So, who's still stuck in a contract and when does it end? What are your plans when it does end? Upgrade or leave and go to a prepaid plan?
My contract ends on 12/14/13 and am counting down the days when I can leave Verizon and never look back. It makes me sick to pay $180/month service for two smart phones when I can go with a prepaid service and save $80-$90. So I plan on waiting it out and not even toying with the idea of upgrading and locking myself into a phone that will become obsolete in 6 months and a plan that is overpriced and includes ridiculous fees and charges.
I will be looking to spend around $200-$250 on a phone. I know that I can get a SGS2 or Gnex right now for that but in 9 months I'm thinking that the price of a S3 will come down to where I can afford it. I'm also looking at a RAZR or RAZR Maxx. Used of course. I originally started looking on Craigslist, but am thinking Amazon is the way to go.
I obviously want the most for my money and something unlocked or unlockable and plenty of support available for the phone.
What other options will I have in that price range?
HTC?
Samsung?
Motorola?
Sent from my CM10 Droid X2 using Tapatalk 2
I did the same thing last November. I saw how much Sprint wanted monthly for a smartphone and now I have a smartphone for less than I was paying them for just minutes and texting with no data.
I was looking around to buy a phone and I personally felt it was better to spend a bit more money and get the GS3 (which was about $400 when I got it) so that it would last me longer and not already feel very dated. I put it on a card and I've already paid it off - very minimal interest accrued.
If I were you, I'd get the S4 or something if you're looking to buy at the very end of this year - that way they'll be on the market for a while and you can likely find one used at a decent-enough discount over buying new. I feel like it pays to spend more on something better.
Or you could buy an N4 new if you don't care about removable battery and sd card.
You could also just buy a really cheap phone or flash whatever you have now to a pre-paid service - and save the money you were paying to Verizon and put it aside to buy a better phone.
You have a long time. Ultimately, I wouldn't worry about it yet. See what you can save up between now and then, just wait and see where prices will go by then (The Nexus phones aren't much more to save up for you and I'd bet a new one will be released between now and then - a great value if the hardware is right).
Pennycake said:
I did the same thing last November. I saw how much Sprint wanted monthly for a smartphone and now I have a smartphone for less than I was paying them for just minutes and texting with no data.
I was looking around to buy a phone and I personally felt it was better to spend a bit more money and get the GS3 (which was about $400 when I got it) so that it would last me longer and not already feel very dated. I put it on a card and I've already paid it off - very minimal interest accrued.
If I were you, I'd get the S4 or something if you're looking to buy at the very end of this year - that way they'll be on the market for a while and you can likely find one used at a decent-enough discount over buying new. I feel like it pays to spend more on something better.
Or you could buy an N4 new if you don't care about removable battery and sd card.
You could also just buy a really cheap phone or flash whatever you have now to a pre-paid service - and save the money you were paying to Verizon and put it aside to buy a better phone.
You have a long time. Ultimately, I wouldn't worry about it yet. See what you can save up between now and then, just wait and see where prices will go by then (The Nexus phones aren't much more to save up for you and I'd bet a new one will be released between now and then - a great value if the hardware is right).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you're looking for a phone, you're not going to find much for around $200-250 besides well used S2s right now, and S3s aren't going to come down as dramatically as the GNex did when the N4 was announced. The S3 is still a solid powerhouse that will command at least $300 at minimum for a well used one when all is said and done after the S4 drops. If you're just looking to expand your functionality of your phone, but not have to pay the insane carrier prices/payment schemes for equipment, or worse, MSRP, then you may be in the market for a cheap N7 like myself. I was originally looking for a Note or N7, if I could get the Note, that would be the end of it, but since I found a brand spanking new N7 I've been very happy overall with my pair of Androids. I can still upgrade my phone later, but because I'm not relying on my phone to do anything other than handle my data connection and provide me with a physical handheld to use for calls, I'm not quite as concerned about upgrading it anytime soon. I had already anticipated when I upgraded from a beat up Optimus 3D to the S2 that I would have to stick with whatever I got at $250 (I got super lucky, it was only 2 weeks old) for the better part of at least a year before I could even think about upgrading my phone again. I got that itch shortly after when I found myself semi-limited by the phone as far as certain gaming capability. I then eyed a Note or N7 in order to get my gaming fix. The N7 I ended up getting has since been a VERY handy tool for not just getting my mobile gaming fix, but for remote troubleshooting, home network/pc management when I get calls from my roommates for broken services.
Before you make ANY purchase, ask yourself a couple questions about what you really want. Do you want a device to game on? An accessory/toy? An internet connected tool? A better communications platform? I found that I was already satisfied with my phone and only wanted to get a bigger screen, longer battery life, and better gaming support, which made the Note and N7 perfect options. Note if I chose to drop $400 on a used one and have a phablet, or an N7 for $200 and just never take my phone out of my pocket.
Either way, I would recommend looking into Swappa.com, the Marketplace replacement as this is where I found my N7, and Craigslist (though be VERY CAREFUL here) for the S2.
What I mean by be VERY CAREFUL with transactions on Craigslist is that I've heard of people buying a lightly used phone from somebody for decent money on there, only to find the phone doesn't work anymore and rejects the carrier a month or two down the road. This is typically because the original seller bought the phone on a payment plan and have since either stopped making payments, or have dropped the carrier altogether, and the carrier has responded well within the contract and blacklisted the device on the network. Swappa is a lot more reliable for not dealing in possibly abused/misrepresented items, but you'll pay a premium for this peace of mind. Good luck!
I use my phone now primarily for streaming spotify while at work, email, texting and browsing the web. My WiFi connection at work is sometimes unreliable so I rely heavily on my 3g connection. I'm not as concerned about having the latest tech either. I would probably be fine for a couple of years using a gnex or s3. Although I probably would go for the s3 simply because of the removable battery and SD card slot.
Sent from my CM10 Droid X2 using Tapatalk 2
Cynagen makes some very good points. I am mainly interested in changing carriers and lowering my contract price, and was looking at buying something new and unlocked. Tethering to a full-featured, higher spec tablet makes a lot of sense if the main use case is data. I rarely use my phone for voice, and most times am within wi-fi coverage.
=RV=
redvelociraptor said:
Cynagen makes some very good points. I am mainly interested in changing carriers and lowering my contract price, and was looking at buying something new and unlocked. Tethering to a full-featured, higher spec tablet makes a lot of sense if the main use case is data. I rarely use my phone for voice, and most times am within wi-fi coverage.
=RV=
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's an okay idea, but the phone's battery is going to drain FAST if it's constantly tethering. And unless you're paying for tethering, there might not always be a reliable work-around to get it to work anyway.
My S3 lasted about 4 hours of continuous tethering and it was pretty warm. Instead of it being able to manage going to "sleep", you'd have to do that manually - turn your tethering on whenever you want to use your tablet. Which may work depending on patience and usage.
Another idea might be a data-only SIM in a tablet and make calls over VOIP or just keep a spare phone for the minutes if that's what you want.
I have a phone and a tablet and I use my phone more often on a daily basis - it would not be practical to bring my tablet where I most often use my phone - the size difference is big enough to go from "kind of bulky" to "full on leg shield if you can even get it in your pocket".
I'm not knocking the idea, just saying you need to consider the downsides, too. I almost went for it, myself, but with the $30/mo T-Mobile plan I decided just to get the S3. It's a good size for carrying in a pocket, and I have a 10" tablet that's a great size for watching movies, too (bought it from a friend). I'd recommend going to a store and comparing sizes. For me, 7" just didn't fit in - it was too small for what I wanted to use a tablet for and too big to carry around all day - but if you have to carry a bag or something, it might be a better fit.
Pennycake said:
It's an okay idea, but the phone's battery is going to drain FAST if it's constantly tethering. And unless you're paying for tethering, there might not always be a reliable work-around to get it to work anyway.
My S3 lasted about 4 hours of continuous tethering and it was pretty warm. Instead of it being able to manage going to "sleep", you'd have to do that manually - turn your tethering on whenever you want to use your tablet. Which may work depending on patience and usage.
Another idea might be a data-only SIM in a tablet and make calls over VOIP or just keep a spare phone for the minutes if that's what you want.
I have a phone and a tablet and I use my phone more often on a daily basis - it would not be practical to bring my tablet where I most often use my phone - the size difference is big enough to go from "kind of bulky" to "full on leg shield if you can even get it in your pocket".
I'm not knocking the idea, just saying you need to consider the downsides, too. I almost went for it, myself, but with the $30/mo T-Mobile plan I decided just to get the S3. It's a good size for carrying in a pocket, and I have a 10" tablet that's a great size for watching movies, too (bought it from a friend). I'd recommend going to a store and comparing sizes. For me, 7" just didn't fit in - it was too small for what I wanted to use a tablet for and too big to carry around all day - but if you have to carry a bag or something, it might be a better fit.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can confirm that it does drain the battery fast! To address this issue I bought a USB-OTG adapter, and just carry one of my 3 microUSB cables with me at all times. When my phone runs low while I'm on the train or bus or something, I use the USB-OTG cable from the tablet to my phone to keep my phone alive, and while it'll drain the tablet faster, I actually get about a 1.25% charge per 1% drained on the tablet (idle), so it's actually pretty efficient (this surprised me). When I'm in the office, I'll let the phone drain down to warning levels <15% and then use the USB cable to connect it to my desk computer in order to charge up, usually towards the end of the day. The tablet I only really charge at home each night when it's practically dead itself. (I practice stretching the batteries out as far as you can stomach (normally <5%) as you're supposed to with Li-Ion.)
I thought about getting a GSM N7, but when I saw it was an extra $100, plus another $30/mo for a data-only SIM card with unlimited service, when I could tether to my cellphone for free, I chose the $200 one-time & free/mo because T-Mobile just sees Android devices and doesn't care.
Evaluate your end goal, and review all possible avenues towards that goal, I chose the cheapest easiest way for myself, and while you may not have these same avenues available, make sure you do all your research to see if you can get anywhere close.
@Pennycake: I don't know how you only got 4 hours of continuous tethering, I get at least 6 straight on my S2. Check what OTHER processes you have running and see about getting a kernel you can undervolt as well as drop to a super bare minimum speed. (My S2 when WiFi tethering to my N7 sits active @ 192Mhz as that's all that's needed to maintain connection, otherwise it hits deep sleep.)
I don't tether all that often, so it's not a big issue to me (it was on a train ride and I probably won't be travelling again for another year).
Another idea is to use the $30/mo data only and use Google Voice + a VOIP service (like Groove IP) - turning the tablet itself into a phone that way. I read an article about someone who did it and really considered it for a while (in my case, I'm glad I didn't because I don't have the data coverage to make calls everywhere I normally am - sometimes I'm getting only GPRS where I can easily make a call, but not so much over data).
After reading a comparison on S3 compared to One X, it seems as though overall the S3 looks better. Has better battery life, SD card slot, better camera. Now that HTC is out of the picture, I will look into comparing the RAZR phones to the S3. I have heard that Motorola phones have better reception than Samsung. Is this true or just a few people's experience?
Sent from my MB870 using Tapatalk 2
To op. You can talk about early cancelation. Sometimes it doesn't cost as much as you'd think. I did that with at&t thank god for it. That was the worst and so over priced. I'm with Verizon and love it but you sound like you're paying way to much. I pay 99 a month unlimited text and data (my plan started before this family shared data thing) and 500 anytime min but I use Skype anyway.
I think I might switch depending on the shared data thing since there are 2 users on my plan.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app
5imp7y said:
To op. You can talk about early cancelation. Sometimes it doesn't cost as much as you'd think. I did that with at&t thank god for it. That was the worst and so over priced. I'm with Verizon and love it but you sound like you're paying way to much. I pay 99 a month unlimited text and data (my plan started before this family shared data thing) and 500 anytime min but I use Skype anyway.
I think I might switch depending on the shared data thing since there are 2 users on my plan.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Early termination would be too much for us. We currently have three lines, two of which have data plans, the third just an extra line that we added almost two years ago to use it for an upgrade. Our two main lines would cost about 200 each and we would then have to buy two phones.
Sent from my MB870 using Tapatalk 2
Related
I love my gtab but i can see how it might get semi-replaced right off the bat with this Motorla Atrix. Similiar specs and the ports that include laptop key board style usability combined with one for Media outputs will be readily available and easy to find....
My Iphone 3gs contract is up and i am seriously considering this device.
I know there is probably a seperate forum for this phone already but i wanted to see what GTAB users thought about it.
Here is a link fort those in the dark.
It has the Tegra processor, a laptop style doc, a multimedia style doc, and a car doc. Android 2.2.
http://www.att.com/shop/wireless/devices/motorola-atrix.jsp#fbid=Pz0w4Bi9BCz
I wont be getting any locked devices. If Motorola locks the bootloader then I'll wait for something else
I will be getting the Atrix and the docks, this is going to be one bad-azz phone. I am tired of my Iphone after using the Gtab, I have seen the light...
Then again, after reading around about Motorola philosophy of lock down "buy elsewhere" attitude...i may get the Samsung Infuse instead.
Honestly....if i wanted the locked down "buy elsewhere" attitude, why the frack wouldnt i just get the iphone 4 or iphone 5...that attitude kinda DEFEATS the WHOLE purpose of andorid..
No thanks. I'll pass for these reasons:
1. It's a phone, and I have one of those already. I also like to cost of the data plan I'm tied to at the moment.
2. Screen size - I got the G-tablet because I wanted the 10" screen for book/web/whatever reading.
3. If it's going to be locked down like Motorola says it will be, no thanks.
4. AT&T. Plain and simple - I've had way too many bad experiences with them to make me EVER go back.
It's an interesting concept, and if an open alternative which follows that model (specialized docks, etc.) is developed in the future, I may consider moving when I am ready to boot my phone. But at this moment, I'm not seeing anything that's giving me that "I have to have it" wow factor.
BigJohn
BigJohn89 said:
No thanks. I'll pass for these reasons:
1. It's a phone, and I have one of those already. I also like to cost of the data plan I'm tied to at the moment.
2. Screen size - I got the G-tablet because I wanted the 10" screen for book/web/whatever reading.
3. If it's going to be locked down like Motorola says it will be, no thanks.
4. AT&T. Plain and simple - I've had way too many bad experiences with them to make me EVER go back.
It's an interesting concept, and if an open alternative which follows that model (specialized docks, etc.) is developed in the future, I may consider moving when I am ready to boot my phone. But at this moment, I'm not seeing anything that's giving me that "I have to have it" wow factor.
BigJohn
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Like large?
Try this!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyZohb7yhDw&feature=related
To each his own. My experiences with Verizon will make me NEVER go back...EVER.
Years ago i bought a phone with a shared line family plan for me and my wife with verizon...each month the second phone was billed outside of the plan, each month Verizon admitted their mistake, said they would correct the issue and apologized, then the next month..SAME THING ALL OVER AGAIN. After 8 months of that i told them to f*k off and have NEVER been back since.
AT&T on the other hand..i go over my minutes, i call them ask for a new plan...they up the plan and then TAKE OFF THE EXTRA CHARGES...EVERY TIME. Want to drop a line a few months early? No problem...done..no early cancellation fee. They shipped me a bad phone once..no problem..new one sent and old one mailed back, no charge. Battery died a little early once..no problem, service girl in store gave me a free one swapped out of a demo unit..NO CHARGE...the list goes on forever like this. Seriously, their customer service is Five star...its good enough that i am willing to accept the dead zones on I20 in a 4 mile area between augusta and atlanta and one in mid columbia thats about 2 miles long...
Just saying..for every "i hate AT&T" story....i have ones about how Verizon has the WORST customer service in the HISTORY of cell phones when it comes to needing something done. (and not come back the VERY next month..until you LOSE IT and go PSYCHO after 2/3rds of a year...)
OH and coverage? We have all seen the commercials right..the maps? I have traveled with my AT&T to cincinatti, NYC, Richmond, Charlotte, Winston Salem, Columbia, Greensboro, Atlanta, Valdosta, Northen LA, Asheville, Pigeon Forge, Gatlinberg, Savanna, Chaleston, Myrtle beach, Hilton Head, DC, Va Beach, North Kentucky, etc...
Zero problems..
My sister and mothers house in Pleasant Graden NC...NO VERIZON coverage...AT&T phone works fine there..no problems.
Maybe i just have bizzaro luck..or maybe the commercials about Verizons coverage are over-hyped??
I dont know...personal experience versus commercials..im going to go with my actual experience
Nuff said.
The G-tab has a 10" screen. These are two completely different products. There's no way I would consider going smaller unless it is as a complimentary device, not a replacement.
1. AT&T Fail
2. Not 10" screen
3. Not a tablet
4. Better products will be out soon enough
I won't be buying it.
At&t 3G coverage as terrible unless in larger city areas. Not as bad as Tmo, but neither are in the same league for 3G as VZW.
Bionic seems interesting, but no buy if the bootloader is locked. I may be keeping my Inc a LOT longer than planned
It works great with gTablet for tethering, so okay with me
BTW, 4.3" seems big (for a phone it is), but try a 4.3" display for about 15 minutes and then try the gTablet. The 4.3" is functionally no better than than a 3.7" in comparison.
I believe a phone that docks into everything is that future, but the atrix isn't quite there yet.
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App
sanvara said:
The G-tab has a 10" screen. These are two completely different products. There's no way I would consider going smaller unless it is as a complimentary device, not a replacement.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well regarding the Atrix it has a VERY small screen...but the orginal post was referring to the ability to use a keyboard 15inch screen laptop as a PORT!
Complimentary device maybe...but with the right phone i might use the gtab...less than i do now.
The iphone is DEFINATELY going...
What new phone style products are coming that might be better options?
rushless said:
BTW, 4.3" seems big (for a phone it is), but try a 4.3" display for about 15 minutes and then try the gTablet. The 4.3" is functionally no better than than a 3.7" in comparison.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The infuse has a 4.5 inch screen..that thing almost seems like a small tablet compared the years i have spent surfing o my 3GS.
Regarding AT&Ts service..you might be on to somehting there. 99% of my travel is to LARGE cities. For the last 4 years namely its been NYC and Atlanta. When i go home though..in the TINY city of lexington SC from my home....3G service works great. At my girl friends home in Augusta GA, 3G service works great. Usually when i am in a small town though, i am at someones house who has wi-fi hooked up (including mine).
To each his own but Verizons customer serivce is so horrible..i wouldnt care if they had 10G service i would not use them. I might feel different if my luck with always having a 3G or wi-fi signal wasnt so good all the time though.
My gtab mainly does duty as a light alternative to my lap top for when im in the bed surfing the net or want to watch a movie on something in bed or on an airplane etc. I use it as a newsreader from a book stand on my desk at work also through out the day and it makes a great orginizer from same position. I have COMPLETELY stopped using it to type on or try to create any content though...couldnt handle the touch screen keyboard, its worse than using both the lap top and the iphone. It also works great to watch movies on long car trips and for quick "let me check on that" type of internet tasks from home when i am too inpatient to wait for the lap top to boot up.
Truthfully all these devices have their role but i initially posted about the Atrix as it seemed possibly capable of crossing into multiple roles.
One more thing to consider regarding carriers and then i will drop it.
This is a HUGE one.
AT&T has grandfathered all of its users who had smart phones prior to June of 2010 in so that they will continue to get UNLIMITED data for $29.00 a month regardless of how many times they renew or change phones.
Verizon may offer that for one time only introductory rate only, but everyone else (and when your contract is up) you will be locked into only getting 2G per month at a rate only $5.00 cheaper a month.
Now in 2013 rolls around ill be able to get 5G or more in data a month using the SAME technology verizon has, for probably HALF the cost (verizon charges I think $20 extra per G over the 2G) while retaining superior customer service.
Math:
5G from Verizon=$25+$20+$20=$65.00
5G from AT&T grandfathered customers=$29.00
This will be the reality by the time i get around to my next cell phone contract (after the one im about to start) as AT&T will have its LTE network up by then in the larger cities..
So there is that...
Allenfx said:
Like large?
Try this!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyZohb7yhDw&feature=related
To each his own. My experiences with Verizon will make me NEVER go back...EVER.
(Excess text of AT&T vs Verizon rant removed by BJ89)
My sister and mothers house in Pleasant Graden NC...NO VERIZON coverage...AT&T phone works fine there..no problems.
Maybe i just have bizzaro luck..or maybe the commercials about Verizons coverage are over-hyped??
I dont know...personal experience versus commercials..im going to go with my actual experience
Nuff said.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, I find it quite funny about how you totally ignored the meaning of my post and turned the whole thing into an evangelism for AT&T - all while assuming I use Verizon.
The purpose of my post was to state that I bought the G-tab because I wanted a large-screened tablet for reading/web surfing/similar tasks. I already have a phone with a data plan, and I do not want another. I also didn't go with an iPad or a Galaxy tab for the same reason - to get one at a price point similar to the G-tab, I would have to go with one that is subsidized by a carrier. Which means another data plan to pay for.
BTW, comparing the Atrix and the G-Tab is a waste of time as most people will treat them as two separate products with different purposes.
The Samsung phone you linked to was nice, but you glossed over the fact that I said that I didn't want another phone at this time - or in the near future.
Regarding the whole AT&T vs Verizon thing - I have had bad experiences with AT&T for quite a long time; even going as far back to before AT&T took over Cingular. It wasn't a one-time incident, and eventually I gave up dealing with them. It's my choice not to deal with them as much as it's your choice to use them.
I know there are plenty of people that have had bad customer service issues with my carrier of choice as well - which, by the way, is Sprint and not Verizon.
BigJohn
Various blogs have reported that Motorola is leaving the bootloader unlocked.
I read the reviews and it seams the laptop dock is pretty much just a gimmick and not all that useful. Sweet phone though. If I was going to spend a ton of cash on a phone and or a new plan anyways I might consider it. Happy with my gTab and HD2 for now though.
I'm def. not.
599/499 for a phone and a dock with a screen? I think not. It's essentially still just a phone. Some people change their phones every year or 2. So you're either locking yourself into an expensive short term investment or willing to hold on to older tech for longer, in which case maybe it would be worth it. You're also locked into a data contract for 2 years - inflating the cost of the package drastically.
Option 2 is a tablet for 379/399, a $40 wireless mouse/kb bundle from logitech or ms and a $50 hdmi dock, then hook it up to your LCD TV or monitor and voila, similar effect albeit not as mobile as the atrix lapdock, but if you're willing to carry that around in a bag, why not just buy a more powerful netbook or laptop for $300 upfront and let that be that? It just doesn't make much sense at the current price point.
It's a gimmick, imho.
If the entire dock were maybe $100-150 then it might pass as worthwhile. That would essentially give you a phone and 'netbook' transformer for $350 which is around the cost of a netbook/laptop/tablet. At 299/399 with/without a rebate for the dock alone and that's not including the cost of being locked into a contract for 2 years....whereas the VS is 399 off the bat, no catch, it's not really for me. To each his own though. I'm sure there are reasons to get it.
With possible tiered data plans looming on Verizon, I'm now in the market for a smartphone. I want to get in with unlimited data. I'm in a 4G area, and want a 4G phone. I'm trying to decide which to get. Currently I'm leaning toward the Charge.
From those who actually own this device, would you get it again, or would you go with something else? Are you happy with the dev work, or other phones are better? Sell me, one way or the other.
alohasurf0007 said:
With possible tiered data plans looming on Verizon, I'm now in the market for a smartphone. I want to get in with unlimited data. I'm in a 4G area, and want a 4G phone. I'm trying to decide which to get. Currently I'm leaning toward the Charge.
From those who actually own this device, would you get it again, or would you go with something else? Are you happy with the dev work, or other phones are better? Sell me, one way or the other.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well..let me help...I love the CHARGE...and I had a Thunderbolt for 6 months.......I happen to like the fact that the CHARGE has kinda a flimsy battery cover..to me..since it is "flimsy" it makes it lighter then the Thunderbolt....
as far as battery life..it never really affected me because I have an extended battery for my Charge and I also had one for more Thunderbolt....so they both lasted me the day...the only con I find with the Charge compared to the TB is that with the Thunderbolt whenever you got new e mail or txt message there was and LCD that flashed on the device....with the Charge...there is no LCD notification.....let me ad..that is not a deal breaker...for me...the charge is a better phone...and yes...I rooted and had custom roms on both.....and I rooted right away so can not give you a comparision stock LOL
I finally took the plunge and got a charge. I was always a sense guy. I loved the incredible, even with its horrific battery (before froyo and rooting). Thus the thunderbolt was the natural pick for me. But i needed a phone for phone calls, and the voice quality on that phone was lacking. A lot. So i finally sold off my thunderbolt and got a charge. I hate Samsung 's touchwiz and the stock apps are nothing compared to the stock sense ones, but there are some great alternatives in the market. My charge works great with launcherpro, the go dialer and handcent.
The orange theme though needs to go. Whichever Samsung or Verizon person thought up the brown and orange theme needs to get his eyes checked. And seriously reconsider his life decisions. Thank goodness for xda !
But i love the hardware. Made the thing worth it. Feels great in hand and i love the little thing.
alohasurf0007 said:
With possible tiered data plans looming on Verizon, I'm now in the market for a smartphone. I want to get in with unlimited data. I'm in a 4G area, and want a 4G phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Word has it that the tired data plans are only for new plans and that existing customers - even those that upgrade after the tired plans are in effect will not be affected. My referance: droid-life.com/2011/06/21/current-verizon-customers-wont-be-affected-by-tiered-data-only-new-customers-and-lines/
As for the charge - I was thinking that I should wait for a dual core phone with the latest and greatest processor but this phone is plenty fast and the network has much more an effect on usability than how fast a quadrant score you get.
"whenever you got new e mail or txt message there was and LCD that flashed on the device....with the Charge...there is no LCD notification"
I use the highly-rated noled, available on the android market, to handle notifications and it works well for me. I don't miss the dedicated led that was on my Droid 1.
frickandfrak said:
The orange theme though needs to go. Whichever Samsung or Verizon person thought up the brown and orange theme needs to get his eyes checked. And seriously reconsider his life decisions. Thank goodness for xda !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't mean to pick on you... but have you looked at the XDA site???
binglejellsx2 said:
Don't mean to pick on you... but have you looked at the XDA site???
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Wow, did not even realize our stock Droid Charges were xda-themed...
LOL, never really noticed the similarity between xda and Charge's color theme. Clearly similar, but it's much more orange and stark on the Charge. On my MacBook the forum here looks brown and shades of off-white/tan, not dark brown and stark orange.
To the OP, no, in hindsight I would not buy the Charge again, especially at this late date. I bought it because I love SAMOLED screens, and I wanted a second LTE unlimited data phone on the family plan before they went away.
My suggestion at this point is if you want to buy an LTE phone for that reason, buy either the Charge or the TB in the next week or two AT COSTCO. You'll lock into the data plan, but Costco gives you 90 days to swap the phone for a different model if you're not happy with it. Hopefully the Bionic or Galaxy S 2 or some LTE phone that actually has a nice screen and decent battery life and non-lagged performance will be out and you can swap for it.
Thanks all for your feedback. And the note about Costco is very interesting. I saw the other day they were selling it for $180, with extras.
I'm looking to find more information about the %20 corp discount change. Currently my wife has that on her line, and it's not something I'd be happy about loosing if that's the case.
I'm digging this phone. Like the screen and its physical buttons. Lte is great and plentiful in my area. Going to root and flash gummycharge when I get home.
Sent from my SCH-I510 using XDA Premium App
Definitely go with the charge... no boot loader locks, easy odin flashing, plenty of dev work, best looking non iphone screen on the market, great battery life, comes with a 32gb sdcard,
Sent from my SCH-I510 using XDA Premium App
I would get it again, but if I were already on a Fascinate (or other SGS phone) and looking to upgrade without the intention of locking in unlimited 4G/data, then I'd stay with what I had. Regardless of what you have now, if you're looking to upgrade to a 4G phone, I'd say the Charge is the one to have.
pH_ said:
Word has it that the tired data plans are only for new plans and that existing customers - even those that upgrade after the tired plans are in effect will not be affected. My referance: droid-life.com/2011/06/21/current-verizon-customers-wont-be-affected-by-tiered-data-only-new-customers-and-lines/
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This is not entirely correct. Existing smartphone users will not be affected, if you already have unlimited data, you're good. If you don't have it on July 7th, you're not getting it, period.
distortedloop said:
My suggestion at this point is if you want to buy an LTE phone for that reason, buy either the Charge or the TB in the next week or two AT COSTCO. You'll lock into the data plan, but Costco gives you 90 days to swap the phone for a different model if you're not happy with it. Hopefully the Bionic or Galaxy S 2 or some LTE phone that actually has a nice screen and decent battery life and non-lagged performance will be out and you can swap for it.
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Oh wow nice idea, 90 days is quite some time.
Yeah, I just picked up my Charge yesterday to lock in my lte data. I always buy at costco, I'll be good to pick up any phones that come out until the end of August. By the way, the computers for Verizon code 4g and 3g differently in the system, even if they cost the same. I spoke to the rep there and he showed my fascinate line was a 3g device and the charge said 4g device in Verizon's system on his screen. He said the change happened a month or so ago. I called customer service and she said she couldn't comment on unreleased information, but "hypothetically" if you have a 3g plan and are grandfathered, and then get a 4g phone after unlimited goes away, even though the 4g plans cost the same, you will be seen as having a different data package in Verizon's system and be forced to pay the tiered pricing. Verizon isn't stupid.
Kamar234 said:
Yeah, I just picked up my Charge yesterday to lock in my lte data. I always buy at costco, I'll be good to pick up any phones that come out until the end of August. By the way, the computers for Verizon code 4g and 3g differently in the system, even if they cost the same. I spoke to the rep there and he showed my fascinate line was a 3g device and the charge said 4g device in Verizon's system on his screen. He said the change happened a month or so ago. I called customer service and she said she couldn't comment on unreleased information, but "hypothetically" if you have a 3g plan and are grandfathered, and then get a 4g phone after unlimited goes away, even though the 4g plans cost the same, you will be seen as having a different data package in Verizon's system and be forced to pay the tiered pricing. Verizon isn't stupid.
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Just to clarify.........
I have an SGS (Vibrant), but am going to switch to Verizon soon (before 6 July). I called a Verizon Customer Service rep yesterday and asked about the data info. Long story short, If you have "an unlimited data plan" (3G/4G - doesn't matter), you will be grandfathered in to the unlimited data for $30 until you upgrade your phone or 2 years, whichever is first. If you get a new phone withing the next two years, you will be forced into the new tiered data plan. If you keep the same phone for two years, at the end of that 2 years, you will be forced to switch to the tiered data plan. AT&T is doing the same thing once it acquires T-Mobile. Hope this helps and clarifies info for someone.
-Adam
Well that goes against what Droid-Life is saying, and AC and Engadget are repeating, that existing smartphone customers will be able to keep their existing unlimited plans when they upgrade. That's what most of the data out now suggests, and the fact that some CSR's are repeating it and there seems to be a few documents out now seems to confirm it. There's a pretty huge difference between us being able to upgrade and keep unlimited or not after the 7th, and VZW can't afford to have confusion being spread by their employees. So I would think that if they were not allowing us to upgrade keeping unlimited, they would have made it very clear to their employees from the beginning, rather than leaving it ambiguous, or even suggesting something that wasn't true.
Regardless, if we accept that as true, which most people do at this point, we still don't know what they'll count as a change or not. People who bought smartphones off ebay but never got a smartphone when renewing their contract likely won't be eligible, since they aren't technically smartphone customers in VZW's system. We also don't know if people switching to or from Blackberries and iPhones will be counted as having the same plan as an Android device. And the big question is whether someone with an unlimited 3g plan can get a 4g device and keep that unlimited plan. There doesn't seem to be any difference between the plans, but there definitely is, and they could definitely force you to switch to tiered if upgrading to an LTE phone. They haven't said this will be the case, but there hasn't been any info to suggest it won't be.
For this reason alone I'd definitely buy the Charge again. I had no smartphone before, and was able to buy the best LTE smartphone available before D-Day nearly a month ago for $150. I'm locked in to LTE unlimited at least with this phone, and the only "if" is whether VZW will allow us to upgrade to a similar device and keep the plan, since I'll only be going to another LTE Android in the future I'm sure. It won't matter to me whether they distinguish between 3g and 4g plans.
But yeah, the device itself is great, too! Best screen on the market, awesome camera and the ffc is decent, the shape is quite nice once you get used to it, battery life is quite good considering what it is and how heavily I use it, there's a ton of development with much more likely to come, and the SGS platform is still strong hardware. Sure, its not the most powerful thing around anymore by any means, but it'll hold its own, especially with some help from the awesome devs! So yeah, it'll get old after awhile, but I expect the development will keep me happy for quite some time. And there's nothing out there that would be worth missing out on unlimited 4g data for. I REALLY don't want tiered, even if I have to upgrade at full price from here on out.
alohasurf0007 said:
From those who actually own this device, would you get it again, or would you go with something else? Are you happy with the dev work, or other phones are better? Sell me, one way or the other.
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My wife and I were in the same position. We both had blackberries and were able to get new phones in June. I heard about the tiered data BS so I started looking for phones so I could lock in unlimited 4G.
After searching/reading about Verizon's 4G phones, I decided to go with the charge with the TB being a close second. What made the decision for me was the screen and the better battery life. (I just got the phone 2 days ago... wife gets hers today)
What I like about the Charge:
Screen is the best I have seen. Really looks great.
Battery life is reasonable
What I don't like:
Cheap plastic construction. (Although I will be putting mine in a holster w/screen cover... so I guess light plastic is better than metal which would get covered anyway). And when I say cheap... I mean cheap. It seems like it is a very soft plastic between the bezel and the back plate. I already got a small nick in mine and I have been babying it until I get a case. Buttons feel good and screen looks great but the chassis sucks.
Worse-than-usual terrible verizon bloatware. Seriously Verizon. **** YOU. If I want all your crap, I would download it. At least make it deletable you ****ing assholes. Ohhh... and thanks for the non-deletable bookmarks to your ****ty websites. I will be rooting and freezing this PURE UNADULTERATED CRAP asap.
No case included with the phone. Even a cheap slip-on plastic sleeve would be nice to tide you over until you have time to order a case.
I don't have much experience with Android (have a couple month old Transformer) but I am pretty sure I am going to hate touchwiz. A lot of things are just plain weird about it.
Anyway, if you have any specific questions, ask away. One other thing to consider is that the TB will have a lot larger dev community than the charge. Then again, as long as I can root and get a good ROM I don't care that much.
el_brio said:
My wife and I were in the same position. We both had blackberries and were able to get new phones in June. I heard about the tiered data BS so I started looking for phones so I could lock in unlimited 4G.
After searching/reading about Verizon's 4G phones, I decided to go with the charge with the TB being a close second. What made the decision for me was the screen and the better battery life. (I just got the phone 2 days ago... wife gets hers today)
What I like about the Charge:
Screen is the best I have seen. Really looks great.
Battery life is reasonable
What I don't like:
Cheap plastic construction. (Although I will be putting mine in a holster w/screen cover... so I guess light plastic is better than metal which would get covered anyway). And when I say cheap... I mean cheap. It seems like it is a very soft plastic between the bezel and the back plate. I already got a small nick in mine and I have been babying it until I get a case. Buttons feel good and screen looks great but the chassis sucks.
/snip/
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I was a proud owner of DROID X and the fact that it is metal, solid and heavy, everyone who tried and held it thought it screamed high quality. Then I bought the latest TPU (google it) cover skin for the DROID X because I had every intention of dumping it once VZW came with 4G phone. With the TPU skin on, my friends' frame of mind was completely changed. Since they can't touch and feel the cold metal surface, their subsequent reaction was that the phone is way too heavy, how could you carry a brick like that in your khaki pants, you're going to kill me with that, aren't ya?, etc., etc. It was comical. Fast forward 11 months, they're touching and feeling my Droid Charge that's also covered with TPU skin. Their first reaction was, "wow what a screen. This thing fits so nicely in the hand and soooo light, and they can fit all that power in a small and extremely light package, and still have similar sized, 4.3" screen as your old Droid X" (paraphrased). I showed them the two phones, side by side, in their TPU skins with the same "Verizon red" color. FYI, the TPU skin has a semi rigid, smooth and shinny skin. It hides the Droid Charge's thin plastic (spelled light) body and gives it a rigid feel to it, not unlike the similarly skinned DROID X. My 2c.
Cruiserdude said:
Regardless, if we accept that as true, which most people do at this point, we still don't know what they'll count as a change or not. People who bought smartphones off ebay but never got a smartphone when renewing their contract likely won't be eligible, since they aren't technically smartphone customers in VZW's system. We also don't know if people switching to or from Blackberries and iPhones will be counted as having the same plan as an Android device. And the big question is whether someone with an unlimited 3g plan can get a 4g device and keep that unlimited plan. There doesn't seem to be any difference between the plans, but there definitely is, and they could definitely force you to switch to tiered if upgrading to an LTE phone. They haven't said this will be the case, but there hasn't been any info to suggest it won't be.
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Exactly. First of all, I have absolutely ZERO trust in anything that Verizon says... and less than zero trust in anything their reps say. My wife and I had 3G unlimited plans for $30 (Blackberry). Personally, I would have waited until the newer phones came out in a couple of months before switching... but at this point all we have is a "promise" (do we even have that really?) that we could get grandfathered in. I am guessing that the new iPhone 5 will have 4G and they will want to get people off the unlimited plans because netflix and the like are going to absolutely hammer their bandwidth otherwise.
In short, my unlimited plan MAY have carried over... but there is nothing in writing saying that it will. With a new contract, I am safe and can cancel if they change my terms after-the-fact. I wouldn't be surprised if on July 7th they issue a clarification on the issue after it is too late.
The Droid Charge is coming up on its first birthday, and having been a day 1 adopter I've seen the phone through some downs and ups. Like many committed to this phone, I was very tempted by next generation 4G devices like the RARZ, Rezound, or Nexus. I've been disappointed with Samsung's lack of cooperation on code critical to ROM development. I've watched new phones quickly released pushing the Charge further into history.
However, i'm writing this to acknowledge what is great about this device and why you should be happy to get or have one.
Firstly, the hardware. While the Charge has only a single core and 512 memory, the shortcomings really end there. It's Super AMOLED+ screen is by far one of - if not THE most perfect display on a mobile device that i've seen and I believe it equal or superior to any of the Verizon 4G devices. It's form factor and physical buttons are pleasant to use, and it's weight feels good in a hand or pocket. Its connectivity options and accessories are top notch with full MicroSD, HDMI, and horizontal docking stations with backup battery chargers. It packs the superior Audio chips that have drawn audiophiles to the phone. It's battery life has with recent software updates become perfectly adequate: I regularly get 12-15 hours of genuinely moderate use including 45-60 minutes of calls, 2-3 hours of web browsing, and 1 hour of bluetooth music streaming on a single charge. (Caveat: frequently on WiFi, while on 4G only battery lasts more like 8 hours). However with a cheap, replaceable battery which fits in my slim wallet as easily as 4 folded $20 bills, I easily do whatever I want as long as I want so long as I can charge while sleeping.
Secondly, the software: yes, it's come a long way. Those of us who remember rooting ED1 and hoping for a voodoo lagfix back in June know how bad it was - the color scheme, the RFS file system, the terrible browsing. However, as of today on Eclipse ROM 2.0 (FP1 based) the phone performs beautifully with no lag on home screens, snappy browsing, and an attractive, feature rich interface.
Lastly, and probably most importantly, is the Value. The Charge is the best phone dollar for dollar that you can buy today. Commonly available on craigslist for $120 used with a $20 docking station from Ebay you can have a great setup for less than the cost of buying other phones with contract. I was recently in a position to upgrade to a Galaxy nexus for $350 (from ebay, selling charge for $120 for a net cost around $200) and thought to myself, why? are small advances in CPU and memory that affect me little on a daily worth $200? and the answer was clearly: no. Can i get a better gingerbread experience with longer battery life on the Razr Maxx? For $400 net cost maybe, but only slightly, and with nearly equivalent battery life so long as you plan ahead. And what if you drop the phone on the ground and shatter it? You could have a new Droid Charge for less than the deductible if you carried insurance, which could save you $10/mo - or $400ish if you had a shiny nexus or Maxx with no policy.
And so, that's my opinion as a Droid Charge early adopter. If you're thinking of getting one today you'll luck out and have a great experience - head over to the forums and read the stickies on ODIN, CWM, and then get a FP1 based ROM right away. If you're thinking of jumping ship, and $200 is at all consequential to your life, consider what you get from another phone in your overall value decision.
Good luck!
I agree with this. Using the phone can get frustrating at times, especially for those who have the static problems (get a replacement!!!), but in the end it's the price we pay for getting the first gen 4g and locking in unlimited data.
Amen!
JihadSquad said:
first gen 4g and locking in unlimited data.
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I forgot to mention that's why I went with the Charge in the first place - in May 2011 we didnt know if there would be any new phones like the Nexus or Razr before unlimited data would go away.
Great post.
Sent from my GT-P7510 using xda premium
sasquatch080 said:
Great post.
Sent from my GT-P7510 using xda premium
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+1! Actually agree with this 100%.
Sent from my SCH-I510 using XDA
JihadSquad said:
first gen 4g and locking in unlimited data.
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Yeah but when you go to upgrade you have to sign a new 2 year contract and unlimited will not be an option. Only way to stay locked in to unlimited data is by buying phone @ retail price
But I agree with this post and will wait till a new nexus comes out..Which prob wont come out till end of this year or begging of next year...
jager420 said:
Yeah but when you go to upgrade you have to sign a new 2 year contract and unlimited will not be an option. Only way to stay locked in to unlimited data is by buying phone @ retail price
But I agree with this post and will wait till a new nexus comes out..Which prob wont come out till end of this year or begging of next year...
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Not true. I upgraded in September from my old Blackberry w/ unlimited data. I got to keep my unlimited data, and my brother (new line) got tiered. I hear Verizon has a good reputation of honoring contract extensions by keeping past low prices on existing contracts and from people whose cheap carriers were bought by Verizon.
Wrong. I will be renewing my contract therefore locking in unlimited.
I upgraded my wife's incredible to the rezound and still have unlimited data. During the upgrade we got the upgrade price of 199 at the time before 49 came around. Not worried about the cost since teh wife is happy.
Not one customer service rep has said I will lose my unlimited data for upgrading my phone when the time comes around. My data will even carry over to a new plan if I want a new plan. Whoever is telling you all that you are going to lose your unlimited data plan is hog wash.
Funny thing was, my wife was 9 months out from upgrading to a new phone, but the incredible turned to garbage after a year of good use. They gave us the deal without hesitating. So, if your phone is going belly up and you need something reliable and new big red may help you out as well.
Never hurts to ask.
Need help? http://www.toms-world.org/android/ flash to EP4D, make ClockworkMod Recovery stick, step by step root. Best step by step instructions for the Droid Charge.
Yea, I've already verified with Verizon that the data plan is tied to the individual customer and as long as you don't change your data plan, you can carry it with you and not change anything. I just combined my line onto a new family plan, under someone else's name, and my data didn't change. They still have their 4GB double data, and I still have my unlimited data.
shrike1978 said:
Yea, I've already verified with Verizon that the data plan is tied to the individual customer and as long as you don't change your data plan, you can carry it with you and not change anything. I just combined my line onto a new family plan, under someone else's name, and my data didn't change. They still have their 4GB double data, and I still have my unlimited data.
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So if i split my line off my family plan i should be able to keep the data?
I am a perfect example of this scenario. I had the Fascinate for about a year, and just couldn't stop thinking about how much I wanted a 4G phone and bigger screen. A little over a month ago, I decided to upgrade. All of the BIG 3 phones (razr, rezound, nexus) were available on ebay or craigslist, but I went with The Droid Charge. Got mine for $125 on ebay, bought a car dock for $20, flashed Eclipse and FP1 radio (haven't gotten around to Eclipse 2.0 yet and FP1 kernel), and I could not be happier. I have not even thought about another device, and the phone is stable, quick and of course the screen is fantastic. I agree, the Charge is a great value on the phone market right now.
JihadSquad said:
So if i split my line off my family plan i should be able to keep the data?
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From my understanding, yes, as long as the service is uninterrupted.
I kind of hate these owner-justification threads, because this phone is undeniably dated at this point... yet there's nothing wrong with that. Technology moves quickly. That's just how it is.
The Galaxy Nexus is noticeably much faster in daily use, and you're deluding yourself (and/or haven't used one) if you insist otherwise.... but it should be faster! It's newer. Yet in a year, you can be sure it too will start looking outdated. Once again, technology moves fast.
Finally: if you're buying a phone off-contract and need to save money, sure, consider the Charge, because yeah, you can get it pretty cheap. But the reality is that the overwhelming majority of people buy phones on-contract, and getting this in that scenario -- when you can get a much newer and all-around better phone like the Lucid (now *that* is a good value) for less money -- would be a definite mistake.
Just rooted and loaded Eclipse 2.0. Phone is better than ever.
I had been considering picking up a new phone but I am glad that I gave the Charge another shot.
jager420 said:
Yeah but when you go to upgrade you have to sign a new 2 year contract and unlimited will not be an option. Only way to stay locked in to unlimited data is by buying phone @ retail price
But I agree with this post and will wait till a new nexus comes out..Which prob wont come out till end of this year or begging of next year...
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This is wrong. When you upgrade you still can keep your unlimited data. I verified this with Verizon.
As for the main post by cmdrfrog. I agree 100% with what he wrote. My contact is up in September and I was thinking of upgrading to the Galaxy Nexus but after flashing my Charge with the Tweaked v2.0 rom by dwitherell. I really don't see any reason to upgrade currently with the exception of having the latest and greatest and better rom support.
I gotta say that the Charge more or less forced me into the geeky root, rom, mod, script, theme, radio, etc flashing thing. If the Charge didn't suck so much stock, I likely wouldn't have much of an Android skillset today.
Once tricked out properly, the Charge is a great phone. The VIA baseband is sub-par IMO, but for some people it seems fine.
I remember when there were rumors of Verizon dropping unlimited. The Charge was my first smartphone. I was compelled to get a 4G phone just in case Verizon wouldn't let you upgrade a 3G device and still let you keep unlimited in the future, and just 5 weeks later, Verizon dropped unlimited. At the time it was the Charge or the Thunderbolt, and I am glad I didn't get the Thunderbolt...
I remember when I first had an Odin flash fail, I think my heart skipped a couple beats.
The Charge has drawbacks, no doubt about it, but it is still an awesome phone. I think most people would be happy with it waiting for something like the GS3.
Newb here, but thought I'd chime in. Before rooting, my Charge was slow, and laggy (is that a word?). After taking the plunge, and rooting with Tweakstock, the phone runs great! I agree that is a little dated now, but my rooted Charge will keep me happy til my next upgrade.
+1
xdadevnube said:
I gotta say that the Charge more or less forced me into the geeky root, rom, mod, script, theme, radio, etc flashing thing. If the Charge didn't suck so much stock, I likely wouldn't have much of an Android skillset today.
Once tricked out properly, the Charge is a great phone. The VIA baseband is sub-par IMO, but for some people it seems fine.
I remember when there were rumors of Verizon dropping unlimited. The Charge was my first smartphone. I was compelled to get a 4G phone just in case Verizon wouldn't let you upgrade a 3G device and still let you keep unlimited in the future, and just 5 weeks later, Verizon dropped unlimited. At the time it was the Charge or the Thunderbolt, and I am glad I didn't get the Thunderbolt...
I remember when I first had an Odin flash fail, I think my heart skipped a couple beats.
The Charge has drawbacks, no doubt about it, but it is still an awesome phone. I think most people would be happy with it waiting for something like the GS3.
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Way to think positive! That is really a good point though. The phone was so terrible when it came out I thought I had faulty hardware and went back to the store for a replacement. When I realized I was just stuck with the phone the way it was, I joined XDA and started tweaking. I never would have learned so much about rooting, scripts, themes, even the Linux shell. Now, the phone works beautifully (though finally getting a device that came out a year ago into working order is unacceptably late). I will be holding on to this one for a while.
So let's start this off by saying I tend to be a very frugal person. So frugal that about a year and a half ago I opted to get the Galaxy Tab (7 inch) from Verizon on a 2 year contract for only $100 on a $35 a month 3GB data plan. I slapped Skype on it, grabbed an online number and tied that into my Google Voice account and for a total of $41~ a month ($6 a month on average for an online number for Skype and unlimited minutes) I had a device with unlimited calling, unlimited texting, and 3GB of data which turned out to be plenty since I used the wifi when I was at home. This was awesome despite holding up a 7 inch tablet to my head to make phone calls, which I didn't care. I mean yeah people look at you funny but I was the one laughing since I was saving over $50 a month on my phone bill. And I could play Angry Birds on a big screen! I really really loved this setup.
I sold that tablet to my brother 9 months ago now and he just kinda carried over the plan. I did that since I moved to Chile for that amount of time and now I'm moving back to the States come next week and I want a similar setup. No carriers offer data only plans though that work well in my area. I switched from AT&T to Verizon since big red's coverage was 100x better where I mostly used my phone. However the data plan I had gotten with that tablet has gone away due to the "Share Everything" stuff although it still is only $40 a month for the share everything tablet data plan but none of the newer tablets they offer catch my eye since I really want that 7 inch sweet spot which is actually able to still fit in most of my pant's back pockets. This brings me to my best thought so far but there's one large caveat...
Mobile hotspots. I have narrowed down the choice between Verizon's Mifi 4510L and US Cellular's Samsung SCH-LC11 and then using that to connect to a Nexus 7 which looks like a better and more powerful Galaxy Tab that I had only used a year ago. I'm definitely leaning more towards US Cellular though since they offer a 2 GB plan for $25 a month and only an extra $10 per GB used above the 2GB limit while Verizon's crazy pricing for their Mifi 4510L starts at $50 a month for 4 GB of data which I'd probably never use all of it. I never even used 2 GB from what I remember from before. Although that's still a huge bargain compared to pretty much everyone else who has opted for those ridiculously overpriced plans for their rinky dinky smartphones. I kid of course. The base pricing for the devices is $188.99 out the door for a pre-owned certified Mifi 4510L without a contract and $200 (after $50 MiR) for the Samsung on a 2 year contract. After a year the Samsung would save me $300 but that's also stuck on a 2 year contract, although if I had to cancel it'd only be $150 to do so and I'd still be ahead $150 above big red. But the one large caveat to this is the battery life which on the Samsung is about 3 and half hours active usage and the Mifi 4510L says 5 hours but the Samsung has a removable battery. Now I drive fairly often and at my work and home I'll more than likely have wifi access, thus negating the need to plug in the mobile hotspot, the tablet however would also use up more battery due to the wifi being on all the time. It's definitely a trade off but one I'm willing to make I believe since on the US Cellular (Which has really great service where I live although I don't believe I can get 4G from either) side of things I'd be saving $900 a year.* So what does xda think about this? Any thoughts or insight? Other suggestions that I more than likely missed? Or mistakes in my plan? (I've been known to make plenty of those.)
Now I do know that it doesn't have to be a tablet. I'm tempted to get the Galaxy S III off-contract and just use it wirelessly the same way. However I'll still be lugging the mobile hotspot wherever I'll be. Other bonuses to the hotspot is... It's a hotspot. Super easy to share my connection. Although I was able to do that with my old Galaxy Tab very easily as well so not a huge deal. Thanks to those that stuck through my huge post and seemingly large amount of rambling. I didn't mean to post this much but it just turned out this way.
*This is accounting that I never have to pay an extra $10 for a GB over the 2GB use and accounting for a $100 for a normal plan. I could go ahead and say I'd be saving $1800 over a normal smartphone plan although I have around $400 to put down at first so saying an average smartphone goes for $200 with a 2 year plan I'm still saving $1600 once those 2 years are up.
TL;DR - I'm cheap and want to get a mobile hotspot and use a tablet (Nexus 7) connected to it via wifi as my phone to get the cheapest monthly data plan and run all my talk and texts through Google Voice / Skype.
OK So Im a bit conflicted on what to do here. My dad reworked the Verizon plan and now I have an unlimited data plan on My Alias 2. As much as I want to mess with people by showing off the web enabled featres of my flip phone, I basically need a Smart Phone to get the most out of the data plan.
Now, I have a Razer Phone 2, which I believe WILL run on their network, but I've been using it (And a Nexus 4 before it) in a manner akin to the what the ipod touch devices used to function as. I did not intend to use it with Data, and it works great to that end.
Now, I am tempted to just save the 2-300 bucks on a new smart phone and just stick the sim card into my razer 2, but then I couldn't keep it in my pocket because the cell radiation does something to my nerves. I've already got a permanent numb spot where my dumb phone used to sit in my pocket, so phones always go into a backpack away from my skin now.
So, the Motorola z3 is on sale for another day. I can get the $170 32 GB model with the free controller mod, or the $260 64GB with a free battery pack AND controller mod. My Razer has 64+400GB, and game storage, so I think I can settle on the cheaper option there since the Razer will take up those other functions anyway.
Or is there another phone in that range that would be a good data access phone to consider? I think the Moto mod options suit my interests better, but maybe a One Plus would be better. I also would be interested in the Fairphone 3, but its expensive and not out in the states yet or maybe not ever.