of this section of road!?!
Anyone who says "just move" is ignorant and should be shot.
I currently have an HTC hero I used on AT&T (I think it was a Rogers phone from canada, its the Hero with the funny kink at the bottom).
I've been very happy with it for a few years now, but my folks just got new iphone 4's and I cant stand the "if this "android" thing is so great why is your phone so much slower than mine?" remarks from my father anymore (guess I did a little to good of a job turning him into a techy ) so its time to upgrade
I had not looked at new phones since my Hero was very near top of the line. Base on my extensive reading over the last 2 weeks it looks like the Samsung Galaxy S II LTE (aka Skyrocket) is probably a great choice, particularly since I will be moving to the Baltimore / D.C. area soon and it looks like they have LTE service!
1st Question) Can I still simply take the sim card from my Hero and pop it into the Skyrocket and be up and running? I assume the new phones still use the same old sim cards but all the reviews / videos / pictures I've seen didn't mention it specifically and I wanted to be sure, for all I know they could have changed.
2nd Question) Any reason you wouldn't recommend the Skyrocket? Something better out now, or coming out very soon?
Thank you very much for the help, I always appreciate the advice and wealth of information from all the experts here!
*EDIT* FYI I did look into the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note, but its to large for me I think
1) Yes. To my knowledge (not very much ) only iPhones and Nokia's N9 use microSIM cards. Your regular SIM from your Hero will fit fine in your new phone.
2) The Skyrocket is a lovely phone, if you need LTE. There are two similar, somewhat cheaper alternatives available if you're not in an LTE area (i777, i9100). They are both compatible with AT&T 3G service.
If you wait for 'the next best thing' around the corner, you'll never buy anything Manufacturers are certainly pumping devices these days. That said, if you like big phones the Note is coming to AT&T within the next couple of weeks, also packing LTE.
I personally loved the LG Nitro HD for its stunning 720p screen and sleek build, although LGs software is definitely not as polished as Samsungs.
In the end, it all comes down to personal preference If you can, head into your local AT&T shop and get some hands-on time with both. Pick the one which feels better for you. You can make a more informed choice that way
Good luck!