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Thinking about buying this phone - I have Questions

Right now I have an Evo 4G and while I like it I'm getting a little bored with it. I'm big on flashing Roms and the ICS Rom is great but the lack of a working Camera and the development speed/support just isn't that great. I guess I could/should be more patient.
With that said it seems like the Nexus S would be a good fit for me. I see several ICS Roms out there and it appears everything is working great as well as a ton of support here from the Devs.
I am due for an upgrade in May so here are my questions....
1.) In your opinion is it worth getting this phone for 5+ months until my upgrade?
2.) I don't want to shell out a ton of money for a new phone....Where do you recommend I look for a good used one?
3.) Can I activate a used Nexus easily? I don't want to screw up my 2 year contract and have to start over.
I've searched E-bay and found some ranging from $170+.....I'm not sure what I should be looking for as far as what buyer to go with if I do decide to get one.
What is the best Model?

Sniggity said:
Right now I have an Evo 4G and while I like it I'm getting a little bored with it. I'm big on flashing Roms and the ICS Rom is great but the lack of a working Camera and the development speed/support just isn't that great. I guess I could/should be more patient.
With that said it seems like the Nexus S would be a good fit for me. I see several ICS Roms out there and it appears everything is working great as well as a ton of support here from the Devs.
I am due for an upgrade in May so here are my questions....
1.) In your opinion is it worth getting this phone for 5+ months until my upgrade?
2.) I don't want to shell out a ton of money for a new phone....Where do you recommend I look for a good used one?
3.) Can I activate a used Nexus easily? I don't want to screw up my 2 year contract and have to start over.
I've searched E-bay and found some ranging from $170+.....I'm not sure what I should be looking for as far as what buyer to go with if I do decide to get one.
What is the best Model?
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1. Yes
2. EBay
3. Yes.
Look for eBay posting which clearly states "CLEAN ESN" this means its not stolen and can be activated without a problem. Obviously you want to also look for working condition and all that. $200 is about what they go for.

obsanity said:
1. Yes
2. EBay
3. Yes.
Look for eBay posting which clearly states "CLEAN ESN" this means its not stolen and can be activated without a problem. Obviously you want to also look for working condition and all that. $200 is about what they go for.
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Click to collapse
I found one with a Clean ESN for $200.
Model: i9020
MPN: GT-I9020FSTTMB
I haven't had a chance to research the different models. Is this a good one for the price? Or should I look to get a different model?
Also, coming from the Evo how would I go about transferring files(pictures, videos, Backups, etc.) from my Micro-SD card to this phone since the NS doesn't use SD cards?

Unless you plan on switching carriers (EVO is on Sprint) you need a Nexus S 4G CDMA for Sprint. The others are for T-Mobile or ATT which are a GSM version.

Sniggity said:
I found one with a Clean ESN for $200.
Model: i9020
MPN: GT-I9020FSTTMB
I haven't had a chance to research the different models. Is this a good one for the price? Or should I look to get a different model?
Also, coming from the Evo how would I go about transferring files(pictures, videos, Backups, etc.) from my Micro-SD card to this phone since the NS doesn't use SD cards?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's a S-AMOLED screen model so a good choice. However, as has been said previously, look for a 4G model.
The Nexus S appears to Windows in the same way as your EVO would - as if it has an SD card, so you can just copy everything across using your computer.

TheManicGibbon said:
That's a S-AMOLED screen model so a good choice. However, as has been said previously, look for a 4G model.
The Nexus S appears to Windows in the same way as your EVO would - as if it has an SD card, so you can just copy everything across using your computer.
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Click to collapse
Thanks for the info.
I ended up order that one today and it's already on the way ....Samsung Nexus S 4G, Clean ESN Sprint, Bundle, CDMA, Excellent Condition!....Sounds good and looks good from the pics too.
I assumed that's how it would work as far as the Internal Memory was concerned but thought I'd make sure.
I can't wait to root this and get some pure ICS!!

**OFFICIAL** What Phone Should I Buy?

Attention!
In light of all the posts that are deleted and/or closed due to many off-topic posts about what device a person should buy, I have created this official thread.
Although XDA is not a place to extensively talk about what device person should buy, some forums permit it. So to help keep the threads a little cleaner, you may post your questions here.
Granted there are other sites more into device reviews and comparisons, but in the interest of keeping some people happy, and to avoid getting posts deleted, this thread is created for people who have no idea what device to get.
In the end, you should still march your happy self to a shop, and play with the devices that are available. Only then will you be satisfied with your purchase.
Any posts elsewhere asking such questions, that should be in this thread, will still be deleted or closed. This includes posting multi-duplicated posts in several forums outside of official threads.
Thanks, and Hope you use this.

pre order the htc one!!!!
wel, i had the atrix 4g and did alot with it. now i got the atrix 2. i like it more in terms of camera screen and overall feel and preformance, but this bootloader it bringing me down in terms of wanting more out of this awesome phone. so, with that said....around the ninth of may i will be leaving the atrix 2 threads as i have just pre ordered a htc one on [email protected] and will be moving there. the atrix 2 is going to a good friend as we are on aplan together but he has no knowledge of android so seeing that its already rooted and has a custom rom im sure ill he back off and on keeping him up to date with the latest and greatest i know this phone will get here soon. thanks devs for all the hard work for this device and maybe ill see a few of you in the htc one threads.

Unlocked Galaxy Nexus, no contract, $400 direct from Google. No brainer
Sent from my MB865 using Tapatalk

loved my atrix 4g. favorite phone ever. screen broke though and insurance didn't have any more so i had to get an atrix 2. build quality, screen and camera are better. sacrificed fingerprint sensor, battery life and slightly better processor for it though. also the dev support on the atrix 2 doesn't come close to the support for the OG atrix.

Galaxy S III
Guys what do you think? Is it worth it to buy Galaxy S III right now?? Later? Or don't buy it at all?!

V1P3R92 said:
Guys what do you think? Is it worth it to buy Galaxy S III right now?? Later? Or don't buy it at all?!
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I'd get a Nexus just because the SIII is basically a beefier Nexus with TouchWiz 4.0 instead of straight ICS, but that's more personal preference than anything.

V1P3R92 said:
Guys what do you think? Is it worth it to buy Galaxy S III right now?? Later? Or don't buy it at all?!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Galaxy S III will be a great phone, they rooted it before it was even released and they already have an insecure kernel and boot image, so if you like ROMs and flashing. then that is the phone to get.
I will have a Galaxy S III the day it is released. I am in no way getting rid of the Atrix2, it will no longer be my daily driver, so I can hack the crap out the Atrix2, and get us some more great things, without having to worry about not being able to use my phone for an extended period of time, if I want to work on something over a whole weekend or something.

acondie13 said:
loved my atrix 4g. favorite phone ever. screen broke though and insurance didn't have any more so i had to get an atrix 2. build quality, screen and camera are better. sacrificed fingerprint sensor, battery life and slightly better processor for it though. also the dev support on the atrix 2 doesn't come close to the support for the OG atrix.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is the boat I am in...my screen has gone bonkers, and my IT group wants to replace my Atrix with the Atrix 2. I had written off the A2 when they first gave me a choice...but this time I don't have a choice. Too bad because I have just about all the OG Atrix docks (car, lapdock, standard, HD, etc).
What I really want to know is whether or not I can modify the unit. With the OG Atrix now starting to see ICS with CM9 and AOKP, what will I be missing with the A2?

S3 or One X w'd be better choice
s3 comes with cheap build quality and One X lags in spite of its Quad core factor.
Sent from my MB865 using xda premium

kc92iyngr said:
S3 or One X w'd be better choice
s3 comes with cheap build quality and One X lags in spite of its Quad core factor.
Sent from my MB865 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Honestly they are looking like the 2 strong contenders..... Sg3 boast a bit more cutting edge features and looks like one x does not have sd storage????? If I had the choice it would be Sg3 all day..... All boils down to preferences and needs do you need all Sg3 offers or would one x work for you.....

every htc phone sux in battery department....while SG3 Luks cheapish 4 a very high end phone ....i think sg2 is best and since price have gone down it more of a better choice...it can do everything what sg3 nd htc one x do....the only thing i t lacks is a hd display ....but seriously i saw htc one x nd SG2 hand to hand nd i dont notice any diffence in display pixel density....both look same....nothing big difference its just a hype of hd nothing more ......

justin
cool beans

I'm trying to decide if I should trade the Atrix 2 for a SGS2. Somebody at craigslits wants to trade. What do you think?

Shoot, I would take that offer.

nahuelarg86 said:
I'm trying to decide if I should trade the Atrix 2 for a SGS2. Somebody at craigslits wants to trade. What do you think?
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I've posted my MB865 both on eBay and on Craig's List, and no takers. I've set the price very low and still have no luck trying to offload it. Guess I will just choke down the $199.00 from AT&T with a new 2 year for the SGS3.
C'es la vie...

Best Buy will probably buy it from you. Now I'm glad that I got the "buyback guarantee" thing. Once my contract is up I'll get about $150 for it to put towards another phone...more if I go in earlier. Earlier's looking good.

just wandering what you want to do that you can't with the A2 besides use a new rom everyday?

rdhoggattjr said:
just wandering what you want to do that you can't with the A2 besides use a new rom everyday?
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Click to collapse
AOSP and AOKP are not going to work unless we unlock the bootloader. That is what I really like... I think blur is clumsy and fat...
The ONLY things about this phone that are great is that it is solid, and the battery is amazing.
Developing anything on this phone is a pain... my sgs 3 will be here tomorrow or tues at the latest, and I already have a kernel and cm9 compiled and ready to test and release over there.

RowanOak said:
Best Buy will probably buy it from you. Now I'm glad that I got the "buyback guarantee" thing. Once my contract is up I'll get about $150 for it to put towards another phone...more if I go in earlier. Earlier's looking good.
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Click to collapse
I've seen this mentioned a couple of times and am curious - does Best Buy only buy back phones purchased from their store, or could I turn in my Atrix 2 purchased from an AT&T location?

aguacateojos said:
I've seen this mentioned a couple of times and am curious - does Best Buy only buy back phones purchased from their store, or could I turn in my Atrix 2 purchased from an AT&T location?
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Click to collapse
No it does not have to have been bought at a best buy. I traded my HTC inspire that I bought at an AT&T corp store for the A2 and I had money left to buy a 32GB and a 64GB SDcard.
So basically I got the A2 and a 32GB SDcard, and a 64GB SDcard all for trading in my HTC Inspire 4g that was bought for 99 bucks at an AT&T corp store. So basically the phone was free and they gave me 2 SDcards with it...
Now I will say if you have ANY issues BB will screw you over, so be careful, and if you have an issue they will MAKE you get a geek squad monthly support contract... I told them to F-off, and took the first A2 that broke into the AT&T Corp store right across the street and AT&T still took care of me.
Oh, and I bought my SGS 3 from the AT&T website... no more BB after the issues with support even though it was 32 days after purchase.
I will say though, that if you need to trade your phone in to get another one, for money reasons, BB is the place to go. I have heard of certain AT&T corp stores doing trade ins, but the ones around me have never done that.

[Q] Sell a Note 2 for Nexus 4

Hey there everyone!
I have been a happy owner of a Galaxy Note 2 on Sprint since the phone launched. I truly do love the phone, and I can't find any core complaints about it, however, I find myself really craving a Nexus 4.
I have jumped into Android development with my Note 2, and have thus been finding that this powerhouse of a phone is just too unique of a device for me to develop apps for 4.1.2 + and cover a broad amount of devices and test cases. I am also not too excited about flashing any custom ROMs or anything on the Note 2 as I lose much of the native functionality (which I like). Coming from an original EVO 4G, which I flashed the hell out of, I am missing this lifestyle.
Long story short, I am looking to perhaps sell my Note 2, pick up a new 16gb Nexus 4 (when it comes available) with the proceeds, and start my PhoneGap app development on a more more suitable, and uber-current piece of hardware. Has anyone else done a similar process before? Is there anything I should look out for when trying to make this switch? Will Sprint raise hell for any reason?
If I could afford to just keep my Note 2 and buy a Nexus 4, I would, but unfortunately I am not that wealthy. I am really just looking for opinions or impressions on something like this. Also perhaps anyone's experience in doing something similar.
Cheers!

stat30fbliss said:
Hey there everyone!
I have been a happy owner of a Galaxy Note 2 on Sprint since the phone launched. I truly do love the phone, and I can't find any core complaints about it, however, I find myself really craving a Nexus 4.
I have jumped into Android development with my Note 2, and have thus been finding that this powerhouse of a phone is just too unique of a device for me to develop apps for 4.1.2 + and cover a broad amount of devices and test cases. I am also not too excited about flashing any custom ROMs or anything on the Note 2 as I lose much of the native functionality (which I like). Coming from an original EVO 4G, which I flashed the hell out of, I am missing this lifestyle.
Long story short, I am looking to perhaps sell my Note 2, pick up a new 16gb Nexus 4 (when it comes available) with the proceeds, and start my PhoneGap app development on a more more suitable, and uber-current piece of hardware. Has anyone else done a similar process before? Is there anything I should look out for when trying to make this switch? Will Sprint raise hell for any reason?
If I could afford to just keep my Note 2 and buy a Nexus 4, I would, but unfortunately I am not that wealthy. I am really just looking for opinions or impressions on something like this. Also perhaps anyone's experience in doing something similar.
Cheers!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If u upgraded to the Note 2 and extended your contract u may be out of luck. Nexus 4 does not support CDMA bands which Sprint uses. So unless u switching to GSM then I dunno what to say aside from the fact that Note 2 to Nexus 4 is a downgrade IMO

^ I second all that.
You'd need to switch to a provider that uses SIM cards such as T-Mobile or ATT.
If development makes you happy and you're out of contract or can afford the ETF (although that might be almost as much as just buying the N4) - go for it. But I agree it's a downgrade that lacks a lot of nice features the Note II offers. It'd be a trade-off (not to mention the change of carrier).

Great points. I didn't think about being out of luck and having to switch carriers. I suppose I'll just have to keep my eyes out for a used Galaxy Nexus I can pick up for $100 or so to develop on.
The Galaxy Nexus got the 4.2 Upgrade right? I would really just like to start preparing for Android Development, and be able to have the best broad test-cases for 4.1.2 and above.
Not to mention I would like to start playing with the SPen SDK

stat30fbliss said:
Great points. I didn't think about being out of luck and having to switch carriers. I suppose I'll just have to keep my eyes out for a used Galaxy Nexus I can pick up for $100 or so to develop on.
The Galaxy Nexus got the 4.2 Upgrade right? I would really just like to start preparing for Android Development, and be able to have the best broad test-cases for 4.1.2 and above.
Not to mention I would like to start playing with the SPen SDK
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not sure if the Verizon Nexus got the update yet. Since it's carrier branded there is bloatware and also has to go through the carrier for updates. It was late in receiving 4.0.4 and also 4.1

Can't decide what phone to get next

So I have a Galaxy S4 I've had for a year (before that I had the S3) with Verizon and I'm really tired of this locked bootloader crap. I'm kind of on a budget, so I could use some advice.
I really just want a phone that's as close to stock as possible and can be easily rooted/flashed. So, ideally a Nexus 5 or 6. I also saw HTC phones and Motorola phones on Verizon's web site, but I don't know if those phones are locked or not.
I would like to trade in my old phone and sign up for a contact as leverage, as I can't afford paying too much. Any advice would be appreciated.

On a budget, get a used phone from last year off eBay or here on Swappa, and you won't even have to re-up your contract. HTC M7, LG G2, Moto X (especially Developer Edition), one of the Droids. They should all be rootable, but I can't speak individually for unlocked bootloaders.
masronmarsa said:
For budget phones, you can pay some attention to China phones like Huawei, ZTE, XiaoMi, THL, ZOPO, Doogge and more. They are some China brands recommended. How do you think? I myself prefer Huawei phones.
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Click to collapse
None of those will work on Verizon in the USA.

Planterz said:
On a budget, get a used phone from last year off eBay or here on Swappa, and you won't even have to re-up your contract. HTC M7, LG G2, Moto X (especially Developer Edition), one of the Droids. They should all be rootable, but I can't speak individually for unlocked bootloaders.
None of those will work on Verizon in the USA.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the recommendation I'll check it out. I'm most interested in Nexus, HTC, LG, or Moto. Would I be able to trade in my S4 for some value?

I suggest you to go for HTC M8. This device is really stylish.
This device
1. Feels nicer to hold.
2. Knock on feature.
3. seems faster
4. Takes a micro sd card.

Rickyzx said:
I suggest you to go for HTC M8. This device is really stylish.
This device
1. Feels nicer to hold.
2. Knock on feature.
3. seems faster
4. Takes a micro sd card.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The problem with HTC M8 is the camera, otherwise would be a great choice. I have the oneplus one and I am really happy.

marbertshere said:
So I have a Galaxy S4 I've had for a year (before that I had the S3) with Verizon and I'm really tired of this locked bootloader crap. I'm kind of on a budget, so I could use some advice.
I really just want a phone that's as close to stock as possible and can be easily rooted/flashed. So, ideally a Nexus 5 or 6. I also saw HTC phones and Motorola phones on Verizon's web site, but I don't know if those phones are locked or not.
I would like to trade in my old phone and sign up for a contact as leverage, as I can't afford paying too much. Any advice would be appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you can have a contract plan ,then cellphones is relatively cheaper .as for online shopping ,
you need to ask them for details if their cellphones are unclocked or not to avoid any
trouble .

Oneplus one...had some invites...all shared ;p

+1 for OnePlus One, great phone for cheap price.

People say the nexus has terrible battery life, so accordong to this, I wouldn't recommend you to buy one. I'd recommend you to buy a moto g though, since it's actually a smaller version of a nexus, and allegedly has better battery life, but more of that I'd recommend either an htc one m8 or an lg g3, if your wallet can handle the price. Now, about off-contract, I'd suggest the oneplus one, because it's a flagship killer and it's relatively cheap, as said above.

I recommend the LG G3...the bootloader can be sort of unlocked via Bump, but the LG Rom is pretty close to stock, doesnt add too much extras. It has a great camera and awesome screen, SD Card and removable 3000mAh battery. It's a nice phone! I will agree that Nexus phones have very poor battery life, but you can install just about anything on them in terms of ROMs. If sticking with GSM, the OnePlus One is nice too but I'm not sure where that company is going with CyanogenMod and OnePlus on the fritz. They will probably have to develop their own rom in the future, unless you want to load the CyanogenMod version, which you can do that too. Moto X phones are good, battery life would still be my concern, but its as close as stock as you can get besides nexus.

I'm probably going to look at the MotoX or droid Turbo.. I'll check out the OPO. I guess I have some hw to do. I'm using Verizon's edge plan, and I don't think that's a traditional contract. I also need to look at and see what kind of development is going on for each of these devices.
People mentioned eBay and Amazon.. Are there any sites that are specifically for buying/trading used phones?

marbertshere said:
I'm probably going to look at the MotoX or droid Turbo.. I'll check out the OPO. I guess I have some hw to do. I'm using Verizon's edge plan, and I don't think that's a traditional contract. I also need to look at and see what kind of development is going on for each of these devices.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OnePlus One won't work on Verizon's CDMA network.
People mentioned eBay and Amazon.. Are there any sites that are specifically for buying/trading used phones?
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Click to collapse
At the top of the forum page, there's a link for Swappa, XDA's own marketplace.

Go here for help deciding your next phone : http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1846277

balx96 said:
The problem with HTC M8 is the camera, otherwise would be a great choice. I have the oneplus one and I am really happy.
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Click to collapse
I agree with you. I have also noticed that the camera quality of HTC devices is relatively low than Samsung devices.

Looking for Help and suggestions.

Hello,
First a litttle background (skip to the 2nd paragraph for the question): My first experience with Android and XDA came with the Galaxy S5... On AT&T. As you know, its not the most friendly phone when it comes to the development community but thanks to Safestrap, I was at least able to do some tweaking. But, shortly after I bought it, the Note 4 was released and I immediately wanted it... it became my dream phone. But, of course, on AT&T, its locked down just like the S5 (maybe even more so?). I then bought a Tab S 8.4 and had a much better experience with being able to customize the tablet how I wanted. When it came time to upgrade, I was going to buy the Nexus 6 so I could have complete freedom and once my upgrade date came, both AT&T and Best Buy both promptly stopped selling the Nexus 6. So, I decided to just say screw it, and bought the Note 5. While its a fast phone and Touchwiz is night and day better on it than it was on my S5, I really miss my root.
So, here's my question: I have been monitoring the forums and have seen that AT&T users with the Galaxy S6/S6 Edge and the LG G4 have been able to successfully root. Ironically, I almost bought the G$, but bought the Note b/c of my desire for the Note 4. Anyway, if I were to buy a S6 Edge or G4 at Best Buy today, would it come with the stock firmware that is rootable (with Pingpong for the Samsung or flashing with the LG) or will they have been updated to one of the newer un-rootable firmwares? I'm not trying to get into an OEM debate here, I just want the best Android experience possible in my current situation and, unfortunately, that means buying an AT&T phone. I don't know if it matters, but If I buy the G4, it would be the silver H810 as I'd buy the leather back anyway and if I buy the S6Edge, it would be gold version with model number of SM-G925AZDAATT.
Thanks for reading and for any advice you can give!
PS.. There may be other rootable AT&T phones I don't know about and I'm open to them as well but at this point, I'm restricted to buying an AT&T phone through Best Buy. Thanks again!

Go with G4 I might be a little subjective but just start with the removable battery and micro sd card...

There's a thread for this.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1620179
Thread closed