[Q] Buying new droid (AT&T), can you beat a Galaxy S II LTE? - General Questions and Answers

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!

Related

Next "big thing" from T-mobile?

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.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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?
Click to expand...
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).

[Q] Help me choose a new WinMo/Android phone (CDMA, to be modified for MetroPCS)

Its time for me to find a new phone. Ive gone through three first gen MotoQ over the last few years and this last one is finally starting to fall apart which is quite amazing since it was announced five years ago (if it isnt broke dont fix it, and if it breaks fix it!). I've been a MetroPCS customer going on six years now and have no intention of switching providers
Help me find a phone with the following requirements -
Android OR Windows Mobile 6+
Able to be modified for MetroPCS
A full keyboard (can be a slider, flip or front facing keyboard like the MotoQ)
Price under 200$ new or used
Some nice features to have but not required would be -
Charges through standard mini usb
Extended life batteries (or brand new original batteries) available
Some type of tethering solution (currently i do this through USB)
I don't mind if the phone is old, even a model from four years ago if it works well
I am in the San Francisco bay area (LTE is available)
I often use my MotoQ to send MMS and the Google Maps application even though the speed is very slow (perhaps because of my device?).
Three times I have paid someone to add the "foreign" ESN of my phones into the MetroPCS database so it would be a definite plus (not a requirement) if the phone had the ability to directly take over for my current MotoQ without the extra fees (electronic serial number change).
You dont have to give me all the details on how to hack the phone onto metro, if you give me a model number I will do my own homework.
My girlfriend insists on getting me a phone for my birthday. I think she is tired of seeing me carry around this ratty old phone that no one still uses.
Thanks for your suggestions
Based on all your needs, the best fit would be a Sprint HTC Touch Pro 2 (Rhodium). It also runs Android now, as well as WM 6.1/6.5.
I have little experience with CDMA, but from what I understand most devices whether they have a good or a bad ESN can be flashed for any carrier other than the original. I haven't seen any CDMA Rhodiums for sale here on the forums, but you could always try eBay. They're pretty cheap these days too
Good Luck!
Thanks for the quick reply. I will have to look into that model more but so far it does seem to do what I wanted!
I was starting to lean towards the Moto Droid 2. Apparently it is not too difficult to get it functioning properly on MetroPCS and it has decent specs. The price for used models isnt bad and its running 2.2 android stock, with a 2.3.3 hack available
braschlosan said:
Thanks for the quick reply. I will have to look into that model more but so far it does seem to do what I wanted!
I was starting to lean towards the Moto Droid 2. Apparently it is not too difficult to get it functioning properly on MetroPCS and it has decent specs. The price for used models isnt bad and its running 2.2 android stock, with a 2.3.3 hack available
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Also true, with the added benefit that if you ever move away from CDMA, you'll have a GSM radio in there too. I can only speak for the original Milestone, but it was a capable little phone at the time. They reworked the keyboard on the second one, so it seems to be much more user-friendly. I'm not sure how much luck they had with the bootloader on it though, so would pay to do some research there before you buy

[Q] New and could use some help

Hey everyone! I'm new to XDA and android and could use some help. Been looking for my first android phone and am currently living in the dominican republic. My carrier operates on the 850 band for their 3g network. I need to be able to purchase an unlocked phone or a phone off contract that i can unlock without complications. Some phones i have looked into are Nexus S, Desire HD, Atrix, G2x and a few others. Nexus S doesnt work with my carrier for their 3g and the desire hd lacks a front facing camera.
I could really use some help or guidance in finding the right phone... All your help is greatly appreciated. Have posted in a few other forums, but to not much avail. Thanks again everyone!
The Galaxy 4g phone has 850 band and FFC and is a decent choice. I do not know how good the Coverage of 4g is in Dominican so even though it is a great phone you may only have 3g reception. You could get a Galaxy S phone and install a FFC in it(or buy it that way) would save some money but it is older tech .... .........BUT there is a ALOT of support here in XDA for the Galaxy S. And there is multi language already installed in it.Or you could wait until the New S2 makes it here in June sometime.
If you went with a Galaxy S (Vibrant,Captivate, etc) here in the states you can get for about 175-250.00 right now vs 450-550.00 for a new phone.
So, there are some options. I would stay away from the Atrix, Motorola is not hacker friendly and there are some other quality issues about them I am not convinced it is worth the money.
BTW, Welcome to the forum. This is the best place to be to learn about Android phones. Look at the specific phone forums and read up. This will assist in understanding the phone and help you make a more informed decision.
Good Luck in your quest....... Cheers
Thanks for the helpful info. I have been reading up on the forums and have also heard about the Atrix issues.
As for the Galaxy S, I do like that phone, but as you mentioned, it does have some older tech especially compared to what is being released this month and next. I don't mind paying a little more having a more up to date phone. Hence my hesitation with something like the Desire HD or Inspire and it's lack of a FFC.
As for the network here, no 4g yet. One of the carriers "Orange" is looking into it, but wouldnt be for a while. Also, I'm quite exactly how much longer I'll be here.
Desperate to get a phone and was hoping to do it this week while my friend in back in the US and could pick it up for me so that I dont have to pay the rediculous taxes at customs when ordering electronics.
The G2X is looking like an option, but i dont know about unlocked nor exactly how much at this point. This is proving to be more difficult that i imagined, been at it for a few months now. Who would think that with so many choices there would actually be so few choices!
Any continued help is still greatly appreciated! thanks again!

[Q] Looking for a good, cheap, no-contract AT&T smartphone

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.
/10 chars
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)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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)

[Q] T989 (Hercules) or i9100

Hi all!
I have been looking to get a galaxy s2 and can't decide between the tmobile version or the international version.
I currently have t-mobile so that would leave me on edge speeds with the international version, but with the upcoming roaming agreements and possible 1900 Mhz 3G service that tmobile might be using (BIG IF I know). It's sounding like an okay option, plus its not like I use my phone to surf the web all day, I am mostly in a place that has wireless that I can use.
I am leaning towards the international version due to its form factor and great roms. I'm not exactly a fan of how huge the tmobile version felt in my hands after getting to see a friend of mines.
In any case I have a vibrant and as much as I love the phone I would like an upgrade as this summer it will be 2 years old, which will be the longest kept phone I have had. (most of the ones I did have were replaced in 1 year or less).
Thanks for any input and yes I did search the forums, but if I missed something then thread point away

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